Chapter 1
Flashback
I regret what I've done. I didn't want things to be this way. I wanted to tell you, honestly. However, I couldn't tell you. If I would've told you, you would've looked at me differently. I know you would've judged the hell out of me. But, you should never judge the one you love. Even though my lifestyle was bad, I was still the perfect man you saw in your eyes. I had to do what I had to do. They would've hurt you or even tried to kill you if they knew that you was involved with me. So I had to end things quickly with you. I had to make sure that you will never contact me. I was looking out for your safety. Was it a stupid decision to make? Absolutely. I kick myself every single day. I often wonder….what would life be like if I would've told you everything? Would we still be together? Would you still be alive? Could we have fixed this situation together? I didn't want to take that risk of you dying, especially since your father is a chief executive officer. I know he would've tried to get me arrested. I know you must be thinking….what the hell happened?
First let me introduce myself. My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. My real name is Shadow Black. I've met a beautiful girl named Amy. Amy Rose. Beautiful woman. I've been in love with her ever since I first laid eyes on her in high school. She had long pink hair, beautiful hazel green eyes, a body to die for, and she had such a sweet and innocent voice. A voice of an angel. We instantly became friends when we first met. We were friends throughout freshman year. Halfway through sophomore year, we became boyfriend and girlfriend. It was a dream come true. However, I kept a secret from her. A secret that I knew would ruin our relationship. I was a bad guy…a criminal. I've messed with the wrong crowd of people. They had me hooked on drugs. Not extreme drugs like cocaine or heroin. Just marijuana and cigarettes. However, I would sell extreme drugs on the low to earn some extra cash. I've gotten into drive by shootings, I've went to jail many of times, I've had so many enemies trying to kill me and my 'so called friends', and I steal. I've kept that all a secret from Amy. I didn't want her to think that I'm a bad person, even though some days I felt like I was. I was never a bad boyfriend to her. I took her out on dates, I would sometimes come to her job and bring her flowers, I would listen to her if she needed someone to vent to, and I've never cheated on her. I guess you can say I was the perfect boyfriend. But, I wasn't because I was keeping secrets from her and I also lied to her numerous of times. I've lied to her about why I've went to jail, I've lied to her about my whereabouts, I've lied to her about my lifestyle. Everything. I didn't want to lose the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life. After we've graduated from high school, Amy gotten a full scholarship to Princeton University. She was going to major in Psychology. She always told me that she wants to become a child psychiatrist. I've always thought that she will be successful. As for me, I didn't go to college. College wasn't for me. I hated high school so why would I go to college? Amy didn't like the idea of me not going to college. Even gotten into an argument about it. However, she apologized because she knows that college is not for everyone. I apologized to her as well. I didn't tell her this but I was apologizing because the lifestyle that I was living was wrong and that I needed to change my path. Even though she didn't know about my lifestyle, it felt like she was saying to me "Shadow, you don't have to live this life. I know that you're smarter than that. Go to college, get an education, and better yourself before something happens to you." I should've listened. Ever since Amy went to college, our relationship was a little rocky at first, but we was able to get past it. When Amy was about to graduate from Princeton, our relationship went downhill, and it was my fault. My two close friends and I wanted to leave this lifestyle for good. However, it was very difficult to leave. The people that we were once friends with became our enemies. They threatened to kill our loved ones if we wanted to leave. They was afraid that if we leave, we would go straight to the police, which wasn't the case at all. I was just tired of lying to Amy and I was tired of living a fantasy lifestyle that Amy thought I lived. It was time for me to be a man and find a different path. But, they weren't buying it. They threatened to kill Amy, however I lied to them saying that Amy and I was not involved with each other. They told me that if they find out that I was lying, they will kill me and Amy. To protect Amy, I broke up with her a week before her graduation. I didn't tell her why I was breaking up with her in fear that she would tell her father. I could hear the hurt in her voice. She said that she hated me and never wanted to speak to me again. After the breakup, I was incomplete without her. Nothing would make me happier than to be with her again. However, her life was saved, which was more important than my needs. I was able to end all ties with my old lifestyle. Even though I left with bullet wounds, a bloody face, and a broken arm, I made it out alive. It's been three years since all of this has happened. I'm in school for mechanical engineering, I have a steady job working at a mechanics shop, and I have my own apartment and car. Now that I finally put my childish lifestyle to rest, I'm ready to find Amy.