YEAR OF THE RABBIT

Bunny Fact 26: What He Wasn’t is What He is

When Rhode walked into the kitchen the first thing I asked him was, “Did you buy me a pea-shooter?”

He regarded me as he crossed to the fridge. “I don’t think so. Unless I was drunk, or sleep walking, or momentarily struck with a case of utter stupidity. . . but that’s doubtful. Why do you ask?”

I watched as he discovered the fudge that Niney had just bought and he contemplated whether or not he wanted it. Goo coincidentally walked into the room just then and that triggered my memory. We had talked about pea-shooters weeks ago. She was wearing a jester’s hat.

“Yes,” she smiled at me, “I got you your pea-shooter. I saw it when Mom took me to the Joke Shop.”

“As well as that charming little hat?” I assumed.

She grinned and nodded enthusiastically, causing the bells on each tip to jingle a merry little tune. Apparently Rhode didn’t find it merry at all, for he was cringing and wincing.

“Oh, Rhode’s poor sensitive ears,” I crowed.

Goo looked back and forth between Rhode and I for a moment, and then asked, “When did you two start being mean to each other?”

I glanced at her. “We were always like this.”

She shook her head. “Not before Christmas.”

After the previous Easter, he had been timid for the most part. When he leaned on the doorbell that day with bruises and stripped-dignity, he had been exhausted. He hadn’t wanted me to go out of my way to keep him in the house so he wouldn’t have to live on the streets. At school, he had been awkward and sketchy. From then on, he started to get more comfortable—with track, with the dance, with me; the cuddling, the nuzzling. We never argued though. He pouted, I pouted, and that was about it. The first real static we hit was when I threatened him with an egg to go to the dance with me.

I couldn’t help but grin at the thought.

Goo was walking out of the room, equipped with her silly little hat, while Rhode was now leaning back against the counter, watching me. He had decided on a piece of fudge after all.

“You know, she has a point,” Rhode said through a mouthful, as if his thoughts absolutely could not wait. “I remember when we started bickering at the table, and everyone was surprised that we were actually fighting.”

I only nodded and then averted my gaze to the pea-shooter in my hands. I turned it around, regarding it.

“I can’t believe it has almost been a year,” I said.

“What?”

“Since you came to my house.”

He finished off the fudge and turned back to the fridge to find something else. “I know.”

I lifted the shooter to my lips, aimed at Rhode, and blew. A ball of some sort—who knew what the joke shop put in it—flew at Rhode and hit him in the middle of the back. He cast a glimpse over his shoulder at me, and I hid the shooter behind my back with wide eyes.

“I thought it was empty,” I lied.

He kneeled and picked up the fallen ball of foam with a frown, and then tossed it back at me. I tried to catch it, but there was a reason I wasn’t in baseball. . .

“That was terrible,” he let me know.

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “That thing is like. . . the size of a mosquito.”

He shrugged and looked back at the fridge with a sense of longing. “I’m hungry.”

“That’s nice.”

“Sophie.”

“What?”

“I’m hungry.”

“I said, that’s—”

“Hungry. Food, food, food.”

I went quiet.

“Why does your house lack food?” he queried. He shook his fist at me, still not prying his eyes from the very stacked fridge.

“There’s everything in there,” I protested. “Try some potato soup, all you have to do is warm it up.”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

“Well, I want some soup, so take it out for me. When you see me eating it, you’re gonna want some too.”

Instead of doing what I asked, he closed the fridge door and turned to me.

“Oh, we’re gonna starve together, is that it?”

“Ice cream.”

I smirked. “We don’t have any.”

“Woe.”

“Exactly.”

“Or not. Let’s be crazy. Let’s go out and get some. Let’s be crazy.”

I sighed into my hand. “But I’m lazy.”

He sidled around behind me and jabbed his fingers into my sides. I jumped up at the contact with a miniature scream, and he grinned cheekily at me when I whirled around.

I set my hands on my waist. “Well, genius, there’s no vehicle to take.”

“Two legs and a heartbeat, Sophie.”

I sighed. “It’s cold out.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s breezy out. You just got through a winter, you should be all adapted.”

I waved him off. “Fine. Let’s walk.”

The walk was long but comfortable. Rhode walked with his hands dug in his pockets, while I moseyed beside him. It was actually very nice out, and I was in a t-shirt and jeans, while he was wearing similar clothes. He was wearing a white and green t-shirt, causing my eyes to widen.

“Rhode!” I hissed, reaching over to whack him with my purse about twenty minutes into the walk.

He jumped. “What?”

“We’re both wearing white and green!” I squeaked, pulling out my shirt to free it from wrinkles. He glanced at my shirt, and then at his.

“Wow, we’re like those really old couples who match.”

“The cute ones?”

He shrugged. “You know what else we have in common?”

“What’s that?”

“We both have absolutely nothing to say.”

I looked up at the sky as we crossed the street. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“We both have things to say. We just don’t know what.” I felt his gaze on me, so I dropped my head and grinned at him. I pointed at my head, and said, “Genius.”

“Say somethin’,” he said.

“I think what I have to say is a response to what you have to say.”

“I don’t think it is.”

“You know what I’m supposed to say?”

“I have a pretty good idea.”

“Well apparently, we have different ideas.”

He nodded ahead of us—always nodding at something. “There’s an ice cream place.”

“It closes at 6:00PM,” I said.

Rhode shook his hands out of his pockets and placed them behind his head. “So? It’s only around 3:00PM. It’s still open.”

“I don’t want to go there.”

“You don’t want to go there because it closes at 6:00PM? You think we’re gonna chill in the ice cream parlour for more than three hours?”

I sighed impatiently. “No, I just don’t want to go there. We’ll go to the next one we see.”

“Does Lee work there, or something?”

I laughed a little. “No. Speaking of him, he has gotten a little calmer, hey?”

“You mean he hasn’t copped a feel in awhile?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s calling maturing.”

I laughed, and then I nudged him. “Kind of like your little soul-journey as the Easter Bunny, eh?”

“Eh?” he mocked me.

I took to staring at him. We walked for about five more minutes with me staring and stumbling. I trusted him not to get us ran over by the traffic, because I couldn’t look at the road if I was trying to unnerve him.

“Yes?” he at last asked.

I didn’t reply.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Still, I remained silent.

He gave off a pitiful laugh and stopped walking, so I stopped as well. He started walking around me, trying to break off my eye-contact, but I spun around in circles to follow him. He at last put a hand over my eyes, and I swatted his hand off.

“Cheater!” I yelled.

“Creeper!” he reciprocated.

I narrowed my eyes. He ignored that and continued to walk as if nothing had happened. I scoffed, and then followed him. The breeze was starting to get to me, and apparently the tiny bumps on my arms were very noticeable, as Rhode wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to him.

“Oh, now we’re a young couple at a fair,” I quipped.

“No, no, we’re chums.”

“Oh, joy. Chums.”

“I love spring,” he sighed.

“Is that a happy sigh or a sad sigh?”

“Content. . . so happy.”

“Why do you—oh.”

“‘Oh’?”

“I know why you love spring,” I said. “Is that why you’ve been so hyper? Jumping around the school like a bat out of hell? Ugh, and eyeing down every girl?”

He glanced down at me. “Because it’s spring? Yeah. I thought you would have connected that all already.”

“Shut up, I’m slow.”

“Slooow.”

I elbowed him, because I could, and he jolted away for a moment.

“There it is,” I pointed ahead. The ice cream parlour.

“Is this like, your favourite ice cream place in the city, or something?”

I shook my head. “Nope, but it’ll do.”

We walked inside together, and he dropped his arm from around me. He was about to sit at the nearest table, but I grabbed his shoulder and he stopped. I led him over to one of the middle tables with a window and we sat there.

“Picky,” he smirked.

“Or something,” I smiled back. “I’m gonna order for you.”

“You’re gonna order for me?” he grinned. “What is this? A power-trip?”

I set my purse down in my seat to claim it, and then motioned for him to get up, so he did, shaking his head. We waited at the back of the line, and he slid his hands back in his pockets.

“So, first of all,” he began, “you didn’t want to go to the first ice cream place because I spotted it, and you tried to unnerve me with your staring, and you controlled where we’re sitting, and now you’re gonna decide what I order?”

I feigned innocence. “I just know what you like, Rhode.”

“I like this particular ice cream place, and that particular seat, and whatever you’re ordering me?”

I laughed. “No. . . no, just the last part. You like whatever I’m ordering for you.”

“Is that some kind of threat?”

“I wish I hadn’t left my purse on the seat.”

“Yeah, that was pretty careless of you.”

“I want to hit you with it right now.”

He looked over his shoulder, checking on my purse. “Why do we always hit each other?”

“I don’t know; we’re abusive.”

“Or offbeat.”

I slapped my palm against my forehead. “Offbeat?” I sniggered. “Are you trying to be metro?”

He paused. “I’m trying to be what?”

“Metro.”

“Huh?”

Now I paused. “Isn’t that. . .”

“You mean retro?”

“Oh, yeah. Whatever.”

“Even so, that doesn’t quite make sense.”

We came to the counter, and I ordered a chocolate cone for me and a caramel sundae for him. We carried our ice cream back to our table and slid in our seats.

“I do like caramel sundaes, but. . . who doesn’t?” He lifted his eyebrows.

I started licking my ice cream and stopped when Rhode started snickering.

“What?” I drawled. “Are you being gross? Don’t be gross.”

“No, no,” he laughed. “Remember when we were younger, and I was eating an ice cream cone and you thought it would be funny to push it up into my face?”

My shoulders slumped and I regarded him dully.

“It backfired,” he said. “Remember, the cone cut me, and I was bleeding.”

“You know, that is a good memory, Rhode.”

“Ah,” he leaned back, taking a spoonful of his sundae, “we have all sorts of memories. Good, bad. Let’s make a pact, Sophie.”

“A pact,” I echoed. “Alright. If one of us gets famous, the other will never give out stories to the press for money. Agreed?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Well, sure. Why not? Here’s another pact: all our new memories are gonna be good ones.”

I dipped my tongue in my ice cream and frowned at him. “Really? How’s that possible?”

He merely gazed at me, still leaning back, and finally put the spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, as if establishing something.

I sighed. “What’s on your mind?”

“Remember that thing you want to say but don’t know what it is?”

I shrugged.

“Go on. I’m pretty sure you know what it is.”

“Why don’t you say what you want to say?”

“What? That I love you?” He shifted. “I’ve said lots already.”

“That’s all you wanted to say?”

“Well, and that you’re driving me insane with your evasiveness. Goddamn, Sophie, say it.”

I lowered my cone a little.

“You know, I kind of wish I had a banana split,” he said.

I started to smile. He looked up at me, our gazes locking.

“What are you trying to prove?” he asked. “Bringing me here, sitting me here, ordering me this.”

I didn’t say anything. He slid out of the seat and got to his feet. “I don’t want to sit here,” he said. “I don’t even want to be in here.”

“You don’t?” I cocked my head.

“Let’s go outside. Isn’t there a park nearby?”

I stood up, too, taking with me my ice cream and purse. “Okay,” I agreed. I followed him outside, and as soon as we got out the door, I said his name. He paused and turned around, and right when he was facing me, I pushed my ice cream cone in his face. He stepped back in shock.

I pointed and laughed.

“Was that necessary?” he spat.

“Oh, no!” I cried. “Are you mad?”

He started wiping the ice cream off his face with his hands, but I grabbed his wrists firmly, stopping him.

“Is the poor baby angry?” I cooed.

He blinked at me. “What the—? Get this off—”

I pecked at his nose, and he stiffened.

“You look hilarious,” I whispered, and then kissed his cheek, lingering there until I couldn’t help but giggle against him.

“Did they spike your cone?” he uncertainly asked.

I shook my head and licked at his cheek; he only had ice cream on half his face, and it melted along down his neck and partially on his chest. I worked my way down, tasting him and the cold cream. He stood perfectly still.

“Don’t fuck with me,” he said. “Are you fucking with me? Don’t fuck with—”

“Shut up, no,” I said, pulling back to dryly regard him. “Stop swearing, Easter Bunny.”

He reached up to wipe the remaining ice cream off his face. I set my hands on his shoulders, stepped up on my tip-toes, and rubbed my nose against his.

“Little kids are watching us,” he said. I moved back a little and glanced inside the ice cream shop to see a table of kids staring at us. Rhode, self-conscious in front of little kids? He laughed and grabbed my hand, dragging me away from the window.

“Aw, you’re so modest,” I cooed.

“It’s a good day,” I said as I pranced about the livingroom. I had guests—many guests—on this important day. Rhode looked exceptionally tired, having just finished his egg-making quest a half-hour ago. “Do you know why it’s a good day?” I pressed, peering at my friends and sort-of-could-maybe-one-day-be friends. They all watched me with frowns that mimicked one another.

Cupid gingerly lifted a hand.

I jabbed a finger at him. “Shoot.”

“Because it’s Good Friday?” he assumed.

I snapped my fingers enthusiastically. “Exactly!”

“Cheesy as hell,” Liam said.

Jocelyn grimaced as she regarded the clerichaun. “I hate to say this, but I agree with the little man-midget.”

“My name is Liam, ya’ l’il shit,” Liam snorted at her. “‘Ey, Rhode, fella. Ya’ got any rum?”

Rhode mutely shook his head.

“Whisky?”

Again, he shook his head.

“Tell me ya’ve rye.”

“Liam,” I sighed in exasperation, “shut the hell up.”

Liam folded his arms defiantly. I was actually surprised he hadn’t started flailing his wooden stick at me in a frenzy. Or what had he done during the conference? Ah, right, he threw his hat to the ground.

“It’s a real good thing I’m already drunk,” he muttered under his breath.

“So, really,” Jocelyn turned to the clerichaun, “I don’t mean to be rude, but. . . are you a midget?”

Liam’s beady eyes narrowed. “I am tall compared to most of the clerichauns,” he said, proud as could be, even sticking his big nose up in the air.

“He’s a midget,” I said. I really didn’t feel like explaining to Jocelyn, Mini, Lee, and all the others about the holiday happiness I had endured for the past year.

“Stu,” Mini leaned forward and slapped Cupid’s knee, “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

Cupid gave her a sarcastic thumbs-up.

I had gathered everyone I could think of to meet here on Good Friday so that I could tell them Rhode’s fears and they, too, could help hand out eggs. Mini and Jocelyn had come, along with Lila and Goo, and the Rivers boys. Lucas hadn’t shown up, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. Much to my displeasure, Rhode had told Versailles about this particular meeting, and she had brought a few friends of her own. All girls, might I have added. I couldn’t be too annoyed, though, because we needed all the help we could get.

Which was why I decided to contact a few, well, non-humans. Ostern and Ostara would of course be of no help, considering they were responsible for Rhode’s unfortunate fate in the first place, but Cupid, Jack (a Halloweenian who personally wanted to get fired), and even Liam had decided to help. Oh, and the turkey, who was currently gobbling around in circles around a very amused Goo.

“Can I keep him?” she asked me, staring up at me with wide, love-struck eyes. “He’s just so cute.”

I glanced at the turkey with a sour look. “I don’t think so.”

Rhode shifted in his spot behind me. I was standing up, since I had been making a very pumped-up speech moments earlier that required me to stand. The speech was about handing out eggs on Easter. I was very determined to get the point across—the point of how urgent this was.

“So, is this for charity, somehow?” Mini asked.

I paused.

Rhode started to smile. “Sort of.”

I gave him a bedimmed look. I guess he was right. I grabbed one of his bunny-ears and shook it lightly. “Aww, my little charity case.”

He smirked. “Get on with it.”

“Fine,” I snorted and turned back around. “I have to tell you all something very key.” The turkey gobbled senselessly in the background, and I narrowed my eyes a little at the penetrating sound. “Rhode has three particular fears that you all have to know.”

“Is it really a necessity?” Lila asked.

Cupid sighed in exasperation. “Yes, Goddamnit. Would she be telling you otherwise?”

“You just won’t ever know why it’s a necessity,” Jack politely added.

“Okay,” I cleared my throat. “He fears being unable to see peoples expressions, he fears being forgotten or replaced, and. . .” I trailed off and glanced back at him.

“I’m afraid Sophie doesn’t love me back, okay?” he said, evidently peeved.

“Aw,” Cupid cooed, “how adorable.”

Versailles rolled her eyes, and I wanted to tell her to get out of my house, but I’d just have to be the mature one. How cool did I feel?

“I’m going to take half of you to an old man’s house,” Rhode continued. “There’s this bush in his yard where I’ve stored some eggs. . . you’ll all take a crap-load with you and give them out to people. Make sure the eggs don’t break, please.”

“There’s some already in the house,” I said. “They’re stored all over the place. For instance,” I walked to a closet which normally contained empty shelves, but now it was full of eggs, all separated by blankets and soft similar items like towels. The display looked a bit comical.

“I noticed the wheel barrels on the front lawn. . .” Lee added.

I grinned. “Yep.”

“Full of eggs?”

I nodded.

“Shouldn’t we be spending Easter with our family?” Lee suggested.

“Like last year? When you all came to my house to get drunk?” I lifted an eyebrow.

Lee smirked and stood up. “I don’t have time for this, sorry.”

I couldn’t help but notice one of Rhode’s ears slump a little.

Goo soon forgot the turkey and scurried over to Lee, who was leaving, and she stopped in his way. He nearly tripped over her, but caught himself.

“You pig,” she growled.

“I’m not a pig,” he glowered at her. “I just don’t have time to hand out eggs to people who don’t even want them.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“You think we’ll be changing someone’s life by giving them a cheaply painted egg?”

She shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. “This is important to Rhode. He has been making eggs ever since I met him. It’s all he does. Obviously, this is important to him, so if you don’t help him, you’re a fat pig.”

Lee grimaced and looked back at Rhode. “All you do is paint eggs? What kind of freak—?”

Rhode shook his head and sighed. “Long story. Just leave if you want to.”

“As if,” I scoffed. “That’s a negative attitude, Rhode. You’re supposed to threaten him into doing it.”

Cupid stood up and gave off a casual stretch. “When do we start?”

“12:00 AM. Right when it’s the official Easter hour,” I said.

“We’re insane,” Jocelyn said.

Lee leaned a shoulder against the doorframe and regarded Goo. “You really care that much?”

“It’s obviously important to Rhode,” Goo said.

Lee gave the ceiling a cool look. “I’ll help for awhile. Not the whole day. Not for twenty-four hours.”

“Well, you can take breaks,” Lila said.

“Meanwhile,” he sharply said, “I’m going to go hit the hay.”

Sooner than later, almost everyone had left. Goo and Lila had gone up to bed, and that left Rhode and I in the livingroom alone, well, alone with Cupid. Why Cupid was still here was a question in its own. He leaned forwards on the couch he was on and grinned at Rhode and I.

“Interesting fear, Rhode,” he said. We all knew which fear he was talking about. He directed his attention onto me. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

I sidled closer to Rhode and elbowed him. “Wouldn’t I agree?” I asked.

Rhode lifted his eyebrows at me. “You still haven’t said it.”

“But that would be anti-climatic. I have to find a good time,” I said, as if stating a fact. “A good moment.”

“What did I say about time?” Cupid hissed. “You people make me want to lay my face against a burner.” He pulled out his bow and set of arrows, and I clung onto Rhode’s arm.

“No,” I squeaked. “Don’t you dare.”

Cupid stood up and started putting the weapon in order.

Rhode grabbed me back, pulled me up, and we were out of the room. We heard Cupid laughing from the livingroom—not quite evil, exactly, but he got his point across.

“Forceful, isn’t he?” I peeped.

Rhode pushed me against the kitchen wall and rested his forehead against mine for a single calm moment. “So am I,” he grinned.

“You’re lame,” I smirked.

He ducked his head to kiss at my neck. I smiled up to the ceiling before grabbing him by the hair and redirecting his mouth to mine.

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A/N: AT LAAAAAST. Hi everybody! In case you didn’t get the ice cream bit. . . I’ll give you a big hint. remember when sophie got ice cream with lucas? ;D cha-chingg.

One chap left :)

Thanks for taking the time to review -lovees-
Dylan Marie, Adurna, katieee, DSLuverGurl123, xlovexpollutionx, XxFallenxX, Shake Hips Not Fists, SuperCUTEJensen, October Rose, hollyjolly4u, Liviania, Annihilate.My.Mind, Cake loves Pie, timeaftertime, Oooh.Look.A Cat, ashley, quaebah24, Lady Katreina, Amindaya, BTSSB, WackoFromPluto, DigiChar, Loriency, mirrormask, burning in effigy, nonabugg.

- timeaftertime: yeahh, my others stories focus superlots on plot, but this one focuses superlots on the characters. I always neglect one or the other.. Whewps. And yeah, this will be my last story. seizing the sky’s not finished yet (though it’s getting close). I’m finito with fp!

- quaebah24: nah, no more stories posted after this one!

- Loriency: haha jokes can be cruel at the time, but afterwards they’re pretty funny. I love jokes like that, you remember them! Have I ever been in love? Well, I don’t actually believe in love. I just believe in things like it. if I did believe in love, then yeah, I’d say I’ve been in it ;b as for goo and lee? They’ve been hanging out quite a bit throughout the story, and more commonly as the story went on.