As The Years Flew By…
Bunny and Ann were always great friends, ever since when they were babies. The only recorded story besides this one I’m about to tell was Ann’s Fifth Birthday, but this is their second one. This story takes place years and years later, when Ann, Jack, and of course, Bunny, were in college.
Ann in Her College Years
The Ticket…
(squeaky voice by Edward Bunny)
Hello. My name is Edward Bunny. I’m going to tell this story about Ann, Jack, and me! And I loved her, and she loved me, and we all loved each other under a big, oak tree.
(Rilla’s voice) “Okay Bunny…get on with the story.”
Okay. So we all went to college, and it was almost time for our break, when the teacher stood up, and said, “I have chosen the best student to get a free ticket to France, and he or she can pick one bunny to go with them.”
I looked at Ann, and she looked at me. I loved her, and she loved me, and we all loved each other under a big, oak tree.
(Rilla) “Bunny….”
Okay, okay. So then the teacher said, “Drum roll please,” and every bunny started drumming on their table. And then, the teacher stood up, cleared her throat, and said, “And I choose…Ann Bunny!”
I cheered as loud as I could, and I jumped up and down with Ann, yelling with happiness. And I loved her, and she loved me, and we all loved each other under a big, oak tree.
(Rilla) “Oh my gosh, Bunny. Here, let me tell this story.”
So Ann and Bunny celebrated for a short few seconds, with Jack grimacing in the back, watching their joy with envy. For all this time, Jack still loved Ann, and he was still terribly jealous of Bunny. And of course, he couldn’t help but realize that Ann would surely pick Bunny to go with her to France. Not him.
(Bunny) “Of course not Jack…he’s so mean!”
(Rilla) “Can I at least continue the story, Bunny?!”
(Bunny) “Oh. Okay.”
Then, the teacher managed to calm down the two, and handed Ann with a proud smile the two tickets and a white form.
“This form is for your parents approval that you can go to France, and here is where your friend’s signature goes. Whoever’s signature is on there is whoever is going to go with you to France for free.”
Ann and Bunny cheered once more, and the whole class, who knew the two for their kindness, also couldn’t help but cheer with them. All except Jack. He frowned with helplessness, desperately longing to go with Ann to France. Then, he remembered the white form. And an idea popped up in his head. Jack made that notorious smirk of his, and continued slinking through the rest of the day, smirking.
The Trick…
“Ann! I’m so happy for you!”
“Me too, Bunny! I can’t wait to go to France with you!”
Bunny and Ann were babbling excitedly late at night as they scribbled down the information on their form inside Ann’s room, the same room nearly 15 years ago where they had played together at Ann’s 5th birthday. They had just come home for break, and their parents had signed the form, just as excited as they were. Sharon Bunny had been delighted that Ann Bunny had invited her son to go with her to France. But little did they know, that Jack was outside, ringing the doorbell. Ding dong…
Rilla Bunny stopped talking with Sharon Bunny, and went to answer the door. She was surprised to see Jack.
“Oh. It’s you. Why, hello.”
“Hello, Ann’s mother. Can I come in?”
“Oh. Yes, I guess so.”
Reluctantly, Rilla stepped aside, and let Jack thump up the stairs, to Ann’s room. She shook her head, hoping for the best. Jack had a bad reputation.
Jack, meanwhile, rudely came in Ann’s room without even knocking. Ann and Bunny, startled looked up to see his curious face looking at the form they had just filled in.
“Why, hello….Jack.”
Ann didn’t sound welcoming at all. She remembered clearly that time when Jack had mistreated Bunny at her birthday party. Ever since then, he had kept away from picking on Bunny, but she still wasn’t in the mood to forgive him. Yet.
“Hey Ann. Can I see your form?”
Ann looked suspiciously at him. Bunny was busy scribbling his name at the bottom with a pencil, and folding it up and putting it into an envelope without sealing it. Jack tried to look his most innocent, and said, “I just wanted to….uh….see it.”
“Okay then…”
Ann glared at him, then took the envelope, and gave it to him.
“Come on Bunny, let’s go see if Mom has something good in the kitchen.”
Bunny and Ann bounded out the door, eager to leave Jack alone in her room. Jack first made sure that Ann and Bunny were gone for sure, then he silently cheered to see that Bunny had only written his name in pencil. He took an eraser, erased the name, and took a pen, putting his own name in. He smirked, refolded the paper, and placed it into the unsealed envelope. Then he took it down to the kitchen, where Ann and Bunny were sucking on juice packs. He handed the envelope to Ann, saying, “Thanks,” and left the house without saying good-bye. Ann and Bunny looked at each other in confusion, then pushed the thought aside and started talking about what they planned to do together in France.
After break, Bunny and Ann came up to the teacher, handing the envelope, which they still never bothered to seal. The teacher pulled out the form, and looked over everything. Suddenly, she seemed a bit surprised.
“Oh! I thought you were going with Bunny. Looks like you want to go with Jack though, Ann.”
Ann looked at the teacher with confusion.
“What are you talking about? I’m going with Bunny.”
“Really? But why does it say ‘Jack’ on here?”
Ann gasped, snatched up the form, and stared at the signature. She shook her head, and said, “Well, there must have been a mistake. Bunny went to my house and I saw him sign his name there.”
“But dear, there’s nothing that can be done now. I have no extra forms, and the plane leaves tomorrow (I do hope you packed your stuff by now). So it looks like you’ll have to go with Jack now.”
Ann was near bursting into tears.
“But…but…”
“I’m sorry dear.”
Bunny looked at Ann, with shock. Suddenly, Ann saw the same shocked face on Bunny from her 5th birthday, when Jack had forced Ann to be his three-legged race partner. Immediately, she knew that this was all Jack’s doing. She quietly said good-bye to her sympathetic teacher, and trudged outside, with a stunned Bunny roboting behind her. Jack was going to pay for this…
On the Plane…
“Plane Number 482 in Wing G to Paris, France is now boarding. Repeat: All passengers on Plane Number 482 in Wing G to Paris, France are now boarding.”
Bunny looked at Ann, with a sad, sad face.
“Good-bye, Ann.”
“Good-bye, Bunny.”
Jack popped up, all jittery and excited. He was anxious to get on the plane and make Ann forget about Bunny for the time being.
“Come on, Ann. Our plane’s boarding.” Ann didn’t move. She continued staring sadly back at Bunny. Finally, Jack resorted to dragging Ann over to the little door to the plane.
“Come on, Ann!”
Ann followed him, glancing back at the lone figure of Bunny.
“Good-bye, Bunny!” she suddenly yelled at the top of her voice.
“Good-bye, Ann! I’ll write to you everyday!”
Ann looked at him one last time, then reluctantly boarded the plane.
One the plane, Ann looked longingly out her window as the plane picked up speed and lifted into the air with grace. Jack tried to comfort her.
“Hey Ann, baby. Stop looking so sad.”
Ann ignored him and instead, pulled out a magazine from her seat pocket. Jack scooted closer to her.
“Come on, girl. Talk to me.”
“Jack! Stop it! Can’t you see I’m reading a magazine?!”
“I can see you’re reading it upside-down.”
Ann blushed, then quickly turned it right-side up.
Jack raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Well, how do you explain that?”
“Um…that’s because I just started reading it!” Ann retorted back.
She pretended to be terribly interested in what the editor had to say about scientists’ efforts to clone carrots. Jack looked at the article over her shoulder for a few seconds, before saying, “Are you still mad at me?”
Ann stopped looking at the magazine, then remembered how Jack had come to the restroom and asked that same question 15 years ago. But this time, she wasn’t so forgiving.
“Yes. Actually, I’m furious at you for cheating me and putting your signature there instead. And for mistreating Bunny at my 5th birthday party.”
Jack seemed surprised that Ann was still angry at him for that.
“I thought you totally forgot about that. Are you seriously still mad at me for that?”
Ann looked at him. More like glared at him.
“Why would I be joking?” she growled.
“Well, come on, Ann. That was a long time ago. I’m better now. A lot better.”
Ann stared at him.
“Yeah. You’re are a lot better, Jack.” Jack smiled to himself. “Because now I’ve found out that you know how to cheat people, me of all bunnies!” she continued.
Jack was held speechless. Ann turned around, and looked at the magazine again. This trip was not going as well as he had hoped.
France…
Ann and Jack stayed at a huge hotel when they arrived at France. Along the way, Jack was still trying to make Ann feel better.
“Ann, come on. Look, I’m begging you. Please just talk to me.”
Ann refused to open her lips. They’re rooms was 464 and 468. Ann was relieved that Jack wasn’t going to stay in the room next to hers. But she didn’t notice that in Jack’s desperate attempts to make her talk, he had accidentally entered room 466.
They dropped their suitcases, and Ann immediately stormed off.
“I’m going to the lobby.”
“Oh! How ‘bout I come with y-,”
Ann turned around and gave him her worst evil eye.
“Don’t…even….think about coming with me.”
Jack backed off, more in fear than obedience. It didn’t look like a good time to get on Ann’s nerves.
The Potion…
Jack, paws in pockets, sighed, and continued walking down the bustling street. Hardly an hour since they arrived in France, and Ann hadn’t said a single kind word to him the whole time. He wanted to have fun with her so bad, but she wasn’t giving in no matter what. If only there was a way to change her mind. If only…
Then, Jack’s ears pricked up as he heard the slurred, almost incomprehensible voice of an old bunny ringing his stained, rusty bell at the corner.
“Llloooooovve ppppooottttiooooonnsss…lllooooooovvvee ppppoootttiooonnsss ffffooooorrr sssalllleee….”
Jack bounced over, and demanded the old bunny, “How much are the love potions?”
“Tttthhhhhheeeeyyy’rrrreeeee ooooonnnnnllllyyyy fffiiiiifftttyy-,”
“Oh talk clear, you old bumbling bundle of rags.”
But no matter what Jack said, the slurred words of the old bunny were still very hard to understand. Finally, he held out a $5 dollar bill, and told the bunny to hand him however many potions it would pay for. He received three potions, then headed back for the hotel.
At the hotel, he sat on his bed and looked closely at the labels.
“Love Potion. Will work on any bunny, anywhere. Will last by itself for one hour.”
“One Hour!” Jack cried with shock. But then he read on.
“But if the drinker of this potion will say something they say all the time to others they love, the two will love each other forever. But if the owner of this potion says it before the drinker does, then the spell will be broken right away.”
Jack paused at this, then thought, “What does Ann say to those she loves?” He grimaced when he realized that the one she loved was still Bunny, so he forced himself to recall their conversations. Then he got it!
“Ann always says, ‘I love you and you love me, and we all love each other under a big oak tree!’”
Knowing his object now, Jack marched over to the little porcelain plate filled with mint candies that the hotel provided for every customer. He picked out a few, poured the all the potion he bought over it (he was relieved that it hardened clear) and rewrapped it. Just then, Ann came in, and she frowned when she saw Jack. Jack sprang into action.
“Hey Ann, girl. Look at these delicious candies. Try some.”
“Eww! I’m not touching anything you touched. It’s all contaminated!”
“Oh no. These are from the hotel manager, not me.”
Ann struggled, then, she finally gave in, and unwrapped the candy and ate it. Jack watched with expectant eyes. Ann sucked on it, then shrugged.
“It’s fine.”
Jack froze, afraid that it wouldn’t work. Then, Ann suddenly stopped, and fell asleep. Jack watched, holding his breath. Ann slowly woke up, and looked at him.
“Ann?”
Ann didn’t say anything. Then…
“Oh Jack! I love you!”
Jack cheered, and grasping Ann’s paws, he said, “So, Ann, where do you want to go for tonight?”
“Oh Jack, I want to go to a romantic place, in this romantic city, with a romantic dinner, in a romantic restaurant, with romantic lights and romantic flowers, with you.”
“That’s great, Ann. Enough with the romantics though. Do you want to go to the movies?”
“As long as it’s a romantic movie, with romantic plush seats, and roman-,”
“Quit it, Ann. Okay, I’ll take you to the movies. But first,” Jack paused, thinking of how he could get Ann to say that quote.
“Do you love me?”
“Of course, Jack.”
“Well, what do you say when you love me?”
“I love you, Jack.”
“No, no.”
“I love you, Jack?”
“No!” This was harder than he thought.
“Okay, if I love you, and you love me, then what are we sitting under?”
“This roof, loving each other.”
Jack was ready to pull the fur off his head.
“No, no, NO! What tree are we sitting under?”
Ann thought hard for a second.
“A love tree!”
“Oh my gosh, Ann! Come on! Why can’t you get it right?”
Ann sat in silence, unhappy to see Jack so frustrated. She searched her mind, thinking what Jack would want her to say.
“Jack?”
“Yes.”
“I love you, and you love me.”
Jack perked up and stared at her with hopeful eyes.
“And we are loving each other…”
“Yes?”
“Under…”
“Yes??”
“A big…”
“Yes???”
“Oak…”
“YES?????”
Suddenly, the door swung open. Ann turned her head just for that moment. A handsome business bunny peeked in, and blushed when he saw the two looking at him.
“Oh! I’m so terribly sorry. I thought this was my hotel room. Good-bye.”
The door slammed shut. Jack went berserk with anger and frustration, and started yelling furiously.
“OH YOU IDIOTS! THOSE STUPID BUNNIES ARE ALWAYS DISRUPTING ME! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SAY, ‘I LOVE YOU AND YOU LOVE ME AND WE ALL LOVE EACH OTHER UNDER A BIG, OAK TREE!!!”
Suddenly, Ann froze, staring at him. Jack realized his mistake. He wasn’t supposed to say it before Ann did or the spell would break.
“Oops!”
Ann fell asleep.
The hotel door opened again, and the same business bunny peeked in again, looking terribly confused.
“Hey! Actually, this is my hotel room!”
Lucas…
“Ann! Ann!”
Jack bent down, worried to death about the limp body on the ground.
“Talk to me!”
Ann coughed, spluttered, then looked up at the relieved face of Jack.
“You! Eww! Get your hands off of me! You tricked me! You tricked me!”
Jack sighed, then mumbled, “I was hoping you’d forget about that…”
Then, the stranger piped up.
“Um. Excuse me for breaking the dramatic moment, but this is my hotel room!”
Jack turned bright red in turn, and apologized.
“Uhh…yeah. Sorry about that, Mr. ?”
“Lucas. Lucas Bunny.”
“Oh. Yeah, Lucas. I’ll be going right now…”
Jack left the room, completely forgetting about Ann. But Ann didn’t care about Jack anymore, and continued staring at the stranger. Lucas noticed her gaze, and tipped his hat to her.
“Why, hello there!”
“Hello. I’m Ann. Sorry again about the mistake. All Jack’s fault anyways.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right. Here, let me help you up.”
“Thanks.”
Ann, with Lucas’ help, got up, and brushed her skirt off.
“So. Aren’t you going to follow your boyfriend?”
Ann scowled, to Lucas’ sincere confusion.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh. I’m terribly sorry.”
“It’s okay. He wasn’t supposed to come with me anyways.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. It’s a long story.”
“Well, I’ve got time.”
So Ann told Lucas her story, and he listened with intent on her pretty face the whole time.
The Wedding…
To make the long story short, Ann and Lucas eventually got up to each other, and they spent the whole time in France going on dates. Ann found out that Lucas’ family was super rich, and they’re family was even more powerful. Lucas could do almost anything he wanted, and his dad could do almost anything he wanted as well.
Jack, however, was left all alone, and he went to find the old beggar selling love potions to replenish his stock, but the old bunny was not to be found. We must not forget about Bunny, back at home, though. As he promised, Bunny sent a letter to Ann every single day, asking her how her day in France was. Jack eventually received all of them, but he begrudgingly decided that if he couldn’t have Ann, neither would Bunny. He would rather let Lucas have her instead of his old enemy. So he burned the letters, every single one of them. And Bunny waited anxiously every day for a letter to come back from Ann, but unfortunately, Ann completely forgot about him.
Only a couple months passed, and Ann entirely forgot that Bunny existed. Ann was about to be wed to Lucas, who had asked for her paw in marriage only that very week they first met each other. It was as if they were made for each other. The day of the marriage (by then, the couple had just returned home for the wedding the day before), Bunny finally found out that Ann was back! Little did he know that Ann was about to be Mrs. Lucas.
Finally, Bunny heard about Ann’s marriage from Jack, who seemed a bit more sullen than usual.
“Ann’s gonna be Lucas’ wife, and you can’t do anything to stop it! Ha! So much for your beloved Ann!” Yet Bunny could tell that Jack’s heart wasn’t quite in his smirk. Jack, too, was sad that he would never again get the chance to make Ann love him.
So Bunny raced as fast as he could down to the church in the palace that belonged to Lucas’ family, where Ann was marching solemnly down the hall in her beautiful white gown. The organ was playing the music, and everyone was tears and smiles.
Suddenly, the exquisite hand carved, red double doors of the palace burst open. The tall, stiff guards standing at attention faltered, and even every head of the audience twitched and turned towards the intruder. Bunny came running in, crushing all the lovely pink rose petals confettied over the red carpet. His face was shining with the morning sun sprinkling over his eyelashes.
“Ann! Ann!”
Ann slowly, ever so slowly, turned around, and gasped when she saw Bunny. Tears came to her eyes as she realized that she had forgotten her friend, the one who she had shared her greatest secrets with since she could talk. The one who was always there for her, the one who always made her laugh when she was tired or sad. Bunny.
“Bunny!”
“Ann!”
Bunny was so close to Ann, that he could smell her lilac perfume, when suddenly, Lucas’ father stepped between them.
“NO! I will not have a simple commoner like this bunny charging into my son’s wedding! I will not allow it!”
Lucas’ mother stepped next to him as well, and bellowed, “I agree! Get out of here, you rascal!”
Ann stepped forward, but the parents would not budge. Finally, mustering all her strength, Ann kicked the parent’s back as hard as she could. They both yelled in pain, and fell aside. She rushed forward and hugged him harder than she had ever had before.
“Bunny…”
“Ann…”
Then, Lucas’ dad got back up, snuck behind the two, and closed his paw over Bunny’s throat. Bunny choked, and gurgled as the powerful paw clenched tighter and tighter.
“Marry…him…now. Or else the bunny DIES!!!” he shrieked with devilish anger. The father was too used to having his son have whatever he wanted, no matter what it cost to get it.
“No! Let go of him, LET GO OF HIM!” Ann cried as she vainly hit at his arm. “You have no right to kill him!”
Then, Lucas’ dad smiled evilly.
“Oh, I have every right to kill him for the felony of raiding my son’s wedding. I am that powerful!”
Ann turned helplessly to Lucas, who was waiting silently up front with the startled priest.
“Lucas! Please, please, Lucas! Tell me it isn’t true! Tell me your father isn’t powerful enough to kill Bunny and get away with it!”
Lucas looked away, and stared at the ground. A tear fell down his cheek. Ann screamed in anguish, and started weeping on her knees.
“My terms still stand. If you don’t marry Lucas like he wants, then Bunny dies!”
Ann continued crying, when she heard a throaty whisper.
“Ann…”
Ann looked up. Bunny, whose face was turning a bit blue, was looking at her.
“Ann…”
Ann knew that if she did not stand brave, then Bunny would die. She wiped away her tears, still shaking, and got up. Lucas’ dad’s hand loosened a bit. Encouraged by this, Ann began her walk down the aisle.
Without the joyous sound of the organ, without the smile she once had, without the happy lifting spirit she had felt only a few minutes ago, Ann walked down the deserted red carpet. The sun’s rays still shone down on her ruffled dress through the open doors, and the tears on her face sparkled like diamond stars as she slowly approached the front of the church. Dread weighted her heart like heavy lead, but she paused momentarily, just to glance back at the loving face of Bunny. He watched her, nodding slightly from the clutch of Lucas’ dad. Ann continued on. Wringing her paws together, she watched as she took every step up those soft stairs, feeling like the whole world was watching her, holding their breath with her.
The priest droned on through the whole ceremony, which truthfully took a whole half and hour, but to Ann, if felt like five minutes. Finally, the time came for the vows. Ann, shakily, went through her vows. The priest asked her that question she had been hoping would be forgotten.
“Do you, Ann Bunny, pledge to be Lucas Bunny’s wife through sickness and death, pain and sorrow?”
Ann froze. So did the whole world. It was as if everyone around her crystallized and melted away from her eyes. The priest, waiting for her voice, faded away, and everything around her shimmered as her tears leaked down her face. Only one thought raced through her mind. Bunny…
Ann whispered, her voice seeming to be unwilling to come forth.
“I…do.”
Ann’s ears seemed to close over as she bowed her head, waiting for Lucas to finish his vows. Lucas was nearly finished, when he stopped as the priest asked him that same dreaded question.
“Do you, Lucas Bunny, pledge to be Ann Bunny’s wife through sickness and death, pain and sorrow?”
Ann Bunny didn’t bother to look up. Everything was over. Bunny would live, but Ann would never be the same again. She still liked Lucas, but Bunny was the only one she could really love through sickness and death, pain and sorrow. But that didn’t matter anymore.
Lucas opened his mouth. Then he closed it, glanced at his parent’s stern face, glanced at the seemingly evaporating face of Bunny, and lastly glanced at the bitter tears silently cascading down Ann’s face. He could hardly take it anymore. He loved Ann more than anything in the world, but this was the last thing he wanted to see. He couldn’t possibly live the rest of his life, always remembering that dying look on Ann’s face. It would always haunt him, day and night, knowing Ann was never completely happy. He sighed, took a deep breath, and quavered a little as he spoke those fateful words.
“I…don’t.”
Every bunny gasped, looked up, including the shocked face of Ann Bunny. Suddenly, it was as if color was flooding into her face, and she looked happier than he had ever seen her in his life. He gathered his courage once more, and grew louder.
“Yes. I don’t.” He took Ann’s paws and looked her in the face.
“Ann, I can’t marry you. I love you, but it was just never meant to be. Go, you’re free.”
Lucas’ dad seemed to find his voice and spluttered, “This can not work! Lucas, I demand that you put things right and marry her!”
Lucas turned and scared the fur off of his dad with a look that he’d never forget. A look of fearless determination.
“NO! YOU CAN’T STOP ME FATHER! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! AND I COMMAND YOU TO LET GO OF THAT BUNNY!”
He let go. Bunny collapsed and took in as much air as possible.
“Go, Ann, and don’t come back to apologize.”
Ann didn’t move for a split second, looking at Lucas with a childish curiosity. Then she smiled at him gratefully, hugged him, and ran down the stairs, taking Bunny by the paw and skipping out the double doors, like when they were little children 15 years ago at Ann’s birthday party.
But before Ann disappeared forever from Lucas’ sight, she glanced back one last time, and whether anyone besides Bunny heard her, she whispered:
“Thank You, Lucas.”
THE END
Epilogue
Jack never got another golden chance to make Ann love him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still always tagging along behind her, always conspiring of plans to win her soul. Surprisingly, Bunny never married Ann either. They just decided again and again that it just wasn’t time yet. Lucas, well, he finally learned to break away from his parents, and very soon, married a bunny called May.
Bunny and Ann lived together in the same town, and even today, although they are much too old for it, they play the same childish games and still smash cakes at parties like they did since they were little kids. Maybe they will keep on doing so until they are both old grandpas and grandmas sitting in rocking chairs. But, as long as they were happy together, so be it.
And that’s the way it stayed.
