Chapter 1 - Back to School
Shadow listlessly followed Scourge and his older brother Arin through Abercrombie & Fitch at the mall of Georgia. In less than 1 week, everybody would be headed back to school. Neither of the boys were the least bit excited, but under strict orders from their parents, they had rode the tour bus to the mall to shop for clothes and supplies. "Why did we even bring Scourge? Does heeven stay at school long enough to worry about what he's wearing? Wait, what am I saying? I'M hardly at school very long either, but that's G.U.N's fault, I don't decide to skip class for no reason. Ok, I REALLY need to stop talking to myself!" Shadow thought. His eyes darted nervously around to check for fangirls "Relax Stripes, there aren't any girls hiding in the clothes racks getting ready to attack you. Just chill out, would ya? Geez, you're jumpier than a grasshopper!" Scourge joked with Shadow. Although they originally were thought to be sworn enemies, they had become pretty good friends. The only thing that would make one irritated with the other was if they called each other by their nicknames… The Green Goblin and Stripes.
Shadow was in an unusually good mood today, he didn't know why, but Arin had a pretty good idea "Hey lover boy, you thinking about how you're gonna impress AMY with your new looks?!" he giggled elbowing Scourge in the ribs. Both boys burst out in a fit of snickers and laughs but Shadow had a solution to their teasing "Ok guys, laugh all you want, but I honestly don't think Fiona or Misty wants to lose their boyfriends before school starts, if you catch my drift…" he said, nodding his head towards Ally, who was supervising the younger girls in the Claire's across the hall. Arin and Scourge gulped in fear, they knew if they messed with Shadow or Amy, that was as good as asking Ally to roundhouse-kick them about 13 times, and she kicks twice as hard as Chuck Norris, and he practically invented that move! (No offense to Chuck fans, or Chuck… ). So, needless to say, they were completely quiet the rest of the time they were there. Until, that is, they got to the food court.
The whole team had finished shopping and had decided to grab some lunch before heading home. The girls had raided Limited Too and Claire's, the boys had practically bought Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale and they all stormed Nike and Converse Amy made a mad dash for the booth next to Shadow, eager to show off her new stuff with her boyfriend. Unlike the majority of the girls on the team, Amy, Fiona, Bandi, and Ally were tomboys, so they had pretty much bought boy clothes or punk-rock type stuff. "Hey Shaddie! What'd you get?" Amy asked sweetly. Her angelic smile nearly made him melt, "Uhhh… nothing much. What about you?" he almost stuttered. "I got these awesome skull earrings, and a whole bunch of cute bracelets and necklaces at Claire's! I got these cool punk- rock shirts and this skirt with little golden skulls on the back pockets!" she squealed. Her childlike voice almost made him giggle like a little kid "Shadow the Hedgehog does NOT giggle!" he scolded himself. Amy looked at Shadow with her jade eyes for a few minutes before nearly suffocating him with a hug "Oh Shadow, I wish we could tell everybody at school the truth about us, but I know they'd make fun of us and spread rumors and stuff because they think me and Sonic should be together…" Amy sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. Shadow slid his arm around her shoulder and returned the hug "Yeah, I do too." he said wistfully, his eyes seeming to get more distant with every second.
Not too far away, Blade sat with some of the other guys, secretly stealing envious glances at Shadow and Amy. "If wasn't such an idiot 10 years ago… that could be me over there with her!" he told himself angrily. Silver noticed the glum look on his new teammates face "What's up with you? You seemed ok until now." he said. Blade cocked his head to one side and smirked "It's nothing… I just missed my chance with my dream girl and now she's with another guy, and they seem so happy. I'm just a little jealous… if that's what you want to call it." he replied, nodding towards Amy and Shadow. Silver was starting to get concerned, because Blade looked like he had something evil up his sleeve… and he did. "Hmm… I wonder what he's up to." he thought. "Maybe if I use my telepathic powers, I can find out and warn Shadow or Amy…". Without the burgundy-red hedgehog even noticing it, Silver easily read his mind, and discovered a horrifying plan of revenge against Amy for leaving him. His eyes suddenly widened and his mouth dropped open "I've got to warn her! Her social life depends on it!" he told himself urgently. He forwarded the bits of information he had uncovered from Blade's mind to Amy and Shadow, who gave him the most shocked expressions he'd ever seen. Amy made a signal that meant for him to read her mind "Are you sure? If so, what should we do?!" she shrieked inside her head. "Yes, I'm positive! You and Shadow need to tell somebody that can help you to get rid of him! He can put you both in grave danger! I'll tell Ally so she can give him a stern "talking" to… if you catch my drift." Silver chuckled slightly. Shadow smirked and gave Silver the same signal "Ally won't be only one "chatting" with him, nobody messes with Amy when I'm around!" he growled. Silver barely shook his head so Blade wouldn't see "That's exactly what he wants! Stay away from him, I don't want to go to any funerals before school starts… especially either one of yours!" he warned. Suddenly, Sonic whistled for everybody on the team get ready to go "C'mon guys, let's get a move on here! Grab all your stuff and go!" he said, waving the team out the door. They quickly piled onto the bus and hopped into their seats. Silver, Scourge, Arin and Shadow huddled up in the back of the bus "Dude, that Blade guy is up to something… what do you think we should do?" Scourge said, barely above a whisper. Silver looked worried "What he's planning isn't life threatening… well it is figuratively. He's planning on telling everybody at school about Shadow and Amy if she doesn't get back with him. I have a feeling there would be an angry mob of cheerleaders waiting for her at her locker, and yours would be swarmed by skateboarders and football players." he said to Shadow. "He's so frickin' immature! Maybe if he'd grow up a little, she'd pay him more attention!" Shadow growled. Arin nodded "Yeah, but you do know the guys on the football team will kick you off the team for not telling them, right?" he asked his brother. "I don't care, Amy is the only thing I care about right now. And besides, if they kick me off they'll be losing their best quarterback and they know it. I doubt dad would let them kick me off anyway." Shadow said, glaring at the back of Blade's head.
At the front of the bus, Blade felt like the back of his head was on fire "Who's glaring at me now!?" he said turning to look behind him. He was met with Shadow's flaming red eyes piercing into his " What's up with him? I hope he hasn't figured out my plan yet…" Blade gulped. He smiled weakly at the angry hedgehog behind him, but that only made the glare harden. Blade quickly whirled around to avoid the flaming gaze.
Shadow was reallyticked off now, and he wasn't about to hide it. "I oughta just go up there and let Blade's face meet my foot." he growled, flattening his ears slightly. Scourge cast a worried glance at Silver "Do you think we should try to restrain him until we get off the bus? I don't want anybody else to get hurt." Silver asked Scourge. He nodded. It was too late though, Shadow's ears were already laid all the way down, his eyes narrowed to slits, teeth bared, his deep growl could be heard 6 seats away. Before he could charge, however, Silver threw a force field up in front of him. He wasn't about to let Shadow go berserk and injure himself fighting Blade. "Save it Shadow. You don't want Amy to see you like this, do you ?" Arin warned. Shadow instantly relaxed at the mention of her name. "No…" he muttered. He still looked like he wanted to tear Blade apart, but he slowly eased back. "Take it easy man, he knows better than to mess with you and Amy anyway. Ally is the same age as him, so they'll be in the same grade, and he knows what she'd do to him if she caught him threatening any of us." Scourge said confidently. Shadow nodded, picturing Blade getting the snot kicked out of him by Ally for raising his fist around Amy. "Hehe, now that'd be a sight to see, huh?" he chuckled. The other boys laughed in agreement "Oh yeah… I can see it now, all over the school news "New Kid Gets Beat Up By A Girl Half His Size" !" Scourge snickered. The group of boys burst into hysterical laughter that caused everyone else turn and look at them. They finally regained their self-control, only to find their girlfriends rolling their eyes at them.
"This is gonna be a long first 2 weeks of school…" Scourge's girlfriend, Fiona, sighed. Arin's girlfriend, Misty, nodded in agreement "Yeah. Especially if those 4 get into anything." she grimaced. Amy scowled "It will be a long year for Blade if he messes with me! I'm in no mood for his childishness." she said briskly. Jewel, Silver's girlfriend, and the other girls were shocked at how angry Amy seemed, but they said nothing about it for the rest of the trip home.
When they finally arrived back at the base, it was nearly 9pm. Everybody slipped into their Pjs and hit the sack. Tomorrow was the day they would have to turn into humans so no one at the schools they went to would get suspicious of a bunch of hedgehogs and other creatures being in their classroom.