Amy obliged to her mother's orders, and she could be found at Fiona's diner working the night shift. The homecoming dance would start in about two hours, not that it concerned her. It was just that her Internet beau would be waiting for her in the middle of the dance floor, and she'd meet the guy she'd been anticipating to meet for the past four months. Amy skated into the dining hall, four packages of napkins being held in her arms. Her ears caught the irritating shrill of Shelby Cummings, and she was able to confirm it when seeing the popular gang - Sonic included - sitting in a booth in the corner, giggling and laughing away. And that Shelby was all over Sonic, her hands swaying on his body and her lips close to his face. Amy looked away angrily, mostly at herself because she caught herself staring. Why did she care?
Amy growled as Shelby's laugh radiated in her head, but things just got worse when Fiona rammed into her and knocked Amy to the floor.
"You're in my way!" Fiona smiled, walking over the poor hedgehog with her pink stilettos.
Rhonda walked over to Eleanor, leaning over and saying, "Oof. It MUST be Halloween. Look who just flew in. The wicked witch of the valley." The two laughed, and Rhonda walked over.
Amy lifted herself up, the packages of napkins again securely in her grip.
"I'm gonna be picking up Gabriella and Brianna at the dance. I'll be back at twelve sharp," Fiona informed her step-daughter, who merely shrugged and skated away. Fiona began stuffing dollar bills from the cash register into her bra, in which Rhonda came over and commented on it. "Oo! Still got room in there, huh?"
"Well," Fiona replied. "If it isn't little Betty Crocker from the hood." Rhonda gave her a look, and Amy looked back at her step-mom in disgust. "Don't you have something better to do, like, cleaning toilets?"
"You know, I would, but I'm too busy running this place. But be my guest!"
"I'm sorry, I can't. I just got a hundred and fifty dollar manicure." She raised her hands and revealed - yep, you guess it - pink nails. "Silver palm trees."
Rhonda faked her ability to care, finally saying, "You know, keep it up, Fiona, and I'm gonna find a place to put my six dollar pedicure."
Fiona leaned over, and then her eyes widened in disbelief. "Where are your skates?" Rhonda looked down at her feet. "That's part of the uniform."
Rhonda sighed. "Fiona, if I wanted to look like a clown, I'd join the circus."
"If you were part of my circus I'd have you cleaning the elephant butts with a Wet One. I don't think you realize that I could-"
"FIRE me? Oh! please, go right ahead and let's see how many customers you have left when you do."
Fiona looked around, clearly defeated by this statement. "I am a very appealing person," she stated, afterward walking out and slamming the diner door shut behind her, causing the Elvis guitar hung on the wallpaper to shake.
Rhonda stationed herself next to Amy and assisted her in putting napkins in their holders, the two mocking Fiona in sync, "I am a very appealing person."
"That woman can make a nun swear," Rhonda commented.
"Why do you think I'm graduating a year earlier to be three thousand miles away in Princeton?" Amy stated.
"You could get a scholarship to the university of Mars and it still wouldn't be far enough."
Eleanor came rolling in, pleading, "Amy, honey. I'm desperate. Can you cover that table over there for me?" Amy followed her gaze to the corner table...where Sonic and his friends were sitting. Amy tried to call out her refusal, but Eleanor was already long gone serving tables, so Amy had no choice.
At the table, Shelby Cummings was expressing her distaste for the diner, though she'd never eaten there before. "Why do I get the feeling I won't be able to get a zone meal here?"
"I already ate," one of her divas commented, in which one of Sonic's bud's dissed her regarding food groups, in which the gang laughed at. Amy had taken her sweet time getting to the table, but it just wasn't slow enough, she realized when she was at their table facing everyone with her notebook in hand.
"Well!" Shelby smiled. "If it isn't Diner Girl!" The guys laughed, whereas Sonic dropped his gaze to his hand.
Amy placed her hand on her hip, asking them what she could get them.
"What can I get here that has no sugar, no carbs, and is fat-free?"
Amy pondered on this before averting her gaze back to her customer and saying, "Water."
Sonic and the guys chuckled, whereas the females gave the waitress a dirty look, clearly angry with her snide reply. But hey! it was the truth.
"Was that suppose to be a joke?" Madison asked.
"It was funny," Sonic laughed, accompanied with his two friends.
"I'll have a Vas," Shelby said.
"Excuse me?"
"It's water," stated another girlfriend. "From Norway." Sonic's two buds were laughing at her.
"Sorry," Amy said, "we only have water from the valley." Her gaze was caught by Sonic's eyes, which seemed slightly remorseful towards her.
"Oh, well," Shelby said. "Then I'll have an ice tea."
"Make that two," Sonic's most obnoxious friend said. "Oh! and, I'm still waiting on that breakfast burrito, Diner Girl!"
The three girls laughed, and Amy just shook her head and twirled off.
"She is so not getting a tip," Shelby stated in disgust.
It was now that Sonic gathered up his courage and put his arm on the back of the seat behind Shelby. "We really need to talk. Privately."
"Anything you say to me, you can say it in front of my peeps."
Everyone moved in.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Okay. I wanna break up."
Shelby's face fell. "WHAT?"
Each member of her "peeps" each gave remarks on how that statement was harsh.
"Are you in love with somebody else?" Shelby demanded.
Sonic grinned. "I think so."
"What? Who, bro?" Asked his friend.
"I dunno. Uh, we could still be-"
"DON'T say the word 'friends'." His pals grabbed his arm and pulled him back a bit, as Shelby was a fearsome person when angry, none in the group aware of the fact that Amy was standing above them with their order. She decided it was best not to say anything, and this scene was fairly interesting, after all. There was nothing better than Shelby Cummings getting dumped by the coolest guy in the school.
"Now," continued Shelby, "fortunately for you, I'm going to overlook this mental breakdown of yours. Now just, chill out. We're gonna get ready for the dance and, we'll see you there. Hm?"
Sonic cocked an eyebrow, wondering just how his breakup had turned into some brush off. Amy shook her head in disbelief. The three girls got out of the booth, heading out, when Sonic's three friends laughed and consoled him on his failure. "She took it well," they commented, before giving him a pat and heading out.
"Later, Diner Girl," they said as walking out. Amy looked back at Sonic, who had his hand on his forehead in exhaustion. He then got up and pulled out a five dollar bill, showing it to Amy.
"Oh, don't worry about it."
She headed for the counter, but Sonic followed her and said, "Actually, I think I'll take one of those." He stationed himself at a counter seat next to where Amy stood. Rhonda headed over and took the remaining glass of iced tea and said to Amy, "You know, those kids remind me of why I used to fight in school."
Both Sonic and Amy chuckled, and Amy rolled under the counter and began washing the counters.
"How's life been going for you, Ames?" Sonic asked her. He'd do that sometimes; he'd come over, sit down, order a drink, and just start talking to her while she was working. She was the only one who could relate to his past after all, and Amy had always been a good person to console to.
"Been better. You know, raging step-moms, stupid sisters, and cool kids who can't get over themselves."
Sonic shot his head up. "Are you going to the dance tonight?"
Amy shook her head. "Work," she replied.
"Oh. Kay. Yeah, you're obviously not the only one with that sort of situation. Yeah." He appeared to be assuring himself of that, but Amy didn't pay any attention to it, unaware that Sonic recalled on of their Internet conversations in which she said those exact words.
"How about you, Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog?" Amy asked. "Life's probably basking you in glory."
"Not at all. I have to fulfill the expectations of everyone around me."
"Ah, that sucks. But haven't you always had that on your shoulders?"
"Yeah, but at least I wanted to fill in those expectations. Now they're all stupid things that I don't give a crap about."
Amy nodded.
"Anyways, I'll get going now. Sorry for venting at you." Amy shook her head, assuring him it's alright, as he plopped a five dollar bill on the counter and headed out, leaving his untouched drink on the counter.
As he walked out, a guy dressed up in a black cape wearing a mask and hat came in. Sonic cast a humored look at him before continuing his way, and the black caped guy called out, "Have no fear!" and Amy turned her head to check out the guy. "Zorro, is here!" Amy giggled at Knuckles, as he'd done the line's perfectly and he look fairly appealing in that costume.
"And," Knuckles added, rushing over to Amy's side with his cape trailing after him, "he's got the keys to his dad's Mercedes." He looked at Amy head to toe. "You're not going as a bus girl, are you?"
"Knuckles, I'm not going."
"WHAT? What do you mean you're not going? W-W-What about Cyber...dude?"
Rhonda was there at that moment, and her interest was captivated at this. "Is he talking about the boy that's been sending you those love notes?"
"They're not love notes," Amy stated. "They're emails."
"Amy," Rhonda said. "If a man is taking his time to write down his feelings for you, they're love letters. You've got a secret admirer!"
Amy grinned.
"And," Knuckles added, "he wants to meet her, tonight at the dance."
Rhonda lit up. "What are you still doing here?"
"Obeying orders."
"Wait, Amy," Knuckles said. "This is your true love."
"Well, true love is gonna have to wait."
Rhonda shook her head. "Oh girl, please. Save all that drama for the soap operas. You are GOING to that dance."
Knuckles grinned. "You tell her girlfriend." He didn't realize just how much of his life he was risking when he said this, as Rhonda shot him a look of pure irritation.
"I can't go. If Fiona found out, she would kill me. And then bring me back to clean up the mess."
"If she wants to hurt you she's gonna have to go through me," Rhonda said, again being echoed with "You tell her girlfriend."
Rhonda fixed her glare at Knuckles. "Call me girlfriend one more time," she threatened.
"Okay, sorry," Knuckles retreated. Cause no one wanted to mess with Rhonda, who continued, "Amy. Your dad did not leave this earth wanting you to be unhappy. In just the first few months you coming here, you were the pride of his life, and he would want the best for you. It's time for you to find your own bliss, starting with this dance."
Bobby voiced his agreement as well. "Amy, you're always working, always studying. Why don't you make some time for yourself?"
Eleanor agreed with him, and Amy smiled and nodded. "You know what? You're right! I never do anything for myself. And, I deserve to have some fun. I am going to that dance, and I am going to meet my true love and I am going to dance all night!"
Everyone in the diner clapped at her enthusiasm, everyone proud of her finally standing up for her rights. Amy was content with herself too, but the moment didn't last and it wasn't long before she said that she couldn't go. When asked why, she explained that she didn't have a costume.
"Oh, but you will," Rhonda smiled.
