04

scholarship students & preys

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Not a second was wasted as Judy headed straight towards the exit after that encounter. She had tried to make an effort for her best friend, and now her effort was done - it was best not to tempt fate any further than that. 'I hope you won't get mad Izzy, but it's far better to be safe than sorry.'

"Well, hello, Judith," a voice interrupted.

Judy stopped dead in her tracks. 'This evening certainly wasn't going to get any better'.

"Hi Gareth," the doe replied, unenthused.

Gareth Woolsworth was one of the few prey students who was born and raised in Zootopia, and one of the fewer mammals who would talk to Judy. At first, she thought it was because he was a bigger person than his breeding dictated. (At least one member of his infamous family has had a seat in the Zootopian Congress for decades.) But soon the bunny realized that his friendliness towards her was because he was quite possibly the most boring person in the world, and only a couple of mammals could tolerate being in a conversation with him.

Not surprisingly, nobody thought of giving Judy a heads-up before she got stuck in an hour-long discussion (although, can it really be a discussion if only one of the mammals involve was doing the talking?) with him at the beginning of the year about the benefits of private education (and cripes, were they many — and he even listed all of them, alphabetically). By the time he was through, he was as surprised as Judy was that she was still standing there. Ever since, the odd yearling ram has sought his fellow prey out at any social events they have had.

"How were your holidays?" he asked Judy, rather curtly.

"Oh um, it was uh-fine. And yours?"

"Magnificent— we went to our house in Tundratown for Christmas. The weather there for that time of year is simply most agreeable. The record low temperature is sixty-five-point-three degrees Fahrenheit, and it didn't even come close to that. In fact, it was well above the average of sixty-nine-point-eight degrees Fahrenheit, which was a miracle, I tell you. A miracle." He brushed off a piece of fur from his tweed jacket.

Gareth not only dressed like he was thirty years older than his actual age, but he even speaks like an elderly professor - both in his choice of words and the amount of time it took him to get out a sentence. "I do enjoy getting out of the cold, where the average temperature for December hovers around forty degrees Fahrenheit. Which is better than the January average — but still. How about yourself? Where did you spend Christmas?"

"Near V&T and back"

He looked at her blankly.

"My aunt lives across Vine and Tujunga. . .in the Rainforest District but our family home is far back in the Burrows"

"Oh I see, how quaint."

"Yes, 'very' quaint." Judy glanced around, hoping to spot Priscilla so she could save her. But her friend and Flash were looking very cozy in a corner.

"How are you enjoying this reception?" Gareth asked her again.

"To be honest I-I — "

"Personally, the staff did a marvelous job decorating the hall. The lights are reminiscent of the ones we had inside our main foyer at our house in Savanna Central. I don't think any mammal can properly decorate for the holidays without colorful lights. They truly are beautiful whether in the dessert or— "

"Gareth!" Judy interrupted. (If she doesn't cut him off, she will never be able to leave.) "I, uh-uhm, spilled chowder on my dress, and I really need to get back to clean up."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. You know, the best thing for a stain is to soak it overnight in hot water then rinse it with cold water. At least that's according to my former nanny, and let me tell you, she had certainly seen some stains back in her days with us. My older sister, Sharla, and I never saw a mud field that we didn't — "

"Gareth, I really need to go." The bunny didn't even wait for the ram to say goodbye. She hated being rude to him because he was always nice to her, but she was so miserable that she didn't think she could handle another word (or in his case, an entire lecture) from his mouth.

Judy was only a few yards away from the exit when she saw none other than Nicholas Wilde standing there, looking at his watch. Before he could see her, however, she ducked behind a column, trying to figure if there was another way she could leave without him noticing. As she did, she spied Flash coming over to talk with his friend, blocking any escape route she could've had.

"Nick. . .isn't it great. . . to be back?" she heard Flash say. "You have to admit. . . this is a welcome sight. . .especially after months. . .in Furrance."

"Hardly," the todd spat drily. "I am starting to think that I should've listened to Dad and stayed in Furrance. Being back in Zootopia has just been harder than I thought it would be. I don't know why I let you drag me to these things. The mammals here are practically foaming at the mouth over parties and prom." With a sigh, he continued." Yet here I was, under the impression that academy girls had class. Silly me, huh?"

Flash laughed, like his friend was performing one of his skits. "What are you. . . talking about?. . .You've clearly let . . .all the foreign rain. . . dampen your spirits. . .How could you. . . say that about Bea. . .and my Izzy?. . .And what about her. . .best friend Judy?. . .You should ask. . . that girl to dance. . .you know?"

Nicholas groaned, louder than any mammal normally would. "No, I don't think so, buddy. Did you know that she's a scholarship student? "

"Yes. . .and?"

"And you really 'believe' that they've become best of friends? Just like that?"

"Of course. . .I do." There was an eerie silence. "Nick. . .not every mammal-"

Judy heard a spine-chilling growl. "Are you really that naive to 'think' that the first mammal I would 'want' to greet with open arms my first weekend on campus is some Podunk prey? A 'dumb' bunny? And a scholarship student, at that? Really, Flash? I went to Purris to get away from mammals like th-"

A flurry of mammals heading to the restrooms blocked the view of Judy's hiding place for a second, so she took the perfect opportunity to run away. She didn't want to hear another word from the fox. She stayed along the border of the hall until both Nicholas and Flash had left and the exit was clear as the night sky. She couldn't believe that he had so much open hatred for the preys and the unrich.

'Maybe he's right? I really am just a dumb bunny' Judy thought. Maybe it was silly of her to think, even for that short moment while he was helping her, that Nicholas was any different from anyone else around here - but he was the same.

Elites like him were all the same.

And maybe - for the love of Karma, the bunny hoped - Priscilla, was the only apple in the bunch who hasn't nor would ever turn rotten.

Judy had proven it to be true when, not an hour later, a fretting Priscilla returned from the reception earlier than some mammal would've expected. The doe had just gotten back from her brisk shower at the communal bathroom and was almost finished with her nightly routine if not for the sloth almost crushing her in a tight hug.

"Judy. . .where did you. . . run off to?" Priscilla asked her friend. "Are you. . . all right?. . . I was so worried. . .about you."

"I'm so sorry, Izzy." the doe could only sigh. "I-I got soup on the dress you just bought. Well, actually, Phern Beaverly got soup on the dress. O-Or, if we're going to need the actual motive behind it, Miss Beaverly Hills wanted to pour soup on me, b-but your gift was in the way." She continued to stammer. "However you look at it, I had a really, 'really' bad night."

"Oh, Judy. . .Judy. . .Don't even worry. . . about the dress."

"B-But Izzy, just imagine if it was one of 'your' dresses?! I-I don't think even dry cleaning would fix it, and I'm sure it was 'very' expensive. I'll pay you back for it o-once I receive my salary this month o-or I–"

Priscilla sat the Judy on her bed. "Hush you. . . I truly don't mind. . . what happened to. . . the dress. . .I care more. . .about you. . .Are you. . .sure you're. . . okay?"

The bunny nodded. She didn't have the energy to tell the sloth about Nicholas Wilde or his tirade. Plus, she was positive her friend's evening had been the opposite of hers. The folivoran's face was the embodiment of glowing. "Hmn-mnn, and I'll be much better once you tell me all about what happened between you and Flash tonight," she offered.

The glow turned into a blaze. "Oh my. . .Judy it was. . .amazing! We spent the entire. . . evening together. . . He wanted to hear. . . every detail about. . . my holidays. . . He didn't even. . . shy away about. . .what happened with. . .my gramps. And. . . he really wants. . .all of us to. . . meet up soon."

"That's great- wait...all of us?"

"Judy. . .I really want. . . you to get. . . to know Flash."

"Well, I have to admit, he truly seems like a good mammal, Izzy."

"He really is. . .and, Nick is. . . also quite the catch. . . don't you think, so?"

A cackle escaped Judy's throat. "Nick? As in, Nicholas Wilde?" The todd's name sounded offensive to her. "Seriously, Izzy? I know you only see the 'good' in mammals, but, that fox is so full of himself. 'And'," she raised her finger to present her argument. "I happen to overhear him tell Flash that he went away to Purris to basically get away from preys and scholarship students, like me."

"Oh. . .stop it. . .Judy!"

"What? I'm telling the truth."

Priscilla patted the bunny's knee. "You probably. . .just misunderstood. . .whatever you heard."

"Right, because it's easy to misunderstand him saying" Judy cleared her throat and tried her best impression of the vulpine. "I went away because I'm a miserable jerk who can't be in the presence of any dumb mammal who has no trust fund?"

That made the sloth laugh. "Ah-huh. . . if he actually. . .said that."

"Okay, okay. I might be...paraphrasing a little. But I promise you this–" Judy took both of her friend's paws. "-I am more than willing to go and get to know Flash better. I'm looking forward to it, in fact." Then she carefully dropped them to cross her shorter arms with a huff. "But I make no promises when it comes to that Nicholas Wilde. Unless, of course, 'some mammal' could promise that I never have to see him again."

"I'd promise, again. . .but we both know. . .how it went, and. . .how your night ended." Priscilla offered with a small smile.

Not even trying to hide her disappointment, Judy crawled in bed that night with one goal in mind: 'Then I guess I'll just try everything I can to avoid him at all costs."

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All major or minor characters and settings (even brand names) are owned and trademarked by Disney, and I do not claim ownership over them and the world of Zootopia (aside, of course, from my original characters and some fictional places that I added) - though I would like to thank Byron Howard and Richard Moore for giving us these anthropomorphic mammals that we love to hate (oh you bet I would include Jack and Skye) or hate to love (sorry not sorry for being a Nick and Judy shipper) because without them, this retelling would not have existed.

Let the records show that I tried my best to tone down Nick's verbal attacks! But, still, don't say I didn't warn you guys. . .I mean, I'm no Fabienne Growley but my sources can confirm that whatever's going on with our two heroes would only escalate from here (though if for better or for worse, who knows?) - so buckle up ladies and gentle mammals!