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Chapter 9: New Understanding

Flora helped Cynthia into her seat as they prepared for the start of organic chemistry

class on Monday at the beginning of their fourth week of class. Flora was relieved that, after

their calculus exam this morning, she only had one more test for the first unit of her classes, and

that one was in biology, her easiest course. They'd had their first organic test last Friday, and

Flora was anxious to see if Dr. Serrano had gotten them graded over the weekend. She felt that

she'd done reasonably well after the studying she and Cynthia had done last week, but she

wanted to see her grade, nevertheless. Except for her writing section, where Isabelle was still

doing her best to be obnoxious, her classes were going well.

A minute or so later, Dr. Serrano arrived, wheeling himself down to the front of the room

and withdrawing a thick stack of papers from his satchel, which he laid on the front desk.

"Because I know you're all on pins and needles, yes, I did get your exams graded," he

declared in his usual amiable tone. "However, so that you'll actually pay attention, you'll have to

wait until the end of class to look at them. How did everyone feel about the exam? Are there any

questions?" He paused for a few seconds to allow for students to raise their hands then went on

when no one did. "How about over the reading for today?"

Someone behind Flora raised their hand.

"Yes, Francis," Dr. Serrano called on them.

"Do we need to memorize the IR and NMR spectra?" a vulpine voice asked.

"You'll need to be able to interpret them, so you will need to remember what functional

groups look like in the IR spectra and where the chemical shifts fall in the NMR spectra. You'll

be able to reconstruct a molecule by interpreting those along with mass spectrometry data.

That's what you're going to work on right now, in fact. Would someone pass out the

worksheets? Then you can form groups of three or four."

A fennec fox in the row in front of Flora volunteered, and then Flora and Cynthia worked

with the ferret and ground squirrel in front of them to piece together the molecules from the

spectra on the worksheet. It was a challenging set of puzzles, but Flora felt she was beginning

to get the hang of it by the time they were done. When most groups had finished, they went over

the answers as a class.

"Good work, everyone," Dr. Serrano concluded at the end of the exercise. "Now, I'd like

to give you a different kind of assignment. Let's start by counting off by tens, beginning from the

front with students in the small desks."

A shrew nearest the front left began, and they worked left to right and back through the

students seated on top of the long tables before returning to the front left for the students seated

at the long tables. Cynthia got the first 10, and as the count approached Flora, she anxiously

tried to anticipate whether they'd be together.

"Nine," meowed the ginger tabby to Flora's left.

"Ten," Flora chirped. She breathed a sigh of relief. Depending on what they were doing,

it might have been difficult to help Cynthia if they'd been separated, and Flora didn't want to

entrust the mouse to someone she didn't know.

"We're in a group with Pete," Cynthia squeaked softly.

Flora gave a little start. She hadn't been paying close attention during that part of the

count and had been doing her utmost to avoid the fearful rabbit since their horrible encounter

when she'd tried to use the showers down the hall a couple weeks ago, after finding those in her

wing filled. Nervously, she turned to look at the black and white rabbit: he was staring back at

her timidly, and she quickly looked away. She wasn't sure how they were supposed to work with

someone who thought she wanted to eat him.

When the count had finished, Dr. Serrano spoke again, "Alright, smaller students move

to the back and get with your groups. Then I'll tell you what we're going to do. If you're in the

back two rows, let your group members know where you are."

The lecture hall became a chatter of voices repeating their numbers as the students tried

to find their groups. Flora picked up Cynthia and climbed the right ramp to the back. A mountain

goat near the middle of the back row was holding up a piece of notebook paper with '10' written

on it. Flora thought she recognized them as Rosemary's friend Alex. The massive goat hadn't

tried to eat with them again after the awkward first trial, but Rosemary mentioned them

occasionally. The black squirrel and mountain goat sometimes hung out when Rosemary's

scientific friends were too busy, which was much of the time.

As Flora and Cynthia were approaching Alex's seat, Pete suddenly flashed by them in a

black and white blur and, with a running leap, sailed into the mountain goat's lap. The mountain

goat's eyes widened in surprise, but then they looked down at the rabbit placidly.

"Hey there, my name's Alex. I use xe/xem/xir pronouns. Are you in group ten?"

"Y-yes, I'm Pete, he/him," Pete squeaked nervously.

The fluffy white goat, who was wearing a long, black denim jumper with snaps up the

front, gently petted Pete's head with one hoof-tipped digit. "You can sit with me if you want,

Pete." Alex turned to look at Flora and Cynthia, blinked xir hazel eyes, and smiled slightly, "Hey,

it's Flora and Cynthia, right? Are you in group ten too?"

"Yeah, where do you think we should sit?" Flora replied.

"I'll help you up on the desk."

Alex bent over to help boost Flora and Cynthia onto the desk. Flora and Pete eyed each

other nervously during the procedure. Seated on top of the table, Flora hung her legs over the

edge facing Alex, crossed her right ankle over the other, and adjusted her yellow and black plaid

skirt before placing Cynthia in her own lap.

A silver fox approached their group a few seconds later. The tod, who was wearing only

a black tie and shirt collar, had a black face, ears, belly, arms, legs, and tail tip while the rest of

his fur and his striking eyes were silver gray. Flora found him quite attractive; however, she

knew silver foxes were a color variant of the red fox species, so she regarded him warily.

"Is this group ten?" he inquired airily.

Alex nodded, "I'm Alex, xe/xem/xir," Alex introduced xemself placidly.

"P-Pete, he/him," Pete added nervously.

"Flora, she/her," Flora introduced herself cautiously.

"Cynthia, she/her," Cynthia squeaked.

"My name's Trevor, he/him or they/them," the silver fox responded more pleasantly. "It's

interesting to meet someone who uses neopronouns, Alex."

With a leap and a somewhat undignified scramble, they climbed onto the table and

seated themself next to Flora. Flora smiled at him shyly. He glanced down at Cynthia then back

at her.

"I take it you're the gray fox who's made themself so unpopular," they stated bluntly.

Flora opened her mouth to respond but closed it when Dr. Serrano spoke.

"Alright class, it looks like everyone's found their group." He clicked on the projector,

which displayed a list from 1 to 10 with different pharmaceuticals. "Each group is going to

research the discovery and synthesis of a different drug. Then Friday next week, you'll each

give a four to five minute presentation. I posted a rubric for your presentations on our website.

Does anyone have any questions?" He paused momentarily. "Alright, if there are no questions,

come grab your exams, and then you're free to go. It seems we're out of time for today."

Flora quickly made a mental note of their drug (10 was fluoxetine.) and picked up

Cynthia to drop down from the table.

"It was nice to meet you, Flora," the silver fox stated.

Flora turned to regard them, uncertain of their genuineness, but they were already

jumping down from the table and quickly trotted away toward the front of the room. Flora

glanced back at Alex and Pete.

"Um, I guess I'll email you all about when Cynthia and I have time to meet," Flora stated

awkwardly. "Hopefully we'll be able to get together before the weekend."

"Whenever," Alex replied nonchalantly.

Pete didn't respond but stared at Flora nervously. Flora looked away from the rabbit

uncomfortably and dropped onto the floor. She and Cynthia collected their exams and other

things (Flora got a 95% and Cynthia a 97%.), and Flora hurried Cynthia to her physics class

before hastening to biology.

Biology lecture was uneventful. At the end of the period, Dr. Whitman reminded them of

their Friday test and then let them go. Flora said goodbye to Moxie for the day and began her

trip back to the math and physics building to collect Cynthia before lunch. However, she halted

in the hall only a short distance from the room when someone behind her squeaked her name.

"F-Flora?"

Flora turned her head to see a nervously fidgeting Pete stopped five steps behind her

and eyeing her apprehensively. She turned herself to face the rabbit, and he immediately

scrambled back to twice the distance. With a painful twinge in her belly, Flora turned back

around and tromped away toward the exit, trying to press down hurt with indignation. She didn't

want to talk to the rabbit! Why would I talk to someone who thinks I'm a monster?!

"W-wait!"

Flora ignored the rabbit's pleading squeak.

"Flora, wait! I'm sorry!"

Flora stopped and slowly turned back around, eyeing the black and white rabbit

uncomfortably, "Sorry about what?"

Pete tilted backward and forward on his long black feet, "Erm, I, um, for what, um, what

happened in the shower," he murmured embarrassedly.

"You mean two weeks ago?" Flora asked disconcertedly. She wasn't sure why he was

bringing this up now; she would have rather forgotten the upsetting incident.

Pete nodded nervously.

"I accept your apology." Flora turned back the way she was going.

"W-wait!"

She turned back with a frown, "What?"

"I, uh, I know you didn't want to eat me," Pete murmured self-consciously.

Flora stared at him incredulously, "You only now figured that out?! I would have thought

you might have realized that, I don't know, the moment I didn't?!" she returned sharply.

Pete winced, "I-I mean I know you don't want to eat me," he amended anxiously.

"Good. Then I guess working together won't be a problem," Flora sniped.

She turned back and, with determination, started toward the door, but to her surprise,

Pete actually raced around her and stopped only a couple of steps in front of her.

"I want to talk to you!" he pleaded.

Flora frowned at him a moment but then nodded. "I have to go get Cynthia, but if you

want to follow me, we can talk while we walk."

She tromped forward, and Pete leapt out of the way. But then he followed, close on her

tail.

"I-I've seen how you've been helping the mou-er, Cynthia," Pete offered as they

hastened across the science quad, Flora trotting and Pete quickly bounding along behind her.

Flora nodded, not turning back.

"I, uh, I don't think you would hurt prey, even though you're a predator."

"High praise," Flora muttered sarcastically.

"I-it's just that I, um, my parents didn't tell me there were predators like you. They said

you were dangerous."

Flora whipped around, and Pete only barely managed to avoid colliding with her,

scrambling back a step.

"Most predators wouldn't hurt you!" she scolded. "There are some real jerks at this

school, but I doubt even most of them would resort to violence!"

"Th-that's not what my parents told me," he whined.

"Your parents told you a bunch of prejudiced crap!" Flora shot back. "Yes, there are bad

predators. There are bad prey! There are people who will hurt you in this world, but that's not

most people, of any species!"

"I-I believe that you don't want to hurt me," Pete whined.

"If you believe that, then come here," Flora demanded.

"W-what?"

"Come here and quit acting like you're afraid I'm going to grab you!"

Pete stared at her apprehensively. After a couple seconds of waiting, Flora turned back

toward the math building.

"Wait!" Pete raced around in front of her and stopped only a step away. Nose twitching

rapidly and whiskers quivering, his blue eyes stared into hers probingly.

"Give me your hand," Flora requested sternly.

"Huh?"

Flora held out her right hand. Hesitantly, Pete put his hand in hers. Flora grasped it

firmly, and after a moment of staring at their clasped hands, Pete looked up at her with an

expression of nervous excitement. Flora couldn't resist a small smile despite the guilt and

aggravation he'd caused her.

"See? Nothing bad happened," she murmured.

She released his hand and stepped around him, continuing to go pick up Cynthia. Pete

followed her closely but remained silent. He waited outside of the classroom whilst Flora

collected Cynthia, and he was still there when the two of them exited several seconds later.

"Is there something else?" Flora asked him awkwardly.

Pete shuffled his feet and looked at the floor, "I, um, I don't know," he murmured

bashfully.

"We're going to lunch if you want to come," Flora offered.

Pete nodded.

They started toward the cafeteria with Cynthia cupped in Flora's hands and Pete

hopping close behind them. After they'd been walking for a minute or so, Cynthia squeaked

hesitantly in a hushed tone.

"Flora?"

Flora held the wood mouse up closer to her ear. "Hmm?"

"What is Pete doing following us?" Cynthia whispered furtively. "What happened last

period?!"

"I don't know," Flora whispered back. "He apologized, and then he wanted to follow me. I

don't know if he knows why he's following me."

"If he isn't afraid of you anymore, maybe he's curious," Cynthia conjectured.

"Maybe," Flora agreed.

She lowered Cynthia back to her chest. If he's not afraid of me, then maybe I can help

him with his fear! Flora smiled toothily as hopeful excitement tingled through her body. She'd

given up on being able to help the rabbit, but now it seemed luck was on her side! The desire to

help was rekindled inside her, hope coaxing the flame so that it burned with a passionate heat

once again. If there was something she could do to make Pete's life less terrifying, then it was

her duty to try!

Rosemary and Amber were already seated at a table on the prey side of the cafeteria

when they arrived. Flora led Pete toward the circular table, and as they neared, the two squirrels

stopped chatting to stare at the approaching party in amazement.

"Am I dreaming, or is there another black rabbit with a white spot on their nose?"

Rosemary asked incredulously.

"H-hi, m-my name's Pete," Pete squeaked self-consciously. "I-I guess you know that."

Rosemary stared at the rabbit a moment longer before turning her questioning gaze on

Flora.

"I invited him to come to lunch, and he came," Flora answered simply. She shrugged and

made a face to let Rosemary know she didn't really know what was going on either.

Rosemary frowned and glanced at Pete again before addressing Flora, "Alright, do you

need any help getting Cynthia's food?"

Flora nodded.

Once Flora, Pete, and Cynthia all had their food, they returned to the table. Flora had

chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese from the meat station and squash medley from the

vegetable station. Cynthia had macaroni and cheese, soy nuggets, and squash, and Pete had a

large bowl of salad with grass, clover, kale, spinach, and sliced radishes. Flora sat beside

Rosemary, and Pete sat in the seat immediately to Flora's left, leaving two empty seats between

him and Amber. Flora worriedly wondered what would happen if Lance arrived and tried to sit in

one of those spots. Perhaps I should have put him between me and Rosemary. However, Flora

hadn't thought the rabbit would want to sit in the seat adjacent to hers and had purposely left

space for him to put a chair or two between them. She could suggest they switch seats now but

didn't know how to do so without making it awkward and decided to let it go for the time being.

Glancing sidelong at the rabbit curiously, she watched him munching his salad. Watching him

eat reminded her so fondly of her rabbit friends back home! Flora smiled, pleased by this

surprising turn of events. If Pete could trust her, then they could become friends, and she could

show him that predators weren't as scary as he'd been raised to believe.

"So, where are you from, Pete?" Rosemary asked awkwardly after they'd been eating for

a few minutes.

"I'm from Maplesburg," Pete replied shyly.

The black squirrel frowned disconcertedly, "Really? How in Tartarus did you grow up in

Maplesburg terrified of predators?! Did you go to an all-prey school?"

"I, um, I was homeschooled, actually," Pete mumbled embarrassedly.

Rosemary rolled her eyes, "That explains it," she declared exasperatedly. "I don't

understand how anyone can think they're doing their children a favor sheltering them like that! It

ought to be illegal."

"They were only trying to keep me safe!" Pete rejoined defensively.

"Have you felt safe since you got here?" Rosemary returned pointedly.

"S-sometimes," Pete murmured bashfully. After a moment, "Maybe in my room," he

admitted weakly.

"Meanwhile the rest of us," Rosemary gestured to the other prey at the table with a

sweep of her arm. "Have been managing just fine. Caution is one thing; paranoia is another!

Your parents should have taught you how to be cautious around predators, not to run at the first

sight of them. They raised you to survive in the wrong century!"

"I-I guess," Pete murmured embarrassedly.

"In fact," Rosemary went on irritatedly. "Squealing and running is one of the most

dangerous things you can do! If anything will trigger a predator's hunting instincts, it's that!

You're lucky the predators here have their instincts under control."

Pete looked thoroughly miserable after the hash scolding.

Flora placed a gentle hand on top of his and murmured soothingly, "It's alright. It's not

your fault how you were raised. We'll help you learn the right way to coexist with predators."

Pete looked up at her hopefully, "Y-you will?"

Flora slipped her hand under his and lifted it then placed her other hand on top, gently

holding his furry black paw between her light brown and white paws. "I'll do whatever I can to

help you feel safe, Pete. No one should be scared and alone."

As Flora gazed into his light blue eyes, she thought she saw tears beginning to glisten,

but they were interrupted by a light cough from Amber. She dropped Pete's hand to turn toward

the fox squirrel.

"Not to be a pessimist, but don't you think this will feed into the rumors your ex-

roommate has been spreading?" Amber suggested uncomfortably. "Depending which line they

go with, you're either befriending a prey no 'real' predator could possibly befriend, or you've

beguiled the most naive prey on campus." She glanced at Pete, "No offense, Pete."

"I don't care a lick what Isabelle and her cronies think!" Flora returned ardently. "They'll

believe whatever they want to. I won't let Pete suffer to deny them a few impotent jabs!"

Amber shrugged, "As long as you realize it's going to happen. Pete has a reputation too,

so you'll be combining two different sets of rumors. Who knows what kind of nonsense will come

out of that?"

"I-I don't care either," Pete put in nervously. "People already think I'm, uh. F-Flora's been

trying to help me from the very beginning, but I wouldn't see she was different."

"Flora's extra special," Cynthia squeaked proudly. "I knew she could help you if you gave

her the chance!"

Flora smiled bashfully and brushed her right whiskers with her index finger. "I'm only a

fox; I just try to do what I think is right."

"She's the nicest person in the whole world!" Cynthia declared passionately.

"Someday, she's going to start believing you, and then she'll be an awful egotist,"

Rosemary commented dryly.

"She's too-"

"Don't you dare say she's too modest!" Rosemary cut the mouse off sharply. She sighed

exasperatedly and rolled her eyes before regarding Flora with a wry smile, "I still don't

understand how this happened. You either have the worst or the best luck." She paused. "No,

you have the most bizarre luck of anyone I've ever met."

"I can accept that," Flora replied amusedly. She couldn't quite understand what had

made Pete change his mind either, but as she observed the rabbit beside her, who was happily

enjoying their friendly repartee, she could only feel incredibly blessed.

When they had finished lunch, Flora took Cynthia back to their room. Pete followed them

right up to their door, where he stopped uncertainly.

"Have a good afternoon, Pete," Flora chirped warmly as she pushed the door open.

"Are you doing anything this afternoon?" Pete asked self-consciously.

"We'll be working on the homework we got today, and I have to study for the bio. exam,"

Flora stated. "I'll email you about when we can get together for the o. chem. group project."

"C-could I work with you too?" Pete asked anxiously.

Flora glanced inside the room and turned back with an awkward smile, "Er, well, there

isn't really anywhere for you to work. If they'd left us the desk for our third roommate there

would be, but they didn't. We could think about finding a room in the library sometime, but all of

our books are in here."

"O-okay," Pete murmured disappointedly.

Flora regarded the rabbit quizzically. Was he really that eager to spend time with them?

He probably doesn't have any other friends. "We can go to dinner together later," Flora

suggested. "If you want to exchange numbers, I'll text you when we're ready to leave."

"O-okay," Pete murmured embarrassedly.

They exchanged numbers.

When he had entered her number into his cell, Pete looked up shyly, "My, uh, my room

is three twenty-eight, i-in the middle section, if you need anything."

"Alright, see you later, Pete," Flora piped cheerfully.

"Yeah."

Flora stepped through the door, gently closing it behind her. She crossed the room and

carefully set Cynthia on the mouse-sized bed with her bag and crutches.

"I think you have a new admirer," Cynthia remarked amusedly.

"He was acting a bit odd," Flora admitted embarrassedly.

"He's completely infatuated!" Cynthia proclaimed. "How could he not be?"

"He thought I was going to eat him a couple weeks ago," Flora argued. "He might just be

curious to learn more about the first predator he's ever felt safe with."

Cynthia grinned, showing her large incisors, "If you say so," she returned knowingly.

"I have to use the restroom," Flora stated, anxious to end the discussion. "Do you need

any help before I go?"

Cynthia shook her head, still grinning cheekily. Flora left the mouse on her bed and

pulled open the door to peer out into the hall: she breathed a sigh of relief to see Pete was gone

then hurried to the bathroom. Was Cynthia right? He's a rabbit; he'll realize we're not compatible

in that way, Flora reassured herself. Besides, he probably was simply curious.

Flora finished her calculus homework and started on her chemistry reading before it was

time to go. She and Cynthia discussed the best time to meet with their organic chemistry group

and decided to try Wednesday afternoon since they had lab on Tuesday while the others had

lab on Thursday. Flora emailed the other members of the group to see what time on

Wednesday would work. Finally, she texted Pete to let him know they were ready to head to

dinner; he was waiting outside of their room by the time they exited.

Flora smiled at him amiably, "Are you ready for dinner?"

Pete nodded, returning a shy smile of his own, "I, er, I kept wondering when you'd text. I

only got my calculus done."

"Sorry, we usually go to eat between five thirty and six," Flora told him embarrassedly.

"I-it's okay; I'm just happy you remembered," Pete replied awkwardly.

Flora led the way across campus; Pete loped along beside her once they made it

outside. Flora studied the black and white rabbit with furtive sidelong glances as they walked: he

was about the size of Olivia, the top of his head the height of her armpit and maybe one-third

her weight. Could he really be interested in me like Cynthia said? Flora remembered her own

trepidation when she'd considered dating Lance, who was between two and three times her

weight, and unlike she and Pete, she and Lance were both carnivores. Surely, Cynthia was

mistaken, and Pete's odd behavior was only a mixture of nerves, curiosity, and socially awkward

friendliness.

When they arrived in the cafeteria, Flora quickly realized dinner wasn't going to go as

smoothly as lunch. Rosemary and Amber had yet to arrive, but Chester, Lance, and Becca were

all seated at a six-seat circular table on the prey side of the cafeteria.

"We're going to be eating with some of my predator friends," Flora murmured to Pete as

she led him across the wide, bustling room. "Is that okay?"

"C-can I sit beside you?" Pete squeaked nervously.

Flora glanced at the table again: Chester and Lance were side-by-side whilst Becca was

across the table from Chester. There were two empty seats between Chester and Becca and

one between her and Lance.

"Yes," Flora concluded. "But you'll have to sit next to Becca; she's a stoat."

"St-stoats are small, aren't they?" Pete asked anxiously.

"They are. Becca's probably only about," Flora quickly did the math in her head. "One-

fifth your size."

Pete seemed relieved by this information, "I'll be okay."

"The others are bigger, but they're all really nice. You don't need to worry, but if you

want to sit somewhere else, you can."

"I want to sit with you," Pete returned anxiously.

"Alright."

Flora led him the rest of the way to the table, but she noticed he ducked behind her

when it became clear where they were headed.

"Hi!" Flora chirped genially as she stepped up behind the pair of empty seats. She tried

to ignore her embarrassment from Pete hiding behind her. He must have nearly been standing

on her tail; she could feel his rapid breaths on her upper back.

"Did you acquire a shadow?" Chester meowed amusedly. "The ears are a little long."

"Is that Pete?" Becca yelped in shock, turning in her seat to stare at the rabbit, who was

the least hidden from her vantage point.

Flora carefully set Cynthia on the table then grabbed Pete's arm to drag him out from

behind her. He strained to duck back out of sight of the larger predators, but taking a step back

from the table, Flora pulled the rabbit in front of her and held him firmly by the arms, facing the

others.

"He's a little nervous," she apologized. "But Pete's realized that the things he was taught

about predators weren't exactly true. He had lunch with us earlier; although, I was the only

predator at our table then."

Chester offered Pete a friendly smile, "Hi Pete, it's nice to meet you. You don't have to

worry about us: we don't bite."

"I wouldn't be so sure about Becca," Lance teased. "Stoats are fierce!"

Becca glared at the wolverine, "If I bite anyone, you know who it'll be!"

"You can sit by Becca or Chester if you prefer," Flora told Pete. "Lance is the wolverine."

"Think of him like a big cuddly furball," Chester told Pete cheerfully. "That's what I do."

"Is that what you think?" Lance growled, eyeing his feline boyfriend lasciviously. "I'll

remember that."

"Let's go get our food, and then you can decide if you really want to sit with us," Flora

suggested.

She let Pete go--to her relief, he didn't dash back behind her--and picked up Cynthia.

Becca got up to help get Cynthia's food. The vegetable station had some fragrantly spiced lentil,

spinach, and mushroom curry, which Flora and Cynthia both got with brown rice. Pete got a little

of the curry and a hearty bowl of salad, similar to his lunch. After some hesitation, he followed

them back to the table and nervously slipped into the seat between Becca and Flora. Flora gave

him a reassuring smile as he sat.

"So, Pete, tell us something about yourself," Chester requested genially. "Where are you

from?"

"I-I, er, I'm from Maplesburg," Pete murmured nervously.

"Just like Rosemary and Cynthia! I'm from Prairie Meadows," Chester informed him.

"Flora's mentioned you're in most of her classes. What are you planning to major in?"

"B-biochemistry."

"That's what you're majoring in too, right, Becca?" Chester queried genially.

Becca nodded.

"Any idea what you're going to do after college?" Chester asked Pete.

"I-I, um, w-want to go to medical school."

"How will you be a doctor if you're terrified of half of your patients?!" Becca asked

incredulously.

Pete shrank in his seat timidly, "I-I thought if, um, I were a surgeon, th-then they'd be

asleep."

"I don't think I'd want someone operating on me who thought I was a blood-thirsty killer,"

Becca remarked skeptically.

Pete glanced at the stoat on his left apprehensively, "I-I don't think that," he squeaked

self-consciously.

"Oh? Then why are you so afraid of us?" Becca pressed.

"I-I, um, I don't know," Pete murmured miserably.

"Pete's parents told him some very wrong things," Flora defended him. "And he just

hasn't had enough experience with predators to learn better for himself. We're going to help him

see that predators and prey aren't so different after all."

Pete looked at her gratefully, and Flora smiled back reassuringly.

Flora went on, "Besides, we all have our instincts to overcome. We're trained to control

ours, but prey normally learn when they meet predators in school. Pete was homeschooled, so

he didn't have that chance."

"I guess that explains it," Becca allowed. "But how in Zeus' name did you convince him

to trust you? Last I'd heard, you were avoiding him."

"Pete took the first step by himself; I don't know what changed his mind," Flora admitted.

The others eyed Pete questioningly.

"Well?" Becca pressed.

"I-I guess, um, a-after Flora and I b-bumped into each other in the shower, I, um, I

started to pay more attention to what she was like, a-and she didn't seem like, um, like how my

parents said. I-I really just wanted to apologize, but, um, when I started talking to her, I didn't

want to stop. I wanted to get to know her better," Pete concluded bashfully.

"It's been nice getting to know you too, Pete," Flora stated warmly. "I'm glad I could help

you change your mind."

Pete offered her a shy smile in return, "I-I'm glad too."

They chatted about their classes and what each of them had done over the weekend for

the remainder of the meal. Chester and Lance had taken a bus into downtown Wolfsbane to see

a production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona Saturday afternoon, and all of them except Pete

and Lance, who Chester couldn't convince to go, had gone to swing dancing practice in the

performing arts building that evening.

"Did you sign up for any clubs, Pete?" Flora inquired.

"O-only biochemistry club, but I haven't gone yet," Pete replied embarrassedly.

"A lot of us are in swing dancing and the outdoors club. I'm sure you can still join if you

want to."

"A-alright," Pete agreed shyly.

After dinner, Pete walked with them back to the dorm, stopping once again outside of

their room.

"Thanks for coming to dinner with us, Pete," Flora chirped pleasantly. "I guess we'll see

you tomorrow or Wednesday in class."

"D-do you usually eat breakfast before?" Pete asked anxiously.

Flora nodded.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" he asked bashfully.

Flora smiled amiably, "You're welcome to join us, Pete. We usually leave around seven

thirty. It'll just be the three of us."

Pete smiled back happily, "That sounds nice. Thanks, Flora."

Flora contemplated the rabbit hesitantly for a moment: Pete seemed to want to spend as

much time with her as possible, and she was interested in getting to know him better too. "We're

having our first biology exam on Friday," she noted.

Pete looked at her confusedly, "Um, yeah."

"Cynthia is studying for her physics exam on Wednesday, but if you wanted to study

together Wednesday and Thursday evening, we wouldn't have to worry about disturbing her."

"I-in your room?"

Flora nodded. "That was my idea, but we could find somewhere else to study if you

prefer."

"Y-your room is fine!"

Flora smiled genially, "Alright then, goodnight, Pete."

"Goodnight."

Flora pushed through the door and carefully closed it behind her. She glanced down into

her hand: Cynthia was grinning up at her toothily.

"You two are adorable!" the mouse squeaked good-humoredly. "Are you going to

confess first or wait until he does?"

"I just think he's an interesting person," Flora returned evasively. She stepped across the

room and set Cynthia on her mouse-sized bed.

Cynthia didn't tease her more, but Flora knew the mouse wasn't convinced. I can want to

get to know someone without being attracted to them, Flora thought a bit annoyedly. She

wouldn't think we were if we were a vixen and a doe. Besides, Pete couldn't possibly be

attracted to a predator three times his size. Even suggesting such a thing would probably terrify

the timid rabbit!