The two boys are seated across from each other in a maroon booth at a conveyor sushi restaurant. Many other furs have occupied the joint, but are scattered about, making the place look more spacious. The sounds of clanking plates and loud chatter drown out any noise from outside. Plates of uncooked fish wrapped neatly by rice, as well as other fine foods, slowly travel along the conveyor belt. 
“This is a nice place,” Zach comments, looking around. “Never been to one of these before…”
“I love it here,” says Ralph. “You get the best service and the best food here. Sure, it’s pricey, but it’s worth it.”
The fox glances at the rabbit. “Um… I don’t know if I’ll be eating anything. Everything looks good, but seems pricey.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, Zach. You’re my guest, so I’m paying. And no need to pay me back.” Ralph says this all with a smile on his face.
“You sure? I could get you the money when I come up with it.”
“I don’t need you to. Like I’ve said, you’re my guest; I’m treating you.”
“You sure you can afford it?” The rabbit nods. “I thought you lived minimally.”
“I do, but I have a really good job at the bar down Rabbit’s Way.” Zach asks him what he does there.  “Oh, just normal wait staff stuff; serving drinks and cleaning up tables. However, I’ve been putting on ‘shows’ for the patrons. They all love me over there, and my moves. My supervisor doesn’t mind; it brings in more customers and keeps the existing ones coming.”
“You put on ‘shows…’” Zach takes a few seconds to process this thought before coming to the realization. “Wait, you actually-”
Ralph nods and sneers. “Oh yeah. I make big bucks doing that kind of stuff. Backstage is way more fun, however. I can be either way, too. The males are a more interesting crowd for me. They are more fun, but I get the females, too. I do what I can to rake it all in.”
“Wow, with a job like that, you must make a lot of money; enough to be rich…”
“Well, yes and no. I don’t really make enough to afford a better home at the moment. What do you do?”
Zach turns his head away for a few seconds. “I…” He faces back to the rabbit. “Nothing, really… I’ve been looking all over for work. Haven’t been too lucky…”
“Living off the system?” Zach nods. “Oh, have no worry. You’ll find a job soon. If you want, I could put in a good word to my supervisor.”
“Uh… Thanks… I’m unsure of that, however…”
Ralph maintains his smile. “I get it; not your kind of thing. Yet, I can help you by being a reference.”
“Really? We haven’t known each other for very long, though.”
“There’s no need to fret. I would help you any way I can.”
“I appreciate it.”  
“Besides, you need good friends. It’s hard to get by in this kind of world alone.”
“You and Winnie would be my friends?”
“Of course. We both would help you in any way we can.”
“Uh… I’m not so sure about Winnie, Ralph.” The rabbit asks him what’s wrong with Winnie. “I don’t mean to be rude about her, but her behavior and how she is toward me and animals like me…”
“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic about her,” Ralph assures him. “Yes, Winnie can be rough at times, but she has a soft spot.”
“Are you sure? She barely treats me with respect, and she tolerates me.”
“Winnie will be better to you. You’ll see that she can be open and friendly. She’s that way with me most of the time.”
“Because you’re a prey animal, just like her. I’m a predator in her eyes, and her animal rival, too.”
“You’re not like the other foxes, though, are you?” Zach shakes his head “no.” “And she knows that, as well. She will warm up to you, Zach. Give her time, and she will come around. Yes, she is hard, and I’ve experienced that, but she’s opened up.”
“She’s told you her story and why she’s like that?”
Ralph nods. “Yes. I’m not going to tell you about her, though. That’s personal for her, and I want to respect her privacy. She’s the way she is because of what’s happened with her. Just be careful with her; she can be nosy. However, I didn’t mind opening up to her about my past… All of a sudden, she doesn’t mind me being a friend because we have something in common.”
“You do? What’s that?”
“We both have had it rough.” Zach asks him what he means. Ralph begins to tell his tale. “My dad was a big alcoholic and my mother was pretty strict with things. School was the only place I could get away from them, really. As I hung out with friends, I started to have a nice relationship with another male. We kept our love secret and met privately, but we were eventually found out by some others. We were constantly bullied and labeled as outcasts because of what we had. It became too much for him, so he took his own life. I discovered his lifeless body in the locker room...” Zach lets out a gasp as he covers his mouth with his paws. “After all of that, my parents weren’t very happy about the whole thing. They shunned me and kicked me out of the family. Then again, my dad was always a drinking and abusive, and my mom was no better. I’ve been on my own afterwards, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. I left Hopsdale and came here to start anew.”
“I’m very sorry to hear about your boyfriend.”
“Thank you…”
“I… also had it rough where I was growing up…” Zach starts his story now. The fox lets out a sigh. “I spent my years in an orphanage; where I was belittled and abused because of my disorder and biological parents’ reputation. I didn’t really have friends because the other kids viewed me as a misfit. The adults were worse; they also thought I was flawed and imperfect. The entire town dubbed me as the ‘Flawed Fox.’”
“I’m sorry you’ve had a sucky life. Did it turn around for you at least?”
“Not at all. I was never adopted, and I didn’t have a single friend. Team Rescuers were no better, either…”
“Team Rescuers?! You knew Team Rescuers?”
Zach nods. “They saw I was down on my luck and were kind enough to hang out with me. I thought I was happy with having friends, finally. However, it didn’t last very long; they got sick of me, and decided to push me away. They swore they wouldn’t interact with me after that.”
“Horrible…”
“I decided to leave my hometown. If I stayed, I would continue to abused and suffer from the harassment. I’d never get my reputation turned around… So, I’m never going back to that awful place!”
“How dreadful of your hometown,” comments Ralph. “Well, at least you’re better here.”
“I can’t really say that… I’m still fairly new to the city… I don’t have much confidence that I’ll pull through…”
“You will, Zach. Give it time, and you will come around. It took me a while to get used to the city-scape, too. I was a lot like you; I had nothing. But I had to work hard to get to where I am now. Not just with the job; proving myself to other people was another thing I had to do as well.”
“Then, I have a lot of work to do for a new life.”
“You will get there. Now, let’s quit chatting and get to the chow, shall we?” Ralph ends the conversation by grabbing a couple of plates of sushi from the conveyor belt. He hands one off to Zach before placing one in front of him. “Bon appetite!” Zach looks down at the raw fish wrapped in rice. He stares at it for a few seconds before looking at Ralph, who nearly scarfs down his whole plate with his chopsticks and quick eating. Zach then picks up the chopsticks and copies the rabbit’s moves, but much slower, easing sushi into his mouth. As he eats, his mind reflects back on the past

*** 

The fox is much smaller in size, but is somewhere else. He lies on a child-size bed with his face buried in the pillow. Darkness occupies the small room he’s situated in. Interrupting the darkness, light pierces through an opening as a figure enters in, closing the door behind them to engulf the chamber to the shadows again. She sits at the edge of the mattress. “Are you okay, Zach?”
“No,” the little fox replies in a muffled tone as he keeps himself to the pillow. “Everybody hates me… They all see me as a misfit!”
“I know…” She places a hand onto Zach, who doesn’t react to her touch. “It’s not easy for you to make friends…”
Zach sniffles, turning his head into view. Tears are visible, streaming down from his eyes and down his cheeks. “Did you ever have a hard time making friends…?”
“Unfortunately, no. I had a couple of friends when I was your age.”
“Why is it difficult for me to have someone?! Why do I have to be a flawed fox…?”
“You’re not a flawed fox; you’re just different. People just misunderstand you and are quick to label you.”
He looks up at the hooded figure. “I’m never going to have any friends, will I?”
“You will. Yes, it’s hard to find good people who are willing to be your friend, especially when they view you differently, but you’ve got to look with an open mind and an open heart. The best people to be your friends are those who share common interests with you.” She swings her arm out. “Come here.” Zach sits up and presses himself up against the figure’s robes. He allows her arm to lock him into a hug, comforting him. “Not everyone will be your friend. You just need to look for the right people, and look in the right places. Find the right people, and they will be your friend. You must also be smart and careful with who you’re with. Trust and respect are sacred in this world.” Zach remains silent, keeping himself tucked into the figure’s body.

*** 

Back in the present, the two boys are seen entering the lobby of their complex. The entrance room itself is fairly small; roughly the size of a typical house living room. In the middle are a collection of black sofas and loveseats facing each other for any groups to sit on. Stairs and an elevator reside beside the main desk, leading upwards to the higher floors. As the gang cross the room and head for the desk, they draw short attention from other patrons, lasting a few seconds as they cross the room. Behind the desk is a grey-suited meerkat with a blue tie, who greets them on their way in. The two reply with a “Hello” before making their way to the stairs. Ringing from Ralph’s fanny pack prompts them to stop at the first three steps. 
Ralph pulls out his phone from his pack and sees on his screen who’s calling him. “Sorry, Zach. I’ve got to take this call. You can head on without me. I’ll be up in a moment.” He taps the screen and puts the phone to his ear. “Hey Boss! What’s up…?” 
As the rabbit stays behind in the lobby, Zach ascends the staircase and makes his way to his floor. The fox makes his way down and approaches his door. 
“Psst, fox boy.” Zach freezes at the sound of the voice, then turns to the source. Winnie stands before the opened door to her apartment. “I could use your help.”
“Um, what’s up, Winnie?” 
“I need you to help me with something. Can you do that?”
“Er… I guess…?” Hesitant at first, the fox then decides to enter Winnie’s apartment, which is laid out similar to his but with the door on the side and not on the long way. Zach looks around and admires her decorations of mostly pink strawberries.
“Over here, fox boy.” The fox turns to where she stands and sees Winnie by her television set. “I just need you to lift this off and turn it around. I need to fix this damn thing.”
“Uh, does the landlord know about this?”
“Just help me, okay?” Zach nods and walks over. He grabs the television with his arms and lifts the entire set off the surface of the dresser. “Don’t drop it, or I swear to God, I’ll kill you!”
“I won’t…” He motions his body to rotate the electronic before placing it back on the set with the screen facing the wall.
“Perfect!” Winnie reaches for her screwdriver and begins working on the set. “Don’t go anywhere. I still need you.” Zach remains stood by her, watching as she begins work on repairs. “So, where’s bunny boy? Wasn’t he with you?”
“He’s in the lobby,” Zach responds. “We just came back…”
“Had a nice date, didn’t you?”
“He’s not my boyfriend…”
“Sure, he isn’t. That’s why he asked you out, right? Where’d you both go?”
“Uh… We went to some conveyor sushi place…”
The chicken stops then turns to the fox. “Really?! Those places are expensive! I’m surprised he can afford that… What does he do for a living?”
“Uh…” Zach becomes hesitant to give her an answer; thinking should he tell her the truth or keeping it private for Ralph’s security. 
“Well? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
“He’s just got a good job…”
“Doing what?”
“Um, he didn’t mention what he does… He didn’t really talk about his personal life.”
“And did you?”
“Not… really…”
“Man, some date you two were on.” She faces the tv and gets back to work. “You both just eat sushi and stay quiet the whole time?”
“Why are you so interested in what we do? We were just hanging out. You know, buddy stuff.”
“Didn’t seem like it. The way he asked you in that tone, sounded like he was infatuated with you. Seems like he’s gay. Probably works at a gay bar and do favors for men.”
“You don’t know that…”
“You’re right, but I can speculate. What about you, fox boy? What do you do for a living?”
Zach rubs his arm and looks away, shyly. “I… don’t have a job, currently… I’ve been looking around for one, but I haven’t had any luck…”
Winnie pauses and looks at him again. “You’re unemployed? Let me guess; you’re living off the system until you can find a job, aren’t you?” Zach stays silent. “I’ve been there…” Winnie goes back to fixing. “I was living off the system, too. Sucks not having a job, but I managed to find one.”
“What do you do?” Zach asks.
“I answer calls for a company and try to solve people’s issues over the phone.”
“So, you help people with problems they have?”
“That’s what I just said.”
“That must be a good job.”
“Not really… You sit at a desk all day, listen to people blab about their problems, and expect you to fix them as you speak to them. Not really something you want to do all day.”
“Why not?”
“First of all, I hate people. A lot of them are very stupid and present the dumbest questions. I feel like I’m under-paid with the amount of work I do, even though it’s not enough from the boss’ point of view. And finally, the place is a huge dump; no windows, cold as a meat locker, pale-colored walls, dull carpet, and so forth. I have to be there every day just to earn a living, which sucks.”
“Well, if you don’t like it so much, why don’t you quit and find another job?”
She stops and faces Zach with her graspers on her hips. “Don’t you think if I wanted a different job, I would’ve had it already?!” Zach stays silent with paws raised up with the palms shown to the chicken to her response. She kneels back down and returns to work fixing her television. 
“Hey… I’m sorry… I just didn’t know… I never really had a job before, so I don’t know what it’s like…”
“You’re not missing much, fox boy. What I really want is to marry someone rich so I wouldn’t have to work ever again. But life doesn’t really work that way now, does it?”
“Guessing you’ve had it rough, too, right? Life’s been horrible to you as well?”
“My life is none of your business!” Winnie stops for the last time and steps back once. “That should do it. Turn this thing around, will you?” The fox does as he’s ordered; grabbing the television and flipping it around as he’s done so previously. “Good. Now, hand me that remote.” Zach takes the remote from the wooden dresser and handing it to the chicken. Winnie presses a button on the control, causing the screen to flash white before revealing a news anchor behind a desk. “It works! Ha ha ha!”
“Wow, you’re good at repairing stuff.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Zach?! Zach?!” Ralph appears in the doorway. “Oh, there you are. Sorry, that took long. What are you doing in Winnie’s apartment?”
“Chill, bunny boy,” Winne responds. “I needed his help for something. Nothing too crazy.” She turns to the fox. “You can leave now. You’re not needed anymore.” Zach looks at her, unsure as to what to think. “Well? Go on, get out of here. If I need you again, I’ll consider you, perhaps.” Zach does as he’s ordered and leaves the apartment. Winnie tails him just to slam her door behind him.
“Geez,” Ralph comments. “Sorry about that, Zach.”
“Why are you sorry?” asks Zach. “You didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, but I feel bad that she treated you that way just now.”
“To be honest, Ralph, I don’t mind it. I’ve learned there are some animals that won’t be my friend. I just have to find the right people with the right interests.”
“Zach, that is a very smart thing to say.” Ralph manages a smile. 
“Though, it seems like she might be warming up to me a little more.”
“It does sound like progress.”
“I did like our little hangout, though. I wouldn’t mind going back out again. I’ve got time, after all.”
“Oh Zach… I wish we could hang out more, but I must get ready for work. I’m sorry…”
“That’s okay.”
“Maybe another time, but I mustn’t be late. I’ll catch you later.” The rabbit zooms into his apartment and closes his door.
“Yeah… Catch you later…” Zach turns and starts for his apartment, but stops in place and glances over to his right. He catches a glimpse of the warthog girl disappearing into her apartment before closing the door. Zach remains staring at her door before heading back into his apartment.