Chapter ten: secret admirer

Julie-Su sat on the roof of Chaotix café, taking in the reflected rays of the moon. The moon was her strength, being the friend of water; she and the moon shared a bond that she hoped would never be broken.

"Hey," Espio came out and sat beside her, "I thought you might be cold so I brought you a blanket," he gave her the blanket in his hand.

"Thank you," Julie-Su wrapped it around he shoulders, "so what are you doing out here?"

Espio looked at her blankly.

"I mean that you would have given me the blanket and left if you didn't have more to say."

"I was just wondering if you had thought about what I said yesterday," he rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

"About waiting till the dishwasher is completely full before you start it?"

"No," Espio laughed, "I mean about Knuckles."

Julie-Su nodded, "I'm trying to get over it but it's hard."

"Well," Espio said, "you could think about getting another boyfriend to take your mind off of it."

"I don't know about that," Julie-Su got up, "I would be split and I don't like to be like that, I'm just going to stay away from all of that until I'm sure I'm over Knuckles," she walked back up the roof and ducked in through the window.

Espio sighed, "well plan A didn't work," he got up, "I guess it's on to plan B…do I even have a plan B?"

Julie-Su woke up and turned to her bedside table, and saw a vase of flowers. She got up and looked at it, next to it was a note she picked it up and read it.

You know me

But you don't notice me

This is only the begging of how I'll make you see me

It wasn't signed. She decided to go down stairs and see if anyone knew who had left it.

"Hey Espio,"

Espio turned around to talk to Julie-Su, "good morning."

"Did anyone come in after I went to bed?"

"No," Espio answered, "Why do you ask?"

"Well I woke up and I had a vase of flowers on my nightstand, and I found a letter next to it, here maybe you can recognize the handwriting."

Espio read the note, and then again more carefully, "no Julie-Su, I'm sorry but, I don't know whose handwriting this is," he gave the note back to her.

"Oh well," Julie-Su sighed, "I guess I'll need to ask more people."

"Oh yeah, I know exactly whose handwriting this is," Jet said scrutinizing the note.

"Really," Julie-Su asked excitedly, "whose is it?"

"Eggman," Jet gave the note back to Julie-Su.

"Thanks a lot parakeet," Julie-Su said irritably.

"I am a hawk for your information," Jet said heatedly, "I do not like to be called otherwise,"

"O.K.," Knuckles said, "We'll call you anything but otherwise."

"Ha, ha," Jet said dully, "You're so funny Knux."

"Excuse me,"

The three of them looked up to see Spencer the dog smiling at them, "I have a gift for miss. Julie-Su."

"That's me,' Julie-Su said, "Who's it from,"

Spencer shook her head, "he told me I couldn't tell you who he was."

"Oh," Knuckles said teasingly, "You have a secret admirer."

Julie-Su blushed and took the box from Spencer.

"Open it Jewels," Jet said excitedly.

Julie-Su opened the box; inside it was another note and a necklace with a turquoise pendent.

Knuckles took the note and read it out loud:

Your eyes are beautiful but blind

I am always around but hard to find.

Your next clue will come to you from someone next to you.

Knuckles and Jet looked at each other.

"I don't know ho it is," Knuckles said.

"Me neither," Jet said.

"Well it'll be one of you," Julie-Su said, "Will you tell me who it is when you find out?"

"Maybe," Knuckles said.

"I'll tell you," Jet said happily

Espio sat, invisible, in the tree above the three friends, "O.K. it's not going to be Jet…that's what I was afraid of."