Chapter 6
I think I did pretty well on this chapter. I certainly hope so anyway. I hope you enjoy!
I own Amara and other characters in this story. Spencer Daniel Ricardo and Noah Marcus Thompson belongs to Christian Ape99. The Sonic crew belongs to Sega.
Amara's P.O.V.
"Uh oh, that guy just dropped his girlfriend! He's going to get it." Rouge snickers. It's been an hour since I've left Shadow to enjoy phase two. I'm sitting with Blaze, Rouge, and Amy. Because Amy is under the legal drinking age, which is eighteen here, she isn't drinking. I personally hate the taste and won't ever touch it. Rouge and Blaze are only having a couple, and that's so they can take care of the guys afterwards. Knuckles, Sonic, and Silver are starting to get really drunk right now, and from the looks of things, they aren't going to slow down anytime soon.
"Uh, Rouge? I think Knuckles is flirting." Amy points at Knuckles. Sure enough, Knuckles is smiling and talking with a pretty yellow cat at the bar.
Rouge narrows her eyes dangerously. "Be right back." She gets up from her chair and cuts straight through the dancing crowd. I shake my head and chuckle. I know exactly what's going to happen: Rouge will get Knuckles to storm off and she'll threaten the girl. Good ol' Rouge. I scan the crowd, looking for nothing in particular, until I see Shadow observing the crowd in the far corner, alone.
"I'm going to go see if Shadow's doing okay." I announce just as Rouge is sitting back down, looking smug.
"He's fine. He likes being alone." Rouge dismisses.
"Okay... I'm still going to check." I stand up.
"Careful Amara. Shadow is a little... moody when he drinks." Amy warns me.
"Okay." I nod and head towards Shadow's table. I wonder how moody he is. I arrive to his two-seater table and notice there are four empty bottles in front of him. His jacket is hanging on the back of his chair, and his tie is loosened. "Hey Shadow."
"What do you want now?" He asks without looking at me. Pretty moody.
"Are you still okay being here? If you still want to leave, we can."
"It is only 11 p.m. What happened to staying until midnight?" He huffs.
"I also said I wanted you to enjoy yourself. So. Are you?"
He finally looks at me. "I am fine." Then he looks away.
I decide to test how moody he is. I smirk. "Having a birthday isn't so bad, is it?"
He glares hard core at me. "It is not like I had a choice, is it?" He spits out at me. Very moody. He sees my expression, closes his eyes, and rubs his temples. "Look. Most people, when they drink, become fools and humiliate themselves. I do not. I am-"
"Rude, insulting, and short tempered." I finish. He glares at me. I smile softly at him. "You're not the first person I've met who acts like this you know. I think I'll stick around for awhile make sure people don't bother you."
He looks surprised. "Why?"
"A lot of these people don't deserve to get their heads bitten off." I lightly tease. "And the guys are keeping the girls' hands full..." I point to our friends. Knuckles looks ready to fight a bull and Rouge is trying to defuse it. Silver is getting really clumsy so Blaze is helping him sit and stay. Sonic... is avoiding Amy. I don't want to know why. "leaving me alone." I sigh dramatically.
"Hmph. You would be better off alone."
"I've dealt with your kind of mood before." I look at him. "You don't get drunk very often, do you?" I ask, unable to keep all the uneasiness out of my voice. He looks at me curiously.
"No. Just once or twice a year. Why?"
I look away. "The more you drink, the more your inner monster comes out."
"What do you know about inner monsters?" He sneers.
"Enough." I vaguely state.
"Like what?" He asks. I shake my head. "You promised to answer all my questions, did you not?" He growls.
I lock my eyes with his. "Please don't make me answer." My voice cracks in the beginning. He looks shocked to hear me vulnerable like that. After a few moments, his gaze softens.
"Okay." He gently says. I give him a small smile and observe my surroundings again. We sit in silence, watching people. It's not an uncomfortable silence though. Somehow, knowing my life hasn't been sunshine and rainbows either, has made Shadow more comfortable around me. I welcome it. "Rouge seems to have gained a little more sense. It's not too crowded in here and the music is actually decent." I can't believe it. He started a conversation.
I smile sheepishly. "Actually, I told Rouge not to allow more than two hundred people in here and I picked the music. What she wanted would've driven me insane." He looks at me surprised.
"I would not have thought of you as a rock person."
I shrug. "No one does. But it's my favorite type anyway."
"Hmm. Well... thank you. For everything. You were right, it is not so bad." He smirks. He is just full of surprises now! "Earlier," his voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "when you were looking at the stars, you looked guilty. Why?"
I look at him, then down at my hands. "I love my family. I really do. But now, it seems I love being here more. I shouldn't though. My family needs me, and it will hurt them if I stay." Tears start to prickle my eyes. No. I will not cry.
"Even if it makes you unhappy?"
"My family has gone through enough hardships. They don't need my disappearance on top of it. So... yes." I say. He searches my face, trying to see if I'm serious. He looks away.
"Your family is lucky to have you then." My heart swells hearing him say that. Unfortunately, every good moment must end, for Sonic comes up to our little table, drunk.
"Hey Amara! Sup Shads?"
"Go away." Shadow growls.
"Hey now! Just want to ask Amara something." He gives me a flirty smile. "Would you like to dance with me?"
"Sorry Sonic, but I can't dance." I'm not lying too.
"What?! Every girl knows how! Eh, oh well. I'll help ya! Come on!" He starts to reach for my hands, but I pull them back.
"Still no, Sonic. You could ask Amy." I suggest.
"No way! She'd never leave me alone then!" He pouts. "Come on Amara. Is it me?" He shakes his head. "Ha. Never mind. I'm awesome."
"I disagree Faker." Shadow growls.
Sonic smirks. "Oh yah? I bet you can't get Amara to dance with you. If she won't dance with me, she definitely won't dance with you!"
"Fine." Shadow stands up looks at me.
"I really can't dance." I tell him.
"Do not worry. I can guide you. I promise you will not look foolish." He says sincerely and sticks out his hand. I hesitate, then I put my hand in his, trusting him. He smirks at Sonic.
"What?!" Sonic shouts out. "How come you said yes to him?!"
"He promised I wouldn't look foolish." I shrug, feeling a little guilty. Shadow pulls me out on the dance floor, just in time for a slow song. Oh great. Instead of the regular slow dance, with his hands on my waist and my arms around his neck, he puts his left hand on my waist and takes my right hand with his. I start to panic. He sees my worry.
"I promised." He says comfortingly. He slightly lifts me and sets my feet on his. He starts to dance, my feet moving with his. He is a graceful dancer, and I can't help but to give him a wide smile.
"I'm dancing! Well, sort of." I chuckle. Shadow smirks, but this smirk is the closest one to a smile that I've ever seen him wear. It's weird, if I were in this situation with anyone else, it would be so awkward. But with Shadow, I feel comfortable and safe. Without realizing what I'm doing, I rest my head on his chest. He stiffens for a second, then slowly relaxes. We dance like that for the rest of the song. Just as the song ends, Shadow stiffens again. I step out of his arms to see what's wrong and see him looking at something. I turn and see Amy dragging Sonic onto the dance floor. She wraps her arms around his neck and Sonic hesitantly puts his hands on her waist. I look back at Shadow, my chest cramping again.
"You could ask Amy to dance. You're a wonderful dancer and I bet it would impress her." I suggest, but strangely, I'm reluctant to help him with Amy. I ignore both the cramp and my selfish thoughts. He suddenly whips his hard, cold gaze to me.
"Has it occurred to you that maybe I do not want to win Amy over?" He asks in a hard voice.
"I-"
"No. No you have not. You just assumed you knew best. Here is a reality check: You. Know. Nothing. I hate it when girls like you decide to play matchmaker. How about you just mind your own business!" He growls at me. I manage to keep my cool.
"I just wanted to help you. You're my friend and I want you to be happy."
He scoffs. "Spoken like the little idiotic girl you are, thinking we are friends. I do not need anyone's help or friendship. Especially yours." The last part he says venomously. Ouch. His words stab me deeply, but I keep my pain hidden. I will not give him that satisfaction. Anger surges in me now. I give him the hardest glare I have ever given.
"Are you done?" I ask in an equally hard voice. He narrows his eyes. "If I wanted to play matchmaker, I would've chose to fix up Amy and Sonic. Now those two make a cute couple. But because I care about your well-being, I decided to help you. And you know what?" My control is starting to slip, and I feel my eyes beginning to water. "I would rather be an idiotic girl any day than be a bitter, hurtful jerk." I turn my back on him and leave. I don't remember when they started, but tears of frustration and sorrow pour down my face. I was strong enough not to let him see at least.
Blinded by my tears and my hands drying them, I run into someone. "Oof" I start to fall back, but a pair of strong hands grab my shoulders and steady me.
"Careful." A male voice says. I look up and meet the eyes of a panda bear, and right next to him is a big gorilla. "Are you okay miss?" The panda asks, both guys looking concerned.
"Just show us where the douche is and we'll take care of him." The gorilla growls and cracks his knuckles. I give a weak laugh.
"It's okay. Really, I took care of him." I smile at them, starting to feel better.
"I'm not going to kill him, I'll just beat him up for making a pretty little thing like you cry." The gorilla grins. "I'm Spencer. Spencer Daniel Ricardo." He shakes my hand.
"And I'm Noah Marcus Thompson." I shake the panda's hand.
"A pleasure meeting you both. I'm Amara Vipsin."
"Are you okay Amara? Spencer wasn't kidding when he said we'd take care of the guy." Noah says with concern and a hint of darkness.
"Really, I'm okay. He gets mean when he drinks, so I told him off. Whether or not you believe me, he is the kind that listens to people, but he doesn't let them know that. Thank you for your concern though. It actually makes me feel better." I smile gratefully at them.
"Hey, you want to hang out with us and our buddies for a while? We'll cheer you right up." Spencer says cockily.
"Sure!" I grin, happy to make more friends.
"Sweet!" Noah whoops. I laugh, already enjoying myself. Spencer and Noah lead me to their table where the rest of their friends are. They introduce me to a aqua blue hedgehog named Jack, a leopard named Nick, and a hawk named Gabe. They start to introduce me to another friend, but I already know him.
"Hey Victor!" I greet.
"What up Amara?" Victor smiles and high-fives me.
"You already know each other?" Nick asks.
"Yah! She's the new girl that lives with Shadow that I told you about." Victor answers. Everybody, except Victor, looks at me wide-eyed.
"You. Live. With. Shadow?" Gabe asks stunned. I nod my head, not sure what's going on. "How can you live with that guy! He's scary! And mean!"
"Wait, is he the jerk that made you cry?" Spencer asks me, his eyes narrowed. I reluctantly nod.
"He made her cry? That dude needs beating." Jack growls.
Before things can get out of hand, I step in. "Can you guys please drop it? I can handle him, but right now I just want to forget about it and enjoy the rest of the night. Please?" The guys look at each other, then back at me, and they silently drop it.
A couple moments of silence pass before Victor turns to Jack and says, "Continuing our earlier conversation: I still think the drums are the most important part in a band."
"No they are not! They're about as important as flutes. Unlike the flutes, unfortunately, we hear the drums!" Jack argues with him.
"Hey now, the flute almost always has the melody, but the rest of the band thinks they're too important to play soft!" I interfer. They look at me.
"You play the flute?" Jack asks me. I smirk and nod.
"I also just learned to play the alto saxophone and started to learn guitar." I nonchalantly say.
"Hey! That's great! How would you like to join Station Square's orchestra band? We are in need of some flutists." Noah looks at me with puppydog eyes.
"That sounds awesome!" And just like that, I was a new member in their group. What can I say? Band geeks stick together. We spend the rest of the night teasing one another, sharing stories, and me getting to know them and vice versa. They even told me I am really cool for a girl, which is saying something, according to Spencer.
As I laugh at Jack getting soaked by Nick 'accidentally' spilling his drink on him, Amy, towing a drunk, stumbling Sonic, comes up to our table. "Hey Amara. Shadow told me to give you a ride home when I leave. He was actually pretty rude about it too." She huffs annoyed. "Anyway, Sonic needs to get to bed and I'm ready to go." What time is it? I check the time and see it's already one in the morning. I sigh.
"I guess it's late enough to go home." I stand up. "I am so glad I met you guys and I can't wait for band practice!"
"It's always nice making a new friend, especially an awesome one!" Noah winks at me. Then he finds a piece of paper and writes something on it. "Here's my number. Feel free to call anytime." Suddenly, all the guys are writing down and giving me their numbers.
"I don't know my new number yet, but I'll text you guys later. See you later!" I smile and wave goodbye. They wave back, Spencer pretending to cry. That dork.
Amy, Sonic, and I leave the club and head towards Amy's red car. "What did you mean by 'band practice'?" Amy asks me.
"Oh, I told them I played the flute and they need some more flutes in their orchestra, so I told them I'd be happy to join." I smile.
"Pfffft. Electric guitar is sooo much better." Sonic slurs.
"Okay Sonic." Amy rolls her eyes. "That's great Amara. I'm glad you're adjusting well here." She addresses me. What if I'm adjusting too well? I smile at her, hiding that thought in my head.
"Amara, Amara. I'm a pretty hedgehog too you know." Sonic slurs, seconds from crashing. I laugh so hard, I have tears rolling down my face. For the rest of the drive, there isn't much conversation, mostly due to the fact that Amy is exhausted, Sonic is out, and I'm buzzing with thoughts, now that I'm heading back to Shadow's house. What should I do? Should I forgive him ? Should I call it quits and give up being Shadow's friend? I don't know.
Before I know it, I'm back at the house. "Thank you Amy. See you later." I climb out of the passenger seat.
"Bye Amara." She smiles and drives off, just as Sonic begins to snore loudly. I shake my head and go inside the house. Looks like Shadow is either asleep or not here. Fine with me, now I can deal with him tomorrow. Lovely.
Yeah! Band geeks for life!
Sorry, I had to share that. ;) I hope you enjoyed it!
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