Rouge twisted herself out of the echidna's strong hold, not even bothering to flinch when her arm was twisted in its opposite direction during the struggle. Her drink of cognac was spilled across the bar's counter, the ice slowly melting and making the puddle bigger. Others around her were looking at her like she was crazy, and quite personally, she didn't give a damn. Knuckles was trying to grab at her again, but she would yank away at every grab. Right now, he was the last person she wanted to be touched by.
Her eyes were sharp as they followed the glow of pink that seemed to stand out from the dark crowd. The silent mummers and whispers were like a roaring sound in her ear. By standers had parted, which made it easier for her to get to the door as well. The door slid open, and as she stepped through it, it closed automatically. She prayed that either Knuckles had given up on chasing her, or that the door somehow hadn't sensed him and slammed right in his face.
She was furious with him. How could he invite Shadow, of all people? The whole reason they were even in this mess was because of him. More importantly, why had she not asked him who the guy was before they even arranged this? Maybe she was too sure things would turn out perfect.
As she reached the top of the stairs, the door opened for her. She could see Rufus trying to hold back the crowd, who had seemed to deform their line and try to get in the club by force. Rufus was a big man, though. It would take an eighteen-wheeler to move him.
Her eyes roamed the area, quickly catching a glimpse of bouncing pink hair as it disappeared behind a large dark van. Rouge took off towards that direction, slightly amazed that she didn't trip in her heels. As she came into the parking lot, she saw her friend standing there as a motorcycle drove out the exit. The sound of the bike's growling seemed to fade more and more until is was completely gone.
Rouge stood there awkwardly, watching her friend's back that was completely turned to her. She waited for the hedgehog to move, but she didn't. She only stood there, looking hurt and confused. It was making Rouge more uncomfortable and upset than she already was.
" Amy.." the bat spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard. She could see her friend tense up. The blazer fell to the ground with what seemed to be a loud thud. The pink hedgehog turned around with a too-wide of a smile on her face.
" Oh, hey Rouge! Didn't see ya' there.." she said, a nervous laugh coming from her. Rouge just watched, a frown on her face and a knowing look in her eyes. Amy's laughter stopped, and her smiled fell. " You saw that..?"
Rouge said nothing. At this point, silence was her best option. Besides, she knew her friend would take it as an answer.
The look on Amy's face said that she understood. She opened her mouth to speak up, but Rouge beat her to it.
" Come on. It's time to go home." The bat said, walking past the hedgehog and to where her car happened to be parked.
" B-But..what about Knuckles?"
" He's grown man. He can take care of himself." Rouge bit the inside of her cheek. Just the mention of him made her blood boil.
She could hear the tapping of Amy's heels on the concrete as she shuffled to keep up. When they got to the car, Rouge used her index finger and thumb to dig in between her breast, fishing out a silver car key. She stuck it in the door and turned it, the car unlocking itself in response. The bat's sensitive ears picked up the sound of her friend going over to the passenger side. After she heard the car door open and close, she too, got in, securely locking all the doors afterwards.
As she moved to buckle her seat belt, she was slightly surprised to see the dark blazer in her friends lap. She hadn't noticed it before, and by the way Amy was holding on to it, it must have belonged to Shadow. Rouge found herself slightly annoyed. If it had been her, she would have left the coat and hoped for the worse.
After the two had buckled themselves in, Rouge stuck the key in the ignition a turned it. The black Impala roared to life. In a flash, they were pulling out of the lot and driving away from the brick building.
The car ride was long, and the fact that they seemed to hit every red light along the way didn't help at all. Both women were lost in their own thought, so there was little to no conversation between either. It was like an awkward silence.
When Rouge pulled up to the driveway of the familiar two-story house, she was a bit shocked. The ride suddenly hadn't seemed so long, and they'd gotten here much quicker than Rouge had thought. Had she been that distracted? Maybe she'd been speeding without was a miracle that she hadn't gotten herself into a wreck.
The bat turned over to see if Amy was as shocked as she was, only to find the door slamming in her face. She blinked a few times. Was time moving in fast forward, or was she just stuck in slow motion?
" I'll wash and return your clothes tomorrow. Sorry about the jacket, though." the pink hedgehog spoke, her voice cracking a little. She was leaning against the car door for support.
Rouge stared at her for a few seconds before looking straight ahead. "Keep 'em. They were getting to small, anyway." she answered, not even bothering to make eye contact. " Now, hands off the ride before I kill you."
Amy forced a smile and backed away from her friend's beloved vehicle. She then turned around and made her way as quickly as she could to her door step, lifting the fake rock up to pull out her spare key.
As the car backed out of the drive way, Rouge couldn't help but stare at the little hedgehog. She was putting up a front and trying to cover up her emotions.
Did Shadow really get to her that much?
~FwB~
Amy sighed and stepped out of the shower. She shook her body furiously, some of the excess water flying off her and on to the walls . Usually, she would just use a towel and then blow dry the rest, but all that seemed like too much of a hassle. It had been a miracle that she had even been able to pull herself out of bed this morning. After running a hand through her fur and finding it to only be damp, she went over to the full length mirror she had nailed onto the back of her bathroom door. Looking back at her through the foggy glass was a nude, pink furry. Her fur looked more fluffed than usual, and her hair was puffed out due to the humidity in the room. Her eyes seemed to be missing that bright green sparkle, and instead, looking like a worn out piece of a colored rock. She had bags under her eyes, hinting that she had gotten little sleep last night.
What was wrong with her. Was she really so depressed over stupid boys? She was a grown woman, for God's sake! She should be out partying and having fun, enjoying the single life! Not mopping around like a kid who had just got their dreams broken.
The image of last night flashed through her mind. Her lips barely touching his. The hitch of his breath as he shoved her away and turned to leave. The mummers of the strangers as they watched her stand there like the pathetic fool that she was.
No! Stop it. You are not pathetic! You're a beautiful, mature, independent woman, and damn it, you're going to act like it!
Yeah. That's right! She was mature, and she was independent. All this time, she had depended on Sonic, hoping that he would pull through for her. Then, when he failed to step up to the plate, she expected Shadow, whom she hadn't spoken to nor seen in years, to take his place. She was expecting too much and hoping for the impossible. From now on, she was going to do things her way. She didn't need any man to depend on.
She smiled at the reflection, and instantly, the glow in her eyes seemed to return. She turned and dug into the sink's draw, pulling out a black hair tie. She took it and pulled her still damp and puffy hair into a ponytail. She then searched around in the draw some more and pulled out an extra set of clothes that she had stashed there in case she forget to bring some. She pulled the grey tank and navy sweatpants on, then turned and looked at herself in the mirror again.
This was the new Amy! No more would she allow a stupid man into her life.
Feeling sky-high now, she opened the bathrooms door and headed out, switching off the light as she did so. It was still early, which meant that her favorite morning cartoons were probably still on. A bowl of cereal sounding good right about now, too.
She headed down the stairs and made a B-line towards the kitchen, smiling the whole time. From the kitchen, she could hear TV in the front room blasting some male's voice.
Odd. She didn't remember leaving it on last night. Maybe she'd accidentally forgotten to turn it off.
She pulled one of the plastic green bowls out of the cabinet, then when over to the pantry and dug out her favorite brand of cereal, Fruity Pebbles. She set them both on the island and went over to the fridge, pulling out the almost empty container of milk. First, she poured a nice amount of cereal into the bowl, then the milk, which she had just enough of. She made a mental note to stop by the market before it closed today.
Tossing the empty container into the bin, she grabbed her bowl and a spoon before exiting the kitchen. She made her way towards the living room, the soft carpet separating the two rooms welcoming her feet. Stepping into the living room, she was happy to see that the TV. was on, which saved her the hassle of doing so. Now, if only she could find the remote...
Setting her bowl down on the coffee table, she began moving pillows and checking under the sofa's for the remote. Sadly, it seemed to be in another dimension.
Now, where did I put the stupid thing...?
" Looking for something?"
The voice nearly gave her a heart attack. She gasped and grabbed at her chest. Her ears were standing straight up, and on instincts, she'd puffed her fur out. She turned and looked over towards the love seat, where a familiar fox was laying. He was wearing khaki capris and a red hoodie, black converse on his feet. In his hand seemed to be some sort of magazine, but she couldn't quite tell.
How had she not seen him before?
" T-Tails! What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" Amy asked, her voice feeling with rage. How dare he interrupt her morning cartoons?
The kitsune dug in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, twirling it around his index finger as it jingled. Not once did he look up from his magazine. " Spare key, remember? Besides, it's not like I used it. The door was already open."
Amy stared at him in shock. Had she been so depressed last night that she'd forgot to secure herself? "Well, whatever. Now, go home. You're interrupting my morning TV shows!"
This time, he did look up from the magazine.
" Morning?" As the hedgehog nodded, he got up from his seat and made his way over to one of the draw curtains. Grabbing onto it with both hands, he pulled the fabric apart, allowing a bright beam of sunlight enter.
Amy crumbled to the floor, holding her hands over her eyes. It was so..so..bright! " It burns..! Make it stop!" She cried, getting into fetal position.
Tails only stood there, his back shielding him from the light. " It's four in the afternoon. What time did you go to sleep?"
The pink hedgehog had to keep from gasping. Had she really slept in that late?
She slowly lifted her head, squinting until her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She blinked a few times and stood up. " Oops. Didn't mean to sleep for that long." She looked over to Tails, who was watching her curiously. "Did you need something, Tails?"
There was a hesitant silence before he spoke up. He gestured toward the table, where a stack of envelopes were piled. " Mailman made a mistake again. I came to give you your mail."
Slightly shocked by the amount, Amy went over to the pile and picked some up. She shuffled through them, her eyes widening.
No..! I totally forgot!
She bit down on her bottom lip and threw the letters down, picking up the others. She flipped through them and growled before throwing them down as well. From the corner of her eye, she could see Tails staring in curiosity.
" They're bills. I'm totally behind on them." She sighed, her ear's twitching in irritation. " There's no way I can afford all this. I have Cable bills, Power bills, Water bills, and A car note to pay! Do you know how much that's all going to cost?"
" A lot of money?"
" I'm serious, you know."
" Yes, I do know."
Amy growled again in frustration. Up until this point, Sonic had paid all her bills. She hadn't bothered with a job, because he'd promised to take care of it. Like an idiot, she assumed they'd always be together, so she would never have to work a day in her life. Her parents had given her a nice amount of money when she graduated, which she'd used to buy the house. She was, without a doubt, broke.
" Tails..do you know what this means..?" she asked, her voice cracking. Never had she thought she'd have to say this.
" You have to sell all your stuff?"
" No, idiot!" Amy took a deep breath. " I need to get a..a..."
"Job?" He finished for her, much to her dislike.
Amy wanted nothing more than to cry. She was no stuck up brat who hated cleaning, but she'd never had to work for something. It had simply been handed to her. Of course, she was always grateful for the things she got, and unlike those stuck up rich kids, she was always happy with what she received.
" What am I going to do? I don't even know where to look.."
Tails tapped his chin, as if he was literally weighing her options. He licked his lips, then looked at her. " I think I know a place."
Amy's eyes sparkled, and she looked over at him with a wide smile. He flinched a little, which was understandable. She was fueled with all kinds of emotions, so anyone who valued their life would steer clear of her.
" Oh, Tails! Are you serious? Thank you so, so much!" she said, launching towards him with open arms. He dodged it though, and made a run for the door.
" I'll give them a call. Be back in a while!" he said before swinging the door open and slamming it behind him.
Amy couldn't hold her smile down. Maybe there were still a few good men around in her life.
She went over to where her younger friend had been lounging and sat. She looked at her bowl of forgotten food, which was soggy by now.
Great. There goes my "morning" meal.
Through the corner of her eye, the magazine that Tails had been reading caught her eye. She picked it up and had to keep from gasping. Staring back at her was a picture of a nude human woman. Her breasts were much too big, and on her head were false bunny ears.
She recognized it as one of Sonic's old dirty books that he would leave lying around her house. The fact that someone like Tails had read it made her feel uncomfortable.
So much for a few good men!
The doorbell rang, making Amy jump a little.
Speak of the devil.
She sighed and got up from her seat, throwing the disgusting magazine to the floor. She made her way to the carpet covered hallway, where the front door was in.
He's sure did that quick. Just how soon is a "while" to him?
No bothering to look through the peep-hole, she opened the already unlocked door and smiled. Maybe he was back soon, but who cared? That meant that she would have an update on her maybe "job".
She came in contact with crimson, and like it often did, her face fell. Underneath those tired eyes were bags, indicating that little sleep had been gotten. His quills were windblown and messy, and his ears were drew back.
Did she have the worst luck, or what?
" S-Shadow. What are yo-"
Before she could even finish, the ebony hedgehog had taken a slight step closer, cutting her off verbally with his own manly voice.
" Let's do this thing."