Note: Knuckles' mother name is Lara-le? Thanks for the information, Ri2! His father's name is Locke…right?

Also, this is a birthday gift to Kitty! Happy Birthday!

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Chapter II – School and an Attack

Knuckles was rudely awakened by a loud knock on his bedroom door. As most young children, Knuckles wasn't exactly a morning person. He moaned tiredly and threw his pillow on top of his head in hopes to drown out the annoying knocking.

"Knuckles! Get up! You have school!" The voice of his father drifted into the darken room. Gentle rays of the morning sun seeped through the curtains that covered the windows, persuading the child to wake up, as his father was trying to do now.

Knuckles fell back asleep blissfully, ignoring his father's call and the annoying rays of the bright sun.

The door opened and his father briskly walked into the room, while trying to tie a dark tie around his neck. "Knuckles, wake up! Your mother's waiting for you," The small red echidna didn't even budge. He sighed, thinking to himself, 'I hate to do this to you son, but drastic times call for drastic measures.'

He left the room and came back a couple of minutes later with a bucket filled to the brim with ice cold water. He knew that this would definitely wake his son up and probably startle the poor boy to death.

He counted mentally to himself, while slightly heaving the bucket. Once he reached three, he swung the bucket and watched as the water flew from it and onto his son, instantly gaining a reaction.

Knuckles jumped so high that his head nearly came within inches of the ceiling. He was now drenched in water, looking like a drowned rat and very unhappy. "What did you do that for!" He roared, none too pleased with his father.

His father placed the bucket on a table and tsk'ed his son. "You should've gotten up when I told you to."

Knuckles sniffled and shivered, glaring at his dad. "I'm telling mom," he threatened calmly and hopped of his bed. His wet dreadlocks were mattered to his face and he swatted them away angrily.

His father chuckled with amusement and followed his son out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Knuckles was dried and dressed, ready for school. His father got an earful from his wife at being so mean to poor little Knuckles. He left for work at his new job a little disgruntled, giving both his wife and kid a small kiss goodbye.

Knuckles glared after his father. It was his fault that poor, eight-year-old Knuckles life was dramatically ruined. He grabbed his backpack that was resting lonely on the couch and followed his mother out the door. It was already ten minutes to nine, which made him a little late.

Once at his new elementary school, it took his mother twenty minutes to get everything straighten out with the principle, and doing these twenty minutes, Knuckles waited impatiently outside of the office. He hated school. And to have gone to a school he never even heard of, Eastshore Elementary? What kind of name was that for a school? They weren't even in the east!

While he waited for his mother to do whatever the heck she was doing that was taking so long, Knuckles had a little visitor.

"Hey, you!" A voice called from down the hall that caused Knuckles to whimper in annoyance.

He turned around and his fears were confirmed as the little bat-girl made her way to him. He sighed and hugged his backpack closed to him. "What do you want?"

She smiled in a cute little way that only that particular seven-year-old girl could muster. "Nothing, I just wanted to…uh, apolo-apola-gize for, um, yesterday. Mom got really mad at me."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "Whatever."

She stuck out her head. "My name's Rouge. What's yours?"

"Leave me alone." He stated instead of answering her.

Rouge pouted and crossed her arms. "You're a real jerk." She sat next to him. "Why are you so mean?"

Knuckles scooted away from the girl and glared. "Why are you so annoying?"

"Hey, you're not supposed to answer my question with another question!" She pushed him off the edge of the chair.

Knuckles fell to the cold floor and growled at her. "Why do you keep messing with me!"

She giggled. "It's fun, and until you tell me your name…" She jumped from her chair and started pounding on the poor echidna.

Knuckles blocked her attacks. "Stop it!"

"Rouge!" A voice yelled from behind them. Both kids turned around to see the principal and Knuckles' mother watching them with mild interest.

Rouge sighed and left Knuckles alone. "Why do I keep getting caught…?"

"Shouldn't you be in class, young lady?" The principal, which was a female turtle pointed in the direction of the classroom.

Rouge pouted even more. "I had to go to the bathroom."

The turtle rolled her eyes and Rouge went back to her classroom which was a few doors down.

Mrs. Flaw, the principal, shook her head as she watched the small bat-girl enter the classroom. "That Rouge…" She turned to Knuckles. "Come on and let's get you settled in your new class."

Knuckles' mother, Lara-le, gave her son an encouraging smile. "At least you're making friends, sweetie. That's a good start."

Knuckles stared at her in disbelief. How on earth could she considered that making friends? His life was doomed as he knew it.

A few seconds later found Knuckles standing in front of the same door that Rouge went through and gulped. Of all the rotten luck…

He prepared himself for the worst as he followed Mrs. Flaw into the semi-crowded room. Upon entrance, Rouge's eyes brighten. Looks like this year wasn't going to be so boring after all…

As Mrs. Flaw entered the room, followed slowly by Knuckles, all noise instantly ceased and every pair of eyes was focus on the newcomer. Knuckles stood awkwardly behind the principal as she gave the teacher, a young looking cat with blue fur and very attractive glasses, some papers. She then smiled at Knuckles and left the room. Knuckles was almost tempted to stop her and hang onto her leg.

His new teacher placed a comforting hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Hi Knuckles, my name's Ms. Katz, and I know this is your first day at your new school and I can understand that you're a little nervous. There's nothing to worry about. We're here to help you." She smiled. "Why don't you take a seat next to Faye? Faye, raise your hand." She called out and a cute black rabbit raised her hand.

Knuckles groaned though, because the seat he was assigned to so happened to be the seat that was directly in front of Rouge, his new enemy. Who figured he'd have a childhood rivalry on his first day?

Rouge smiled and waved slyly at Knuckles, wiggly her fingers. He tried to ignore her, and many of the other stares, as he made his way to his seat. Once there, he sat and slouched down, wishing that he was invisible.

Rouge leaned over and whispered in his ear. "This is gonna be a fun year, Knuckles…"

Knuckles grunted and slouched down even lower in his chair. Just his luck…

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Statement from the Author: I know, it's short, but look at it this way, that means updates would be more frequent and you can patch the stories together, and no doubt it'll be a pretty long series. And yes, I do realize that Knuckles isn't naked anymore.

Just to let you know about Knuckles' parents…I don't know how they act, heck, I didn't even knew that he had parents until recently! So, if they ARE out of character, which they no doubt will be, I apologize in advance.

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Chapter III – Lunchtime and a Fight

Just than, to halt their conversation, a group of fifth graders walked up to their table. The leader of the group, a red panther with gray spots, stepped fourth. "Hey there, freak."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes and Rouge grew silent. She knew that these kids weren't a force to be reckoned with. "Who're you calling a freak?"

The panther grinned. "I guess freaks run together." He winked at Rouge who tried to sink beneath the table. He turned dark charcoal eyes on the echidna. "Say, what's your name, kid?"