Tikal POV

I ran down the old dirt road, after the Blue hedgehog. Normally, I could have run faster, but the high heels on my feet slowed me down. I wasn't used to high heels, or any shoes for that matter. I used to live with my tribe, until my father and I were warped to Station Square, in your time. Being a tribal girl, I was used to bear feet. But my father knew that we couldn't get far in this time without adapting to it. While he was learning to drive a car, I was learning to adapt to high school. This school enlisted a uniform. Fortunately, it was provided. I had to wear a white button-down shirt and a grey skirt. I had to wear black socks and red high heels. Although many of the fellow students complained about the lunch being crappy, I find free food a blessing. I can speak English decently, but my accent will linger for a while. Now, I wasn't chasing the blue hedgehog due to a grudge, or a crush; I wanted to speak with him.

"Blue hedgehog," I called. He turned around the instant that I tripped and scraped my knee. While the other students laughed, the hedgehog rushed to my aid.

"What do you need?" he asked as he checked my wound,

"Do you know the black hedgehog with the red highlights?"

"The one who's always down? Yeah, I know him,"

"Why is he always down?" I asked.

"See, ever since freshman year, Shadow was picked on by a lot of girls because all the males except him have girlfriends. We reported them numerous times, but when they get in trouble for it, they take their anger out on him. When he asks a girl out, either they're already in a relationship, or they reject him for god knows what reason. He says if he had a girlfriend, they might leave him alone. Shadow USED to be tough and rowdy, but now he's sensitive and lonely."

"Shadow seems suicidal," I remarked,

"We heard him talking about it, but we never took is seriously."

"See, I've dying to meet him," I said,

"Now's your chance; he's coming down the pathway." He put a band-aid on my knee, and started to walk away,

"Wait," I called, "I didn't catch your name,"

"Sonic," he said. I stood up and approached Shadow. But before I got to him, some girls who wore their uniforms inappropriately came to him. They grabbed his books, threw them on the ground, pulled some condiment packets from their breast pockets, crushed them in his face, and pushed him in the mud. I got mad then, I walked right up to them, and said forcefully,

"Leave him alone, you jerks." They laughed and ran away. I saw a single tear slide down his face." I came to him,

"Are you alright?" I asked as I pulled him to his feet. I had some napkins and wet ones; he needed them more than I did. Once he was clean, I picked up his books, and offered to carry them for him.

"Why did you do that?" he asked,

"Have I offended you?" I asked,

"No," he said, "but you went out of your way to help me, and you stood up for me." He had all of his stuff. I knew it was a full locker load. We walked together the rest of the way until he got home. As it would turn out, we were next-door neighbors. He took his stuff back, and walked into his house. I stepped into my house, knowing I wouldn't forget this day in a hurry. But why? Was there any significance to it?

This story is for Alyssacookie. I hope you like it, R&R. Any and all flames will be in vain due to waste of time, energy, and electricity.