Chapter 6

"Sweetie, you're going to be late for school," Sonic's mom walked into his room to find him still lying in bed. "You alright Sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said weakly.

"Hm, be right back," she left and came back with a thermometer. She handed it to Sonic and left the room.

He put the thermometer up against the light bulb in his lamp. He then heard footsteps and put it in mouth.

His mom walked in the room and took the thermometer. "You're burning up! You better stay home today."

"OK, mom."

"Need me to stay home?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"OK, but call me if you need anything OK?"

"OK, mom."

"OK, make sure you get lots of rest."

"I will," he closed his eyes and lied there as he listened to her footsteps echo down the wall and heard the front door open then close. A few minutes after he heard his parent's cars drive away he jumped out of bed and ran off.

At the school it was hat day. The hats everyone was supposed to wear looked like metal domes with an antenna on the top and a small light on the front that was off.

"This is stupid," Amy said, walking to her locker. She saw Rouge walk down the hall without her hat. "But at least I know how to follow rules."

"Hi Amy!" said the familiar voice of her friend.

"Hi Tikal!" she turned to her friend and was surprised, she wasn't wearing her hat. "Tikal, your hat…."

"I know shame on me, but the principal has come up with some really weird rules lately."

"So is this some sort of statement?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather not look like a dork."

Amy laughed.

Tikal took Amy's hat off.

"Hey we're not supposed to-"

"It's OK," she set the hat on the floor.

Amy wasn't so sure.

"C'mon what's the worst that can happen?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I knew you were going to get me into trouble."

Tikal laughed before walking away.

"Is that the star of our team come to see me?" asked Ms. Mannerly as Sonic walked into the hospital room. "Won any games since I've been gone?"

"There haven't been any games since you left, but we've been practicing."

"Glad to hear it. I'd scold you for not being at school but I'm just glad someone came to see me," she laughed. "You don't have to stand, have a seat," she motioned to a chair.

He sat down. "How've you been?"

"The nurses are nice enough. The food's not that great, of course the cafeteria never had that great of food either."

Sonic noticed the bandages wrapped around her leg. "You broke your leg?"

"Yeah, thanks to that idiot who ran me over."

He looked confused. "What idiot?"

"I don't know I only saw his face. He was staring right at me when he hit me, then he drove away real fast! I think he did it on purpose!" she shouted angrily.

"Did you tell the police?"

"Yeah, but they haven't found him. Which is odd, he looked weird enough."

"What did he look like?"

"He had a big mustache and a bald head, I couldn't see his eyes, he was wearing these blue glasses."

Sonic's eyes widened. "That sounds like…." "And you said he hit you on purpose?"

"Probably, the maniac!"

"I got to get to the school."

"Oh, alright," she said disappointed. "Thanks for coming to see me! Go knights!" she shouted as he ran out the door.

Silver and Knuckles were standing around talking without their hats.

"So what are you doing after school?" asked Knuckles.

Silver shrugged. "Homework?"

"Homework?"

"Yeah, you know you're actually supposed to do the homework the teachers give you. Instead of folding it into paper airplanes and throwing it at the other students."

He narrowed his eyes and was about to say something when Silver pointed down the hall to girl that was walking up.

They put their hats back on then slowly took them off when they saw that she wasn't wearing hers either.

Tikal, who was the girl they saw, laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Knuckles asked, trying to sound tough.

"You."

"Well it is stupid."

"I never said it wasn't."

"I mean-" he put the hat back on and waved his arms around, "look everyone, I'm wearing a stupid hat!"

Tikal and Silver started laughing.

Knuckles stood a little straighter and talked in a bad version of their principal's voice. "I am principal Eggman! I will make everyone wear stupid hats! Muahuahuahua!"

Silver and Tikal burst out laughing. Tikal noticed that Knuckles was being perfectly silent. "You OK, Knuckles?" she asked still laughing.

Silence.

"Knuckles?" She opened her eyes and saw him standing still, so still you barely could tell he was still breathing. His eyes were wide and the light on his hat was glowing red. "Knuckles?" she said again. "OK, joke times over," she glared at him. When he continued to just stand there she started to get scared. She grabbed his arms and shook him.

Still nothing.

She grabbed Silver's arm, who was still laughing at the time. "Something's wrong with Knuckles."

"Huh?" he waved his hand in front of Knuckles' face. "Hmm, odd. What's with his hat?" he said pointing out the glowing red light.

Tikal gasped. "Look!" she pointed at a group of kids that were talking a few minutes ago that now stood there the exact way Knuckles did.

They glanced around the hall and saw that everyone was standing like that, everyone except for Silver and Tikal.

"Creepy…" said Silver.

Tikal nodded, now a little scared.

All of a sudden Knuckles grabbed Tikal's arm and she screamed.

"Get away from her!" Silver knocked Knuckles down.

They all ran at Silver and Tikal looking creepily like zombies while they did.

Silver grabbed Tikal's arm. "C'mon! Let's get outta' here!" They took off down the hall and ran into the first classroom they saw, Silver leaned against the door hoping to stop anyone who tried to get in.

"What's going on? Silver, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Wait, how do you know my name?"

"It's on the back of your shirt."

He looked down at his uniform. "Heh heh…" he blushed. "That it is."

Someone grabbed Tikal's shoulder and she spun around, it was one of their teachers and the light on her hat was glowing red too.

Tikal pushed her away as Silver opened the door. They took off back down the hall.

Tikal started to slow down, and eventually stopped. Silver stopped a little ahead of her looked back. "Everything alright?"

She was breathing hard. "I don't… play soccer… I don't have… your stamina."

The students were getting closer. Silver picked Tikal up and started to run again when they heard a scream come from the gym.