The coming Monday, Sonic skipped school to stay with Knuckles by the phone. Knuckles had told sSonic once he came back from the dance what he'd done, and Sonic was so proud that he barely left him alone all night.
Then, at around 9:30, their phone rang, as expected. It was Principal Blake, telling them that an "anonymous person" confessed to giving him the marijuana, and Knuckles had been falsely accused. He was allowed to go back to school that day. Sonic was ecstatic and nearly shook Knuckles until he puked. After giving the phone to their mother, so the principal could tell her the same thing, and after she hung up, Mrs. Prower hugged Knuckles tight.
"I knew you weren't a druggie!" she said happily.
"M-Mom… I can't breathe!" Knuckles stammered, and she let him go.
"Sorry," she said. "Well, c'mon, let's drive you to school; don't want you to miss anymore of it!" she said, getting out her keys.
"…And that is my partner, Melissa," one girl, presenting her poem, finished, before she smiled at the class and said "thank you." The class clapped for her poem, and she sat down.
"Very nice Kylie," the teacher said. "Ok, up next, we have Amy Rose," she said. Amy felt the little pre-speech butterflies flutter in her stomach, as she grabbed her poem and walked up to the front of the class. She cleared her throat.
"My partner is Knuckles the echidna, and the title of my poem is 'The Truth Beneath the Scars,'" she announced. She took one last look at Knuckles, who smiled a confidence-boosting smile, and she started her poem.
"Pain and neglect throughout the years; that's the truth beneath the scars. No family or friends to sop up these tears; this is the truth beneath the scars. We go through life, striving to be heard; but what about those who don't say a word? Cover up with a smile, but your smile is see-through; I can see through this disguise, and I want you to know.
You have a friend, one who really cares; you have a friend that'll always be there; through good times and bad, I hope you can see; the truth beneath the scars is that you're everything to me."
As Amy read her poem, Knuckles propped his chin up on his hand and he sighed, smiling at her as she read. He could tell she was nervous; her voice cracked a bit, and she barely looked up. But her poetry was beautiful!
"…When you told me that you loved me, I felt like I could sing; but before you tried to do away with your life. Death is not the way and it doesn't numb the sting; so please don't try to kill me inside, because you're my one true friend.
You have a friend, one who really cares; you have a friend that'll always be there; through good times and bad, I hope you can see; the truth beneath the scars is that you're everything to me.
And I don't know what it's like to lose; your arm, your family's love, the freedom to choose. But I do know what it's like to want love, and I'll tell you now, as God looks down from above;
You have a friend, one who really cares; you have a friend that'll always be there; through good times and bad, I hope you can see; the truth beneath the scars is that you're everything to me. Thank you." Amy sighed, finishing her poem, and she looked up at the class. They all appeared shocked and surprised, and they immediately started clapping.
"Very well done Amy, very well done!" the teacher said, also clapping. Amy blushed slightly.
"Thank you," she said quietly, and she bounded quickly back to her seat as the clapping died down. When she sat down, Rachel congratulated her.
"I never knew you were so good at poetry!" she said.
"Actually, I suck at it! This took me almost the whole week," Amy replied.
"Ok, so up next is Knuckles," the teacher called. Knuckles took in a deep breath, before he stood up and shuffled up to the front. He hated being the center of attention, because it felt like everyone was always staring at his arm, but he swallowed and pushed away the feeling as he spoke.
"My partner is Amy Rose the hedgehog, and the title is 'Superhero Friend.'" Amy waited for him to start in anticipation.
"Look out, there's a superhero on the way! Not the kind wearing leotards and spandex, but the kind we see every day..." Everyone laughed a little at that line, and Knuckles smiled nervously then continued. "…They're crazy and silly, nice yet insane; though they don't have super powers, they're still super people, and guess what, they're heroes just the same.
Because we could all use a superhero as a friend; they stay with you 'till the troubles come to an end. No measure of evil or amount of kryptonite; can keep us apart when it comes to true friends. Yes we all could use a superhero friend.
I'll admit, when I met you, I tried to ignore you. You were loud, you were spunky, and yet I adored you. I could only dream to be more like you; friends at your side and plenty to do. You listened to me and you smiled when I frowned; when the villains arose, you beat them all down.
Because we could all use a superhero as a friend; they stay with 'till the troubles come to an end. No measure of evil or amount of kryptonite; can keep us apart when it comes to true friends. Yes we all could use a superhero friend.
Tomorrows a brand new day, I'm excited! I can't wait to see what adventures we'll plan. There's more villains in the world who still need fixing; our bond is stronger than Superman.
Because we could all use a superhero as a friend; they stay with 'till the troubles come to an end. No measure of evil or amount of kryptonite; can keep us apart when it comes to true friends. Yes we all could use a superhero friend." Knuckles finished, and looked directly at Amy. She was smiling; that was a good sign. The students clapped for his poem too, and Knuckles sat down. As he walked down the aisle to his seat, sonic patted him on the back as his congratulations. Knuckles smiled at his brother and sat down. Everything was pretty much working out for him, and as he blindly listened to the other student's poems, he thought about Amy's poem, and how beautiful it'd sound if she put it to music.
"She's really thinks of me as a friend…" he thought, before smiling.
At the same time, Amy was thinking about how amazing it would be if Knuckles could turn his poem into a song.
"He thinks I'm a superhero?" she thought, feeling flattered and possibly blushing a bit.
Later on after school, at Amy's cheerleading performance, Knuckles was sitting in, at the moment, and empty seat. He knew Amy was going to be there soon, her coat was saving a spot next to his… along with all the other cheerleaders on the team. He was sitting in the dugout, where normally the cheerleaders or players would stay when they aren't out on the field. It was a bit awkward and embarrassing, sitting in an empty seat where the cheerleaders were going to sit, but at least none of the audience could see him. Knuckles watched as Amy and the other girls performed. He admired how beautiful she looked, and flexible and daring she was. Several times, Amy and one other girl were thrown into the air and caught by the others. It actually made Knuckles' heart leap into his throat every time she flew into the air, then he relaxed again when they caught her safely.
"You'd never catch me doing that…" he mumbled to himself, "…And not just because I'm a dude."
When the girls finished, they came back over by the dugout, and the game, a baseball game, began. Amy bounded up to him, panting from her performance.
"Hi Knuckles!" she said, and she opened her arms to hug him.
"Hi Amy- oh, wait, you're all sweaty," Knuckles said, not taking Amy's hug. Amy lowered her eyes, but she could tell he was just being funny, and she rolled her eyes and sat down next to him.
"You still look beautiful," Knuckles told her, in case if she may have taken what he said to heart.
"Thank you," she said, and she shoved him.
"You know, this is the first game I've ever gone to," Knuckles said to Amy. "I've never been to one of Sonic's games before."
"Well then, I'll help inform you on the rules if you get confused," Amy said, and the game started. Sonic was, of course, on the team, and when he ran past them and out to bat, he'd always wave to the two of them, who'd always wave back.
After a long night of game play, Sonic's team won, and to be silly, the rest of the teammates all poured their cups of Gatorade on the team captain, Sonic's, head. Sonic got them back though; he shook his hair all over them. Then the cheerleaders all came out of the dugout to congratulate the team, after the crowd in the stands began to leave. Knuckles and Amy headed out to congratulate Sonic, when a stray baseball that the coach was trying to pick up from the game rolled over to Knuckles' feet.
"Here kid, pass it here!" the coach called, waving to Knuckles from a distance away. Knuckles picked it up, wound his arm back, and chucked the ball, landing right in the coach's waiting hand.
"Thanks!" the coach called, and he continued. Knuckles walked up to Sonic, who smiled at him.
"Wow Knuckles, that was an impressive throw!" he said to him. "Maybe you could try out for the baseball team next year?"
"Nah, I don't think I'd make it," Knuckles replied.
"Are you kidding? The team needs a pitcher like you!" Amy told him, looping her arm around his. Knuckles looked at her and smiled.
"Do you really think I'd make it?" he asked.
"Of course!" Sonic said. "In fact, it's still the beginning of the baseball year; why don't you ask the coach if you could be a substitute pitcher this year? You just tell him that I'm your brother, he'll let you in without second thought!" Sonic said.
"Well, ok, if you really think I'll make it…" Knuckles said. Amy hugged Knuckles, who put his arm around her shoulder. Sonic hugged him too, and he gave Knuckles a noogie.
"I love you brother!" Sonic said.
"I love you too!" Amy also said, and she kissed his cheek. Knuckles smiled; finally, he felt loved and accepted, and it only took one person… the first girl he'd ever loved.