Let me just say: LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!
Whew, anyway I wanna thank everyone who reviewed, it was so awesome to hear you guys liked the story. Yes it's pretty dark but this chapter lightens things up a little.
Also to Ghostkid33 thanks for the review and sorry it made you cry ^^ But now you have the answer of who was following Sonic yaay.
I can't help but do Sonic and Tails fluff, I love their friendship so it's hard to keep them hating each other, but even though the summery says Sonic is mean to Tails let me just say... The story aint over yet ;)
Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter
Following him had seemed like a good idea at first, but how do you keep up with the fastest kid alive? Panting, the young fox nearly fell to his knees. He took a moment to stop and catch his breath before his baby blue eyes darted around, looking for any clue as to where he could be. There wasn't really anywhere he could go to unless he left School ground; he certainly wasn't going to look for him then, but other than that… His eyes drifted to the small football stadium that was the main attraction of the School. It was often used for practise by the sport stars, always before a big game. Though as far as he knew it wasn't being used… Placing his hand to his chin, he narrowed his eyes in thought. Looking to the nearby trees that surrounded him none of them moved, yet the ones nearer the stadium blew around from a strong force before settling down. He found him.
The field was empty, no gear or nets were out or ready for use. All practice was going to be tomorrow, all the players got three lessons off for it. It was going to be the biggest game of their lives, the coach had informed them some of the top University reps were going to be there looking for talent so they had to be at their best.
Right now he couldn't care less about that stupid game.
Completely alone and isolated Sonic sat in the bleachers. His knees curled up his chest and his hands gripped the sides of his head as his whole body trembled. This time he was completely alone, there was no one to keep him quiet. With everything he had left in him he screamed, did nothing more than just scream. Tears fell down his muzzle and normally he would quickly wipe them away, but this time he didn't care, he freely let them fall from his face. No one saw him cry, no one saw the look of desperation on his face as he begged; for what he didn't know. All he could do was plead for something, even though he was alone.
His back was in blistering pain as the harsh itchy material scratched at his scars which only made him want to take it off and throw it away, but even though he was alone he was too afraid someone would see.
The young fox hadn't known any of this. All he saw as he climbed up the stairway was Sonic the Hedgehog sitting in the middle of the bleaching and he did was scream. He wasn't sure of what to do… Sonic was the biggest bully in the whole School, no one could take him, so disturbing him may result in being thrown into a dust bin. On the other hand though, leaving him just felt like he was no better. With a nervous breath, the boy forced his feet forward as quietly as possible. When walking onto the row of seats he had expected to be noticed, but he wasn't. Sonic's eyes were shut tight and he was too loud to her the fox's small footsteps. This didn't make the butterflies go away as he was just an arm's reach away and he was still unseen. Looking around he felt he couldn't back out. Loud pitiful sobs were enough to echo around the stadium so naturally he almost fell back in shock when the fifteen year old gasped and snapped to face him after the boy quietly cleared his throat.
Using the seats as a support, he watched Sonic's red puffy eyes glare down at him in anger while he used the back of his sleeve to rub his muzzle dry. When he spoke his voice was broken and whispery, but clear enough to still sound intimidating, "What the hell are you doing here you little freak?!" he spat. Tails shuffled his feet, looking down he felt too afraid to answer him. Seeing he wasn't getting a response, the hedgehog looked away and fell deep into his chair, ignoring the pain it cause, and crossed his arms over his chest, holding himself together as much as he could. He could feel his breath jerk harshly as he tried to recover himself, but he just couldn't get a hold of his emotions. He was left whimpering with tears in his eyes while being watched by the two tailed freak. It just kept getting worse.
Knowing there was nothing more he could do, he shut his eyes once again and dipped his head, "Just go" he whispered, another tear falling into his arms.
Tails looked up from his feet, and for the first time since he had met him, he felt pity towards him. A part of him wanted to just do as he was told and forget all about it, another part wanted to take a photo and show everyone that the hedgehog wasn't immortal… but most of all he wanted to help. So instead he walked closer, set his bag down next to Sonic's and sat not that far away from him. Even though the fifteen year old didn't open his eyes, he growled lowly in irritation, it was simply ignored.
With his hands clasped together and his thumbs twirling, Tails's eyes flickered around, "Umm… I wanted to talk to you… at lunch, but you got detention so…" as his thoughts trailed off, he became silent, his eyes fixed in shock and worry as the hedgehog whimpered sorrowfully when placing his hand to his mouth, trying to keep himself together. Choking on his breath again he wiped his eyes once more and turned his head away, not wanting the younger child to see him like this.
Not knowing how to respond, Tails hesitated but placed a nervous hand on the older boy's arm, unsure if it would give any comfort at all, but he wasn't pushed away, and that was victory enough. "I-I… I don't know what h-happened… but I'm not gonna ask" the fox stated. Fortunately it might have been what Sonic wanted to hear, because he seemed to settle down a little bit after that, but he still wouldn't look at him. "I-it's just… Well the Science project, we've been asked to work together and…"
"Oh grow up Tails, what the hell do I care about some stupid Science project that I'd let you talk to me during lunch!" the blue teens harsh words came at a little surprise, but he finally looked at the two tailed fox who quickly took his hand away from his arm. "Yeah but… it's important" the kid tried to defend, Sonic simply laughed bitterly, "I don't freaking care how important it is, I don't want anything to do with that project. I don't want to impress the stupid teacher with pathetic crap that means nothing to me!" Sonic had yelled angrily, his voice had been just as loud as it was when he was screaming and sounded similar, only this time it was with words. "What the hell is Science going to do for me? Huh? Why should I have to go through it, I haven't done anything! It's not fair!" he cried out, burying his face into his knees.
Tails remained silent not knowing how to make sense of what he heard. He knew he didn't understand what was wrong, he wanted to ask so badly but knew he wouldn't get the answer; instead he'd probably shot away, and despite how awkward the situation was he didn't want to leave. Playing with the cuffs of his gloves, he bravely spoke up "Sonic…" he started, only to realise he didn't know what to say that would be right, so he just had to say anything, "Are you going back to class? I think we're in math" he looked down at his watch and saw that they were late by fifteen minutes. It wouldn't go down well, and they really shouldn't waist anymore time.
Sonic didn't seem to care though as he shook his head side to side. His breathing slowly steadied and other then the stains on his muzzle there were no signs of anymore tears. He held the side of his temple and rubbed it, feeling a headache come on. "I'm not going back" he sniffed lowly. With a nervous stare, Tails felt anxious, "But why?" he blurted out. "I'm just not! And I'm not going in tomorrow either" the hedgehog said, taking the final word as he stared at the football field. He didn't want all his team seeing his back.
"Well… what are you gonna do?" the yellow fox asked, his response was a shrug of the shoulders, "I dunno… but I got three hours to kill now" the hedgehog breathed, seemingly a lot calmer now. His voice sounded normal while his trembling had stopped, Tails wondered if it was because he wasn't talking about Science anymore. Then suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks, and he realised what the problem was. "Sonic… are you worried about failing Science?"
The moment he spoke those words, Sonic stared at him completely bewildered. Was he serious? Was he freaking serious right now? Was failing Science such a disaster for the nerd that he'd believe Sonic the hedgehog would be having a mental break down over it? He wanted nothing more than to tell him the truth, tell him the real reason he was out here and tell him why his favourite teacher was nothing more than manipulative bitch… but he couldn't. Maybe it was better for him to believe he was scared of failing instead of telling the truth. Her word's kept ringing in his mind… all it takes is one person to know.
So instead of fighting back, he huffed, "Yep… how'd you know?" he said almost sarcastically. Tails smiled, feeling he was finally getting somewhere now, plus he knew everything about Science so maybe he could even help. "It's a big deal. I know you haven't been doing so well with your grades so failing a class might result in not graduating, and that's scaring you aren't it?"
"Yes Tails, that's exactly it" the fifteen year old said flatly, not paying much attention anymore, Tails however wasn't catching on, "Sometimes Mrs Winter…" he stopped when Sonic raised his brow in confusion, "Our Science teacher. Sometimes she lets me stay after School and goes over things with me. I know you don't like her but she's a really good teacher, she's really nice. If you ask then maybe she'll let you stay back and-"
"Shut up, just shut up!" Sonic snapped as his hands clasped over his ears. He shut his eyes once again trying to force memories away. This time Tails did as told, too shy to say anything else now. His shoulders dropped in disappointment as he stared at the football pitch, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He looked at his watch to see they were twenty minutes late, but he still didn't have the heart to leave.
Letting a small time of silence pass by, Sonic's ear twitched when the childish voice spoke up, "I'm scared of the big game" he mumbled. Turning his head down slightly, the blue hedgehog raised his brow. Seeing his gaze, the fox ran his hand threw his bangs shyly, his face beginning to flush, "Well everyone's older than me, and you guys get pretty rough… No one really wants me on the team and I'm scared of failing gym. The only way I can really pass this year is by getting extra credit."
He wasn't sure why, but Sonic felt his lips turn to a frown. He knew Tails was terrible at the game, he often liked to point it out in the locker rooms after practice, but hearing it from the kids own mouth… it wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be, that and to hear the kid might be held back… made him feel a bit sorry.
With a deep sigh, Sonic pushed himself up from his chair, tensing from the pain that shot through his back, but he managed. Reaching down he picked up his bag and held it under his arm, Tails shortly did the same, "Are you going back to class?" the kid asked hopefully. With a small laugh, Sonic smirked "I told you I'm not going back" with that he placed his hand to Tails's head and lightly pushed him aside to walk past. "B-but where are you going?" the fox called out as the teenager made his way to the exit.
He paused for a moment, then turned back and looked at the fox who stared at him with big blue eyes full of curiosity. "I got to get a few things…" he answered. The eight year old had expected him to leave at that point, so he looked down to the floor sadly, his twin tails curling around his feet.
There was nothing more than shock in his eyes when he heard the hedgehog's voice once again. "You coming or not?"
There was no way Tails could have ever imagined this day would come. No matter how many times he worked it out in his mind, the odds of this occurring had less chance then a black hole swallowing them all up in a matter of seconds. Yet here he was, in the middle of the Grand Mall… bunking off School with Sonic the Hedgehog. This had to be the strangest day of his life.
Sonic however couldn't care less. Bunking off School had never been such a big deal to him, often he and his friends, mostly Knuckles and Silver, would skip class and come here to hang out. The girls sometimes joined them but not often. He did enjoy it when they did though, however they had to avoid some shops or else they'd be reported for skipping School. Out of all times he had left though, he had never left by himself; he always had at least one person with him. Now out of all times the last thing he wanted was to be with his friends, yet he couldn't bear to be alone. He didn't want his teacher's words to be true.
So there they both sat side by side, him and the School nerd, on the edge of the large fountain that centred in the Grand Mall. Instead of shouting and cowering like yellow fox had once thought, Sonic was actually being pretty cool to him. The hedgehog hadn't had his lunch and was pretty hungry, so they had got something from the Hot dog stand. He had ordered five chilly dogs whereas Tails passed, he had already eaten, and he didn't really have any money on him. A couple of hours had already passed by; they just needed another hour before they could go home. When they first arrived Sonic had dragged him to the video game shop, then a couple of computer stores. He was picking up a few spare parts that he didn't really know what they were, but he had a list with him so Tails had helped him out there. The shop they spent the most time in was the clothing department. For some reason Sonic had dragged him straight to the Men's jackets and hoodies and it wasn't long for the eight year old to get incredibly bored.
Sonic either didn't notice or didn't care, he had been too busy looking through all the different jackets, and every time he found one he liked the looked of he would always check for what the material was like inside, especially on the back, and every time he kept saying it was too harsh. Tails hadn't really known Sonic to be so picky, he didn't even wear jackets normally but suddenly now he did, and knowing what everyone was like pretty soon every guy in School would start wearing jackets. At one point he got so bored he could have sworn he saw Amy and Rouge looking at dresses on the other side of the store. Eventually Sonic had found the one he wanted, and finally they could leave once he purchased a few of them in different colours and all in a size S.
Now they had a chance to relax a little after walking around. Sonic was on his last chilly dog, wolfing it down quickly. There wasn't much banter between the two though, in fact other than talking video games and computer parts they didn't seem to talk at all, apart from Tails complaining about skipping School; though if he didn't stop Sonic said he'd push him in the fountain and hold him down. Now Tails sat quietly and watched the other eat. His feet dangled above the ground and sometimes he would gaze down at his brown shoes.
"How can you eat so many?" he mumbled as the teen licked the sauce off his fingers. Sonic looked at him and paused which kept his finger in his mouth, making the younger of the two laugh a little. Smiling he continued, "Got a fast metabolism, gotta eat about six thousand calories a day just to avoid health problems" he explains, recalling what his Uncle had told him, it was no wonder he used to be skin and bone. Tails looked fascinated, "Wow, that's really interesting, too bad we weren't working on biology or else we could have studied the theory behind your speed and how your body coped with such a high friction and-"
"Will you quit already? I told you I'm not some lab rat you can run tests on" the hedgehog growled, causing Tails stop and look down, "S-sorry, I'm just interested is all" he mumbled, only Sonic scoffed at him, "Yeah well you don't see me asking to look at your double rear end all day just to work out how you spin those things without getting them tangled up now do ya?"
Not really knowing how to respond, he decided to say nothing at all. Due to this things started to feel awkward, and both could tell. Tails didn't look at the hedgehog and he couldn't help but feel a little bad about it, so taking a deep breath he spoke "I just… I hate feeling different" he admitted, much to Tails's surprise. Expecting the kid to ask more questions or point out that that was just how the hedgehog made him feel, he felt confused when all he received was a small smile. "How about we agree to not mention it anymore? I won't ask about your speed and you don't make fun of me for having two tails" with that Tails reached out an open palm. Sonic grinned in amusement at how serious the kid was being, but reached out a hand and took his, they shook.
"Alright kiddo, now that's out the way, where to next?" the blue blur asked while standing up from the fountain, this time with less pain which he was happy about. Tails jumped off as well and picked up the bags, even though they weren't his. His young eyes looked all around, they did have another hour to go after all, but there wasn't much that interested… him…
"Well there's not really much else to look at, so how about we head for the arcade…" Sonic's voice trailed as he spoke to the other, only when he looked down he noticed that neither Tails nor his bags were next to him anymore. "Tails?" he called out, looking around but he couldn't see him anyway. "Tails where are you?" he tried again, starting to feel a little bit worried. He wandered around a little, keeping his eyes peeled back for the kid, but it wasn't until he saw a kid with two tails run past an aisle that he dropped his shoulders in relief before following.
How found it strange that the kid had suddenly ran into the Sport's Gear shop, but he figured he was probably looking for something to help him in the big game, not that there was much he could do, the kid pretty much sucked. Looking all around he was taken back when he found the young animal standing in the kid's shoe department sitting down on a padded bench and staring up longingly at what had to be the most expensive shoes in the store; and this was a pretty expensive store.
Walking to his side, Tails hardly flinched when he heard a small whistle behind him, "Light Speed shoes huh? Never thought you'd be the Brand name type" the hedgehog remarked, he tapped the top of his foot on the floor a couple of times to emphasise that those were the same make shoes he was currently wearing. Tails did look at his shoes, the swayed red with a white strap and golden buckle were the coolest shoes the brand had to offer. Rumours had gone round that the reason no one could get those kind of shoes was because Sonic had them custom made, meaning his family was rich; probably why he could spend so much on jackets. But as cool as they were, they weren't the ones Tails wanted. He looked back up to the shoes on display; a few small lights giving it a spotlight appearance while a big poster of a Raccoon wearing the shoes while standing on a mountain. They were the same swayed material as Sonic's, all the Light Speed shoes were, but while have the shoe was red the front of them were a dazzling white with a grey durable sole on the bottom of them.
Tails placed his chin in his palms and sighed longingly at them, "They're so cool" he couldn't help but mumble. Sonic sat down next to him, looking at the shoes as well. They had been out for a while now but the price hadn't gone down much, it was still in the triple figures. "Why don't you just get them?" he shrugged, Tails however looked at him dumbfounded, "I can't afford them" he answered flatly. Sonic still didn't seem to find the problem, "Well then just save up for them. You get money of your folk's right?"
The eight year old looked down sadly, "They don't get that much money, so anything I do get I save it up for electronics and scraps for my machines" he explained. Simply nodding his head, Sonic still didn't seem that interested. "Do you work?" the kid asked, getting Sonic's attention again as he didn't like the silence. Scratching his head, the teen looked down at his bag of expensive jackets now feeling a bit embarrassed he had spent so much in front of the kid, "Not really, but I get an allowance. I don't really buy much so it saved up over the years" he said. Tails raised his brow curiously, "You live with your Uncle right? What does he do?"
Sonic had felt his stomach turn a little, thinking that the fox was going to start asking about his parents, luckily that hadn't been his intent at all which made him relax a little, "He used to be… well he still is really, he's an inventor. He used to work for the king years ago, I think he was the Minister of Science or something like that, he used to be partners with Principal Robitnik-"
"Oh my gosh! Are you telling me your Uncle is Sir Charles the Hedgehog?!" Tails's shouted excitedly which caused a few on goers to stare. Sonic looked at him uneasily, "Ugh… I think so. I know him as Chuck…"
"I can't believe it! Your Uncle is the greatest Scientist alive! His work is incredible; did you know he actually discovered a way to convert natural matter into food? Or that he managed to conduct an ongoing fuel source using nothing but water and a compressor?" the child rambled on and on. Sonic had lost him a while back. Truthfully he didn't know much about his Uncles work as it never interested him, only now it seemed like he was somewhat of an idol in Tails's eyes.
Raising his hands to get the kid to stop talking, he interrupted him before the kid lost his breath, "Slow down kid, you're getting a little too excited" he laughed. Tails looked at him bashfully, "Sorry, but I'm just a huge fan" he squealed, though finally calmed down. "Yeah I can see that" the older boy laughed again. He couldn't help but smile, it was nice to see someone who admired his Uncle, especially as his Uncle didn't really get to go out much now days. He didn't even work as an inventor, just did it as a hobby. It made him realise that Tails actually had a lot in common with his Uncle… heck they might even get on really well. Then before he knew he was talking from the heart, not even thinking about School or his reputation anymore, "If you want to meet him then why don't you come over to mine tomorrow after School?"
Tails had completely frozen. Did he ask him to his house? Was this seriously happening? The words kept playing in his mind but he didn't understand them. This whole day had been so strange he didn't even know if he was dreaming at this point, it would make more sense.
Sonic could see that Tails hadn't expected that from him, he resembled too much of a dear caught in headlights, so he waved his hand over Tails's eyes to get the shy reaction from him "Y-you want me to come to your house?" he stuttered. The blue hedgehog chuckled lightly, "Well yeah that's what I said. Sides we gotta work on that… project thing so might as well as my Unc to help out right?" he reasoned, though he found he couldn't bring himself to say Science without getting tense.
Tails looked ready to drop he was in so much shock, but he couldn't hold back the wide smile that was spreading across his face, "Y-yeah, I'd love too!" he cried out, Sonic gave him the thumbs up, which coming from him was a big deal. Why was he doing this? Was it because he followed him when he was upset? Maybe he saw he was trying to help… did this mean they were friends? He never had real friends before, especially no one as cool as Sonic! With a friend like him no one would pick on him anymore.
All Tails wanted to do was grab the blue hedgehog and thank him again and again, but he wanted to look cool, so instead he cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders "I mean, yeah that would be cool" he muttered, looking back at the shoes. Sonic saw through the act easily though, it really amused him. He then looked back at the shoes that Tails loved so much, only to look at the ones he was wearing; brown, ripped and laced up. No one wore laces anymore, they were so lame, and these looked too small for him as well. Could his parents not afford any new shoes for him at all?
With a tug of his lips Sonic stood and picked up the precious shoes before handing them to the child who was reluctant to take them, "Sonic what-" "Try them on!" he urged, not letting him protest. Staring at them with want, Tails eventually took them sadly. They felt so smooth and now he was actually holding them, but he could never afford them. It was bittersweet when he took off his old worn out shoes and placed the new Light Speeds on his felt. They felt so gooood! The material was a perfect fit and the padding was comfortable. They're said to be the strongest shoes going as well, Sonic was pretty much evidence of that. Now they were on his feet, he stood and walked around in them. Why? Why did they have to be so good? It was like having a pillow on each foot, and they felt warm yet breathable. He never wanted to take them off.
Turning towards Sonic he wanted to get an opinion on how they looked, but the hedgehog was near the accessories. He was picking up a couple of things; they were all bangles and bands to put on your wrists over gloves. Looking through he picked up two small black bands and smiled at the fact they stretched out. Turning back to the fox that had fallen in love with the shoes, he grabbed the child's hands and before the fox realised he slid the bands on either wrist. When seeing his look complete, Sonic smiled widely, placing his hands on the child's shoulders and turning him to look in the mirror. Tails was amazed at how much of a difference shoes and bands actually made, he looked so different and Sonic was by his side. "Now that is one cool dude" the hedgehog grinned, proudly leaning his arm on Tails shoulder.
Tails didn't want to ever leave that spot again. In that mirror stood the fastest thing alive, most popular boy in School, admired by everyone and the football star, and next to him stood a young two Tailed fox who was actually wanted, who was asked to be by his side, and here they looked like they had been best friends for years. He wanted that reflection to be his life so badly…
But it wasn't.
With a questioning look, Sonic watched as the eight year old walked away from the mirror and sat back down. Miserably he took the bands off his wrists and placed the on the side. He was sadder about taking off the shoes and having to place his old ones back on, now once again looking like the nerd he was. While he loved it, he Sonic hadn't of asked him to try them on, because now he had a moment of false hope that should never have been there.
He hunched over and sighed, looking at those shoes. "What's up?" he heard Sonic ask when he approached him, only Tails sighed looking more upset "I can't afford them" he repeated.
"Yeah I know"
Looking up slowly, he watched as Sonic reached down for both the shoes and picked up the bangles. He had thought he was putting them back, but instead he carried them over to the check out. "Sonic what are you doing?" he gasped, quickly following the older boy worried that Sonic was trying to get him to spend what he didn't have. With horror he started panicking when the young lady took the items from the teen and scanned them through the check out. "Sonic I told you I can't afford them" he whined, grabbing onto the hedgehog's sleeves hoping he would listen to him. To his horror the cashier spoke up and told them the amount of rings it had all come to, and it was enough to send him pale, "I-I can't pay it, I-I…"
But there was no need for him to carry on protesting. Sonic had taken his wallet from out his bag and pulled out his credit card before handing it to the woman. The young fox was just speechless when he watched the whole thing, it was like a play happening in front of him, it just couldn't be real. Yet Sonic took the carrier bag that held the famous shoes inside and thanked the woman before stepping aside to let the next person be served.
He kept so cool about the whole thing that Tails was bewildered by that alone, he just didn't understand what had happened, was he just buying it for someone his age maybe? Getting him to try them for size comparison? That would make more sense… that must have been it.
"S-Sonic?" he stammered, wanting to ask a million questions, but he was silent as Sonic reached out a hand took all the bags that the younger one was holding, all the things Sonic had brought from himself. When Tails was left with only his satchel he froze when the hedgehog handed him the new bag. "Here" he said so casually, as if the kids dream shoes weren't contained in that bag but something simple like a snack bar. Not really knowing how to respond, his shaky hand reached out and slowly accepted the gift. He was in such a shock that his mouth was starting to feel dry he hadn't closed it yet, he looked inside the bag, just to confirm that it was actually the shoes in there and not just a prank. But there it was; a small shoe box with a picture of the beloved shoes on the side, it was actually there… and it was his?
"This… for me?" he questioned, still not taking the hint much to Sonic's annoyance as the teen rolled his eyes, he felt like being sarcastic but thought the kid might not get it. "Well you carried my bags around all day, might as well have something for you to take home as well right?" he laughed. Suddenly he saw the kid look down, small whimpers coming from his lips, "Tails?" he placed a hand on the boys shoulder. The moment the fox felt his touch he couldn't contain it any longer. With a sharp cry he pounced at the hedgehog, wrapping his arms around his waist and squeezed him as hard as he could, not able to stop the large smile upon his face, "Oh Sonic thank you thank you thank you so much! I can't believe you.."
He had expected the other to respond, but he never expected the bone chilling scream that echoed around the store and grabbed the attention of everyone. "No stop stop! Tails let me go!" the hedgehog cried, grabbing the fox and pushing him away with enough force that nearly sent him to the floor. Looking at him with dread, Tails could see Sonic's hands go straight to his back, his whole face had twisted like he was in horrific pain and there were actual tears falling from his muzzle. "I-I'm so sorry" he tried to defend, worried not just for what the bully would do, but as to why a hug had hurt him so much in the first place.
Sonic wasn't listening though, instead he hissed through the pain until he could cope. His face went bright red when he rubbed the tears away from his muzzle quickly in embarrassment, knowing that a lot of people had seen them. His eyes darted around looking for anything to distract him and hopefully get rid of the unwanted attention. Only when he lay on the other side of the shop, he realised it wasn't just strangers who had been watching him.
"Oh no…" was all he could say, Tails looked behind and followed his stare. On the other side was Knuckles, Silver and Espio, all staring with their eyes wide and a look of disgust on their faces. Not only had they seen Sonic scream in pain, but they had watched him get the kid to try on those shoes and pay for them.
Dealing with them was the last thing Sonic wanted to do, so as fast he possibly could, he picked up all the bags that were dropped on the floor, throwing the shoes into Tails's arms and then grabbed the eight year old by his wrist. Using his speed he ran out of the shop and out of the Mall itself, leaving nothing but a gush of wind behind and three friends who wanted an explanation.
Yaay Tails got his shoes! But not without crushing Sonic and hurting his back, poor hedgie! But Le gasp! His friends ain't gonna be happy now!
So to find out how it continues please leave a review (as they are the boot to kick my butt when it comes to updating) and please let me know how you think the story is going :)
Till next time xx
