09

in crowds & townies

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Since Judy had switched her shift at work for the ski trip, Benjamin required her to come that Sunday night which was not much of a big deal (but if she was being honest, she preferred Sunday afternoons since it was always busy, so the time just flew...and the staff got more tips).

"What are you doing here?" the bunny asked her friend, Dawn Bellwether, when she arrived.

The ewe looked exhausted. "Benjamin c-called in sick, and Samantha h-had a family e-emergency, so I'm doing d-double duty today."

"Oh cripes. Well-" the doe grabbed her apron. "-if it's quiet, you can probably head out early." She started wiping down the counter and cleaning up the pastry racks. There were only a few customers in the seating area, but none of them she recognized. She practically had the orders of her afternoon shift regulars memorized so at least tonight would be a nice change of pace for her.

"Judith?" the bunny looked up to find Gareth staring at her.

"Oh, Gareth. I mean - Welcome to The Big Donut, sir! What can I get for you?" Judy walked over to the counter and tried to look busy so she wouldn't be stuck in a conversation with him.

"I didn't know you also worked on Sunday nights."

"I-uh, had to trade shifts."

"A-ha! I figured there had to be a reason. You seem to be a mammal with a disciplined schedule, which I greatly admire. How was your weekend?"

"T'was good...yours?"

The ram studied the blackboard menu for a few moments. "Very pleasant. Thank you for asking."

"Uh-no problem. C-can I get you something?"

Gareth placed his order after what seemed like an hour's deliberation. As the doe steamed the milk for his latte, she couldn't help but feel her every move was being followed. She wasn't the kind of doe that thought every buck was checking her out, but Gareth's gaze seemed to linger over her.

"Here you go, sir." Judy said as she handed him his order, hoping there was enough finality in her tone to end the conversation.

"Wonderful. Thank you, Judith." The bunny only smiled and began to wipe down the coffee machine (even though it was already clean) and the ram eventually got the hint and left.

"Hey Bellwether," said one of the few remaining customers from a nearby table, "Dunno how ya deal with 'em 'in-crowds'."

"I-If I remember c-correctly," The ewe replied, "you're o-once part of t-them, Weselton." The lapin hadn't noticed this mammal before, which was surprising since there weren't many weasels out and about the campus area.

The weasel sniggered. "It's Weaselton - and I got kicked out...surely ya don't count that against me."

Dawn motioned toward her friend. "C-Careful what you s-say - Judy h-here is also p-part of the i-in-crowd...somehow at l-least"

'Weaselton' got up from his seat and approached the counter. "Really? Why she workin 'here' then?"

"Because like Dawn here, I'm also a scholarship student." the doe quipped. "I just happened to be friends with the right mammals."

The dog chuckled and extended his hand. "Well, whaddya know? Former scholarship boy and two scholarship gals."

The grinning bunny shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Judy Hopps."

"Ah, name's Weaselton, Duke Weaselton. Mammals at Zoo-A thought I belong from 'em 'royal' families. . .I wish."

"Hmn, a predator scholarship student - so, you're like, a walking cosmic fluke?"

Duke had an impish kind of smile. "Ain't that the truth. I'm one rare breed."

"Weaselton h-here is the rarest of r-rare," Dawn explained to the lapin. "He's f-from Happy Town but s-somehow made it t-through the academy's g-gates."

"No, way!" Judy looked at him, muzzle gaping wide. "They'd let a 'townie' inside the campus?"

"I know right? Oddly enough, sun didn't shine on Nocturnal District that day - t'was the strangest thing."

The ewe gave him a pointed look. "You're m-making it sound like us c-charity cases are b-bringing the apocalypse to Zootopia."

"And by apocalypse, you mean our lack of trust-funds?"

"Woah Judy...ya really were a part of 'em crowds. Only those around 'em would know what that 'word' means."

"O-Or in your c-case Duke - your l-lack thereof." Dawn interjected with an unapologetic snort.

A hint of red colored the weasel's face, but he only shrugged. "Ya caught me. Easiest way to kick a pelt out the academy..."

"Wait what? You really got 'kicked' out?"

Duke outwardly grimaced. "Yeah... guess there's only so much charity folks like 'em able to give-"

"More like scholarship students they can tolerate."

"Ah 'see we've a quick study here, Dawn." He winked at the bunny as the ewe playfully shakes her head.

Judy could feel her pulse quicken that she didn't even notice when the bell signaled the front door opening. Both Duke and Dawn looked over to see who it was. Once they did, the weasel suddenly tensed up, his entire demeanor changing. The doe turned around to see none other than Nicholas Wilde staring at them with a look of utter contempt on his face.

The dog abruptly left the counter and returned to his seat as the todd's eyes followed him the entire time with his jaw clenched tightly. The ewe on the other hand, grabbed the mop and turned away to clean, leaving her friend to handle the situation.

"Welcome to The Big Donut, sir. Can I get you something?" Judy asked proverbially.

Nicholas jerked back to life. For an instant he looked at her as if she had somehow betrayed him. He shook his head, and his stoic facade returned to his face. "Yes, car-e'hm, I-" His eyes darted back to Duke again. "-I-I guess I'll have, ah, large decaf, please." It was as if there was something about the former scholarship student that had rattled him which made the bunny like the weasel a tad bit more.

Judy handed the todd his coffee and rang him up. Before he left, he hesitated for a moment. "How late are you going to clock out tonight?"

The lapin shrugged. "It depends...why?"

The vulpine began to fuss with the lid of his drink. "It's not really safe for you to be walking back to your dorm late at night, Judy."

"I'll be fine, Nic-sir." she found herself assuring him, which was a complete 360° of their screaming match yesterday. "Besides, the only harm I could get is my usual torture at the hands of my fellow student body, but you already knew that didn't you?"

With a clenched jaw, Nicholas could only nod and walked out, staring straight ahead as he passed by Duke.

As soon as the door swung shut, the dog turned to Judy and said, "Talk about 'awkward', eh?"

"I take it you know Nicholas Wilde from your academy days?"

He sighed. "I did, yup. Ya could even say that we're once tight." Then added. "Ya seem to be 'friends' with him thou-"

Judy groaned. "Hardly. I've known him for a week, and I already find him to be the most condescending, egotistical, and hateful mammal on the planet."

Duke cackled. "Hah! So, ya do know him well."

"You got me there."

The dog approached the counter again. "Friendly advice missy...ya really need to start bein' more careful about who ya seen hanging 'round with."

"Are you referring to Nicholas or yourself?" The bunny smirked at him.

"Eh, depends on who ya ask."

"Pffft...guess since there isn't a way for the esteemed mammals of the academy to despise a prey like me even further, I shall hang out with whoever I choose."

A playful whistle left the weasel's muzzle. "Then, scholarship gal, mind givin' the time o'day to a disgraced former scholarship lad like m'self?"

"It depends...what do you have in mind?"

"Lunch would be a nice start." And the two mammals did meet up during Judy's free period that Wednesday for lunch. Duke took her to a place at the junction of Sahara Square and Savanna Central, called The Dunes - a part of the city the bunny hasn't been before. Upon entering a female koala behind the counter immediately greeted them.

"Look who it is...the Duke of Happy Town-" she playfully curtsied. "-here for the lunch hour special?"

"Didn't know ya' workin' today." the weasel leaned over the counter and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Two lunch hour special's great, Kat. Judy, meet Katee Moon. Katee this is Judy Hopps" He motioned towards both does who smiled at each other. "Am saving her from 'em elitists over at Zoo-A." He looked over his shoulder and then said in an exaggerated whisper, "She's a prey scholarship student." The lapin couldn't help but laugh since she knew that nobody in this place would even care and she was right.

"I'll pretend I understand what that means," Katee winked at Judy as she led the pair to a booth near a window. Before leaving them, however, she waved away the wallet that Duke had just pulled out of his pocket. "Y'know your money isn't good here Duke...just don't forget to swing by once in a while."

"Aww, ya angel. Give m'best to ol' Buster." He smiled at the koala as she placed their meal on the table. "See, Judy, ya need to start findin' the right kinda' mammals." He motioned down at the free chopped salad and lemonade. "I've known Katee since elementary and there's a group of us that've been close friends for ages." He chewed for a bit. "Don't remember life before 'em, ya know? Am sure ya have people like that back home. T'was hard for me not to be with 'em, and t'was only couple of blocks away - Can't imagine whaddit' must be like for country mammals like ya." Judy sighed and told him more about her life back in Bunny Burrow, how she got in Zootopia Academy, and the moved to the city.

"Still can't believe ya agreed'ta be seen with me in public," Duke said afterwards as he finished his meal. "'Em in-crowd police have probably sent out a search party."

"Not likely...they're probably locking the gates as we speak."

"Still-" the dog grinned at her "-ya're a brave one."

"Not braver than someone who still has his head high and wits about him even though he was treated horribly."

Duke played with the wrapper of his straw. "Eh, things weren't that bad for me back at Zoo-A, if ya can imagine that."

"Wait really?"

"Dunno if ya'd believe it or not but I was, in fact, friends with some of 'em elites."

"What? T-That's...insane." Judy was surprised. "I mean, I have Izzy, and Dinah I guess - but that's it. Izzy keeps telling me to go out more, but every time I do, the evening just ends more badly than good."

"Hah! Story of m'life!" The weasel chuckled, then his demeanor changed. "Hey, Judy..."

"Yeah?"

He hesitated. "I-, t-there's somethin' I wantcha to know, and I wantcha to hear it from me."

"Uh-okay..." the doe leaned in.

"It's about why I got kicked out."

"Duke, you don't need to tell-"

"But I haf'ta... since it involved Nick Wilde."

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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.

My apologies for the slight delay on the update schedule but surely you won't hold that against me (see what I did there *wink wink*) when I tell you my reasons:

1) I finally opened new AO3 accounts (oh man do I feel so out of place ever since I moved here from my other platforms) and, at the moment, I'm in the process of cross posting my Zootopia works there too;

2) I have published another story here (as well as on AO3) - it's a Savage/Winters main pairing, but Hopps and Wilde are there too - though that's about what I can share so far (no spoilers lol) . . .and if you want to check it out (no pressure also lol) just visit my profile;

and 3) OH EM GOODNESS! THE ZOOTOPIA 2 ANNOUNCEMENT AT D23! Okay, I'm aware there's going to be a sequel, but like?! I don't think even Clawhauser was capable of the squeal I made when Ginnifer Goodwin said that: "The Bunny is Back!" and when they played that clip about the Marsh Market with the semi-aquatic mammals?! The only downer was that Jason Bateman wasn't there to 'fur-sonally' share the details, but I'd take a Nicholas Piberius Wilde in a pink Pawaiian shirt (voice over) telling everybody that Judith Laverne Hopps is his favorite emotional support mammal, any day! Still a win-win!