Please, Amy, don't forget me. You annoyed me. Heck yeah, you annoyed me a lot. But you were a great friend. Wherever you are in this big wide world we call home, don't ever forget me.

Those were the words that I thought every night. Look, it wasn't me. It wasn't me at all. It was Cream, Vanilla, and my best bud Tails. And perhaps that faker Shads, too.

But it was never me.

They all knew that Amy left because of me. She had great friends, although she had no family of her own. She had pretty good grades for a seventh grade girl. She was intelligent. She had a good head on her shoulders.

But for some reason, it seemed like I just muddled her mind up. And she left, with nothing but a short note to tell of her absence.

I could still remember seeing Vanilla's tearstained face as she read the note aloud to all of us. Cream had been positively hysterical, and I'm sure even Tails was wiping away a few tears.

"Dear everyone," Vanilla had read, slowly and shakily, "I'm leaving. Don't worry. I'll be safe. I just need…to get away from this place. Cream, don't cry. I know you're crying. But I can fend for myself out there. Tails, don't try to find me. Tell Sonic, because I know he's not listening, tell him that he better not come find me either. I love you all.
Love Amy Rose.
P.S. Tell Knuckles that I'm never forgiving him for eating all my chocolate bars."

It sorta hurt, because I was listening. How could I not be? One of my friends had gone missing. Of course, we all knew this wasn't about Knuckles. It was about me.

About how I'd blew her off for two whole months, ignored her, and pretended she didn't exist. It had been fun, really. The look on her face when she realized she was seemingly invisible to me, the way she screamed and I barely even flinched. I guess I'd just been completely fed up with her stalking me. I had to do it. And it had been priceless while it lasted.

Eventually the whole thing wore off. The others found out about it and shunned me in return. But now, Amy was gone. My childish acting had gotten even to her, and she'd left in spite of all she had.

In the letter she left, she stated she didn't want me to come find her. So that's what I did. I stayed where I was, even though Tails gave in and searched for her, using all the technology he could. I claimed I was trying to respect her wishes. Maybe I was stubborn, or just too guilty to let myself care. I still couldn't help feeling pretty lousy, though.

This went on for several weeks. Eventually, everyone gave up searching. Slowly Amy Rose began to slip from our minds. Soon we were all fine with it. Amy had moved on, for bigger and better things. It suited us. We were happy for her. We all knew that she could handle things herself, that she was responsible.

That was when the news came, not even a year later.

The newspaper, when I picked it up, had a bold headline. It stood out, like all headlines do.

GIRL FOUND DEAD IN STREETS, NOTORIOUS DOCTOR SUSPECTED

My eyes lowered to the text, and I saw a name. Amy Rose. I read more. She put up a strong fight. She did. She died.

Why hadn't I found out about the doctor attacking a city? Usually I always found out. But not this time, not when it would have helped the most. She couldn't have saved the city alone, although she tried. Amy could never have single-handedly defeated Dr. Eggman.

"Stupid kid," I said bitterly. I looked at the photograph. It was of Amy-but a different one, an older one. I hadn't seen her in such a long time. She smiled brightly up at the camera, clasping her hands behind her back. The caption read, "Amy Rose. Would be thirteen in May." Slowly I ran my eyes across the headline again, as if it wasn't real.

Soon I was running towards Tails' place, distraught. I don't cry, I never cry. But the sinking feeling I could feel right then was undeniable.

I showed him the headline. "No...it can't be," he had breathed. It was hard to take, but we all took it hard. The news of Amy's death quickly spread throughout our town, affecting each of us.

We all attended the funeral. Cream...poor Cream. The little girl seemed to have a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that Amy was gone. Days after, she would ask about Amy. Where she was, and when she could come over to play.

But the truth hit me like a brick. Amy was gone, and I couldn't apologize. I spent the next few days locked up. Thinking. About my friend…

She was only a friend, but yet something more. I didn't love her, I didn't even like her. But she was just a different kind of friend. But no longer…

Soft green eyes that laughed, a childish and immature way of doing things. All smiles one second, the next fiery and furious.

Now she was lying in a grave somewhere. Dead.

The headstone said, "Here lies Amy Rose. A good fighter and a great friend to all."

Those words spoke the truth. We picked the words ourselves.

It took me quite a while to recover. I never could sleep on those cold nights. Running lost its spice. I never stopped thinking about her, about all the things I never said...

And all the things she could have said. I lay on my bed and imagined her smiling face from the newspaper, and what she might say. She'd tell me to stay strong, and to keep on going...

It took me a long time to recover. But I recovered today.

So I write this to you, Amy, in remembrance of you. Your perseverance, your loyalty, your will to have your way. Headstrong since the day I met you, stubborn till the day you died.

And I'll miss you.

I folded up the letter and laid it on her grave. I looked up to the sky.

"Take care, Ames."

I sped off, back into the busy world of cares and troubles where nobody knew of a determined girl who had lost her life.