I hate losing fans! Please don't go away! I'll promise to reduce my evilness! On with the chapter!

Friendly Sight

Corin was filled with excitement. Florrie and Ariana made a decision to help Corin find a good date so she wouldn't be alone at the party this Sunday. Her reaction was way different than Florrie's. She love spending time with her friends, hunk searching.

"You guys are the BEST friends ever," Corin cheered as they walked to the watering hole.

"Calm down now," Ariana said, dizzy looking at her hyper friend. "We still need to know what qualities you want in a guy."

"Well, let see…," Corin thought for a minute, "He has to be handsome, romantic, easy to talk to…"

Corin listed all of the things she had to say while Ariana just put out an ear. Florrie listened for a while but her mind was at Zuba who was busy chatting with Ty at the back.

Ty was a slim and average looking cheetah. His fur had spotty patterns that have small spots linked to big spots. Different from Ariana's spots which were almost star-shaped. He's an inch or two higher than his girlfriend.

Zuba and Ty were invited by their mates to help Corin look for a date. Zuba didn't mind the offer but Ty had had plans to do today. But he cancelled it at the last second after hearing Ariana's plead.

It was a good thing that Zuba and Ty had known each other before. He wouldn't want to waste his time with girly things all day long.

"Haven't seen you for awhile. What happened?" Ty started. A little surprise to his old friend came out from the blues. He was the only non-lion friend who knew what happened to Zuba's mom. Zuba held confidence in him to let it be a secret.

It was amazing that Zuba and Zolo kept all this from the world without even letting the tiniest rumor spread.

"I've been having a rough time these past months," Zuba answered.

"Dude, I know you're sad, but you can't exile yourself from your friends," Ty coaxed, "You can't stay alone for ever."

"Yeah, I know," Zuba muttered, "You sound just like my dad."

Zuba haven't been very sociable these past months. After his mother died, he alienated himself from the crowd. Everytime Ty or his other friends came to visit; he would come out with various excuses just to not see them. And if they were stubborn, he won't hesitate to use severe methods. Some of his friends lost contact with him. While others are still questioning, Ty was one of them.

"So, how long have you known Florrie?" Ty changed the subject.

"About three days now," Zuba gazed Florrie from a distance. "We're getting married next week."

The whole news shocked Ty. "What!?" he blurted, some of the animals and the girls stared at him; confused. Florrie knew what was going on. She gave a grin at Zuba and then turned back to her friends.

Zuba let out a shush, covering Ty's mouth with his paws. "Don't let the whole preserve hear you!" he whispered.

"Sorry," Ty spoke through Zuba's paw. "But seriously? Dude! That's so not like you."

"It wasn't my idea, it was my dad's," he said.

Zuba explained the details. He told him everything about what happened. Just like Florrie he was an open book to Ty. Ty was interested hearing Zuba's story. For him it was like a love story going out of hand. But he knew it was reality.

"Wow, your life really gotten messed up," Ty spoke after Zuba finished his explanation.

"Yeah, it kinda did," Zuba sighed and took glance on Florrie again. "But it's not that bad really…"

The girls reached the watering hole. Lucky for them the place wasn't that crowded so it would be easy to spot a cute guy for Corin. Corin's face already melted of excitement.

They circled the watering hole, at the same time Florrie and Ariana scanned for Corin's date. "Hey how about him?" Ariana pointed to a good-looking gazelle.

"Oh, it's Foru!" said Corin with a trembling voice. "He's the handsomest gazelle in the preserve."

"So go talk to him," Florrie pushed her friend towards Foru.

Foru was indeed the best-looking gazelle in he preserve. His turquoise blue eyes and pumped up muscles were the sensation of females everywhere.

Corin walked up to him, her legs started to shudder, "Hi Fo-oru…"

"Hi …uh Cory right?" Foru greeted, trying to identify one from a thousand lists of names he knew.

"It's Corin," she corrected him and giggled nervously. "I was wondering that you might…"

Foru just watched Corin fiddle with her hooves, attempting to say something to him.

"You see, do you want to go to the party with…" Just when Corin was about to ask him out, another more prettier gazelle came walking in.

"Foru baby!" the gazelle hugged Foru as she walked in.

Corin's heart crumbled to the sight. Her mouth was wide open seeing a female gazelle hugging her soon to be asked date. What a total embarrassment. It was lucky she didn't finished her sentence.

"Hey, Cheryl. I was just talkin' to Coral right here," he turned to Corin but seen nothing.

Corin had run away with her best friend to another far away from Foru spot. She din't want to humiliate herself. Once a merry Corin, now a sad and miserable gazelle. "C'mon Corin, you didn't know that he already had a girlfriend," Ariana patted Corin's back, cheering up Corin.

"Yeah, there's lots of other…" Florrie was stopped after hearing a chuckle from the behind.

It was Zuba and Ty. They were desperately trying to hold their laughter but failing. "I'm sorry it was just too damn funny," Zuba whispered.

Florrie didn't see that as amusing. It was her friend. She didn't have the heart to laugh. She dragged Zuba by the ear to somewhere out of earshot. Ty just watched his friend being pulled away by his fiancée. He turned back to Corin and saw Ariana with her arm crossed with an angry face. "What?" he grinned.

Florrie found a nice place for the two of them to talk. "Listen, you can't laugh at Corin like that!" she sounded, "She's my best friend."

"Sorry okay! But c'mon who wouldn't think that was funny?" he replies, adding some logic.

"Zuba!" she firmed, glaring at his eyes.

"Okay! I'll stop," Zuba grunted, "But this is so boring!"

"Well why did you agree to come than?" asked Florrie, crossing her arm showing fed-upness.

"B'cuz… B'cuz I-I l-li… " Zuba seized his words. He want to say to her that he liked or more to love her but the thoughts that she might not love him back, restrained him from opening his heart.

"Because what?" Florrie waited for an answer.

"B'cuz I thought this could be fun," he lied casually, "But I found out it's not."

Florrie just let out a sigh and paced back to Corin. Zuba could have sworn he saw her rolling her eyes.

Corin hid her blushing read face with her hooves. She gave up searching for a date. It was obvious that everybody already had a date so why she even bother. Now, she's going to be the only one without a date this Sunday. She planned to go with Florrie if she couldn't find someone but Zuba suddenly entered the picture. Ariana was busy scolding Ty and Florrie was nowhere to be seen. She was all alone.

Suddenly, she heard the pitter-patter of hooves. Ariana and Florrie had paws, so it couldn't be them. Maybe Foru came to laugh at her… NO! She shut her eyes tight, fearing her thoughts might came true.

"Um… your name's Corin right?" a mid-pitch voice sounded. "I'm Shazu."

Corin's adrenaline rush cooled down. She was relieved that it wasn't Foru. She removed her hooves from her face opened her eyes. In front of her was a zebra. He was the same size as Corin and had hazel brown eyes. His face was kinda goofy like a country folk but he had a sweet smile.

"I heard that you don't have a date this Sunday," Shazu claimed.

Corin nodded looking rather confused but astonished that someone knew her problem. "Who is he? My savior?" she thought.

"I was wondering if you would like to go with me?" asked the zebra having his hopes high that she'd say yes.

The confusion cyclone in her head got stronger. She didn't expect someone would ask her out like this. Shazu looked innocent and cute but not dating material. But something in her mind made her say: "Umm… okay."

Shazu's pupils grew bigger hearing the word. If he could, he would jump to the heavens and cried of excitement but he needed to keep himself cool. He didn't want to let Corin see him as a dork.

Corin carved a smile on her face. Feeling puzzled on why did she said 'yes' but also good that she at least had a date for this Sunday.

Ariana finished lectured Ty and saw Corin with Shazu together. They were sitting under the tree where Corin was. They were laughing as they were talking about something. Florrie got there in time to see the cute couple together. "Awh, they're so cute together in a goofy sort of way," Florrie awed.

"Yeah, they are cute," Ariana agreed. "What about you and Zuba? You guys still have things to work out right?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to rush things." she murmured.

Zuba got back to Ty. Rubbing his ear. His ear was sore from Florrie's grasp. "Ty, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"What is this party they're talking about?" asked Zuba.

"What!? All this time you didn't know?" Ty exclaimed. Zuba gave him a shrug showing obliviousness. "It's the party that Tomo Tomo is throwin'. It's two days from now," Ty explained briefly. "Everyone is talking about it."

Zuba didn't know about all of this. When he alienated himself from his friends he began to become ignorant about anything that happened in his preserve. "Maybe I should asked Florrie to go with me?" he asked himself.

The day was getting late. The sky started bleeding red as the sun dove into the mountains. Ariana walked with Ty to their pack while Corin said goodbye to Shazu and galloped to her herd. Zuba on the other hand, decided to walk Florrie to her cave.

As they reached the porch of her cave, Florrie said to Zuba, "Zuba, I'm sorry that this day wasn't a fulfilling day for you."

"It's okay. It's natural for you to help your friend…" Zuba replied, giving her a welcoming beam.

Florrie beamed back. "Umm, how about we go to the stream tomorrow," she proposed. "Just the two of us. For making up the time we wasted today."

"That's a great idea," Zuba concurred, "Just don't pull my ears too hard next time."

"Deal," she agreed. Florrie and Zuba giggled softly together, both starting to acknowledge one another. The gap between them had been pushed closer but not closed enough to let them realize how much they liked each other.

"Well, see ya tomorrow then." Zuba waved to Florrie goodbye and went off to the opposite direction. Florrie gazed at Zuba's silhouette as it faded into the darkness.

Florrie entered her cave having the hope that a fresh prey would be on the table with her parents to accompany her.

"I think I'll ask her tomorrow," Zuba thought, looking forward to tomorrow. Slowly making his way home, he didn't notice a pair of evil golden eyes glistened in the shadows was eyeing him.

Oh man! It's getting to middle of the story and I still haven't done yet!!! Noooo! Send me reviews to keep my spirits up! PLEASE! Or I kill you!!! Ooops a lil' evil there...