The J-Team
First chapter.
Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog, I own not.
Sparkly love from sparkleeyes20.
Chapter 1
My shoulder hurts. That's all there is to it. I growl at the pain that shoots through my arm when it jerks as I run. I'm running away from the one who did this to me. I didn't really see his (or her) face but I can hear their footsteps following me. That I know for certain. If you're wondering what happened to me, the person following me shot me the shoulder. Why? I dunno. And right now, I don't really care. I do know that I have to get away from them before they shoot me in an important place. Like my heart. Or brain. I look behind me to see their shadow in pace with me. I pick up the pace and head towards the park. Once there, I race up a tree to a high, unseen branch. I sit on the branch and gasp quietly for breath. The figure approaches.
"Now where did she go?" it asked with a masculine voice.
Definitely a man. Good to know. He looked around before running east to try and find me. I breathed a sigh of relief. I began to climb down from the tree. Of course I happened to slip on the last branch and hit the ground so hard I sprained my ankle pretty bad.
"Ouch," I hissed under my breath.
Bad luck seems to follow me then strike at the worst moments possible. Anybody else have that problem? Anybody? Yes? No? Sometimes? Oh well. If you do, I'm sorry. If you don't, you are freaking lucky! Oh, I almost forgot. My name's Jerika. Jerika the hedgehog. I'm about as tall as Sonic (yes, I know Sonic) and have black fur. Purple streaks run all through my black fur though, so some people think my fur is all purple. Not true. I have quills that reach to my lower back when it's let down. But it almost is never down. It's always in a braid. My eyes are a perfect mix between a lavender color and a violet color. I have no clue how long my eyelashes are because they're as black as my fur and I can't see them in the mirror. People tell me they're pretty long though. My eyes are almost always half lidded. Why? Well, I just see no point in keeping them open all the way. It's almost impossible to open them all the way now; it's become such a habit. Besides, when I want to glare at someone, all I have to do is raise my lower lids a little and there we go, perfect glare. People call me a 'seductive without trying' but I don't think I am. I'm just a person, or hedgehog, just like them. I have feelings and responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is taking care of my younger siblings. I actually have fourteen of them. I used to have fifteen but one died a long time ago. Two years before our mother died actually. I'm not very certain if my father is alive or not. All I know is that he left and never came back after mother died. I've kind of hoped that he would come back one day and help me take care of all my siblings. But it's a hope that's slowly dying after each year goes by and he hasn't come back. I think I've told enough about myself and, also, the ground is getting hard from me sitting on it too long. I place my gloved hand on my right shoulder, which immediately turns the glove red from getting soaked in my blood, and stand slowly. I wince as I put too much weight on my sprained ankle. Well, looks like I'm limping back home. I look up to see dark, grey clouds have covered the stars and moon. I better try to hurry so I can beat the rain. I begin limping off towards home. Apparently I'm not fast enough to beat the rain while limping though because it begins to pour. I huff a sigh before continuing on towards my home. I clench my hand on my shoulder a little tighter to try and stem the blood flow a little. It really wasn't helping with the pain. Okay Jerika, calm down. You can do this. Just get home, make sure the siblings don't see you, wrap your shoulder, take an aspirin and go to bed. Not that hard right?
"Jerika? Is that you?" someone asked behind me.
Now it's hard. I turned around quickly so the person wouldn't see my shoulder. My suspicions were correct. It's Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Hey Sonic," I said while giving him a fake smile.
"What are you doing here Jerika? Shouldn't you be at home with your siblings? Are you going back to your life of jewel thieving again?" he asked quickly.
I swear his mouth runs as fast as he does.
"I didn't know we were playing 20 questions," I said sarcastically.
"Just answer them," he said seriously.
"Okay if you really want to know, no I'm not becoming a jewel thief again. I was on my way to the grocery store to buy stuff but they closed just as I got there. I was just on my way home," I said.
Not all of that was a lie. I wasn't becoming a jewel thief again, those days are over. I was on my way to the grocery store but the guy who shot me jumped in my path and then shot me causing me to run from him. So I just lied a little bit.
"So why is your dress red at the shoulder?" he then asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Um… The grocery store worker… had a box of fruit and vegetables… and he… tripped… so a tomato hit my shoulder. Its tomato juice," I lied.
That time I lied fully. There was no worker. There was no tomato. And I think Sonic knows I was lying.
"Uh huh. So why is your dress getting more 'tomato juice' in it?" he asked once more.
I shrugged my shoulders, which almost made me wince.
"It's seeping in?" I asked, trying to sound confused.
He grabbed my good hand.
"Come with me," he said sighing.
"All depends, where?" I asked, planting my feet firmly on the ground.
Not many people know this, mostly because Sonic has a HUGE ego, is that I'm actually stronger that he is. And faster. I like to hold that against him sometimes. I mentally chuckle at this.
"To Rouge's house," he replied.
Rouge!
"Then let's go!" I said happily.
Sonic nodded and began to speed walk north towards Rouge's house with me in tow. Of course I winced when my sprained ankle was jerked the wrong way. Sonic noticed this and stopped.
"Did you hurt your ankle?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just sprained it pretty bad. No big deal," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Can you walk?" he questioned.
"Yes, but just go a bit slower please," I told him politely.
I'm not heartless and I do have manners. But my dark colored fur makes people think I'm emo and they have to look at me like I hate life and that I'm just a waste of time. Sonic and Rouge looked through my dark colors towards the light that lies within me. I know. That sounded very poetic. But it's true. Sonic begins to walk again but a little slower than before. We walk for about ten minutes before we came to Rouge's house. The light was still on in her house. She was either stealing a jewel and wasn't home yet, having a slumber party with her friends, or couldn't sleep. Trust me. I know Rouge like the back of my hand. We walked up to the door and Sonic knocked loudly.
"Who is it?" Rouge called.
"It's Sonic and Jerika!" Sonic called back.
"Oh, it's open," Rouge said.
Sonic opened the door and allowed me to go in first. Stupid big ego of his. Sonic followed me inside and shut the door quietly. Rouge came through the door to her living room and into the front hall. She smiled a big smile for me but frowned when she saw my shoulder.
"Jeri honey! What happened?" she asked.
Jeri honey. That's the nickname that Rouge calls me all the time. Sonic either calls me Jeri or just Jerika.
"She won't tell me Rouge. She even lied to me saying it was tomato juice from a guy tripping in the grocery store parking lot with a box full of fruits and vegetables," Sonic added.
"Because it is," I lied with another shrug of my shoulders.
That time I did wince quietly. It was too quiet for Sonic to hear but not for Rouge. But she had my back.
"Of course it is. Why don't we go and get you one of the extra dresses you have over here, hm?" she asked with a fake smile.
I nodded while smiling. I followed Rouge up the bathroom where she quickly grabbed the first aid kit before following her to her room. Sonic stayed downstairs, thank heavens. Rouge motioned for me to sit on her bed. I complied. I removed my dress so she could easily get to the wound. She began to dab the wound with a peroxide soaked cotton ball. I winced more loudly this time since it was just the two of us.
"So Jeri honey, what really happened?" she asked.
I sighed quickly.
"I was telling the truth when I said that I was going to the grocery store but I did lie about the worker and the tomato," I said quietly.
She nodded for me to continue as she pick up a gauze, or bandage as you all like to call it. Smart, I am. And Yoda speak, I do.
"Someone jumped in my path and shot me in the shoulder, you might want to pull out the bullet before you do that by the way, which caused me to run. I ran- Gah! Careful! - To the park and raced up a tree. He looked around for- Ouch! -Me before running to the east. I sprained my ankle trying- Can you get it? (Rouge: I got it)- To get down from the tree and limped towards the west to try and get home before- Ahhhhh! That hurts! (Rouge: Sorry) -My siblings realized I was missing for too long," I explained.
"And then you ran into Sonic?" she assumed.
I nodded my head before giving out a short scream as Rouge extracted the bullet from my shoulder.
"Got it. You alright Jeri honey?" she asked.
I shakily nodded my head. Rouge wrapped the gauze around my shoulder and I slipped one of the clean purple dresses I always keep over here on once she was done. I didn't have to change my gray leggings because I didn't get any blood on them. I always keep cloths over here just in case it gets crazy back at home and I need a place of quiet. My siblings always know where I am. Jenny, the now second eldest of the family, always calls Rouge's house to see if I'm there when I go 'missing' from the house.
"Should I call your siblings?" she asked.
"No! They CANNOT know!" I screamed.
"Alright. Then let's go down stairs. I'm sure Sonic and Amy are waiting for us," she said while smirking.
I looked at her for a moment. I had never met Amy before but I knew she was a hedgehog like Sonic and I but I felt like I was forgetting something important yet hilarious. But then I remembered. She's completely infatuated with Sonic! I howled in laughter as soon as I remembered it.
"Oh man! This is going to be hilarious!" I exclaimed.
I hopped up, really regretting it too, and followed Rouge down the stairs. I stopped at the bottom next to Rouge and laughed even harder as I saw a pink hedgehog, which I guessed was Amy, chasing around a blue blur, who was Sonic. Both Sonic and Amy stopped and turned to see me and Rouge on the bottom step.
"Why didn't you tell me Amy was spending the night at your house?" Sonic asked in panic.
"'Cause I knew Jeri honey here would want a laugh. And laugh at your misfortune she did," she explained.
"Oh man. That was hysterical," I said happily with a small chuckle here and there.
"Whose she Rouge?" Amy asked.
"Amy, this is Sonic and I's good friend Jerika the hedgehog. Jerika, this is Amy Rose," Rouge explained.
I gave a small wave in greeting.
"Tell me Jerika, do you like Sonic?" Amy asked.
"All depends, like as a friend, like period, or LIKE?" I asked back.
"The last one," she answered.
"Nope. He's all yours," I replied.
"Wow! You and I may be really good friends!" she exclaimed.
"That'd be nice. I don't have many friends," I said with a smile.
"You don't? But you're so nice," she said confused.
"People don't think I'm nice just by the way my fur is black and purple," I said sadly.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
I shook my head to say, 'there's nothing to apologize for'.
"Alright. There is no sadness in my house after nine and you two know it," Rouge butted in.
We all laughed.
A few moments later we were all seated around Rouge's living room. Amy next to Sonic on the loveseat, Rouge in the recliner, and me lying on the back of the loveseat.
"So how did you and Sonic meet Jerika?" Amy asked.
"Actually I met him through Rouge, Amy. She's my best friend," I said.
"Well then, how did you meet Rouge?" she asked instead.
"Rouge and I used to steal jewels together," I said without missing a beat.
"So… you're a thief?" she asked awkwardly.
"Not anymore Amy. I used to do it just to get money for the down payment on mine and my siblings' house and for food for both them and me," I explained.
"You have to take care of them all by yourself?" she asked sadly.
"Yeah. It's pretty hard but ever since mom died and dad left I've become the eldest of the family, thus I have to take care of them all," I said with a pain filled shrug.
"I can understand that," she said with a nod.
"I know we did Amy. We tried to help her out as much as we could. But my meeting with Jeri was actually an accident (AN: Try saying that five times fast)," Sonic said.
"Really?" Amy asked interested.
"That's right. Jeri honey here was stayin' over at my house since hers got way too crazy. Sonic came by to ask for something and didn't knock on the door, so she and I were still in the kitchen. Sonic immediately judged her for being a liar and cheater and told her to get out of my house before he made her," Rouge started.
"I hated you for that for like a week," I added to Sonic.
"I said sorry!" he exclaimed.
"I was still mad at you though," I said.
"I know," he replied, ashamed.
"What happened afterwards?" Amy asked to change the subject.
"After I got over being angry with Sonic, he became one of my greatest and only friends."
"Can I be one of your friends too?" she asked me.
"Sure. I wouldn't mind that at all. It's nice to have friends," I said with a smile.
"Great!" Amy exclaimed.
"Well, I think it's a good time to head to bed. Jeri honey here's had quite a long day. I'm sure she wants some rest," Rouge said.
"Yeah that'd be nice," I said while rubbing my eyes.
"I'll head home then. Bye Jeri, bye Rouge, bye Amy," Sonic said to us.
"Bye," we all said.
Sonic then left with a small click of the front door. I gave a small yawn. Rouge and Amy both said goodnight to me as I walked up the stairs to the guest room I always stay in. I threw them a small wave in goodnight over my shoulder. I went into the room and fell on the now not so neat covers and fell into a deep sleep immediately.