Chapter 2

Misunderstandings

Sonic lay under a grand oak tree, the virescent foliage above him providing ample shade from the shining sun. He leant against the tree, his jacket propped behind his back for support and his hands resting behind his head. The grass was warm and soft underneath his legs and bare feet. The birds that nested in the trees above chirped quietly. One smaller yellow birds flew down cautiously. Sonic smiled, holding out his finger. The little bird landed gracefully on it and opened its beak. Sonic leant closer, wanting to hear its melodic song. However, instead of soothing chirping, a loud, obnoxious blaring emanated from the little creature.

Sonic fell out of bed with a thud, his pillow falling on his head. He groaned, rubbing his elbow as he sat up and slammed his palm down on the alarm clock, silencing it. He yawned, stretching his tired arms when the door to his room burst open and his mother strode in.

"Sonic, what are you doing just getting up now young man?" Bernadette scolded. "Did you forget to change your alarm to an appropriate time for school? The bus leaves in five minutes!"

"Crap," Sonic muttered under his breath as he shot up, quickly throwing on the clothes he luckily set out the night before, grabbed his bag and sprinted out the door shouting his goodbyes to his mother.

"Sometimes I don't know what to do with that boy," Bernadette shook her head as she stood at the doorway, arms folded as he disappeared around the street corner. Sonic shot down the street, his shoes bounding against the pavement at an incredible pace as dust billowed out from underneath him.

'Shit, first day and I'm already late,' he cursed to himself as he picked up the pace, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He saw Knuckles step onto the bus which came into view just on the crest of the horizon.

"Wait!" he yelled out, breaking out into a sprint, reaching the bus in a matter of seconds. He just managed to dive onto the bus before the sliding doors closed behind him and the bus roared off into the distance. Sonic rolled across the ground, falling face first on the floor. He was lucky that he had the speed he possessed or he would never have made it. Sonic pushed himself up and brushed dust from his shoulders, giving the thumbs up to his classmates who all watched the event go down, grinning victoriously.

"Ha, what a loser," Shadow spat after watching the terrible display, skulking in his seat.

"What was that?" Sonic growled, glancing towards Shadow. The two normally got into small feuds. They were like complete opposites, ying and yang, blue and black. One was optimistic, happy-go-lucky and full of confidence, always needing to be the center of attention. The other was cold, calculating and rarely smiled, let alone experienced any joy at all and always preferred being along. Furthermore, being the two fastest kids in the school, it only fueled their rivalry, especially on the track. All it took was a few choice words from either one for things to start getting heated. Fast.

"You just looked pretty stupid, floundering around on the floor like a fish out of water," he smirked.

"You want another race? We'll see who looks stupid when I wipe the floor with you, again," he shot a snide smirk.

"Bring it," Shadow challenged.

"I'll take you anytime, anywhere!" Sonic threw his fist in the air confidently. Shadow stood up and walked over to Sonic, who showed no signs of backing down. The two were face to face, barely and inch separating the two as they stared deeply into each other's eyes, shooting daggers. The bus rolled to the next stop. Tikal hurried on, taking a seat near the back when Silver stepped on.

"Not again," Silver sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Little help Knuckles?" Silver and Knuckles stood between the two, separating them with outstretched hands.

"See ya round," Shadow smirked, turning around and walking back to his secluded seat, elbow resting on the window that he stared out.

"Ugh, I just hate that guy sometimes. Hey, where's Tails?" Sonic asked, taking a seat beside Silver, opposite Knuckles.

"No idea," Knuckles replied nonchalantly, clearly not paying too much attention. Sonic simply shrugged and leant back, relaxing. He removed his phone from his jeans and plugged the white headphones into his ear, closing his eyes. The music floated softly though his ears as he nodded his head rhythmically to the beat. The bus rolled on, stop after stop, gathering all the students until it reached its destination.

…

Tikal sprinted through the halls, carrying a multitude of books as she dodged through the endless crowds of students. She skidded around the corner and pounded on the door of her first class period. Psychology. A small, beady eyed hybrid answered the door, his voice deep and gruff. It was quite a juxtaposition compared to his outward exterior.

"You're late," Ixis Naugus scolded. "Detention."

"But-" Tikal tried to protest.

"Don't talk back or I'll make it a double detention," he reprimanded her sternly.

"Sorry," Tikal apologized, stepping past him. She looked around the room, gazing at her first class of the new semester. She smiled when she saw Amy and Cream sitting together near the back of the class and trotted over, dumping her things to the left of Amy. Rouge watched her pass, smiling to herself as her eyes followed Tikal.

Tikal turned to Amy, trying to start up a conversation but she refused to meet her gaze. Tikal gripped Amy's shoulder and forced her to spin around, staring into her eyes. Tikal was taken partly aback by her friend's appearance. The normally vibrant and happy eyes were red, puffy and looked sore, clearly from a long night of crying.

"Cream, what happened?" Tikal whispered, her hand covering the left side of her mouth so that Ixis couldn't hear her.

"Sonic and Amy had their first fight at the party," she replied, rubbing Amy's back softly when she burst into tears again. "She thinks it's the end of the world."

"Amy, c'mon now, it's not like you broke up or anything. Just talk to him," Tikal soothed.

"You wouldn't understand," Amy huffed. Tikal shot her an annoyed scowl. "Oh," Amy announced dramatically. "Sorry I completely forgot."

"Don't worry, I'm over it," Tikal waved away her concern. "I've decided to just focus on my studies."

"Don't say things like that. Your love was pure. You need to win him back," Amy asserted.

"Seriously, Amy, it's over. Knuckles really meant it."

"But you were perfect for each other!"

"Amy, stop it," Cream chimed in, seeing the discomfort in Tikal's eyes and body language. It was at this moment that Rouge decided to intervene, waltzing over when the teacher turned his back and pulled up a chair next to Tikal.

"Amy calm down, relationships end all the time. Us girls just got to stay strong!" she beamed enthusiastically.

"That's easy for you to say. I'm just not used to getting rejected so much like you, slut," Amy spat, turning her head in disgust at Rouge. Rouge just chuckled in response, the insult being thrown at her so many times that the word had lost all meaning to her.

"Feisty are we?" she mocked. "Maybe because you know that Sonic's about to dump you too." This got the reaction Rouge was after. Amused by Amy's flaming face, she turned her attention to Tikal. "So, is it true that Red dumped you?" She batted her eyelashes playfully, her pale face caked in makeup.

"Rouge!" Cream yelled, cutting through the silence like a knife. "Don't be so rude!"

"Miss Rabbit, refrain yourself!" Ixis tried to silence the girls, annoyed at their disruptive behaviour. Rouge winked at the younger girl but continued to hassle Tikal anyway, enjoying how flustered she was becoming.

"It's just a little bit of gossip I picked up on the grape vine," she added. "I really missed you at the party on Saturday night."

"Leave us alone!" Amy exploded, her short fuse igniting again as she jumped out of her seat and tried to swing at Rouge. Rouge shied away, returning to her seat to watch the fireworks unfold.

"That is it!" Ixis screamed, slamming his hand down hard on his mahogany desk. "Amy, Cream and Tikal! Lunch time detention for all three of you." The trio of girls tried to argue but he simply raised his hand and shushed them. They all turned to stare angrily at Rouge who winked and blew them a kiss.

…

The bell chimed, ringing out through the corridors and echoing through the many classrooms that lined the hallways of the vast, sturdy brick layered school. Sonic yawned, filing out of his math class.

"You ready for that race Sonic?" Shadow suddenly turned to face his rival mid stride, blocking his path. Sonic raised his eyebrow questioningly but Shadow simply pointed down to the printed-out sheet of paper which displayed Sonic's kaleidoscopic timetable. Their next class was P.E

"I-Is he gone?" Tails whispered as he emerged, last, from the classroom.

"Yeah, he's gone," Silver sighed, slowing his stride to walk adjacent to his friend. "Why are you trying to avoid Sonic?" he asked politely, sincerity flooding his voice.

"Just something stupid, don't worry about it," Tails said through gritted teeth, biting his bottom lip as he spoke. He was never a good liar but learnt a few tricks to keep his calm whilst lying. He thought back to the real reason why he had to avoid Sonic, his best friend. They had been friends for ages, ever since they both started middle school together and since then had been practically inseparable. Tails remembered being the one that insisted Sonic give Amy a chance after she constantly hounded him for a date throughout the ninth grade. Ironic.

'But after that kiss…' Tails thought, thinking back to the magical, incredible moment. 'Why can't I get it out of my head. It's supposed to mean nothing, right?' He had gone home thinking about it all night, not getting much sleep at all. He tossed and turned, his thoughts plaguing him like phantoms in the wind. His thoughts kept going back to Sonic. Then it hit him, smack in the face like a solid block of ice. His feelings for Sonic had suddenly evolved into something else. A dormant secret that he had kept locked away, until brought forth.

'I like him…' he lamented solemnly, face drooping with the sudden truth.

"You alright?" Silver asked, noticing that Tails was staring into space, tripping up on his shoelaces slightly.

"Y-Yeah, it's nothing, promise. We should hurry, P.E is about to start," Tails smiled.

They all ran into the change rooms, undressing and replacing their baggy, street clothes with their uniform gym clothes. Although the school had no policy about uniform, all students had specific requirements for P.E gear.

"Are you sure it is nothing?" Silver asked, watching Tails study Sonic as he removed his T-Shirt and threw on his tank top emblazoned with a lion, the school's mascot. He immediately snapped out of his daze, shaking his head vigorously. He scooped up his belongings and ran out of the room, not looking back at his friends who called his name. He just needed to get out of there. He needed an escape, time away to really think things through and try to shake these thoughts out of his head.

"What a wimp," a taller, confident boy scoffed as Tails rushed out of the room. The teenager stood steadfast, green feathers covered his body, the red and yellow football jacket that he was always seen in still draped over his torso.

"You got a problem with my best friend?" Sonic asked, walking right up to Jet, fists clenched and anger flowing through his veins.

"Calm down hot shot," Jet smirked.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm not the one with the problem."

"You're always the one with the problem," Sonic retorted. "And you're always the one in third place," he sneered.

"Until this year," Jet beamed proudly. "I've been training. Bet I'm the fastest in the entire school by now." Shadow and Sonic turned to each other and joined in hysterical laughter. Even Knuckles, the slowest on of the group, apart from Tails, joined in. "What's so funny," he asked, annoyed.

"Dickhead and I are the fastest two, everybody knows that," Shadow spat, a smirk creeping over his face as he pointed towards him and Sonic.

"Hey, screw you too!" Sonic snapped back.

"We'll settle this on the race course!" Jet argued, getting up and running out of the change rooms. "Lunch time. Be there."

…

Blaze maneuvered through the confusing twists and turns of the labyrinth of intricate hallways which connected all over the place, trying to find her second period class. She passed by some nearby lockers when she thought she could hear faint scuffling nearby.

"Hello," she called out. She approached a nearby silver trashcan and a frown crossed her face as she saw the golden top of a couple of hairs hiding behind the bin. She removed it and found the small, crumpled up body of Tails. The boy hugged his knees to his chest, eyes closed as he kept repeating the same words.

"You like her, you like her, you like her," he repeated in a rhythmic whispering. Blaze sighed, kneeling down beside him. Tails squeaked in surprise, whipping his head up to face him.

"B-B-Blaze, what do you want?" Tails stammered in surprise.

"What's wrong?" she asked sympathetically. Tails tried to gather his composure but knew he was in no condition to talk to her about his confusing thoughts. He was in to fragile a state. Instead, he said the only thing that crossed his mind.

"Why did you say you loved me? Is it true? I thought you liked Silver."

"Ugh, why does everybody think I like Silver?" Blaze groaned.

"Sorry I just thought… Nevermind, but is it true?"

"Look, you want the truth?" Blaze surrendered, taking a seat beside the boy, still hidden in the small alcove lodged between two rows of lockers and behind the bin. Tails nodded. "Promise you won't tell anybody?" Tails nodded again. Blaze sighed.

"Okay, I do like Silver. It's true, but he is my best friend and I can't risk ruining that. I just saw you and used you as an excuse to dodge the question when playing Truth or Dare." Tails let a small giggle escape his lips.

"Yeah, Amy is a handful, isn't she?" Tails smiled, glad that somebody else felt the same way he did. Sure, it was different. It wasn't as indescribably horrible that Blaze liked Silver, not the same way him liking Sonic was. That was catastrophic, at least to Tails.

"I'm just glad I know you have my back."

"Always," Tails smiled blissfully as he leant in and wrapped his arms around Blaze, bringing her in for a warm embrace.

In their little moment, neither of them noticed that a chameleon in a deep indigo hoodie happened, by chance, to walk by at that exact moment and stalked over to the two, watching them from a distance. He took out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the two before Tails pulled back.

"Love is a beautiful thing, I think you and Silver would be perfect," Tails smiled.

"You think?"

"Yeah totally. I think you should go for it. I know he'll say yes."

"Okay, I will. On one condition," Blaze began. "You tell me why you were hiding here." Tails didn't reply. He simply sighed and thought to himself, fear and shame evident in the back of his shimmering Azure eyes. "You can trust me."

'Hmm, so the rumors about Blaze liking Tails were true,' Espio thought to himself, retreating back the way he came. He quickly fished his phone out of his pocket and sent off a text.

Espio: Got some more dirt for you
*One Image Sent*

Fiona: So the rumours are true. This is great!

Espio frowned, placing the phone back into the pocket of his purple hoodie before rushing off, being stealthy as to not be heard by either of the two teenagers hiding behind the bins.

"I-I'll tell you later this week, I promise," Tails affirmed. Pleased with this announcement, Blaze got up, stretched out her aching limbs and hastened off to class.

"I'll see you at lunch," she called as she rushed off. Tails smiled as she left, finding new found confidence in himself.

'I have to tell Sonic eventually,' he thought, heading back to P.E. 'Unless I can shake these stupid thoughts.' He grabbed his phone and quickly shot off a text to Cream, asking to hang out at lunchtime but was disappointed when learning of her detention.

…

Knuckles stood as an adjudicator at the end of the running track as Sonic raced passed him at an astounding speed that could put many sprinters to shame. Shadow sprinted slightly behind him, cursing aloud as he crossed the finish line second. Eventually, a few whole seconds behind, Jet ran passed Knuckles, drenched in sweat.

"What happened to all that training," Sonic smirked victoriously as he let out a long, hearty exhale.

"You-you cheated. You started before me," Jet complained, unable to admit defeat.

"Even if we did, you were still a couple seconds behind us. You would have lost if we gave you a head start," Shadow chuckled lightly, a rare smile crossing his lips.

"Look who's talking. I don't think I remember seeing you in front of me the entire race," Sonic sneered.

"Oh yeah," Shadow growled, a snarl returning to his featureless, pale face. "At least I didn't false start."

"Tell yourself what you need to tell yourself," Sonic grinned.

"You're such a cocky brat, you know that?" Shadow rumbled.

"It's not being cocky if it's true." Shadow let out an annoyed howl, throwing up his hands before storming off to the changerooms, complaining about being hungry.

"He's right, y'know," Jet added.

"A bet's a bet Jety boy," Sonic threw his arm around the slightly shorter boy's shoulder. "You have to buy me lunch."

"I'm nothing if not a man of my word," Jet admitted.

"Finally. I'm starving. I hope the girls saved us our table. Don't want any freshmen taking it from us. We finally get first dibs," Knuckles complained. Before any of them could go grab their bags, Silver arrived looking lost.

"What's up buddy?" Sonic held up his hand. Again, Silver shook it muttering pleasantries. Sonic just rolled his eyes.

"I don't know where anybody is. Tails and Blaze are nowhere to be found and neither one is answering their phones, and I think the others got detention. At this rate, we're going to lose prime eating area in the cafeteria," Silver complained.

"C'mon, we'll find a table," Sonic replied optimistically.

"Yeah, besides, I made the football team this year, so no freshman will mess with me if I ask for their table," Knuckles smirked, an evil glint in his eye as he cracked his knuckles.

…

"Finally," Amy sighed as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. She gathered her things, along with the others and strutted out of the room.

"I can't believe Ixis made us stay the entire lunch," Cream complained.

"You think that's bad," Blaze piped up. "Tails and I were only slightly late to our periods and we both got detention. Like, it's the first day, take a chill pill."

"Exactly! I'm never gonna talk in class again," Amy added exasperatedly. "That was a fate worse than death."

"Sure you won't," Tikal rolled her eyes, making the others snigger.

"Whatever," Amy ignored them, heading down the corridor to her next class, leaving the others when she spotted Sonic grabbing his books out of his locker. She bit her bottom lip, looking down at the books she clutched in her hand. She knew she needed to talk to him, to make amends but she didn't want to be the one to initiate it. She was in the right. He was the one being stubborn. But he hadn't texted or talked to her since the fight.

Amy swiftly walked past Sonic and as he stepped back to close his locker, expertly faked a believable fall. She tripped on his leg and let out a dramatic shout as she scattered her books and fell to the floor.

"Amy!" Sonic cried. "I'm so sorry," he bent down to retrieve her belongings and offered his hand to her. This was her chance to take control.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now, are you?" she began in a snarky tone as she placed her hand in his and let him haul her to her feet.

"Are you serious?" he raised an unbelieving eyebrow, recoiling his hand from her iron grip.

"Of course," Amy remained steadfast. "You should have come and apologized to me before." His glare never faltered, his eyebrows falling down to display a bored expression. "But it's okay. I forgive you. This time."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. It's your lucky day, I'm gonna let this one slide. Just don't let it happen again."

"That's it. I'm done. This is unbelievable," Sonic raised his arms, taking a step back.

"What?"

"This. You. Us. It's too much. It's all too much. You've changed."

"I have not," Amy protested.

"You have. The old you would never act like… like…"

"Like what?"

"Like a maniacal bitch!" Sonic lost his cool.

"How dare you!"

"No, how dare you! You won't let me hang out with your friends, you give me no space, expect me to worship you and wait on you hand and foot. You won't be to be your perfect little slave, not your boyfriend and not your equal."

"That's not true!"

"It is," Sonic said with finality. "And I've had enough. Sorry Ames, but we're done. I'm breaking up with you," Sonic turned to walk away as Amy called out behind him.

"You can't do this." He kept walking, uncaring. "Well, I dump you first!"

"Sweet. Glad we're on the same page," he called back. "Oh, and that fake falling trick. Pathetic!"

…

The final bell rang and students all filed out of their classrooms. Sonic and Tails skipped down the steps together, making their way towards the busses. With a backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, Sonic strolled ahead as Tails kept pace.

"So, is it true?" Tails asked.

"Hmm?" Sonic shifted his gaze downwards.

"You and Amy. Are you really through? Did she dump you?"

"I dumped her," Sonic corrected.

"Thought so. There was no way she was ever going to let you slip between her fingers," Tails affirmed.

"She was draining me dry. I had to get away."

"She was like a Succubus."

"A what?"

"A succubus, from the Latin word Succuba, or Paramour meaning to lie beneath," Tails explained.

"I don't need the dictionary definition Einstein. I mean what is it?" Sonic rolled his eyes with a smile.

"It's basically a demon from folklore, traced back to medieval times. An attractive woman on the outside but a nightmare underneath. Legends say they seduced their victims and sucked the life force out of them through intercourse," Tails shuddered, imagining Amy draining Sonic's soul out of his body.

"That sounds about right," Sonic chuckled. "You're way too smart for your own good," Sonic ruffled the shorter boy's hair.

"You'd be too if you just paid more attention in class," Tails lectured.

"I'll pay more attention in class if you agree to start coming for jogs with me on weekends like we used to when we were younger," Sonic bargained. The two came to a stop at the school bus stop, waiting patiently for it to arrive.

"Sonic, c'mon, we both know your jogs are sprinting marathons. I think I'll just stick to Friday night video game sessions."

"Deal!"

…

The sun sunk lower on the horizon as the bus screeched to a halt on the hot pavement. The smell of burning rubber filled the air as the sliding doors noisily clashed open, letting a few of the students off. Knuckles stepped off the bus, but little did he know that there was somebody else who quietly escaped off the bus while he wasn't looking and dived into nearby bushes, following him home.

"Hmm," Rouge noticed movement as she stared out the window, watching as Tikal followed Knuckles home. Tikal darted into nearby yards and hid behind corners whenever Knuckles glanced behind him.

"This isn't your stop," Espio called out, eyeing Rouge inquisitively.

"Shhh," she simply put her elongated finger up to her lips and whispered before winking. Espio thought nothing of it, sliding over and taking a seat next to a new young lady who giggled at the advances of the suave gentleman.

"I couldn't help but notice you sitting back there," he began, pouring on the charm. "How come somebody as pretty as you be sitting all alone?"

"It's my first day," the younger girl replied sheepishly, fiddling with her thumbs out of anxiety and nervousness. "I-I d-don't really know anybody…"

"Well we can change that, can't we," Espio smiled, snaking his hand around her middle as he stared deep into her eyes. Slowly, he puckered his lips and tilted his head, leaning in as the other girl did the same. However, just as he crashed his lips against hers he heard a younger girl clear her throat loudly behind him.

"Do you ever stop?" Cream asked in a disgusted tone, stomping over to Espio who had his tongue wedged in the girl's mouth.

"Not now," Espio grumbled, pulling away from the babbling, flustered girl. Her face was beet red, her heart rushing a mile a minute.

"Did you know that this sexist pig has gotten with every girl in his year level?" Cream asked, pointing to the girl next to him. Her eyes widened in shock and she pushed Espio off her, slapping him across the cheek and marching away in anger. Espio turned to Cream, fire in his eyes.

"Not cool," he growled.

"You've changed, for the worst."

"I think the women at this school would disagree," Espio shrugged with a smirk.

"I don't know what happened to you, but as long as I can save some girls from you, I'll feel happy," Cream smiled at him, proud of herself for stopping what was happening as he grinded his teeth in anger, annoyed that the girl had gotten away. Espio decided to get some revenge.

"Did you know that Blaze and Tails had a secret make out session this morning?" he said as he bent over and whispered into her ear.

"You lie," Cream scoffed, paying little attention.

"Cross my heart," he cooed viciously.

"Tails and I have been together for over a semester now. I trust him, and he likes me, not her," Cream confirmed confidently.

"Does he now?" Espio whipped out his phone, scrolling through the many pictures of different girls at the school that he had taken until he arrived at the one he wanted. He turned his phone to face Cream and all the colour instantly drained from her face until she was as pale as a ghost. The pride she felt had been completely replaced by anger.

"How could she?" Cream yelled, running down the aisle and demanding that she get let off the bus that instant. The driver requested that she go back to her seat but she persisted until he reluctantly pulled up on the curb and opened the door. Espio smiled to himself as she fled, looking at the picture of Blaze and Tails behind the trash can that he took earlier that day on his phone.

"Didn't know you had it in you," a tall fox clad in black leather, donning black boots and long, rust coloured fur smiled as she took a seat next to him. "I'm so proud of you," Fiona smirked.

"Learnt from the best," he replied as he glanced over to the girl he was kissing earlier, wondering if he could undo the damage that Cream had called and salvage his situation.

…

Stars twinkled brilliantly in the night sky above Blaze's house. The perfectly crescent moon shone down eerily, bathing the earth below in translucent radiance. Blaze turned in her sleep, clutching her blankets tighter. Suddenly, a thud awoke her from her dreams.

"Wha?" Blaze asked drowsily, rubbing her eyes. She listened but no further sound came. She let her head fall back down on her pillow when another thud echoed through her room. Intrigued, Blaze rose and tiptoed over to the window, opening the curtains a fraction to peek out.

That's when she saw him, standing below underneath her window, illuminated only by a lone street lamp. Blaze quickly raced downstairs and threw open the door, beckoning him to come over and escape the cold. A cold wind blew through the opening and she shivered, wrapping her hands around herself and her long, yellow pajamas.

"Silver, what are you doing here?" Blaze whispered as she ushered him inside and shut the door quietly.

"I… I didn't know where else to go," Silver sniffed.

"Come upstairs, but be quiet. My Aunt's asleep," Blaze said quietly as she led him upstairs and into her room.

"Th-thanks," Silver stuttered as he took a seat on the bed.

"Are you… crying?" Blaze asked as she noticed the glistening tears welling up behind his amber eyes.

"N-No," Silver averted his gaze, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve.

"C'mon, you know you can tell me anything, right," Blaze offered a sincere, warming smile.

"It… it's…" Silver stammered, unable to force the words out through the lump in his throat.

"Yeah?" Blaze urged, grabbing his hand. She massaged the top of his hand with her thumb. It was calming. Silver took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

"Mum… she kicked dad out today. She says he's not coming back any time soon."

"That's awful," Blaze frowned, her heart breaking for her dearest friend.

"Do you think they are getting a divorce?" he looked at her expectantly. She had no answers.

"I'm sure whatever happens, they'll both still love you." Without another word, Silver fell into Blaze, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her neck. Blaze sighed, placing one arm around his waist and gently rubbing his back with the other. The two hugged for what felt like ages before Blaze agreed that Silver could stay the night. Throughout the rest of the night he refused to let go of her and Blaze gently drifted off to sleep in his warm, fragile embrace.

…

Lunch time at the cafeteria. The bustling, busy center of the school where all the students, of all year levels, gather to buy the assorted goods on sale behind the counter. Tails waddled over, his tray full of some sort of strange, steaming curry dish. He smiled when he saw most of his friends sitting together at the table. Sonic looked up and patted the empty spot next to him, motioning for Tails to join him, which he did reluctantly.

"Fucking freshmen tried to steal our table," Knuckles growled angrily as he bit into a piece of chicken.

"Good thing we got it back. I'm not sitting up near the front doors again like we did last year," Jet complained.

"Nobody forced you to sit with us," Sonic chimed in.

"Glad to know that I'm wanted," Jet grunted. "Speaking of being wanted, where is everybody." He glanced around the table, noticing the absence of Tikal, Amy, Shadow, Espio and Rouge.

"Sonic dumped Amy yesterday," Cream answered shyly. He threw her an annoyed glance.

"And Tikal's still avoiding Knuckles," Blaze added, sneering at the redhead.

"And does anybody really care where Shadow went?" Sonic replied, smiling to the group. All of them shrugged their shoulders in unison and began to dig in to their meals. Knuckles glanced up, watching as Espio removed his face from the neck of a young girl, not unlike a vampire finishing with his feed. He waltzed over to the group and sat down.

"So, who's that?" Knuckles asked, elbowing his friend playfully.

Espio shrugged, before speaking calmly, "No idea. Let's call her… Liz." The rest of the guys looked at him, confusion sweeping across their faces. "Didn't catch her name, but I like the name Liz."

Espio's conquests were well known throughout the school. He had been through almost every girl in their year level and, for the new year, it seems that he has decided to pray on the younger year levels to increase the pool of ladies. Blaze scoffed, shoving a spoonful of soup into her mouth in disgust at his sexist remarks.

"I don't know why they all keep falling for you," she grumbled. Silver slipped his hand into hers under the table comfortingly. She smiled.

"It's all about the charm."

"So, who won the race?" she asked, trying to change the topic.

"Who else," Tails butted in, pointing to Sonic who winked back at him. Tails tried to hide the blush that licked the corners of his cheeks but Blaze noticed his strange behavior and raised an eyebrow.

Luckily, before she could open her mouth, Silver interjected, grabbing her hand and rushing over to the other end of the room with him. He couldn't take it any longer and needed to get something off his chest in private, away from the rest of the gang.

"Ouch!" she squealed as he finally let her go. "What do you want?"

"So, are you and Tails… like… a thing now? I saw the way he blushed when he looked at you." Blaze stepped back, surprised by this sudden outbreak. "Because if you are, there is something I need to tell you about Tails. I have been watching lately and I think that… well… he-"

"No, that was a lie I made up. I already like somebody else," she said, cutting him off midsentence, but disappointment washed over his face. "I've been meaning to say that…" she trailed off. She had worked herself up the night before, ready to tell him how she felt but after his surprise appearance and his parents' fight she decided now might not be the best time.

"Yes?"

"Tails is a good friend, but will never be anything more. Oh, and you're an idiot," Blaze added playfully.

"Oh… good."

"It's good you're an idiot?" Blaze asked.

"What? N-No… I," he stammered. "I just meant he's going out with Cream."

"Exactly," Blaze laughed, grabbing his hand in hers again, for the second time now. Silver lit up like a tomato, only causing Blaze's laughs to increase as they rippled through her.

…

Nobody knew why Gerald decided to build a school in this area. The first school he built lay untouched by the innovation of the sprawling city out in the countryside. However, the sister school, which Robotnik originally had constructed on the outskirts of the slowly industrializing city, was built next to what was completely forested area at the time. Gerald bought up the land and, even as he died and his great ancestors continually passed down the land, they never sold it. To this day, directly adjacent to Mobius Highschool, lay a mini biome of sorts. Although legally known as just a park, it was far bigger than any other parks in the surrounding suburban area and to all the students and locals it was simply known as the forest. In the middle of this forest a small clearing held a tall, thick apple tree. Planted years ago, nobody knew just how old the tree was but marveled at how long it had managed to remain.

Shadow lay back against the thick trunk of the tall apple tree, eyes closed. He was deep in thought, his chest slowly rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing. He heard a small crunch of a twig and slightly opened his left eye a crack to see the dark outline of the familiar girl approaching slowly.

"What do you want, Rouge?" he muttered, barely stirring as he closed his eyes again.

"That's no way to treat an old friend," she smiled, bringing in Shadow for a hug as she knelt down beside him despite his reluctance Her black boots dug into the dry grass. "Why aren't you with the others?" she asked.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms and turned his back on the girl as he grunted.

"Is this because you lost the stupid race to Sonic? What did you expect?" she laughed, spinning him back around to look at her again.

"Why are you here?" he asked again rudely, slightly annoyed by Rouge intruding on his private time away from everybody. Lunchtimes were the perfect opportunity Shadow had to escape the chaotic nature of the school.

"I wanted to come keep you company. Nobody should be alone at lunch time. Especially you. You really should try to be more social, and hang out with others more," Rouge lectured sympathetically, knowing of his past and home life.

"They don't want me there," he replied coldly, taking a sharp bite of his crisp, red apple he had plucked from the tree. "Nobody ever wants me."

"Come now. That's simply not true."

"Tell that to all the years I spent at that awful place," Shadow spat back.

"Yet Emerl still rescued you in the end," Rouge pointed out.

"And yet not two years later they ditch me again. Even Maria…" Shadow lamented.

"But they didn't ditch you. They left you the house and enough money to help get you through school and-"

"Enough," Shadow shouted suddenly, silencing Rouge. "Sorry, sorry I just, can we not talk about this. Please." Normally Rouge would push it, like usual until she got the information she needed. But he said please. Shadow never said please and Rouge understood the severity that the memories dredged up.

"Okay, well how about we go join the others for lunch, then?" Rouge offered

"What part of no didn't you understand?"

"All of it. Why don't you want to see them?"

"I just don't!"

"Is that because of what happened on Saturday night?" she questioned, seemingly out of the blue, raising an eyebrow. Shadow couldn't respond. He dropped his apple ignoring it as it rolled down the slope. He was too in shock to speak and just sat there, eying his closest friend warily.

"Why would that matter?"

"Shadow. I notice things. I'm always watching. I always notice when something seems different," she pressed further. "If it's true, you can just tell me. I won't think any different."

"Rouge, I… I don't know."

"Well, how do you feel?"

"I don't wanna talk about this," Shadow replied gruffly, unmoving in his stubbornness.

"But Shadow I-"

"Just go," he interrupted. "Please."

…

By the end of the first week Tails couldn't hold it inside anymore. The feeling that was kindled inside of him only grew, burning his insides and churning in his gut. As he walked down the hallway that Friday afternoon he recalled his talk with Blaze on the first day. He remembered how she wanted to help, how she knew something was up.

Tails saw her out of the corner of his eye, taking books out of her locker and stuffing them into her oversized backpack. Tails took a deep breath, steeled his nerves and walked up to her, tapping her on the shoulder.

"What? Oh, hey Tails, what's up?" Blaze greeted him cheerfully.

"Nothing much. I just…" Tails trailed off, his gaze cast down to his shoes. He couldn't do this. He really couldn't.

"Everything alright?" Blaze asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Tails lied. "It's just…"

"Just…" Blaze urged him.

"Just nothing. Nevermind. I'll see you on Monday," Tails turned away but the next words that came out of Blaze's mouth made him stop in his tracks.

"Just that you think you might like Sonic?"

"Wh-Wh-what?" Tails stammered. "How did you know?"

"Please. You're one of my closest friends. I had my suspicions and you just confirmed it now. Besides, I notice things, and I'd have to be blind not to have seen the change in you over this past week," Blaze smiled helpfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I wasn't sure at first, since you and Sonic always were closer than any of us. But after that party, which I was told what occurred, I noticed you were different around him. Always squirming, longing glances, slight tinges of pink."

"Oh Chaos, was I that obvious?" Tails murmured in fear.

"No, not if you weren't looking for the signs."

"And you're not disgusted?"

"What? No, of course not. Why would I care who you liked? Why would I care if you were bi or not?"

"Because Amy said-"

"Fuck what she said," Blaze interrupted. "She only said it because it was Sonic. She wouldn't care if it was any other guy, I think. Besides, Sonic dumped her so he's on the market."

"You think I should… go for it?"

"Why not?" Tails had thought about asking him, telling him these new feelings, but how could he? They were best friends, not boyfriends. What if Sonic thought he was disgusting? What if he told everyone Tails was gay? And what if Amy found out? He shuddered at that last part. He didn't want Blaze to think he was weak so he tried to think of an excuse.

"We are best friends, it would be weird," he lied, but he wished he could just be in Sonic's warm embrace. He cursed his wondering thoughts.

"Oh," she replied angrily, the compassion leaving her voice and one replaced with annoyance. "So when you suggest me to ask out my best friend, it's okay but for you it's a stupid idea? How is that fair? Why is that? Are Silver and I weird then?!"

"N-no it's not that," Tails replied wide-eyed.

"So why is it different then?" Blaze rose, getting angrier and angrier.

"It's because Sonic is the same gender as me and your best friend was a guy!" Tails screamed, standing up and extending his arms to the ceiling.

"For somebody who likes the same gender, that is awfully homophobic of you," Blaze stated, refusing to back down from the argument despite her genuinely passive nature. Tails took this advice on board, mulling it over in his mind. Eventually, he came to an understanding with himself. He wouldn't be happy unless he tried.

"But what about Cream?" he sighed finally. "I still have feelings for her. I still love her…" Blaze cursed silently under her breath. She had completely forgotten about Tails' girlfriend. She paused, rubbing her chin in contemplation.

"If she really cares for you, she will understand."

"Thanks, Blaze."

"Any time," she smiled. "Now I've gotta go meet Silver. We're going to walk home together."

"Is this love blossoming?" Tails teased.

"Like you can talk," she fired back as she rushed out the double doors at the front of the school.

…

The bus home screeched to a halt as Knuckles, Sonic and Tails hopped off. Knuckles waved goodbye to the two friends as he strolled along to his house. Rouge watched again with calculating eyes as Tikal quickly jumped off the bus at the wrong stop again. Intrigued, she glided off the seat and slipped off the bus just as the doors closed.

"I wonder where she's going," Rouge whispered to herself as she followed behind. She followed the two as Knuckles strolled down the street, turned into his house and fished his keys out of his pocket, unlocking the front door of his house.

"Dad, I'm home," Knuckles called as he entered his home and ran upstairs, throwing his heavy bag haphazardly onto the carpeted floor and collapsing on the bed with a thud.

"What a week," he sighed, letting his aching muscles relax. Little did he know that Tikal, Knuckles' ex-girlfriend, was watching him from outside his yard. She held in her hands a small, glass vial, filled to the brim with a strange, lime green liquid. She smiled, thinking what she was going to do with the concoction.

Tikal had quickly zipped off into the city at lunch time to go to the local psychic. There, she purchased this small vial that was supposed to make whomever drank it fall desperately in love with the first person they saw. Normally, Tikal wouldn't have been so superstitious about such, she was always the most sensible of the group. However, she was desperate to get back with Knuckles. Nobody knew this, and she often kept her feelings from everybody, but she had really fallen for him. Hard. More than anybody ever knew, and it was physically painful to go on with school without him beside her. She was desperate and would try anything.

"What do you have there?" Rouge asked, emerging from the bushes and wrapping her hand around Tikal's shoulder, spinning her around. Tikal jumped in astonishment, completely startled by Rouge's sudden intrusion and lost her grip on the vial. Luckily, Rouge caught it with her quick reflexes and turned it around in her hand, examining the contents.

"Huh, wha?" Knuckles groaned loudly, looking out the window. Tikal quickly ducked, grabbing Rouge's skirt and pulling her down to the ground below the windowsill and out of Knuckles' view. He shrugged, grabbing the remote and switching on the television.

"Uncool," Rouge groaned, rubbing her backside as she brushed the dirt off her new, expensive designer clothing.

"Sorry, but you were going to get us caught," Tikal apologized. "It's your own fault. Why are you stalking me?"

"You can't be the one to lecture about stalking," Rouge rose an eyebrow as Tikal shut her mouth, embarrassment flooding her face. Rouge studied the label on the vile. "Naughty girl," she tutted tauntingly.

"Give that back, it isn't yours!" Tikal squealed, jumping up and trying to snatch the vial out of Rouge's hand. She failed miserably as Rouge easily held it out of reach. She was quite a bit taller than Tikal was. The two girls fought for possession of the vial for a few short minutes, making a considerable amount of noise in the process when they were both suddenly halted by a loud shout.

"What are you two doing outside of my house?" Knuckles yelled. During the commotion, he had walked over to his window and opened it to see what was going on. Tikal suddenly froze, shooting up straight and staring right at Knuckles. In this moment, Rouge quickly ran over to the window and handed Knuckles the vial.

"Tikal was trying to give you a love potion so that you would fall in love with her," she smirked, raising one long finger towards Tikal, who began fuming. A fire began to kindle in the pit of her stomach, sending smoke rising to her head. This was the second time in one-week Tikal had let Rouge embarrass her. Detention was an annoying price to pay for Rouge's tricks, but having Knuckles learn about what she had planned to do. Knuckles turned his head and looked straight at the Tikal, their eyes locking.

"Is this true?" he asked, surprisingly calm and sincere for the allegations that Rouge was spouting.

"Y-Yes," Tikal admitted, slumping over and moving her gaze to her shoes with disappointment and embarrassment. She wanted to lie, but Knuckles' penetrating gaze forced the truth out of her. "I didn't mean-" she began but was instantly cut off.

"I think you should go," Knuckles said quietly, void of all emotion. The fire had grown in her stomach and almost exploded out from within her. She quickly turned and darted away before she did or said something she would later regret. However, before she ran far enough away, she heard Rouge speak seductively to Knuckles.

"What a weirdo, you think you know a person…"

"I thought I did…" Knuckles shrugged. "I just kinda feel bad for her, y'know?"

"I know what could get your mind off her?" Rouge winked. Knuckles shot her a perplexed look, furrowing her brows. "A date. You, me, a fancy restaurant and romance in the air. What do you say?"

"Sure, why not," Knuckles shrugged, smiling.

"Wow, what a gentleman," Rouge rolled her eyes sarcastically. "What's your plan?"

"But you asked me out," Knuckles replied obliviously.

"I did not. A girl should never ask a guy out. And if they did, they certainly wouldn't be the one who had to plan the date," Rouge rattled.

"You literally just said you wanted to go on a date."

"A date? Really, Red? Hmm, I'll have to think about it, but I think that could be arranged," Rouge purred from below his winder.

"But I-" Knuckles babbled idiotically.

"Text me later with the plan," Rouge called as she sauntered away leaving Knuckles standing bewildered at his window sill.

"I just don't get that girl," he sighed, watching as she disappeared below.

Meanwhile, Tikal picked up the pace, wanting to get as far away from them as possible. She didn't stop until she arrived at a small, pink house further down the road. She pounded her fist against the door violently until Amy opened it angrily.

"What do you want?" Amy roared, but her demeanor instantly softened when she saw how distraught Tikal looked.

"I need your help," Tikal wailed, her eyes filled with longing, regret and determination.