Chapter 3:
The problem with mornings like these was that Amy didn't have a lot of time to review everything she was working on, and so she looked over the research paper she had finished in her half-asleep state when she got home this morning after work, and nearly cried at how many mistakes there were—and she didn't have time to rewrite it.
Amy sighed in frustration, rubbing at her eyes that suddenly felt exhausted. Everything recently had felt exhausting, and in the end, she's kept asking herself: "Is it worth it?"
She glanced to the clock on her stove, the flashing numbers mocking her. Amy sighed, sitting down at her computer and emailing her professor and explaining that she'll get a copy of the assignment in by the end of the day. Promise.
The sound of her cell phone ringing made her jump a little, but only slightly. It was Cream, of course, calling her every morning at the same time so they could commute to school together like they have been since first being roommates together 4 years ago, in fact it was Amy who helped Cream get her job.
"Are you on your way?" the voice on the other side of line said, not a hello or any other sort of greeting; just a question. Amy hummed, shimmying into a clean pair of black leggings and stuffing her wallet and an umbrella in her backpack along with her laptop and what books she needed for the day.
"Yes, I'm on my way, I'll meet you at the bus stop like usual ok?"
The voice on the other side of the line sighed, "ok but hurry up, I got you breakfast."
Amy smiled, a moment's worth of the panic in her heart subsiding as she appreciated the friend she had on the other side of the line.
"Thanks Cream, you really are my favorite bunny." Kissing sounds could be heard coming from the other side of the line, and Amy laughed as she hung up and got the last few remaining things she needed for the day together.
Amy slung her bag over her shoulder, gathered her keys and phone, and left her apartment for the day.
The bus stop that she meets Cream at is really only outside her apartment, which is only a few down from Cream's as well. Even though the two don't live together they live rather close to each other. After the first year on campus that was required of out of town freshman, they realized that they were good friends but not good roommates, so they had chosen to live near each other but not actually with each other to save their sanity.
Cream was waiting as usual, bundled up in her coat even though it was a nice summer morning with a little bag with a familiar logo on it from the café down the street.
Amy leaned against Cream, looking down at what Cream was looking at on her phone. Amy blushed, deeply.
Cream shrugged at the look that Amy had given her, "what? You shouldn't have been looking."
"Well," Amy started, her argument faulting on her lips. "Why do you have something like that saved to your phone?" Cream shrugged again, her pig tails bouncing against her shoulders and her long ears swayed. Amy studied Cream harder, looking up and down her frame. She looked disinterested as usual, but Cream was naturally a sweet and caring girl, so the disinterested look was so that other people on the street wouldn't bother her. She was wearing shorts to accommodate for the warm morning and hot day, even though she was bundled up in a coat, and her new sneakers she had bought a few weeks ago that were still looking fresh from the store. Amy studied the hat that sat on Cream's head, it was the same tattered blue one she wore every day.
"Bangs!" Amy said suddenly and loudly, making the elderly walrus women next to them huff and shuffle farther away from the two. Cream had jumped at the sudden noise as well and looked at Amy expectantly. "You got bangs!"
"Shhh, Amy." Cream whispered harshly, she tucked the few stray hairs back under her hat. "I visited my mom over the weekend and she insisted on cutting my hair for me." Cream had crossed her arms and looked off to the side with a heavy blush on her cheeks. "I have an appointment after class to fix it, is it bad?"
The tears in Cream's eye made Amy want to roll hers. "Cream, Hun, it's fine. It's only because I know you so well that I knew something was off." Amy patted Cream's cheek, grabbing the bag of food when she did so she could eat on the bus.
Cream sighed, composing herself so she didn't ruin her light application of makeup she did everyday to hide the bags under her eyes. Truth be told, it worked very well. Cream was very talented when it came to makeup effects, cover up, and just makeup in general—in fact Cream is the reason she has red fur every night, if it wasn't for her at least and contact lenses to change up Amy's appearance just enough to not be identifiable at first glance.
"Cream that reminds me, when this term ends let's go shopping for more red fur cream that doesn't stain so much."
"What? Amy, we weren't talking about makeup." Cream deadpanned, Amy blushed, rubbing her arm that was covered by her hoodie.
"Oh right, sorry- I was just kinda lost in thought. Anyways, yeah? Red fur cream? And maybe can you teach me how to put it on so if you're not at work again I'm not getting out late and Carrotia isn't stuck trying to help me and cursing me the entire nine yards." Amy rolled her eyes, pushing her bangs up and rubbing her head.
"Amy, you've gotta remember that the only mind reader around here is you." Cream said softly and smiled. Amy smiled back.
"You're right, just one thing led to another."
"I get it, and yeah we can even go tomorrow to look for some." The bus approached the stop, and the small crowd that had congregated there shuffled onto the bus and into the respected seats. The elder walrus women huffed at a young bat who had sat down in the last available seat. Amy cleared her throat and gestured for Cream and her to stand so the elder woman could have their seat.
The elder woman nodded respectfully to the two young women and sat down, she had dug through her purse briefly and produced two strawberry flavored candies for the young ladies.
"Nice," Cream said softly, popping the candy in her mouth as she held on to the overhead system when the bus started moving. Amy, who had a weird knack for standing on moving objects and not losing her balance, jerked slightly but only shifted her weight to the other foot and re-centered her balance.
Cream, having been used to Amy's unnatural ability for balance, didn't give her a questioning look. Other Mobians on the other hand, even the elder walrus woman, gave Amy a side ways glance. Although, throughout this, Amy was oblivious as she was eating her breakfast that Cream had gotten for her and was looking through her phone- not hanging on to the straps provided of course.
"Amy, I still don't understand how you can do that." Cream said lowly, glancing at her friend. Amy shrugged, her mouth full. "Like, you never trip or fall unless you do it on purpose. What is with that? You have such a weird abundance of skills—like, are you a ninja or something?"
Amy choked on her food then, her eyes watering as she swallowed it down finally and gave Cream a glare. "No," her voice was hoarse, and she cringed slightly. "I'm not a ninja."
Cream pursed her lips and gave Amy a judgmental stare, slowly she turned her head to look back down at her phone, casting glances at Amy throughout the duration of the bus ride. Amy rolled her eyes, glancing towards the road and reading the signs they passed by.
The bus jerked suddenly and slowed to a stop hard. Cream stumbled a bit from the motion, and right into Amy—who didn't move. She supported Cream and helped the rabbit stand back up, and then glanced out the front window. It was a line of traffic with police blocking off one lane, caution tape around the front of two buildings and their shared alley.
Amy watched the scene as the bus inched by, there were many Mobians in their uniforms with their squad cars flashing their lights, and then there was a flash of a familiar Mobian. Amy quickly smacked Cream's arm and pointed to the yellow furred Mobian who had their purple tied up in a tight bun.
"Doesn't that look like-" Amy started, looking down at Cream who seemed bewildered but then frowned, turning her back to the scene as they passed it by.
"No, there's lots of creatures with yellow fur, Amy." Cream said rather pointedly, Amy frowned down at her friend, but then looked back at the familiar looking Mobian—but Cream was right, you couldn't see their face, so who knows who it was.
"You're right." Amy mumbled, turning away from the scene. She didn't even absorb what could've happened, but there were theories being whispered about on the bus, phones being pulled out and News Stations being contacted even though they were less than 15 feet past it.
Their stop came up fast, even though in reality it didn't exactly. As they got off the bus and Amy re-shouldered her bag to be more comfortable, she pointed out: "It would've been faster to walk this morning than take the bus."
Cream rolled her eyes, adjusting her hat and hiding herself farther in her coat. "You can walk if you want, personally I'm sore from last night."
Amy shivered, the image from earlier coming back to mind. "I can't believe you went home with that guy-"
Cream shrugged, "In all honesty me too, it was kinda disappointing, he was so tall and handsome."
Amy sighed, hip checking her friend so hard that Cream went flying into the nearby bushes with a brief shriek.