13

questionable choices & connections

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If there was one thing that Judy would have bet her entire life savings on (as meager as the sum may have been), it was that Flash would be back to pursuing her best friend in a matter of days. But cripes, was she wrong—dead wrong.

Almost a week and a half had passed since Beatrix dropped the Phern bomb on them, and still...nothing. The bunny could no longer watch Priscilla stare at her cell phone—wishing for it to ring—without breaking her own heart. It was at the point where the sloth wasn't the only one confused by Mr. Slothmore's action (or in this case, his lack thereof).

'It didn't make sense. How would some mammal just drop off the face of Zootopia?'

Another candidate to the list of mammals with confusing behaviors was none other than Gareth, who refused to admit he'd bought the cream peacoat and had long since been missing in action—or at least he had stopped visiting the doe at the Big Donut (which, if she were being completely honest, was quite a relief on itself).

And as if that wasn't enough to stress the lapin, February 14th also loomed just around the corner. If there was anything worse than mammals obsessing over prom, it was mammals fretting over Valentine's Day — especially since she had learned that it was the prime occasion for Zootopia Academy's male students to ask a female to prom.

Now the mere sight of red balloons and heart-shaped decorations infiltrating the campus and downtown area felt like salt in the wound. Which was why Judy made it her mission to shield Priscilla from this onslaught of romantic gestures. That Thursday evening, she even volunteered to run to the dining hall for dinner, dreading the possibility of red meals served on heart-shaped plates.

On her way there, however, she ran into a rather anxious-looking Dawn Bellwether.

"Achk! H-hey. . . Judy!" the discomfort evident in her wool. "H-heading to d-dinner?"

As they descended the staircase, the rabbit caught sight of Gareth lingering in the entrance hall. "Oh, pickled parsnips! What does he want now? Can't he take a hint?"

"A-Actually Judy," The ewe slowed her pace, looking unnerved. "He's h-here for me."

"Uh, what?" The bunny blinked, her surprise unmistakable.

"I d-didn't know when to t-tell you, but I'm g-going to prom w-with Gareth."

"That's a good one, Dawn." The lapin let out a small laugh, though it felt awkward. "You always know when. . . to crack a joke."

The sheep's smile wavered, clearly not expecting her friend's reaction. "No, I'm s-serious."

"Oh..."

"Are you s-shocked he managed to g-get over your r-rejection?"

'Wait what?'

"Uh-no, sorry, not at all." Judy didn't know which one of them should have been more offended— Dawn for her thinking that the ewe was second to her, or Judy for her friend's assumption that she'd be so egotistical. "I know you really want to attend prom, and you deserve to go. I'm just...surprised that you agreed to be his date?"

Dawn shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip. "I d-don't blame you f-for being s-surprised, but I'm n-not a romantic l-like you, Judy—I'm p-practical. I-I needed a m-mammal to come w-with me, a-and it just so h-happen he asked m-me too."

"I see," the smaller doe said, her voice softening. "But are you sure you want to go with. . .I mean, he can be a bit—"

The ewe offered a weak smile. "I k-know he's not p-perfect, but he's a-available—and i-isn't that what c-counts? I just w-want to have a g-good time, even if it's n-not with my i-ideal date."

Considering this, empathy swelled within the lapin. "That's true, but isn't there a possibility you might regret not waiting for someone who'll truly make your prom worth remembering?"

Ears drooping slightly, the sheep sighed. "M-Maybe. . .but I d-don't want to b-be left out e-either. It feels l-like everyone else is m-moving on, and I d-don't want to miss m-my chance."

"No one does." Judy replied, feeling the weight of her own unfulfilled expectations. "Though frankly speaking, I'd rather not go unless it was with someone special to me. And right now, I can't think of any mammal who would fit that description..."

Except, a fleeting image of a mammal danced in her mind: whose pair of emerald eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief and infuriatingly charming grin sometimes etched in its longer red muzzle.

'There's no way! Definitely not him. Just...no!' The rabbit shook her head, dismissing the thought as quickly as it had come, as if it were a pesky fly buzzing about.

"You o-okay, Judy?" Dawn tilted her head, clearly catching the bunny's distracted look.

Judy quickly shifted her focus back. "Oh-ho-kay, if attending prom with Gareth would make you happy, then I wouldn't stand in your way of taking that chance."

The ewe's usual beam returned, though still tinged with apprehension. "I r-really appreciate your s-support, Judy."

"Oh, Dawn. I just want to make sure you'll have a fantastic time. And if things get awkward, you know you can always call me for a rescue mission."

"Hah! T-Thanks. Well, I b-better, h-he's..."

"Of course. You two have a great night."

Judy watched her friend run down to greet Gareth, who had a heart-shaped box of chocolates hidden behind his back. They both seemed happy, albeit a little awkward with each other. The ram tried to go in for a double kiss on the cheek but ended up kissing the ewe's ear. With a sigh, she continued on to the dining hall, gathering food for herself and Priscilla. Since the "Diana Incident," both of them had merely been going through the motions.

Their only saving grace was the upcoming long weekend which would give them a chance to have a breather and avoid the romance overload altogether. But it seemed as though her best friend has run out of luck as Nana Tripletoe herself had insisted on taking her eldest grandchild dress shopping for prom— which (admittedly) would be the most painful reminder of the folivoran's absent beau.

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The following afternoon, just as business slowed down in The Big Donut with the rest of the students leaving the campus, Judy still found herself lost in thought about how Priscilla was coping with everything even with the sloth being hundred miles away. She was almost grateful for the quieter atmosphere, when she was suddenly startled by Duke's voice calling out from behind her.

"Miss me?" the weasel teased.

"Look at you Duke of Happy Town. Didn't think you'd come back to visit at all," the bunny replied, trying to sound casual despite her excitement.

"Well—"

"Judy!" Diana bounded up to the counter. "So glad you're. . .still here! This whole week. . .sucks, and don't. . .let me start. . .with Izzy, ugh!"

The doe tried her best to not roll her eyes at the younger sloth's antics, as she gave Duke an apologetic smile.

"She still hasn't. . .forgiven me and. . .is being so... unreasonably unfair by. . .not letting me. . .join her dress. . .shopping with Nana." After an even dramatic pause, she added, "Oh, I know. . .I'll have a... tall frozen matcha... latte with extra whipped... cream and caramel. . .to relax myself."

This time, the rabbit outwardly grimaced. The sloth knew full well how troublesome those drinks were, but she didn't care — it was not her job, after all.

As the lapin scooped ice, Diana turned her gaze to the weasel. "Hey. . .there handsome," she said, sizing him up. "Have we... met before?"

"Diana, this is Duke Weaselton," Judy interjected, without looking up from her task. "Duke, this is Diana Tripletoe, Izzy's cousin."

"Oh my... you're the one... who got kicked... out of campus and... are sworn enemies... with Nicholas Wilde."

"Diana!" the doe scolded, surprised by how much she sounded like Priscilla in that moment.

The dog just chuckled. "Well, aren't ya direct? I like that."

The bunny switched on the blender, hoping to drown out their incessant chatter. She craved some quality time with Duke (after her postponed solitude) but knew Diana wouldn't let that happen.

The sloth snatched her drink from the doe's hand before she could seal it — then started playing with the straw in what she could only assume was supposed to be a seductive manner.

"When's yer break, Judy?" Duke asked, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

She glanced at the clock. "I suppose I could take a few minutes now." They made their way to a table, but the younger folivoran trailed behind.

"You know. . .Duke," Diana said, eyeing him, "I think Nicholas. . .probably hates Judy. . .more than he. . .hates you."

"Uh-huh, thanks for that," the rabbit shot her a look.

"What? Isn't that... what you guys... talk about?. . .Nicholas?"

'Why does every mammal keep linking me to that fox?' Judy huffed.

The weasel shrugged. "Ya might not believe it, darlin', but there are topics worth discussin' beyond 'ol Wilde."

"Exactly." In truth, Duke and Judy had seldom spoken about the red fox ever since Flash's party. It was like they have a silent agreement that todd is a topic better left untouched.

"Hmmmn. . .do you have. . .a girlfriend then?" the sloth asked bluntly out of nowhere.

"Hah!" The dog cackled but quipped back. "Why 'lil missy? Ya auditionin'?"

"Please, don't encourage her, Duke." Judy mock whispered to him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Ya know ya could do much better than a townie like m'self, sweetie."

"Well. . .I don't. . .know." Diana swirled her straw, completely unfazed. "I really. . .like bad. . . boys."

Judy stifled a groan. After everything she had gone through with Flash and Priscilla, she didn't need to witness Diana's bold flirtations with Duke.

"That so? Sorry'ta burst yer bubbles then — I'm taken right now," Duke said, casting a playful wink at Judy, which confused her more than she'd like to admit since he hadn't mentioned this new piece of information to her yet.

Scrunching her face, Diana turned her gaze back to the weasel. "Aww. . .who's the. . .lucky girl?"

"Oh, she's from Zoo-A, so ya probably know her," he casually replied, leaning back in his chair.

"Really. . .what's her. . .name?" Diana pressed on.

"Kris Paddleson. She's a senior."

'Kris Paddleson?!' Judy's thoughts raced as a gnawing feeling formed in her gut. She tried to process what he was saying, but it didn't make sense. Didn't he despise the elite mammals at the academy just as much as she did? Sure, she may not know Miss Paddleson at all, but him cozying with a mammal who belonged to the crowd he had always scorned felt so wrong.

Duke, to his benefit, could tell with one look at the bunny that something wasn't right. He turned to the younger sloth. "Could ya give us a few sec to discuss somethin', Diana?"

The folivoran became overly pleased that Duke addressed her using her actual name. She hurriedly got up, went to an empty table, and started texting.

"Listen, Judy," he began. "I didn't tell ya 'coz I know ya won't agree — but I ain't gonna start lyin' to ya and say that me goin' out with Kris don't have no ulterior motive." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Her Ma runs a pretty big entertainment law firm in Zoo York. It ain't as prestigious as Mr. Wilde's tailoring corporation, but I thought I'd still try make a connection and pursue my dreams, ya know? An internship at the Paddleson's practically guarantees acceptance at any of 'em top business schools."

The bunny remained silent as she tried to reconcile everything the weasel had said to her in the past month about the spoiled and over-privileged mammals of Zootopia with what he was saying now.

The dog continued. "Sure, I seem like a hypocrite to ya now, but ya gotta understand that we need to take advantage of our situations when we can. Hang around with 'em rich crowd long enough, ya start to appreciate it, even as ya work to undermine it." He paused for a moment, as if choosing what to and not to say. "Y'all fairly new in this scene. But soon enough, ya'll learn the difference between connections and connection. Like me bein' with Kris is a matter of connections, while me spendin' time with ya or Bellwether is a matter of connection. And I'm sure ya can imagine which is more important than the other."

All the rabbit could do was to nod, her heart heavy with his admission. She excused herself, making a beeline for the stock room, as she felt a mixture of confusion, hurt, and anger from what she had just heard. She had liked Duke the most out of her friends outside the academy because they both understood the challenges of their social standings, but now it felt like she had foolishly believed in a camaraderie that was becoming increasingly difficult to define.

'Or maybe, in some twisted way, we did share a bond.' The doe thought as she glanced at the peacoat hanging on the rack. It was both a reminder of Gareth and (now) another dilemma. Was she still holding onto it, exploiting her situation? Was there any distinction between her choices and her fellow commoner friends?

It was bad enough for her to see friendship and love being exploited in terms of politics. But seeing it in terms of business, especially from her friends, was even worse.

Which was probably why the lapin stayed in the stock room for almost fifteen minutes until Samantha arrived for her evening shift and Duke finally got the hint and left.

'It was easy to send a mammal out of a room, but far more difficult to erase the confusion they left behind.'

Later that night, as she got ready for bed, Judy couldn't shake the feeling that Zootopia was filled with mammals who made choices she just didn't understand. She couldn't help but question what friendship, loyalty, and dignity truly meant. And she couldn't help but feel utterly lost as both her friends seemed willing to exchange their pride and dignity for something that either felt so trivial or (oh so) painfully hollow.

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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.

I know I went MIA like Flash on you guys as well (considering I just returned from my work trip) but this time I am confident that I have a pretty good reason for it...because I actually do. In case you haven't noticed it yet (especially to those reading this in FFN) — I now have story covers for this one and my other Zootopia related work! Whoop whoop! Although I know it's not as "official-looking" as most covers do, but in my defense, I tried my best to make it within my (admittedly) limited background in digital arts (which if you're wondering took an entire week of my writing schedule, hence the lack of update). So, if you have comments or suggestions about or regarding them (the covers that is), feel free to do so (we encourage constructive criticism in this household).

Speaking of which, I would like to address one comment about this story (particularly the lack of Nick Wilde's presence) by saying: a) that the progress in Judy and Nick's relationship here is somewhat of an infuriating slow burn [which sometimes would involve tiny hints of obliviousness and denials] which I'm partially not mad about to be honest [like have you seen/read Pride & Prejudice?, b) [like I always tell y'all] that there is a reason to everything I put here and trust me when tell you I [too] want to [see or] add more Nick and Judy moments but sadly their encounters are [or Nick's presence is] to simply put— not warranted yet, and c) [but best believe] that it's going to change in the next chapters to come and from then on, you will see more Nick [with Judy] and even some of your most awaited canonical Zootopia characters.

And as for the chapters and update schedule itself, I'll try my best to post every Friday (without any specific time, since I thrive in extremely pressuring myself lol) so that y'all have something to look forward to — but more so since I've been meaning to call it as #FirstPromFridays (What didn't see that coming did you? lmao).