“Yuck. Hardboiled egg again. Why does mom always put a hardboiled egg in my lunch? She knows I don’t like them,” he holds up the object in disgust. As he does so, his eyes shift focus to further away. Someone else is also holding their egg.

This one, however, is using the spoon in their other hand to crack the shell. “Maybe I can trade my egg for something of theirs,” the boy mumbles to himself. Standing, he walks with his brown paper bag toward the other egg kid. On his way, he looks to the popular area to see if she is there.

His heart beats a little faster as he spots her eating and talking with her friends, her long black hair swaying back and forth as she looks from one friend to another. In his distraction of watching the young lady, he bumps into a table.

Looking down, he notices that he is at his destination. The young man there stops sprinkling salt on the egg to look up at him. “Something I can do for you?”

He offers his egg to the seated person, “Mom makes me hardboiled eggs. Can we trade?”

“Sure!” The one seated takes it, “I love hardboiled eggs.” He dumps out his bag, keeping the sandwich for himself.

Spotting the small bag of colorful blobs, he points at it and asks, “Can I have the Fruity Chewychews?”

“Sure,” he nods and offers his hand, “I’m Owen.”

He takes Owen’s hand and they shake, “Roger.”

Roger joins Owen at the table, and they eat together. Between bites, Roger asks, “Hey Owen. Why haven’t I seen you before?”

With a little see-food, Owen answers, “I just moved here a week ago.”

“Oh. Then you need someone to show you around,” offers Roger.

Owen smirks and looks to the side, “I think I should ask her to show me around.”

Roger looks to who he is pointing at. It is the girl he was admiring before. “Jess? No way. She is way out of our league, man.” He punches Owen in the shoulder. “She’s part of the popular kids. She doesn’t even know we exist.”

"Yeah, I can see that," Owen goes back to eating.

"Still," Roger breaks the beginning of the quiet, "You need an expert on the area to show you around." He pokes a thumb to his chest. "What are you doing after school?"

"Homework," Owen answers looking bored, "I have to make up for the days I missed moving to this house."

Roger flips his head to the side dismissing that, "Nah. You gotta check out the arcade. It's the best one in the county. Plus it has live co-op on most of the machines."

Owen cuts him off, "Sorry. Homework comes first."

Roger decides he shouldn't irritate this new source of swapping out his hardboiled eggs, so he throws his hands up in defeat. "Fine, Egghead. Let's do our homework together."

They do. But not before riding their bikes by the arcade. To their surprise it is closer to Owen's house than Roger's. With Roger's help Owen rips through the homework and takes a hunk off the catch up work. "This is great," comments Owen, "We should do this again."

"How about tomorrow? I got my work done while helping you," suggests Roger.

"Sure! Sayyyy what are you doing Saturday night?"

"I don't know," Roger says as he shrugs, "Sleeping?"

Owen offers, "Wanna spend the night?"

"I dunno." Roger shrugs, "We'll see."

They spend the rest of the week together, getting Owen caught up on his work. The two hit it off and even manage to make it to the arcade where Owen beats Roger soundly. When Saturday rolls around, they do hang out together, and Roger crashes on the couch with his parent's permission.

"Roge, Roge. Wake up," Owen's voice breaks into his dreams. Groggy, he opens his eyes to darkness.

"What's going on?" Roger stirs into a sitting position.

Owen's voice, nearer now, speaks again, "Grab some clothes and come with me out the front door."

As he scrambles and tosses more clothes on, his eyes adjust to the dark and the dim light from the street filtering through the tree in the front yard. Following the silhouette of his friend they make their way out of the house.

"Where are we going," whispers Roger, not sure why he's speaking quiet.

"Not far," Owen replies.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes and several blocks later they arrive at a park. Roger waits trying to figure out why they are just standing there. When nothing happens, he asks, "Why are we here?"

"I'm looking for someone," he replies telling Roger nothing. Then he starts walking, "Let's try another. Is there another park?"

"Sure. There's a dozen."

Owen turns to Roger surprised, "Oh. Then we'd better get moving. Where's the next one?"

"This way." Roger leads the two of them to another park. Like the first, there is no one and nothing there. Not that it is surprising to him. It's the middle of the night.

At the sixth stop they find three people standing in the park in a loose huddle. Owen picks up speed and passes Roger heading for the group. "Heeeeyyyyy," he greets them.

They turn startled. Roger watches as they relax as Owen joins them. As Roger approaches they turn to look at him.

That's when Roger notices something off about the three shadows near Owen. They all have two tall flat ears sticking up out of their heads. As Roger draws closer, because Owen is there, his eyes adjust more and they move into the light a step.

Roger takes a step back when he sees one of them is a humanoid rabbit. That one is consulting with Owen as they look at something together. One of the two remaining tilts their head to the side and takes two steps forward. He watches a look of surprise on their face in the dim light before she closes the distance in a single bound forward.

"You made it," she wraps him in a hug. Roger is too distracted by the rabbit features and buck teeth to register who is hugging him. "I always hoped someday you'd join us." As she speaks, Roger's mind peels away from the strange and impossible to the familiar.

Then he recognizes the voice. "Mom?"

She bounces back a little and nods. She looks younger than she normally does. It’s like she’s a teenager. Not only that, but like he notices before she's a combination of rabbit and human. His brain still is not processing what is going on. "What are you doing here?"

His mom gestures with a paw to the eared person talking to Owen, "I'm helping the Easter Bunny."

"What? But the Easter Bunny is a myth."

"No, he's not. That was a rumor started because one year some of the Easter Bunnies had too many volunteers, and it was continued by parents who wanted to buy Easter products for their kids." She hugs him again and hops back, "I'm glad you're here. This city has needed more volunteers. It's been Jessica and I for at least a decade."

Still not there, he asks again, "You're helping the Easter Bunny? Why? And why do you look like that?" He gestures up and down her body.

"Of course, dear. That's why I look like this. When you volunteer, you should look the part." She places an arm and paw over his shoulder, and steers him back to the group. "What would someone up too late think if they saw a person delivering eggs." She pauses to let him think here. "But they would pay no mind to rabbits delivering eggs on Easter eve."

Just as they arrive, Owen and the other split, and the more rabbit looking one slaps Owen on the back, "Welcome to the team, duuuuude. Your paperwork is all here. I haven't had a transfer before, so this is tooootally new."

"No problem. Thanks for having me." Even as Owen's speaking, ears are growing out of the top of his head. Roger is befuddled as the words of his mother come true.

"Nah man. We wouldn't turn anyone away. It's been us three for sooooo loooong." Then he whispers to Owen even though Roger can hear it over where he's at by his mom, "It was totally gnarly."

The supposed bunny's words slow as he turns his head, "Speaking. of not. turning. anyone. away..." In an instant the tall rabbit lands in front of Roger. Surprised that this thing is here in front of him and he hadn't even seen him leap, Roger backpedals a step and trips on his own feet. "What do we have here?"

Roger's heart stops for a beat before starting again. It doesn't seem to be advancing on him, so he takes a moment to take in the situation. Like his mom, this "rabbit" looks like a bunny and human combined. He has long paws for feet. He could probably touch his knee with his toes if he were to kneel on his foot. The paws on his hips could just as well be hands except they aren't. A short tail on the back completes the similarities. Unlike the rest, he has a silvery fur all over his "skin" and a true rabbit head on the shoulders.

Before Roger can form a response, Owen comes hopping up, "Easter Bunny. This is my friend. I asked him to come tonight, but I didn't tell him what we were doing."

The Easter Bunny begins pacing, "I see. I see." After a couple of laps, he stops and looks at Roger. Nearby, his mom and Owen watch silent. "So, who are you, dude?"

This is not what he was expecting. He's not sure what he was expecting, but this was not it. Mom's sweet smile and Owen's nod prompt him, "I'm Roger."

"Nice to meet you, dude." The tall rabbit offers his paw. Roger takes it and gets lifted to his feet. "Soooooo, if yah haven't guessed, I'm the Easter Bunny. Tonight is Easter Eve. This is when we," he takes a moment to gesture to the other three. His arm passes by Owen, his mom, and past Jess.

Jess, the one he has been crushing on for the last eight years. The one with the straight, flowing black hair. That Jess, with darling rabbit ears and paws, is standing in front of him. He doesn't hear the rest.

When he comes out of his daydream, all eyes are on him anxious and waiting for his response. "What?"

The Easter Bunny asks, "Will you?" Not getting a response, he adds, "Join us?"

Looking back at Jess, he nods. The Easter Bunny hands him a clipboard. Confused, Roger just stares down at it. On the top paper are two names, Marjorie and Jessica. Their handwriting is flowing and beautiful to Roger’s eyes. He looks back up. "That's our volunteer form. Just sign your name and you are good to go for this year."

"Just sign it?"

"Pshaw. Yeah. That's all there is, dude. You sign, I change you, we deliver eggs. Simple as that."

After looking at the group one last time, lingering a little too long on Jess, Roger signs the paper and takes the bunny's hand. Tickling on various parts of his body matches the changes he saw on the others. "Great," declares the Easter Bunny, "we can get this town done in half the time."

What Roger doesn't expect is to feel so full. Not just in his stomach but in his chest, legs, everywhere. But he doesn't get to dwell on that long because their leader speaks again, "Okay dudes and dudettes, Let's pair up. One for each side of the street. Aaaaand, since we have two newbies this year, why don't we pair up a newb with a pro."

As he looks between his mom and his crush trying to decide who he'd rather go with, Owen speaks up, "I'm not a beginner. I've done this for --"

The Easter Bunny silences him with a hand on his shoulder, "Dude. You have lots of experience, and I respect that. But you don't know this city well. Your partner will teach you, and you'll have it in no time, dude"

"Okay," Owen agrees, his ears perking back up.

"Theennnnn," the Easter Bunny surveys the four of them, "How about Marjorie and Owen?" Roger wonders who that is then flinches as he realizes it's his mom's name that he hasn't heard for a long time.

"And, Jessica, show Roger the ropes." Jess gives a firm nod and heads for Roger. His heart beats faster the closer she draws near. "And I'll hop back and forth between the groups making sure everything is getting covered and filling in anything that needs a touch up."

He turns to look at his partner. Jess is standing there, looking back at him. "You coming?" She jerks her head to the side to indicate the direction. All Roger can see is the hair flip that follows and the beautiful hair flowing.

Taking a step, he trips over his own overlong foot and gets a face full of dirt. Roger starts to push himself as Jess’s giggling draws near, “No. Wait.” He keeps going and his feet get tangled. She grasps him from behind under his arms and lifts him enough to straighten his feet. “There you go.”

She goes around to his front side, “Let me tell you a tip. You are a rabbit now. Think hopping not walking.” She turns away from him. Roger realizes that what he thought was a black, two piece swimsuit is actually fur. She turns her torso back toward him, “Also, it helps to keep your arms to your sides and fists in front of you. I’m not sure why but it helps you keep your balance.” Giving him full back, she calls over her shoulder, “Coming, Slow Poke?”

“Y-Yeah,” he stammers as he hops after her. Then stops. Something drops out of his butt when he lands. It feels like popping but it’s the wrong shape. “Wait,” he calls after her.

She hops back, “What is it, Pokey?”

Roger lifts a foot, rotates it, and sets it back down, trying to turn himself without crossing his feet and tripping again, “Something fell out.”

“What,” she says tilting her head to one side. “Let me check it out.” Three quick hops and she has moved to his back side. Then she starts laughing.

Flustered and frustrated at the slow turn around, he asks, “What?”

Before he can take another step, she is infront of him again. In her hand is a colorful egg. She does her best to make a serious face but the amusement fights to break free. “This is your first egg.” He looks to the egg and back to her. She continues, “We are Easter Bunnies. We are full of eggs and will be until we are done. I should have realized and mentioned this sooner. I’ve been doing this so long that I don’t feel it anymore.”

She starts to hop off and then returns, “There’s a muscle in your butt that you need to tighten between houses and crossing streets. You’ll get it soon. I’ll go to the far side. You take this side. Ready, Pokey?”

“Y-yeah.” He hops and another drops out.

He starts to go for it, but she calls back, “Don’t worry about it. Just start. The Easter Bunny’ll get it, or it’ll be a surprise for someone. It’s cool.”

“You’re cool,” he murmurs under his breath.

With that, they start. Roger gets the hang of it pretty quick. Any conversation pauses there as both of them are on opposite sides of the street near people sleeping in houses. He watches her and does his best to copy her on placement and quantity of eggs.

Roger is a fast study. Pretty soon, they are bounding down streets and finishing subdivisions in minutes. It's funny, but Roger doesn't feel any emptier after a few hours of laying eggs.

"You're pretty good for a newbie," Jessica compliments as they rest in one of the parks.

"Thanks," the nervousness having left his voice. In the rhythm of delivering the eggs, he thinks of her more as a partner than a potential girlfriend.

He hears some chirps or some other animal noise. Her ears twitch and turn toward it. Roger figures his ears are doing the same, but whatever is being said makes no sense to him. "Ready to continue?"

"Sorta. What was that?"

"What was what?" She looks at him not comprehending.

"Those animal sounds." He tries to explain by pointing to his ears.

"Wha -- Oh! That was the Easter Bunny. He was telling me where to go next."

"You understood that?" Then he realizes what he asked and tries to cover it, "I mean, Of course you understood that. I mean --" Roger stops himself and tries a different tactic, "So where are we going?"

"The famous people followed by the trees."

"Do we have famous people here?"

"You know. Armstrong, Wright, Carnegie, Whitney, Lincoln, Washington--"

"Oh! That subdivision. I didn't realize that those names were connected. So that means we'll be doing Birch Street, Oak Avenue, Redwood Street --"

"Right. You got it. Ready now?" He gives her a firm nod. "Good. Then let's get going. I'll teach you the language on our breaks."

They hop off and make better progress than before. Each time the Easter Bunny speaks, she teaches him a word. By the end of the night he has a rudimentary understanding of what he is hearing but he has no idea how to make those sounds.

The sun rises and Roger stays the same, much to his confusion. The group of five regroups in the shadows of a circle of trees. "Excellent work, dudes," says the Easter Bunny, "It's nice not to be delivering during the day." The two experts nod their head in agreement. "We'll have less disappointed kids this year."

Turning to the women, "Marjorie, Jessica, are you ready?" They both nod and start shrinking. Soon, a black rabbit and patchwork rabbit take their places, and they hop off.

"What happened to them," asks Owen.

"Oh. This is something we do in Elderwood. I guess they don't do it where you’re from. We have found that sometimes, thieves follow us and steal the eggs. So, they are going to double check the city and replace any missing eggs. They'll be done by Noon, I think, since they won't have to finish the area at the same time, like the last years." He looks at the two boys. "And that's all thanks to you. Thank you. We totally appreciate it."

Reaching behind his back, he pulls out a clipboard. “So. Can I convince you two to sign up for next year?"

Owen almost yanks it out of the paw and signs the paper. "I wouldn't miss it. I can't break my streak now. Plus it's fun. I'm in." He passes the clipboard to Roger.

"You did well, Owen. Take this year and learn the streets, and you'll do even better."

"Thank you, Easter Bunny. I'll see you next year."

They both look to Roger. "And, dude, what about you?"

Roger comes out of his thinking. All the work, all the talk with Jess, the camaraderie. He looks between the trees to the children running about collecting the eggs. He smiles and signs, "Yeah, I'll do it."

The Easter Bunny shakes their hands in turn. Roger feels the tickling again and a feeling of emptiness. I'm hungry. Most curious of all, is that he's not tired.

Roger finds himself back to normal in the clothes he wore to the park. Since the sun is high and the air is no longer cold, he takes off his jacket to beat the warmth. "Ready to go," Owen asks.

"Yeah. Let's go." They start back toward Owen's house and slip in before anyone else wakes up. "Hey Owen? I'm hungry."

"I know just what you need." Owen disappears into the kitchen and after some rummaging around returns with a hardboiled egg. Roger is repulsed by the sight. "An egg?"

"Trust me. After helping the Ester Bunny for as many years as I have, this is what your body wants."

Skeptical, Roger asks, "Don't you have something else?"

"Sure." Owen leaves and Roger hears noises in the other room. He follows his ears to the dining room. There on the table is the egg in question and several other foods as well. Owen enters and places some pretzels and Fruity Chewychews to the collection. Once the table is covered, Owen turns to him, "Okay. What do you want?"

Not quite sure himself, her looks over the spread before him. His eyes are drawn to the gummy treats and sweets. His stomach grumbles its negative response. Salty snacks? No. Plain? Nope. At last there is only one item left on the table that hasn't been eliminated. "There's nothing else?"

"When mom gets up, she can make us something, but I think you know," Owen says with a knowing nod, "Just try it."

Roger resists but picks up the oblong shape. With Owen's help, they open it and Roger eats it. It's not as bad as it was on Monday, the last time he ate one. It's pretty good. He chews faster and swallows. It is very satisfying. "May I have another?" He covers his mouth, in surprise.

Owen chuckles and hands him a second, "It's a side effect from working with the Easter Bunny. Mom has gotten used to my requests for them over the years, so she makes a batch the night before."

Roger and Owen hang out. In the afternoon, Roger's mom comes and picks him up. She hugs him extra hard and repeats, "I'm so, so glad you are helping the Easter Bunny. I have hoped for this day for so long."

"Does this mean that I'll keep getting hardboiled eggs in my lunch?"

"Yes, Honey, and you'll find that you'll like them for the entire year." She rubs his hair with her free hand.

He enjoys the feeling, but something is nagging at him. Then he realizes and asks, “Mom, why didn’t you tell me about the Easter Bunny?”

Her eyes still on the road, she answers glancing from time to time out of the corner of her eyes, “Honey, if I’d have told you, would you have believed me?”

He thinks on this. ”Roger, there’s an Easter Bunny,” he hears his mother say in his mind. He shakes his head, “Maybe when I was younger but not now.”

“Right. And when you were younger, we couldn’t recruit you because you might not understand or have the strength to do it.” She pauses then continues, “Besides, your dad doesn’t believe in the Easter Bunny. He’d think I was crazy if I mentioned it year after year. So, I did what I could and hoped.”

Roger finishes for her, “And I met Owen through the eggs, and he brought me to the Easter Bunny.”

They arrive home and head in the house.

At lunchtime on Monday, Owen joins Roger at his table as he is searching through his bag. “Mind if I sit here?’

Roger laughs as he looks up, “Of course not. We’re friends now. We’ve been hanging out for a week now. Mi table is su table.”

Owen sits down, “So, you’re not mad at me?”

Roger raises an eyebrow as he looks at his friend, “Mad at you? You introduced me to something really cool. Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because you like hardboiled eggs now? Or I forced you to join the Easter Bunny?”

“Owen, it’s okay. Sure I didn’t know what was going on, but it was fun. As for the eggs, it’s okay.” Roger shrugs, “From what mom tells me it’s temporary.” He gives a knowing smirk.

“Hey guys, may I join you?”

Both boys look up to the source of the voice. Time slows a crawl as Jess’s black hair flips over her shoulder. Then it resumes after she’s seated at their table and her hair has slowed to a stop. Opening her lunch, she looks to them, “Hi, I’m Jessica, but you can call me Jess.”

Owen offers his hand, “I’m Owen. It’s nice to meet you, Jess.”

Roger looks at the two of them like they are crazy. We have already met. Why are they doing this? An elbow to the ribs from Owen brings him out of his thoughts. Both of the others have pleading faces. Then he realizes, Oh right. No one at school knows that we know each other. “Hi, I’m Roger. Why aren’t you sitting at the popular kids’ table?”

That earns him another shot to the ribs, but Jess handles it like a champ, “They’re okay, but I felt like sitting over here today.” She fishes her hardboiled egg out of her bag and lifts it in front of her, “Cheers.”

Roger and Owen fumble for theirs. They click their eggs against hers. “Cheers,” they echo.