Disclaimer: It's 12 at night, and this is 7 pages long! Just give be a break, for cryin' out loud!!!! (sob)
Chapter 3: High School Never Ends
He continued walking, holding my hand again, and we came to what must have been a sort of waiting area. It had no windows, but it did have a nice fireplace. It was quite hot outside, but there was still a fire going. It wasn't unbearable in the room, though. It was by far the coziest in Shadow's home yet. It also had multiple chairs scattered about, with a piano, harp, and violin set up in the corner. The walls of the room were red, but it had some white paneling going a third of the way up. A massive rug covered the entire floor. I loved this room, but if I had to guess, it probably wasn't Shadow's favorite.
"HEY!!!!" someone yelled, interrupting my sanity with its insanity. Then suddenly a dark blue hedgehog with bright sapphire eyes jumped in front of me causing me to step back, forcing me to let go of Shadow's glove. Shadow looked emotionless again as this male hedgehog continued with his babble. "I'M A VISITOR HERE! ARE YOU ONE, TOO?!?! THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!! HOW ARE YOU?!?! WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!?! I'M MORGAN! NICE TO MEET YOU!! DO YOU LIKE CALL OF DUTY??? IS PURPLE COOL??? HAVE YOU PLAYED HALO?? DO YOU LIKE SPAGETTI?? WILL YOU BE MY NIEGHBOR????" I looked at Shadow for support, but he offered nothing but an amused smirk. This visitor was dressed in a shirt that said 'Everyone Is Special' with some blue jeans. He wore absolutely hideous lime green and yellow shoes that could make your eyes hurt. He was shorter than me, even with his shoes. He LOOKED 25, but he didn't act like it AT ALL.
"UH…" I tried to remember every question he asked me. If I wasn't such an auditory learner, I would have failed. "Hi. Yes. Good. Samantha. Nice to meet you too, Morgan. Not really. Purple's cool. Yes. No, and… sure?"
"Goody!!!" Then Morgan gave me a very tight hug. He would give Sonic a run for his money in the 'Hyper-Active Blue Hedgehog' department. I pushed him off of me in order to regain my personal space bubble that had been effectively popped. I wonder what he did to Shadow. I could imagine the very hyper Morgan tackling the billionaire and had to suppress my laughter. I looked around again, this time for more visitors.
"Who gave that twerp espresso beans?" I couldn't see who said it until I saw a very deep grey head sticking up past the top of one of the chairs facing away from me.
"No, this is normal." Morgan replied, completely aware of who the other male was talking about. "You need to see me when I get some Jelly Beans!!!"
"Please, honey, don't put us through that," said another voice, this one feminine. "Besides, you are already a handful." I found who was speaking. She was sitting on one of the ceiling banisters. She was a white bat that had her head-fur growing a little past her mouth. Her eyes were an amazing green and she had blue eye shadow on. She wore a very unusual outfit, though. It was sort of like a sleeveless cat suit, but it had heart on the front. She wore white boots with a little pink heart on the tips of them, and long purple-and-white gloves. She looked sly, and her posture was even more so. She couldn't have been older than me, but I could bet confidently that she had more experience then she looked like she had. She unfurled her midnight wings and glided down towards me. "Hi. I'm Rouge, Samantha. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand and I shook it. Her grip was very strong, and yet delicate.
"It's nice to know I'm not the only girl," I laughed. She was easy to talk to.
"Oh, don't worry, there are more coming." That caught me by surprise.
"Are you not a visitor?"
"No, I'm not. I'm a friend of Smiley's over there," she pointed to Shadow, who was leaning quietly against the wall watching us. "I'm just helping out this… get-together."
"Cool. Nice to meet you." I put my heavy suitcase by the wall and I walked over to the other visitor, curiosity possessing me. In the fabulous throne sat a very angry-looking wolf. His muscles rippled from underneath his dark grey fur, and his dark purple eyes seemed to scream 'touch me and die'. He wore no shirt, I assume to show off his 'guns', and light grey cut off jeans. Oh, how I wish his pants were purple so I could call him the 'Hulk'. He looked me up and down like I was a slab of meat at the super market.
"Well, what do you want?" he growled at me.
"Nice to meet you too, Grumpy. I'm Samantha, and you are…?" I replied very nonchalantly. He stood up at the insult and I found out just how tall he was. Even if I stretched out my hands and stood on my tip toes, I still wouldn't touch his head. I might get close, but not close enough for a fight. I stood my ground, none-the-less.
"Torque. Torque Hall. Remember that name you-"
"Oh, look, more guests." Shadow butted in, saving me from having to cover Morgan's ears, "Now, play like nice children until I get back. Rouge, you're in charge. Keep Samantha from being pulverized."
"I resent that remark!" I yelled. Gargantuan looked confused at this exchange. All brawn, no brain. What a sad combination. I was going to have fun annoying him. Shadow left and then I heard the boom of doom from the door.
"That's creepy. How'd he do that?" Morgan wondered aloud.
"He did that before you came in," replied Torque, "And if you don't shut up and calm down, I swear I'll kill you." I saw the perfect opportunity to begin Operation: Ticked, as I dubbed it.
"You'd have to lose weight and catch him first."
I should have seen the fist coming. Of all the things I thought he wasn't, he was fast. Luckily for me, Rouge saw it coming and got me out of the way from his fist up to one of the over hangs. Already my first day, and I almost got killed. This was going to be a blast!
"Now honey," she said, "I know it's fun to pester the guys that are stupid AND strong, but there is an art to it. Get more practice before you stand so close."
"Yeah, you twerp, go cry to momma!"
"At least I can detect insults." I'm starting to sound like Shadow, all proper and all.
"What? When?"
"Too slow, Torque. You missed it. It just ran out the door." To my utter surprise, Torque actually looked around for the 'insults'. He finally got it and probably would have shouted some not nice things if he wasn't interrupted.
"SWEET HONEY ICE TEA, THIS IS SO COOL!" A new bat that I would learn to love as a friend walked in with his two small bags. His body was a dark brown, which contrasted to his green eyes. His muzzle and chest were white. He wore a black sweat shirt and long green pants. His bat wings somehow managed to fit out of a hole in the back. He probably was around 18.
"Great, not another hyper freak." I couldn't blame Torque for saying that. He said my fears aloud exactly as this guest walked in. The bat's face contorted with rage, and I knew then that he wasn't the same type of freak as Morgan. Morgan could take the insults. This bat couldn't. Before I could stop myself, I hopped down from my sanctuary and took hold of this situation with tact.
"Ignore Vile-and-Ugly over there. I'm Samantha. What's your name?" I'm not good with tact, apparently. Torque then attempted to slam me from behind, but the guest tackled me out of the way, his sleeve rolling up in the process. His arm was covered in long scars. I gave a gasp and he quickly fixed his disguise, giving me a 'Please don't tell' look. I crossed my heart and smiled at him. I don't want to know where they came from, and I'm certainly not going to tell everyone about them. I think he understood, because he smiled back.
You see, I have friends like that. They have scars or burns on them. They are so ashamed of them that they vainly try to cover them. I somehow always found out. I never tell a soul, but I try to comfort them in my own little ways. I'm not terribly nosey and I don't care what people look like. It's the inside that counts. Take Torque, for example. He could be counted among the 'Hot and Gorgeous', but in case you didn't notice, I could have cared less.
When we got up and turned around, Shadow and Rouge had regained control of Torque. Rouge walked over to me.
"Lesson two: never turn your back to the person your insulting."
"Man, I need to take notes!"
"Anyways," interjected my savior, "I'm Vincent Dollens." My new found friend gave me his hand and I shook it. He must bounce back fast. A slam came, indicating another guest and Shadow left again. Torque sat in a corner nursing his pride. Morgan proceeded to interrogate poor Vincent while I laughed at him.
He was becoming frustrated when Shadow returned with the next guest. He almost had to drag her into the room. When she finally came in, she curled up into a tight ball.
"Awww, what a sweet little armadillo…" Rouge gushed. "She's so shy!" Shadow seemed amused at Rouge's reaction. She immediately went, picked up the live ball of armor and put it in a chair. Even Morgan was quiet as the newest arrival finally uncurled herself. Her armor was alternating green and pink, while her body was black, like most armadillos. Her blue eyes seemed close to tears, she was so scared. She wore a green and pink camouflage sleeveless T-shirt with pink pants. Her shoes were brown moccasins to make it easier to curl up, and she wore little black gloves and socks. She was probably around 23, but she was so small that she looked 10.
"Hey," I said as sweetly as possible, "I'm Samantha. This is Rouge. What's your name?" I know I was being super nice, but she didn't relax at all. The guys weren't helping at all as Shadow was trying to protect Morgan from Torque while Vincent was cheering something about 'Battle Royal'.
"C-C-C-Cameron Anderson," she stuttered nervously. Rouge squeezed herself beside Cameron, hugging her.
"Don't be scared of us, sweetie," Rouge said soothingly. "We already like you!" Cameron's eyes lit up as she brushed away her tears. Rouge has a way with people, I'll give her that.
"Really?" she said hopefully.
"Yeah," I replied. "We do." Cameron hugged us both and she sat quietly, at peace in our company. We kept Morgan FAR AWAY. When another bang came and Shadow left, the room was a lot quieter.
For about 2 minutes. Then pure chaos erupted again in the form of a female fox. No, the fox wasn't the problem. It was the guy's reaction to her. She was completely white from head-to-toe except for her pink eyes and long, brown, curly hair. Her blue headband kept her hair from her face. She wore a dull blue, short-sleeve, mini zip-up sweatshirt that failed to cover most of her stomach. Her skirt was grey with some white frill sticking out from underneath that complemented her silver high-heels and gloves. She was laughing with Shadow when she walked in. Torque saw her and immediately walked over.
"Hey, babe," he said, trying to act... sexy I guess… "What's your name?"
"Give her space!" Vincent interrupted, pushing Torque aside, which is probably like pushing a mountain. "So, what IS your name?"
"YEAH, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!? DO YOU LIKE PICKLES?!? HOW DO YOU BEAT THE LAST LEVEL OF GHOST RECON 2?!? I STILL HAVN'T GOTTEN IT!!! HOW DID YOU GET YOUR EYES PINK!?! WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO LIFE, THE UNIVER-"
"What were you thinking, interrupting me?! Besides, you're too short for her."
"Get over it, Hulk. Whadda gonna to do? Turn Green?"
"Uh, excuse me," the female interrupted before Torque could beat Vincent. She sounded scared, and I don't blame her. "Let's start over. I'm Carrie Sullivan. Who are you?" She was looking pointedly at Morgan. As amazing as it sounds, he was out of words.
"Uh… Who me? I'm… uh… Morgan. Morgan Dingles." Carrie smiled and turned to the next boy.
"Me? Vincent Dollens. Pleasure to meet you."
"And I'm Torque Hall."
"Oh, what a cool name!" She flirted. I rolled my eyes and ignored them. She obviously didn't feel the same way as I did about people. Looks first, personality later. I did catch that she does some modeling stints for different brands. After that, I stopped caring completely. She reminded me of some cheerleaders I knew and wanted to forget. I never noticed that Shadow had gone back to the door until the next visitor arrived.
"HI!!!!!!" a rabbit squealed. She was a golden, hyperactive bunny with orange eyes. Her muzzle was white, but her stomach had brown fur. She had an orange and yellow Extreme Gear board, blue goggles, and yellow gloves. Her shirt was a dull blue with a purple flower. She wore knee-length jeans and orange sneakers. She probably was around Morgan's age. Somehow crazies can sense other crazies, because she immediately hopped over to Morgan. "HI, I'M RUTH BUNYON!!! WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!?!" Morgan wasn't taken aback by her attitude, but he joined right in.
"I'M MORGAN!! DO YOU LIKE HALO?!?"
"YEAH, I DO!!! DO YOU LIKE JELLY BEANS??"
"YES!!!! I LIKE THE CHERRY FLAVORD ONES!!!"
"ME TOO!!!!! WE'RE GOING TO BE BEST BUDDIES!!!!"
"WAIT!!!"
"WHAT???"
"WILL YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR???" Morgan asked nervously. Ruth seemed to contemplate this like she had just been asked out by the madman.
"Yes!!" she squealed again.
"Hurrah!!!!" Morgan yelled. They immediately went over to the fireplace and talked more quietly, while the rest of us were trying to figure out what just happened. Except for Torque, who's too stupid for that.
"OK. That was creepy…" he muttered.
"You got that right." Vincent said. If they both agreed, it must be true. Cameron was so scared, she curled back up.
"I concur," said a new voice. He was a copper penny-looking chameleon with violet eyes. He had a peachy-colored stomach and a white jacket with straps all over them. His black gloves also had straps. His white shoes matched his white pants, which were held up by a black belt. His age was hard to guess because he looked so mature. I guess Shadow had left and got him, too.
"And who are you, pretty boy?" sneered Torque. The chameleon turned to him, face expressionless.
"Andrew Edwards. May I inquire you name?" Now I'm gonna have to work twice as hard not to sound so stinkin' proper! Stupid Auditory skills.
"Torque, pretty boy," Torque replied. Andrew ignored him and went to Cameron, who started to watch the exchange. She immediately curled up again, but he just sat beside her and said nothing. I turned and talked to Vincent, who was the only one not talking to anyone.
I actually heard the knock this time, and Shadow disappeared again. He came back with what I thought was another rabbit. He was light brown with yellow eyes. His white mouth and belly stood out, along with his rag-like gloves. His khaki pants had holes, along with his moccasins that matched his vest. He also had a brown leather belt. He might have been around 22.
"Howdy, ya'll!" he said real friendly-like, I mean, nicely. These accents are too catchy. I'm glad Morgan said my mistake aloud, though.
"Hey!! Are you like Ruth?" Ruth looked offended, and for a moment, I was confused.
"No, partner," the anthro said, looking offended himself. "I'm a hare. Can't you tell?" In case you do not understand our confusion, try telling the difference between two Asians. You only know the differences if you were born Asian, or if you spend enough time around them. When he noticed we couldn't, he rolled his eyes and explained. "Longer ears, legs, and where I'm from, less hair. So, we're just better."
"NO, YOU'RE NOT!!! EVERYBODY LOVES RABBITS!!" shouted Ruth.
"But can you out-jump me?"
"OH, GO BACK TO TEXAS, YOU FAKER!!" Shadow almost laughed at this comment, but I had no idea why.
"I win, but it's ok. We're still friends? Just had to protect my honor, y know." He stretched out his paw. Ruth looked at it for a second, and then she shook it. "My, you got one strong grip, Ruth. I'm Barney. Barney Faulkner." Vincent must have found him amusing, because he immediately went and started talking to him. Just like high school, all alone again. Darn people skills.
I almost gave up hope when another guest came with Shadow. She was a light blue echidna with hazel eyes. She had the same colored hair put into many small braids all over her head, with only a few pieces left out, which covered half of her face as if she wanted to hide. She had a coffee colored dress that had frills at the bottom. She had a white bow in the back, and she wore the traditional echidna footwear: strappy sandals. Her gold heart necklace stuck out. I went to her out of boredom.
"Hi, I'm Samantha. What's your name?" she smiled at me.
"Kelki Rodgers. This house is very well put together. He had to have had a designer. Nothing is out of place either. I can't wait to draw this!"
"Oh, I'm jealous. You probably draw well!"
"No, not really. I'll show you some of my art work later, if you want…"
"Sure I want to! You're lucky. I'll I can do well is read."
"Now I'm jealous!" she laughed. "I can't read well at all! I've always wanted to! People talk about books all the time, and I never understand what they talk about."
"I could read to you sometime. I have a really great book here with me!"
"Sounds cool!" We were interrupted from our conversation by an unearthly shriek.
"This make up case was about 200 dollars!!!! You better hope it's not broken!!" The diva came in and graced us with her horrid presence. I couldn't believe I recognized her. Sterling Johnson: Super Model for a lingerie company, socialite with a history of boy-toys, and one of the richest cats in the nation. Her light pink feline body, bright red eyes, and long black hair brought men like moths to a flame. She wore complete black. Black gloves, boots, mini-mini skirt, and black shirt (if you could call it that). It looked like someone took a knife to it. Her bright red lip stick contrasted with her white muzzle. I could tell right off the bat that I wasn't going to like her AT ALL. She sauntered in, and immediately Torque went to her.
"Hey, girl. You're lookin' fine." I wanted to throw up. Wasn't he just with Carrie? I looked to the white fox, but she didn't seem to mind. She almost looked relived. That wouldn't make sense! But her expression changed to one of delight and she too went to the new cat in town. Sterling seemed at ease with them. I continued my talk with Kelki when she pointed out something extremely important.
"I think we're all here." I looked around. There were supposed to be 11 of us. 1. Me and 2. Kelki. 3. Vincent, who was talking to 4. Barney. 5. Morgan was yelling about Splinter Cell with 6. Ruth. 7. Torque was flirting with 8. Sterling, while 9. Carrie looked on and said something every once in a while. 10. Andrew sat next to 11. Cameron, not saying a thing.
"You are correct, Kelki Rodgers." Shadow magically stood next to us. He called everyone's attention and continued. "Now that everyone has arrived, let us begin with the grand tour."
YES!!! EXPLORING TIME!!! I can't wait! Uh. I'm exhausted. And if I got Texan accents all wrong, please forgive me. I'm not from Texas, ya see. I don't even know what my accent is!! With a Spanish speaking mom and a German dad, it's hard to tell. Anyways, tell me your thoughts on the different characters in your review. If you don't, I'll tell Torque that you called him the incredibly stupid Hulk!!