I'll be trying to get back to regular updates. ^^;

Freshman: Chapter 11

Shadow's POV

Despites it being her first time making this dish, she succeeded in making something truly delicious and I had thoroughly enjoyed it.

But dinner had passed, the dishes were done, there was no homework to worry about and so I sat behind my laptop in my room again.

I wasn't being the typical teenager who hid in their room and dived behind their computers and/or cellphones as soon as the opportunity arose, but Rouge had said she was exhausted from today's mission, which she couldn't discuss with me now that I was a mere high school student and not an agent, so she went straight to bed to catch up on some sleep.

I didn't argue with her about it and decided to find something to keep myself busy with until 10pm, the time I deemed a healthy hour to go to bed.

I've read the few books I own quite a while ago, I didn't exactly own a console that apparently a lot of my peers seem to have and with Rouge in bed I couldn't spend my time watching bad movies and laughing at them or soap cliches either.

So wasting time behind the laptop it is.

The sleek rose red thing had only just finished starting up when a weird sound came from it, briefly startling me.

As someone still pretty foreign to the modern world, it took me a little while to realise that the sound and the blinking orange light on the bottom of my screen were connected. I clicked on it and a window appeared with a name on top.

'Fastest Dude Alive' is what it said with a tiny picture of Sonic giving his biggest grin right next to it. Apparently he had typed a message for me.

"Sonic?" I muttered, slightly confused.

'Hi! =D' Had been the first message already on my screen.

'How did detention with Scourge go? =D' Was the second message that appeared on my screen and then it suddenly hit me.

This was a chatroom. Somehow, someway I suddenly had an account and apparently Sonic knew all about it.

Chaos, did they set this up behind my back again?!

I knew I had this program on my laptop, but I never even took the time to check it out. Guess, I figured it out now.

'Just fine. Why do I suddenly have this account?' I asked and soon noticed what name I had apparently been given.

'The Eternal Grump =c'? Really? And with that emoticon?

Upon noticing me reply with the kind of name I had, Sonic send a sincere 'XD'.

'We thought it was about time you caught up a little!' A brief explanation, one I had admittedly expected.

I have been doing nothing but catching up! Was I not fast enough in their eyes?

Apparently not.

'So how did detention with Scourge go? =)' Sonic asked with the necessary smiley behind it. I learned what they were when I got my first text message from Rouge.

'It went exactly as you'd expect it to go. The secretary had to go find him, so he came in late, I made my homework, he glared and sulked, and called me an asshole when he left. It was a relatively quiet three hours.' I replied to him and I don't think Sonic can say he was surprised.

'No soup throwing or slamming balls in faces this time?' The hedgehog joked and I could only huff.

'Not this time, but if he managed to bully me in front of the secretary, I would've found a way to sneak those in.' I decided to return the favour and for that the reply was another 'XD'.

'By the way, have you heard of the trip we're taking a few weeks from now?' Sonic suddenly asked and I could only gave a short '?'

A trip? With school or amongst friends? I remember them asking me along once, but I had to reject his offer than. It just so happened that Rouge and I had to go on a mission that took quite a long while, even longer than they planned their trip to be. So even if I wanted to go, I couldn't.

But now that I was unemployed, I think I could go along if they were to invite me again.

Suddenly my phone started to ring and I quickly answered before my ringtone woke up the white bat trying to sleep next door. She did have quite the sensitive hearing.

"Yes?!" I snapped a little as I was a little peeved with the sudden call. I would rather not have my housemate wake up just because someone decided to call me at this hour.

Sure, I suppose I could've turned down the volume little. Imagine if it suddenly went off in the middle of class. Just the thought of everyone staring at me is harrowing.

"Woah, calm down, Shad, it's just me." Sonic was the person who had suddenly called me and I could feel my anger melting away a little.

"Sonic? Why did you feel like calling me out of nowhere? We were just chatting." I told him in a whisper, unable to understand why when we were already talking.

"To hear your beautiful voice? I dunno, this just seemed faster than typing." Of course, that impatient idiot.

"Hey, that's a bit mean." The hedgehog on the other side of the call chuckled as I also said that out loud on purpose.

"But it's true, isn't it?" I asked, leaning back in my seat and rolling back and forth a little with my chair.

No, I can't sit still on desk chairs like this. Fortunatly, Rouge couldn't hear the little wheels rolling on the floor, they were being quite soft. I also know that I'm not the only one who does this.

"And it proves how lazy you really are." I added and heard an audible 'pfff' coming from the other side.

"Let's talk about things that actually matter, 'kay?" If it could end this conversation sooner, sure.

"So this trip, it takes place in May and everyone in our year is going. We're gonna go to this camping site, I think? We'll be staying there for three days straight and do all sorts of activities." I was explained and I could only wonder what it meant to go to a camping?

Like a trailer park? Or in tents? I didn't quite know what to imagine when Sonic told me we'd be staying at a camping.

The Commander should've given me more time off. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so clueless all the damn time.

"Sonic, it's getting late, so let's just end this conversation now, alright? I think it's very important to go to bed on time." I told him, knowing that I would probably hear more about this trip at school.

"Oh yeah, I should probably be getting some sleep myself." He decided that I was probably right and that we should be getting some shut eye.

I'm not all that good at reading people, but does he sound disappointed?

Pff, he's probably just stalling.

"Say, Shad, I didn't manage to have the house for myself that Saturday a week ago... So maybe we can go catch a movie or something this weekend?" What's this? Another invitation?

Rouge would've wanted me to go and I did need to be more social. Plus, last time was actually kind of fun.

"Sure, I've never really taken the time to visit a movie theater." I think that would make for a pleasant experience.

"Seriously? I knew you were a workaholic, but to this extent?" Sonic chuckled on the other end of the line. Whatever had been bothering him just moments earlier, his mood seems to have improved now.

"Listen, let's just go to bed now and continue this conversation at school tomorrow." I told him, yawning softly. I was sort off longing for my bed right now too.

"Yeah, sure! I'll talk to you tomorrow, Shad!" Sonic told me his goodbyes before he hung up and I did the same, sighing lightly.

Hanging out with that hedgehog in the weekend again was something that I was a bit excited for. And now that rumoured camping trip for school, I wonder what that was all about.

I have actually never gone camping before. I was always so busy with work that I barely took any time to relax and do something for fun. So I can't help but wonder what that's going to be like. My mind could come up with all sorts of scenarios, but I'm willing to bet that none of those are right.

Well, if something like that is scheduled to happen this year, I'll probably hear about it in school within the next few weeks, won't I?

After turning off my laptop, I got up from my chair and got ready for bed. First I had to take a quick shower as I realised that I still had my dirty clothes on and threw those in the laundry bin to take care off tomorrow. I was careful not to wake up Rouge as she was a bit of a light sleeper.

Once I had a quick soak to rinse the filth of the day away, I dried and dressed myself with hurry and enclosed myself in my bedroom. I slipped in for the night, stretching for one last time before I settled down, and looked up to the ceiling.

I wonder what tomorrow is going to be like. Without a doubt Scourge is still nursing the injuries his pride received when I threw that soup in his face and got us both detention.

I suppose it doesn't matter much, does it? If he seeks trouble again, I will make sure to be ready for it. Although, I wish not to trouble Rouge so much.

She's my guardian, she took me in when she really didn't need to. So if she were to get in trouble because I can't control my temper at school, punishment might be severe for her.

Surely, there had to be a different way to handle Scourge.

A different way besides outright violence and retaliation... I don't quite know what to do.

It wasn't just for Rouge that I wanted a new tactic, but for myself too.

I'm finally going to school and getting the education that I'm sure my creator would've wanted to give me, had he been given the chance. I can't let that go to waste, can I?

Another sigh left me as I rolled onto my front and buried my muzzle in my pillow.

I suppose I'll see what tomorrow brings.