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He sat at one of the metal tables on the edge of the river. 'That's just like 'em,' he thought, 'they beg me to go to an event, then forget all about me.' The young adult ferret looked out over the ink black river. He had been brought to the River Market by his church's youth group. Every one of them begged him to go and didn't let up until he said yes.

A week ago, James' Sunday School teacher announced the trip to the River Market for ice skating and a trolly ride, and asked if he would like to go. When he said he didn't know the whole class started saying things like, "It'd make me really happy if you'd go with us," or "It wouldn't be any fun without you, man." Hearing things like that, he couldn't help but say yes. After he agreed, the class cheered.

The day of the trip, he had gotten four or five calls making sure he was still going. James was one of those that didn't go back on his word and assured them that he was still going. A voice in the back of his head kept telling him that he'll just sit on the sidelines, forgotten like always. 'I'll go this time, and if the class singles me out, then this is my last trip,' he told the voice.

Before the trip actually began, everyone had to meet at the church so that the youth leader could see who all was going. To his surprise, James wasn't left out of a conversation. One girl, a tall and lanky red panda, actually came up and asked how his week went. Not wanting to sound down, he kept it going and replied, "It was good, but coulda been better."

"That's good," she said with a smile, "hopefully you'll have fun tonight."

"Yea," he replied. "I doubt it," he mouthed when Shannon turned away. After a few minutes, the group crowded around and loaded the van like a bunch of kiddies around the ice cream van, and headed to the capital. The trip was supposed to last from five to eight that night. Per the church's rule, which James found foolish, the girls sat up front and the guys in the back. Because of that, he got shoved to the last seat. He stayed quiet the whole ride to see if anyone would realize he was there and talk to him. 'Nope,' he thought. When everyone arrived, they all made a beeline for the ice skating rink. Well, all but one.

"Hey, Jay!" he heard someone call. "You comin' or what?" hollered a young golden female lab .

As he looked up, her coat seemed to shine to him. "Yeah!" he called back. 'Hmm, this night's lookin' better than I thought.' With a bit of hope, he quickened his pace to catch up with the others. He was the first to get his blades on and be on the ice. Since there weren't that many others, he used all the room he had. Even with the whole rink, Jay decided to stay close to the wall in case he lost his balance. This was his first time on the ice, or on in lines for that matter. It wasn't as hard as he thought, he kept his balance pretty well for a first timer, and actually was able to pick up some speed. The ferret went around a few times before taking a look around.

Christmas music played and everyone around him had smiles. That little voice came back going, "I told you so! I told you!" Almost immediately, he felt left out and left the rink to return his blades. He didn't try to hide, heck, he even tried making a small show of turning them in and leaving, just to see who would notice. Nothing. Not even a glance in his direction. James just shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the River Bridge, shoulders haunched and head hanging low. He padded half way across and found a spot to lean against the rail to look out over the river.

It was an old bridge that was built back in the late 80's. At that time, it was used to get trains across the quater mile wide river. As time went on and businesses took over more and more of the city, the bridge got used less and less. Around 2008, it had been remodled as a walkway and an attraction for the city. As James walked across, the air seemed to chill, and the night appreared to dim; the city lights and the stars. He started to feel seperated from everyone.

Looking down and to his right, he saw countless couples taking a mid-evening stroll. "Damn," he whispered. "Damn it to hell! Every time I go with a group, I get thrown to the side, forgotten." A few couples walked past him sharing laughs, making him feel worse. A while later, he got tired of standing and made his way to the bank. There, he found tables and pick one closest to the water. He sat with his back to the action and closed his eyes. The sound of the waves lapping at the rocks seemed to calm him. Oh, this is what I hate. Invite me, then forget me. He leaned forward and let his head hang. He got so lost that he almost didn't hear him approach.

"Hey James, what's wrong?" asked the wolf of a youth leader.

"Huh? Oh," replied James as he turned to see who was talking to him. "It's nothing to worry 'bout," he turned back to the water.

"There's something wrong if you're away from the group."

"You won't like what it is."

"Lay it on me."

"Well, you remember what happened on the last trip. The class begged and begged for me to go and when I went along, they all ran off and left me on my own. That's _exactly _what's happenin' tonight. I'm sick and tired of it. Ever since I was little, I've had to find ways to keep myself entertained 'cause nobody wanted to hang out with me. I really didn't want to come tonight simply because I knew this would happen," Jay confessed even though something felt off about Jason.

"What all happened tonight?" asked Bro. Jason.

"When we got here, I lagged behind everyone 'til Rachel called out and got me to hurry up. When she did that, I thought, 'Hmm, this night's lookin' better already.' Tch, yeah right. I caught up, paid, got my blades, went 'round the rink five or six times and did the best I could for a first timer, got off the ice, turned in my blades and went for a walk. I walked over the bridge, stood for a good half hour watching everyone having fun, got tired of it and made my way over here and been here ever since." James explained. "I woulda made a fool of myself on the ice, but since no one was payin' attention, I said, 'Why? It's not worth the pain."

"I'll say something to the-" the wolf started but was cut off by the ferret.

"No! I mean I don't wanna mess up their night. If they come looking for me on their own, good. If not, oh well so what. I'll just sit here and wait to see if they remember I'm here. If they ask where I'm at, send 'em my way but don't tell them anything's wrong, O.K?" The director nodded in agreement and padded back to the group. James went back to his little world and listened to the waves. The snap of a twig let him know someone was walking up.

"Is something wrong, Jay?" Rachel, the golden lab, asked in a soft, silky smooth voice that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Felt left out, so I came over here to see who'd notice I was missin'," he answered. James turned to straddle the seat.

"Who other than me has noticed?"

"Brother Jason."

"Hmm, that's weird because everyone's looking for ya." She was now sitting in front of him on the bench. Rachel grabbed her phone and turned on it's light so she could see his face. "Yeah, Brandon was the first to notice you left. Brandon, the cheetah," she added when she saw his disbelief. "We've all been up and down the streets looking for ya."

"Well, there's a big shock," he scoffed.

"Whadaya mean?"

"Every time I go out with a group, I get left out. Y'all have done it twice to me now, and I was about to say that I ain't goin' anymore."

"I was wondering why you vanished at the dance a couple months ago," she said as she clicked the buttons on her phone sending a text to the others telling them she'd found James.

"That was more of not wanting to feel weird instead of being left out. I didn't have a date to go with and it woulda felt odd to dance with someone that I wasn't dating."

"You're not the only one in that department," she said as she took James's hand in hers. The moon light making her fur shine a brilliant gold.

"Whatchya tryin' to say?" he asked.

"That I've kinda been watchin you from a far. I mean, yeah, I watched as you would walk away from the group and everything, but I didn't want to say anything."

"Don't you have someone here to hang out with? I always see you with that chocolate lab..."

"Who, Mason? He's my cousin. I only hang around him 'cause I'm too shy." She was now blushing under her fur. James cracked a small grin that grew and grew until he was almost laughing. "What so funny?"

"You pretending to be shy. If you truly were, you would be stuttering almost every other word." He softly chuckled. "If anyone's shy, It'd be me." They continued talking until James asked her to walk with him. She more than gladly agreed. Smiling softly, she wrapped her arms around his left arm. She tenderly pressed her shoulder into his upper arm and walked close to him. The two padded along the muddy bank. James took his tennis shoes off and tied the laces so they hung from his right shoulder. As time went on, the stars seemed to come back out and the city lights brightened. A short time later, they made their way back to the rink to catch the others. On the way up the incline, Rachel had let go of his arm but not his hand.

When the group finally realized they were back, someone called, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

"Something I've been missing out on," James said with a confident smile. Jokes were played on the two and everyone had a ball. For once, James went home with a smile.