"Thanks for walking me home, Geek," I said as my boyfriend and I stopped in front of the portal that led to my home blog. No one had seen Killer Clark in a long while, so I figured it would be safe for me to return to my home blog; my other five friends - Zoe, Minka, Penny Ling, Vinnie, and Sunil - still insisted on staying with the other Russells.
"No problem," Geek replied as he looked down and swung his paws behind his back. I giggled when he began to blush; if there's any hedgehog who shares my same shy and soft-spoken nature, it's Geek.
A few seconds later, he looked back up at me and pulled out a red rose from behind his back. "Here. This is for you."
I felt my cheeks heat up as I gingerly took the beautiful flower with a smile. "It's beautiful... Thank you, Geek... I'll be sure to put it next to my other hundred flowers," I teased.
Geek's smile grew larger and his cheeks became a darker shade of red. "Yeah, well..." He looked back up at me again. "Well, it's getting late. I should be heading back to my blog and get ready for school tomorrow. I'll see you soon, Doubie."
"'Doubie'?" I echoed.
"Just a nickname I came up with. You know, like how Shipper calls Auggie by his nickname a lot."
"You're sweet, you know that?" I nuzzled Geek's cheek and planted a soft kiss. "Night, Geek."
"Night, Doubie." With one last smile, the hedgehog turned and headed home.
I looked down at the rose held firmly yet gently in my paws and smiled again before stepping through the portal, changing me from white to my trademark orange and brown with green eyes. I walked over to my large case and placed my newly gained rose in next to the literal twenty-three flowers.
"Oh, Geek..." I sighed dreamily.
"Oh, brother!" a new voice rose up from behind me, instantly turning my blood to ice. I recognized that voice all too well.
It can't be him! It just can't! Please don't let it be-
"How'd you like your little Russells Game Night junk?" the voice spoke again in a cruel mocking tone. "It must've sucked; it was your idea after all!"
Knees and quills trembling in fear, I slowly turned my head and looked behind me. And there, in the flesh, sitting on my bed was...
"Russlob!" I wailed, jumping back and nearly knocking my vase over. "Wh-Wha-What are you doing here?"
"Well, you sure as hell seem happy that I'm here," the corrupted hedgehog growled in crude sarcasm as he stood up. I tried to find my voice, but before I could Russlob walked over to me with a casual even evil smirk. "I've been thinking... Since I don't and won't ever have my own blog, I'd might as well stay in someone else's. And who's would be any more perfect to stay at than the Russell who shares my mod?"
Oh, my God... This cannot be happening! Russlob is going to stay here? I finally managed to find a portion of my voice, and all that could escape from my mouth in nothing more than a squeak was, "No..."
Russlob glared at me through hostile gray-green eyes and positioned his muzzle into a slight snarl, baring his sharp white teeth at me. "What did you say?"
I gulped. No turning back now. Like what Happy's friend Slutty Penny Ling said, I had to stand my ground and be brave. "I-I... I said no..." I repeated, my voice growing a little louder and firmer.
"No to what?" the corrupted hedgehog challenged.
"I-I don't w-want you staying here... You are... cruel, and a bully, and a brute, and a beast, and nobody likes you, and I don't want that very hedgehog bossing me around in my own blog, let alone have him stay here with me just because he can't find a place to call his own."
Surprise shined in Russlob's eyes at the seriousness I had finally built in my voice. But it was dimmed back into hostile teasing.
"You're a lot sharper than you think, kid; you managed to nail my traits down to a T." His evil smirk faded into a full snarl as he grabbed my top quill and yanked me into his face, nose-to-nose. "Listen here, you pathetic little shrimp! I'm going to stay here whether you like it or not, and there ain't nothin' you can do to stop me! So I suggest you quit this stupid little act of bravery of yours before I kick you out of your own blog and leave you out in the rain for your savage skunk friend to slaughter you!" As soon as he finished he shoved me down to the ground.
I let out a cry when I landed hard on my backbone. Just like that, my good mood earlier was shattered into fear and despair.
And now I know that, so long as Russlob is staying in my blog, I will never have peace in my life again.
