fictmcfa6Hazel Part 4 Big Bunny on Campus

Hazel Part 4

Big Bunny on Campus

Two weeks later, Hazel and I were in a routine. I left her in her cage when I was going to be away for any extended period of time. I had hoped she learned her lesson about electrical cords but they were just too tempting for her to leave them alone. As soon as I returned to the room, I would unfasten the top of her cage and she would hop out and have the run of the room.

Though I gave her a small quantity of rabbit food every day, most of her diet consisted of fruits and vegetables pilfered from the dining commons. She didn't seem to mind. She always ate the cafeteria food before the pellets anyway.

I was also pleased to discover that rabbit urine and feces smell less offensive as a rabbit matures. I was down to cleaning her cage only once a day. If I was late in cleaning her cage, she would remind me by hopping up on my bed and leaving one or two brown balls on my sheet.

In spite of Mile’s request to keep a low profile, Hazel was the worst kept secret on campus. On nice days, when I had an hour free, I would take her out on the lawn with me.

We’d both lie on the grass and she would graze. I pretended to study and watched for pretty co-eds to pass who couldn't resist stopping to pet Hazel.

She always made a bit of a game about going back in. I’m sure she preferred the lawn to her cage but she was never serious about staying away. If she really wanted to get away, I never could have caught her.

There was a lot of anticipation when my dormitory scheduled their open night.

All of the dormitories on campus were single sex and they had strict rules. No woman could go anywhere other than the lobby of a men’s dorm except on open night. Miles drew the line at Hazel spending time in the lobby and most of the women who knew about Hazel had not met her yet.

There were several women who would make a point to visit my room that open night. I set out a vegetable tray but I didn't include a dip. I figured most of my guests would rather feed Hazel than eat veggies themselves.

Open night was to begin at seven. A few minutes before seven, Karl showed up at my door. The point of open night was to socialize – meaning meat girls. He knew where the women would be.

Hazel was frisky. I cleaned her cage a second time that day and she could sense something was going on. I hoped she didn't wear herself out before the guests arrived. She had a reputation as an unusual bunny and it would be disappointing if she were just asleep in her cage.

Open night rules said that the doors must remain open at all times. I considered putting a screen up to keep Hazel in but decided against it. At seven o’clock I opened the door.

Hazel edged out into the hallway and explored, then came right back. A few minutes later there were three women at my door.

Jennifer was one of the prettiest women at the school. I knew she was out of my league but she wanted to see Hazel and so there she was with two of her friends.

I’d found a couple extra chairs and put a blanket over my trunk for seating. Hazel was getting pets and celery sticks from Jennifer and her friends and looked like she was loving every minute of it.

When Jennifer and her friends stood up to leave, Hazel reared back, raced at Jennifer and did her leaping eye stare trick. She was dumbfounded.

Four or five dozen women visited my room that night and Hazel did her trick ten or twelve times. The only women she did her trick for where either good friends of mine or very good-looking.

Paula, a freshman who had been trying to get me to ask her out for the last month made a huge fuss over Hazel. Hazel wasn't rude to her; she was just a lump. She let Paula pet her and nibbled a little celery but did no tricks. She even assumed the glazed over stare I’d seen in hutch rabbits. Paula finally left.

Hazel perked right up after she left. Paula couldn't see why everyone was talking about this rabbit.

I have no idea how Hazel knew which people I wanted her to impress and which ones I didn't but she was right every time. I stopped trying to figure it out.

Jennifer came back at the end of open night and got another leaping eye stare from Hazel. She stayed petting and talking to Hazel till they closed down open night and left still shaking her head in disbelief.

Karl left too and Hazel looked up at me as I closed the door. She hopped into her cage, pooped and urinated a surprising amount, drank quite a bit of water and fell asleep almost immediately.