Savannah Blues part 18
#19 of Savannah Blues
Savannah Blues Part 18 By Roofles
"It's been a while." Ralph said pushing the seat in front of him back with a hooved paw for the hyena. Isaac took the seat a bit sheepishly unable to meet the cold hard stare of the zebra sitting across from him.
"Well I've been...busy. With school. And work. Friends and...stuff." Isaac explained rather poorly. They all sounded like excuses a child would make to their mother as to why they didn't do the chores at the end of the day.
Ralph stared at him for straight minute. The silence was the worst punishment the hyena could've recieved. Like said mother telling their child how disappointed she was in them rather than grounding them. A simple thing and yet held so much weight and meaning behind it that it was far worst than any punishment could have ever been.
"Ok." The zebra said sipping his latte with a pinky out rather sophistical. "That is to say. This time is ok. Next time."
"There won't be a next time!" Isaac jumped in cutting him off before he could go on. His tail wagging as he grinned glad to see that things were truly ok between them. "Promise." He added with a wink and a large grin.
A bare paw rubbed his leg making his grin widen a bit. Ralph slipped his foot back into the sandal as he broke the subject off into more friendly banter. "So how've you been." It wasn't really a question as that simple sentence never really was. Just friendly banter and Isaac wouldn't have changed it for the world.
"Good. It's been going good. Ok maybe not so much. Been busy. Very busy and things are...stagnant in life otherwise." As he finished the hyena dipped his head a bit depressed now about how things were. It was easy to overlook things but to just sit here now and actually look at the main picture was hard for him.
"I'm an overweight," Isaac began.
"Your fine." Ralph said. A smile crossed his face though as he continue to sip his latte mocha, caramel swirl with four shots of expresso in it.
"I'm taking classes I don't even really want to take. And don't have a clue where I'm going, career wise, in life."
"You and every other college student."
"I'm in a dead end job."
"It's minimum wage. What did you expect?"
"And I don't even know what the future holds for me."
"Who does?" Ralph rolled his eyes but placed a paw on the hyena's own anyways. The zebra thought the whole thing was silly. "Do you really want to know what I think?"
Isaac whined a little and nodded with tearful eyes.
"Your normal. Your just like most other people and you know what." The zebra through his shoulders back and puffed out his chest with pride. "That's perfectly damn fine!"
Isaac looked at him then looked down crestfallen before looking up with his eyes hopfully. "Really."
"Of course."
"But I don't feel like I have meaning...in my life." Isaac confessed as the waitress came up. "Double stack bacon cheeseburger with extra ranch, coca cola and chocolate shake."
She nodded knowing the pity man's special he just ordered. "I'll add in extra fries for free, hun." She said sweetly before heading back to the kitchen.
"Well if that's the case. You just kind of have to find it. Be it work or school, friends, family. Loved ones, country, religion." Ralph shuddered at the laugh one and laughed. "Everyone finds meaning in something or other. And a lot of people go through this too you know. It's not an uncommon thing. Like. At all!" He laughed.
"I know." Isaac chuckled a little but he did feel better. Just sitting here. Talking with his best friend again. It was something he had defiantly needed. The best treatment for what ailed him. "Thanks." And he wasn't talking about the advice that had been given to him.
"Just how long had you been thinking about this anyways?" Ralph question taking his salad with a thank you to their waitress. She was a kind elderly squirrel that had defiantly seen her years of hardship.
"I guess it was just after the break up that I began feeling like this." Isaac posed resting back in his chair and rubbing his belly as the smell of bacon whaffed in from the kitchen. He drooled a little bit closing his eyes already tasting his delicious fatty pity mans dinner.
"Oh?" That caught the zebra's attention his ears jumped up as if a lion had just walked in. His whole postured changed. He sat up a bit more with his neck perfectly erect and although he was facing forward his attention seemed to be everywhere like a worried deer at a strange sound.
"Just wasn't meant to be. Also." Isaac sat back down and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Did you know he was an idiot?"
Ralph had a bit of a smug look at that and rolled his eyes. "Really? No way." His sarcasm was lost on the hyena however. "I never knew."
"Well that and he snored horrible. Plus he had some other...issues. If you know what I mean." They shared a laugh.
"Bad in bed?" Ralph said coming to the most logical conclusion he could think of.
"Doesn't like beer." Isaac said a half second after Ralph spoke.
"Ha." Ralph just shook his head and looked at his friend. The hyena had noticable brightened up and his old self seemed to have return making the whole room seem a bit brighter. Or at least to the zebra looking at the hyena.
Isaac was staring off to the side rubbing his paws together and licking his lips as his plate arrived. The hyena was far too busy drooling over his burger, dunking his fries in the chocolate shake to notice the zebra watching him.
Ralph's ears flicked and he rubbed his foot against the hyena's leg again.
"Anyone would be depressed after a break up." Ralph said softly. He wanted to say he was but a sap that needed to be in a relationship to be happy. But was distracted by other things.
Isaac continued to enjoy his meal chatting with the zebra every now and then truly just enjoying being in his company again.
"Don't worry. It's on me." Ralph insisted as the hyena rubbed his full belly.
"We'll have to do this again."
"Are you free tomorrow?" Ralph inquired with a raised eyebrow as he paid their bill.
"I got morning classes but afternoon I'm free."
"Good. We'll go see that new movie that just came out."
"The superhero one?" Ralph nodded and Isaac rolled his eyes, groaning a bit as he got up from his seat. "Your such a nerd." He teased following the zebra out with his arm on his back.
Ralph wrapped his around the hyena's neck and pondered over what a black and white striped hyena would look like.