A Day With The Girls

By: Reiya

Standard disclaimers apply.

"A little to the right." A perky voice commands. I move the small glass ornament in my hand slightly to the right. "How's this?" I mumble. She steps back and crosses her arms, contemplating this intricate movement. "Hmmm, move it down about one inch." She says. I obey, gripping the teetering ladder I'm standing on. I hook the white-heart shaped decoration on the evergreen branch. "Oh, perfect!" she exclaims, clasping her hands together. I smile and prepare to ascend the health hazard when the pink-haired hedgehog hands me another ornament.

"Okay, last one, now put this one up above the last one and to the left." Amy smiles. I blinked and hung it on the tree. "Rouge! Come look at the tree!" She called. Rouge stuck her head in from the kitchen and gasped at the Christmas tree. "It looks great, Amy!" Rouge grinned. Of course, no thanks to me, I only hung each and every ornament, after all. "Time for cocoa!" Rouge sings. She pops in, wearing a violet turtleneck and nice-fitting blue jeans, as Amy rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a mug.

Rouge was rewarded with a small 'Mmmmm!' from Amy. I avoided tripping on decorations as I walked towards the kitchen. By the time I got there, Rouge and Amy were already giggling like schoolgirls at something they thought was funny. How did I get stuck with the girls? I was just coming over for a Christmas party Rouge was throwing and then they leave me. Sonic left early with the excuse he had to run some errands. Yeah, right. Then Rouge decided it would be lovely if we put up the Christmas tree. Tails stayed for a few minutes of that, then escaped out the bathroom window. Those cowards…they had the right idea.

It wouldn't have been so bad maybe if it were another time of year. But around Christmas Rouge reveals this side of her. It's like her and Amy are twins. That's a scary thought. "Knuckles, what did you get Sonic and Tails for Christmas?" Amy asked. I scratch my head. "Well…socks…" I say hesitantly. "Socks!" they cry in unison. "You have to get them something better than that! Come on, let's go get something!" Rouge said and Amy happily complied. "It's Christmas Eve! Everything's probably picked over by now." I reason. But no, the girls are already in the deadly 'shopping mode'. "Oooooh! Imagine all the sales!" Amy laughs.

Suddenly, I find myself as their chauffeur to the mall. Immediately the radio is taken over with girly music. Okay, I don't mean to sound so critical, but there's something wrong if two guys are singing love songs together and can hit higher notes than Rouge or Amy. Something just doesn't smell right about that. Oh, look, we're finally here. And so is everyone else in the world. I grunt and grip the steering wheel. Socks were just fine in my opinion.

"Look there's a parking spot!" Amy yells from the backseat. I turn towards it, when a little Volkswagen beetle cuts me off and steals the slot. That prick. He's lucky I'm in Rouge's car and not my hummer. I would have squashed that bug. "I guess we'll have to park back here then." I round the rows of cars and head for the very end of the parking lot. I find a spot, about a mile away, and get out. I wrap my leather coat around me and lock the doors. "It's snowing." Rouge states. I look upward, sure enough; little white flakes are tumbling down. I smirk. "Maybe, we'll have a white Christmas after all." Amy grins widely. I laugh at the sight of them trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

Two hours after we departed, we arrive at our destination. The girls gasp and run over to the clearance racks in a nearby store. I here cries of 'Oh, my it's 25% off!' and 'Don't you think this is my color?' I'll get Sonic and Tails their gifts and come back later. They'll probably still be looking at the same outfits.

What should I get them anyway? Rouge got Sonic some shoes and Tails a DVD. Amy got Sonic a snowboard and Tails a new jet booster for his shoes. I might as well start at Radio Shack. Eventually, I just decided to give them gift certificates. Probably the safest bet. I head back for the ladies only to discover they've migrated to the dressing rooms. Rouge spots me and calls me over.

"Knuckles, which do you think would look better?" she holds up two navy dresses. I squint, is it just me, or do they look exactly alike? "Ummm… that one." I point to the one on the right. "Okay! I'll be right out!" she beams. Great, Knuckles, it'll be next Christmas when you get out of here. I sit in a close by chair and twiddle my thumbs. I look up to see ESPN on a TV across from me. Maybe I'll get to relax for a bit. No such luck, just I as I get interested in the game that's on, a blue figure steps in my line of vision. I look up to see Rouge with a sulky look on her face. "Do you think this makes me look fat?" she frowns. These could be my last words. I have one of three choices:

A) No, not at all!

B) Hmmm, just a little…

C) Can you move over, you're blocking the TV.

I choose choice A. She chews her lip. "Really?" she asked doubtfully. "Yeah, now let's get it and go." I stand up to leave and she changes (in the dressing room) and follows me out. Just as we leave one store a pink hedgehog come out of another and pulls us over. "Hey! Rouge, Knuckles! Come look a the dress I got!" Amy giggles with excitement as she pulls out a long red dress. The exit was so close…

I leave Rouge and Amy to admire each other's clothes and I make my way to the double doors leading out. "Knuckles! Where are you going?" Rouge asks behind me. I turn around. "I want to go back to the house." I state flatly. "But we aren't done shopping!" Amy glares. Rouge glares. All women within earshot glare. Women always have a support group to help them gain up on the unsuspecting male; unfortunately today I'm the victim. "Thirty minutes, that's it." I said. "That's not enough time!" Amy complains. I continue walking towards the parking lot. "Okay! Okay! Thirty minutes is fine." Amy caves.

Amy and Rouge conspire on what store(s) they should go too. And unfortunately for me, the answer was right in front of them. Each of my arms is taken hostage as I'm pulled into possibly the most feminine store there is. Victoria's Secret. Okay, Knuckles, don't panic, we've only got half an hour. Rouge doesn't relinquish her hold on my arm. "Hold these." She instructs as she holds out a load of underwear and bras. "What? No!" I raise my arms in defense and back away. "Yes! You have a limited number of items you can take into the dressing room so just hold these so no one else takes them." She counters. "Rouge, I'm leaving." "Not if I have the keys." She smirks and gives me the load. I never knew she was that good at pick pocketing. I follow behind her and wait outside the dressing rooms.

Great, just great. Some women are giving me an appalled look. I want to poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick. Rouge steps out of the dressing room and exchanges some items from my arms. Okay, now everyone sees I'm not a transvestite; I just am forced to hold womanly items. They feel sorry for me, but find it somehow amusing and start to giggle. Haha, nice one Rouge. I check my watch, only fifteen minutes left. Rouge exchanges more stuff. I wait as patiently as possible. What's taking so long? I see Amy looking at fishnet stockings. She looks deep in thought.

I turn back to the dressing room. "Rouge, you ready yet? You've got two minutes." I lie. "Yes, I'm coming." She calls back. A few seconds later she walks back out and sorts through what she did and didn't like. Amy and Rouge head for the cashier while I tag along. The cashier rings up the items and Rouge fishes some money out of her purse. The white bat frowned at the price and digs through her purse again. I sigh and run a hand through my dreads. "I'll get it, Rouge, yours too Amy." Anything to get out of this store. Amy and Rouge smile and latch themselves onto me. I can't breathe. Okay, maybe it's not THAT bad. "It's an early Christmas present." I say as they detach themselves.

Traffic was awful on the way home, but at least we got here. I'm left to carry in the oversized pink and frilly boxes. "Looks like you had fun, Knuckles." A voice chuckles. The boxes are blocking my vision so I lay them on the couch. Sonic steps in from the other room wearing his patent grin. I scowl. "Oh, Sonic too bad you had to go, we had the best time shopping!" Amy beamed. Tails walked out of the kitchen with a slice of cake. "Hey, that's for later!" Rouge shouted, "And I still can't believe you left like that!" she crossed her arms and glared, Amy did the same.

"Hey, it's almost midnight should we open the gifts?" Tails changes the subject. Smart kid. "Yes, lets open the presents!" Amy exclaims. Everyone fetches the presents that they left on the dinning room table. We pass the presents to their owner and then rip the wrapping paper off as quickly as possible. I look at my gifts, not too bad. Some boxing gloves, a digital camera, some invention of Tails', and a pair of socks from Sonic. I smile and glance at Rouge to see how she's taking her gift. She has an odd look on her face as she inspects the bath towels I gave her. I snicker and lean over to her. "So do you like it?" I ask. "Oh, I love it!" she says, I can see she's trying to hide her disappointment.

I laugh. "Rouge, that's not your gift, this is." I hold out a small box in my hand. Her sapphire eyes light up as she opens the box to find a diamond necklace. She gasps and looks up at me. "Oh, Knuckles, thank you so much!" She throws her arms around me and we embrace. Maybe we hugged for a second too long, but we looked up to see every eye on us. Tails coughed, Sonic was grinning like an idiot, and Amy hand her hands clasped together like she was stuck in a 50's romance movie. We abruptly pull apart and I stare at the ground to hide my red face. Everyone resumes their previous conversations.

I decide to try some cake and punch and find a subtle way to leave the group. Amy popped in a Christmas video and everyone seems enthralled. It seems all right. Some black and white movie about a guy who wishes he wasn't born or something. Oh well. Rouge turns around motions for me to sit by her. I take the liberty of pulling down a piece of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. I dangle it above her head. She laughs and pulls me down to the ground. "Merry Christmas, Rouge." I whisper. "Merry Christmas, Knuckles." She whispers back. I pull her into my arms and lightly close her lips with mine. Today wasn't that bad at all…

x.x.x.x.x.

Well….how was it? I decided to make a happy-ending story this time. Please review and tell me how it was!