Sonic High: Emerald Lake Chapter 38: A Coward's Way Out, a sonic the hedgehog fanfic

A/N: Well hi everybody. It sure has been a while, hasn't it. It's so nice to be back and writing again. This chapter might feel a bit off to usual, I'm still getting back into the rhythm of this story. I went back and re-read my plan just to keep myself up to date on what plot points have been revealed and which haven't. Wouldn't want to accidently spoil something big, would we? Anyway, as usual this chapter is long and just so I can stop saying it in all my author's notes, all chapters from this on out will probably be around the 10,000 word mark or higher. Looking at my plan, only more and more things will occur each chapter. And we still have one more main character to fully introduce and one character who has only briefly appeared/been mentioned that will be becoming a main character (Part 4 hype). There is going to be 65 chapters and 1 more part after this (this and that one each holding 17 chapters) so we are well over the half way mark but we aren't quite at the final stretch yet so there's plenty more to look forward to. Well, I've made you wait 3 months so please, read, review and enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 38

A Coward's Way Out

The water sparkled in the morning sun, choppy waves slicing through the normally calm lake as the morning winds picked up speed. Due clung to the blades of grass and rustling leaves of the trees. Lumina rushed around her campsite, drenching the struggling embers still clinging to life from last night's fire. The fire pit erupted in steam. Her tent collapsed, her bags were packed. Lumina began to fold up the tent poles when she saw her.

There, standing atop the hill beside the lake was a girl, not quite frozen but stiller than the swaying trees. Her light-auburn hair whipped about her face, her eyes filled with intrigue and pulsating with malice. Before Lumina knew what was happening, she had descended the hill and approached her sight.

"So, this is where you've been hiding out?" Fiona remarked, eyes darting around the sorry-excuse for a camp location.

"Hiding wouldn't be the word I'd use," Lumina retorted, refusing to back down from Fiona's domineering presence.

"Guts… I like that," Fiona mused aloud. "But I wonder how long they'd last if you knew who I was."

"I know who you are," Lumina replied politely, almost mockingly as her attention fell back to the tent she continued to pack up. Fiona frowned frustratingly. "Fiona Fox, school diva. Instils fear to get what she wants, convicted of arson."

"Wrongly," Fiona snorted.

"Most importantly, however, the one person at this school who seems to really know Void. So, tell me, why does everybody always bring you up when I ask about Void?" Lumina queried.

"An answer for an answer," Fiona counted quickly. "What's he to you?"

"Just a boy. Why'd he come to this school?"

"Just a vacation. Why are you trying to find him?"

"Just want a word. How'd he end up back in prison?"

"Just a boy," Fiona smirked humourlessly, narrowing her eyes as the two girls stared each other down, neither one giving an inch with stares that could frighten ghosts.

"Well played," Lumina offered an insincere smile.

"Back at you. But tell me, how'd he end up in prison in the first place?"

"Wait? He never told you?" Lumina chuckled darkly.

"Shut it and tell me," Fiona snarled. Lumina paused, contemplating her words before finally deciding on an appropriate answer.

"…Just a boy." Fiona felt puzzled, not understanding but before she could counter, she noticed a small, black duffle bag out of the corner of her eye.

"Where did you get this?" Fiona gasped as she pushed past Lumina and knelt down to unzip the bag.

"No, don't look in there it's-" Lumina began but was cut off by Fiona's bewilderment.

"How did you get ahold of Void's money?" Fiona whipped around, anger in her eyes as she grabbed Lumina by the collar.

"How did you know about the bag of money?" Lumina replied with a question of her own.

"He hid it in my room while he stayed here. How did you get it? He said he was saving it for something special."

"He sent it to me."

"He… he sent it… to… you?" Fiona couldn't believe her ears, the shock consuming her as she released her iron grip on Lumina.

"You're a psycho, you know that," Lumina rubbed her throat, enjoying free-flowing oxygen.

"Y-Yeah… whatever," Fiona responded distantly as she turned to walk off without another word. She couldn't believe Void had just given it to this random girl.

'Why her? Who is she? And what did she mean by just a boy?' Fiona's thoughts plagued her as she vanished over the hill.

"I see why people talk about her the way they do," Lumina shook her head as she refocused back on packing up, the prison her next destination.

…

The next week flew by in a flash. As the events of the wedding became memories, slowly fading from current gossip to become just another bad day, everyone seemed to be moving forward. However, things were anything but normal in the school grounds.

Silver and Blaze no longer wondered the halls together. Mighty continued to avoid Ray, the distance created between the two surprising even those who barely knew them. Sonic and Tails continued to date, but the awkwardness prevalent in the air around them when together was palpable. Mephiles was still nowhere to be seen, and Knuckles and Julie who had previously split up seemed to be hiding a secret from the rest of the school. Everything had been turned on its head, nothing seemed right and yet time ticked on as finals for the seniors crept ever closer.

Throughout the week, Sally and Wave continued to grow closer and closer together, fueling the other's destructive coping mechanism. Each day they would meet up in the bathrooms, purging the food from their bodies down the toilet. Their bodies began to grow noticeably frailer each day. Finally, Friday arrived and the students breathed a sigh of relief, excited to just relax for two days without needing to go to any classes or deal with any drama.

"Hey, got any plans for tonight?" Sally asked as she dragged the back of her wrist across her mouth, removing the leftover dry bile from the corner of her lips.

"Nah, I think I'm just going to chill in my room tonight. Maybe get started on that chemistry report Zonic gave us," Wave replied nonchalantly.

What had begun as a disparaging response to their negative self-thoughts had transformed into habit. It became part of their daily routine. Most people would go grab coffee and chat as friends, but not Sally and Wave. The hatred at themselves, the guilt they both felt and disgust that encompassed them every time they looked in the mirror controlled their actions. The two friends discussed the usual things with heads in the toilet. It was destructive, but to them it was the one sense of stability both had. They were both sick of empathy, and felt complete sympathy for each other. A friend that truly understands what you're going through is hard to find and despite the circumstances, Sally and Wave had found one.

"That guy seriously needs to take a chill pill," Sally laughed.

"Rumour has it Gold turned him down when he asked her out and I don't think he's taking it very well," Wave responded.

"Doesn't mean he has to make our life miserable," Sally shook her head.

"It's ironic that he's a chemistry teacher when clearly he had no chemistry with Gold," Wave smirked. The two girls looked at each other and burst into laughter together. It was strange, and the irony wasn't lost on either of them. The only time both of them felt truly accepted and happy was when they were doing something so destructive. But despite their bulimic tendencies, both needed it, and each other.

…

Sonic let out a satisfied sigh as he turned off the hot water. The cascading droplets ceased to fall out of the showerhead as steam billowed around the changeroom. Sonic grabbed his white towel off the rack and furiously rubbed it over his quills, soaking up the moisture. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked over to his locker, his feet pattering against the tiled floor.

"It would be nice if you at least put some pants on before you dried your hair," Knuckles grunted as he opened his locker, the two boy's lockers adjacent to each other.

"I know you want to ogle me but please don't look next time," Sonic smirked.

"How about you put some boxers on instead of parading your junk around in everybody's faces?" Knuckles countered.

"I agree," Manic piped up, a disgusted look on his face. "More than I ever wanted to see."

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it," Sonic winked at the red-haired boy. Knuckles face went red as he snorted, annoyed that Sonic was flirting with him.

"Calm down Knux, he's just joking," Spike added, walking up with nothing but his boxers on as Sonic began to chuckle, clapping the shorter boy on the shoulder.

"Easy for you to say, you actually want to suck his dick," Shadow added slyly, mockingly.

"You're one to talk. You're the only one in this room who has actually had his cock in your mouth," Espio laughed, joining the conversation.

"And up your ass, too," Silver added. All the guys turned to stare at him disapprovingly.

"Don't help me," Espio scowled. "Why are you even here?"

"I thought… I…" Silver trailed off, looking around at the disapproving glances from all his peers.

"You thought what? You'd break one of my best friend's hearts?" Sonic glared.

"And toy with Breezie, too," Spike added.

"And spread around Espio's nudes," Manic snarled.

"I…"

"Just get out of here. Go lie and cheat on some other women," Espio judged.

"Are you kidding? You're the one who used to be a massive womanizer and I was the one who stood up for you!" Silver argued.

"Yeah, but I never cheated on the girls."

"Please, Silver, just go," Shadow said darkly. Silver tried to hold back the sadness as he grabbed his back off the wooden bench in the middle of the walls of lockers and stormed out of the change rooms.

"C'mon guys, don't you think you should give the guy a break?" Eclipse piped up, dragging his towel across his back to absorb any left-over water clinging to his skin.

"I know you and him are close and everything but he needs to learn his lesson and Blaze and Breezie need to heal before we can be friendly with him again," Sonic replied.

"Yeah, but it's the end of his final year at school. Don't you think times are stressful enough?"

"Look, Eclipse, you haven't known him for as long as we have. Just trust us, this is exactly the kind of treatment he deserves," Espio added coldly.

"It's still wrong. Right Mighty? Back me up here," Eclipse elbowed the silent boy next to him who had been going about his own business, silently dressing himself as the others argued.

"Yeah, what E said," Mighty said absentmindedly.

"Mighty? You okay, buddy?" Spike asked, placing a comforting hand on Mighty's bare shoulder.

"Yeah, everything okay? You haven't seemed the same since the wedding," Manic added.

"Could we all just stop talking about Ray for five seconds!" Mighty screamed, standing up dramatically. Shadow, Sonic, Knuckles, Espio, Spike, Manic and Eclipse all stared back with blank expressions. None of them understood why he was acting this way.

"Dude… Nobody brought up Ray…" Shadow breathed.

"Sorry… Sorry I just… I… I need some air. I'll see you guys later," Mighty excused himself, throwing on a shirt from his locker and slamming the door shut before sprinting out of the locker rooms.

"What's his deal?" Manic asked.

"I'll check up on him tonight in the room," Sonic decided.

"I think it's because Ray asked Clove out and she said yes last weekend at Sonia's wedding," Eclipse explained.

"Wait, isn't Clove his girlfriend?" Knuckles asked obliviously.

"Ex," Sonic pointed out.

"Yeah, but Mighty dumped Clove, not the other way around so it doesn't matter if Ray wants to date Clove," Eclipse challenged.

"Yeah but they were best friends. It's kind of a dog move," Shadow added.

"Besides, bros before hoes," Spike chimed in.

"Relationship draaamaaa," Sonic sung out. "And not mine for once, thank Chaos."

"Ugh, I'm so sick of all this drama. I'm outta here," Knuckles spoke.

"Me too. Wanna grab lunch?" Manic said, closing his locker.

"You're on."

"I'm off too. Work to do," Eclipse concluded as he exited after both Knuckles and Manic, leaving only Shadow, Sonic, Espio and Spike remaining.

"So… speaking of relationship drama," Espio smirked. "How are you and Tails going? I hear there's trouble in paradise."

"If there ever was any paradise to begin with," Sonic sighed.

"As much as I'd love to get into the middle of yours and Tails' love lives again," Shadow added sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I'd best be off."

"Yeah, me too," Espio agreed.

"Well, guess it's just you and me, buddy. What do you wanna do?" Sonic asked, turning to the other teenager remaining.

"Wanna go for a jog?" Spike offered.

"A jog it is!"

…

"And that war took place for seven whole years," Spike explained, watching as Sonia type out her notes on her laptop.

"Shhhh," Megan hissed, her index finger pressed to her lips to silence the talkative teenager.

"She really doesn't like you, does she?" Sonia tried to stifle her laugh to keep the noise down.

"I have no idea what I did to her," Spike shook his head. Megan stared daggers at him before turning to march back to her post near the front of the library. Spike and Sonia were lounging at their usual table at the back of the library, studying on their history essay that Sonia was still yet to complete.

"And done!" Sonia cheered, relieved that she had finally completed her project as she sent it off to her professor to be marked.

"Celebratory coffee?" Spike asked, shooting his trademark puppy dog eyes that he knew nobody, especially not Sonia, could resist.

"Fine, but you're buying," Sonia giggled as she packed away her laptop. The two dashed out of the library and raced over to the café, not stopping until Spike burst through the door flailing his arms skywards.

"Winner!" Spike cheered aloud, ignoring the judgmental glares the other students shot his way from their seats.

"No fair, you cheated," Sonia panted, jogging into the café.

"I'd like to thank my dad for all the love and support," Spike laughed in a mocking tone.

"Yeah but you're buying the coffee so who's the real winner here?" Sonia grinned, folding her arms over her chest. As the two continued their back and forth, a depressed Breezie stood at her post at the counter trying to keep a brave face. She wouldn't admit it, but seeing Spike so happy with somebody else, especially a girl sent a sting of envy through her veins. She missed when he used to look at her the way she can see him look at Sonia. His carefree nature, happy-go-lucky attitude. She never knew how good she had it until it slipped away.

She offered a faint smile as Spike turned to face her. The two locked eyes but in an instant Spike quickly turned away, grabbed Sonia's arm and left the café before Breezie could even speak. She just dropped her head and let out a sigh as he ran from her yet again.

"Spike. Spike, stop it!" Sonia commanded, pain shooting from her wrist where he held his iron grip. "What happened, where are we going?"

"Sorry, sorry," Spike apologized after they crossed the grassy field and stopped beside the great tree. "It's just… I can't deal with Breezie right now. I promise to buy you that coffee when Bean is on duty."

"Why? I thought Breezie was like your best friend or something?" Sonia pried, utterly confused.

"She was…" Spike breathed, knowing there was no way to avoid explaining his situation. Apart from Julie, nobody else knew what had transpired between the two teenagers and Spike wanted to keep it that way but there was something about Sonia that felt inviting. That he knew telling her wouldn't be a mistake.

Sonia could feel her heart break as he explained how close they used to be. He described how she would keep ditching him for Silver and how she was dating Spike while pretending to flirt with him so he would do her homework.

"I'm sorry things turned out that way," Sonia frowned, offering him an empathetic hug. "I know what heartbreak feels like, trust me."

"Mephiles?"

"No… somebody I used to know long before Mephiles," she sighed. "Besides, I thought we said we wouldn't talk about him."

"Sorry, I just thought I could help."

"You are helping. But you're helping by being you. You're helping by giving me distractions and not having to think about that weekend."

"But Sonia… you'll have to face it eventually."

"I know, but not just yet. Baby steps," Sonia smiled weakly, reaching out to grab Spike's hand, who took it immediately.

"And I'll be here every step of the way."

"Thanks Spike… you're a really great friend." Spike tried to hide his sadness as the words left Sonia's mouth. He knew she was still in a vulnerable state, and she had no plans to ever consider another romantic endeavor at least for a bit but over the past week he couldn't help but get his hopes up. It started with him just wanting to help Sonia feel better, she is Sonic's sister after all but as the week grew long, his feelings grew equally. He couldn't look at Sonia as just a friend anymore. He wanted more, but apparently, she didn't share his feelings.

"You too, Sonia. You too…"

…

"You got the beers?" Knuckles asked.

"Check," Manic responded. "You got the footy?"

"Check," Knuckles nodded as the two bumped fists together as the bashed through the scrubs, emerging in a small alcove hidden on all sides by the dense tree's the surrounded the school and the adjacent lake.

"I'm glad we could come do this again. It feels like it's been ages," Manic lamented aloud as he popped the cap off two beers, handing one to Knuckles.

"Yeah, it was long overdue," Knuckles agreed. "Besides, I couldn't deal with being in that change room any longer. I love the guys, especially Sonic and Shadow but I'm so sick of all the drama that seems to follow those two."

"Tell me about it," Manic chuckled as he took greedy gulps from the bottle. "I'm glad we could get away just the two of us. I don't know if I've told you this but ever since I arrived here, you've been the closest thing to a real friend I've made."

"Really? But it looks like you've made heaps of friends. And you and Sonic have grown so much closer," Knuckles offered optimistically.

"True, but he's my brother so it's different," Manic laughed the thought away. "Although to be fair I never thought I'd ever admit to that."

"You've come a long way."

"Yeah, but when it comes to the friends I've made. I like them, sure, but none of them feel real. Y'know, like people I'd openly seek out after we all graduate. Well… nobody except you," Manic opened up. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is… you're kinda my best friend, dude."

"Wow…" Knuckles was at a loss for words. "That means a lot. Now I feel really bad that we haven't been able to hang out as much recently, apart from in the room."

"So, since we've only been talking about me, what's new in your life?" Manic tried to change the subject, not one to enjoy talking about his feelings to other guys.

"Nothing much, same old same old," Knuckles stated plainly.

"C'mon. What about you and Julie? Rumour has it you two broke up, but you haven't said anything about it and the two of you seem to still be pretty close from what I've seen," manic pried, completely oblivious to what really transpired between the two.

"Well… to be honest…" Knuckles contemplated how to respond, not sure if he could open up and tell the truth. He wanted to, and Manic would be the person he told but as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't.

"Yeah?"

"We just decided that a relationship wasn't working and that we should just stay good friends," he lied.

"If that what makes both of you happy, then I can't be happier for you. Together or not, if you both think it's the right thing to do, I think it's the right thing to do too," manic smiled.

"Thanks… you really are a good friend."

"C'mon, you're gonna make me blush," Manic joked, jumping off the ground. "Now let's play some ball!"

…

Tails, Spike and Ray all waiting as the car swerved through the corner, passing slowly underneath the arch as it entered the school's parking lot. As soon as it rolled to a stop the back door flung open and a young girl barreled out of the car.

"Tails! You did it, you brought them to see me off," the young Sonar laughed as she collided into Tails, wrapping her arms around him.

"Of course I did," Tails laughed. "I felt bad that we didn't really get to talk at the wedding so this can be my way of making it up to you."

"Thanks," Sonar smiled giddily. "Best big cousin ever!"

"You're alright too," Tails smiled, chuckling softly as she pouted, her bottom lip quivering. "I'm kidding! You're definitely the best little cousin I could have."

"Yay!" Sonar cheered as she released him and sidestepped to the teenager standing beside him.

"I was surprised you wanted to see me too," Ray replied humbly, rubbing the back of his neck, not sure what to do or say to the younger girl.

"You kept me company when nobody else was around. Thanks for making the wedding fun," Sonar chimed casually, skipping over the unfortunate ending to the festivities.

"Well, same for you," Ray smiled innocently. "It's a shame that we'll all have graduated before you get to come to this campus."

"I know," Sonar furrowed her brow, but only for a moment before beaming her radiant smile again. "But you have to tell me how it went?" Ray shot her a puzzled glare. "With that girl, silly. The one you had a massive crush on."

"Oh, Clove? She said yes," Sonia squealed at his response, completely elated. Tails glanced sideways at him disapprovingly. Suddenly Mighty's mood swings and recent behaviour made more sense.

A loud beep of the car shook Sonar out of her celebration. She turned back to her parents sitting in the front seat, both eager to get back.

"Just gimme a minute," she yelled back at them.

"Don't worry. Let me talk to them. It's been a while since I've talked to Uncle Trevor," Tails offered, causally walking over to the wound down car window and instigated a friendly chat with Sonar's parents.

"What, doesn't my number one fan want to say goodbye to me too?" Spike feigned sadness, unable to hold back laughter at her response.

"Of course not, Spikey," she cooed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, jumping off the ground. "I'd never want to say goodbye to you because if I had it my way I'd never leave you."

"You've got to get back to the city," Spike said sternly.

"I know, but maybe I could hide in your room and live here?" Sonar bargained.

"Next year, Sonar."

"But you won't be here with me next year," she frowned.

"We can still see each other over the summer break," Spike assured her.

"Deal," she smiled, quickly changing back to her overly happy demeanor. "And you can bring a girlfriend, too. But just remember, she can have you until I graduate, and then I'm all yours."

"Deal," Spike laughed, trying to hide the sadness he felt as his mind wandered back to Breezie again. "Take care, Sonar," he waved.

"See you guys later!" She called as she hopped back in the car.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," Trevor said in his deep, grizzly voice.

"I wouldn't really know," Tails laughed. "But she seems to still get along with Spike so I think she had a good time."

"Thanks Tails. We'll see you for Christmas dinner?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he smiled as he joined Ray and Spike, all three waving as the car backed out of the carpark and disappeared back down the long country road.

…

Friday night had finally rolled around and, thanks to Gold's special permission, Espio was able to play at a special concert that featured a multitude of some of the most popular singers of the current age.

"Good luck out there, kid," Jaguar J winked as she passed him. Espio couldn't believe it, his hands clammed up and his voice escaped him.

"Thanks," he managed to squeak as she passed him. He still couldn't really believe his luck. What started out as a simple hobby had blossomed, thanks almost completely to the school secretary who believed in him no matter what and had the connections he needed to get his foot in the door. Espio the Chameleon. The name was slowly spreading around. As soon as he graduates, Espio had planned to completely pursue his music career, starting with a nation-wide tour to every major city. Who would have thought all this could have happened to him in the span of one short year?

"Espio, you need to get out there!" Gold screamed from beside him. "You were supposed to be out a minute ago." Frantically, Espio grabbed his guitar and sprinted onto the stage, shooting an apologetic glance at all of his band mates who were stood motionless in the middle of the stage.

As soon as he emerged, countless screaming girls called his name, eager to see him play. Espio knew exactly which song he wanted to play. Since handing off the original five songs he was asked to produce on an EP earlier in the term when trying to make a name for himself, Espio had been hard at work writing new songs. His contract required him to come out with a complete album of thirteen songs, including his original five, by the end of the summer. He had started off writing depressing songs, and still did thanks to all the influence at the time but recently he had a new muse to write about. Thanks to a certain secretary, life seemed brighter and his newer music mirrored this. He had new inspiration. He took a deep breath, leant into the microphone and began singing his new, never before heard song.

I've had times in my life where I've been in a rut
But I look to the sky, scream I'm not givin' up
You played me for a fool, thinkin' you were so nice
But I know, now I know, yes I know your heart was cold as ice
You pushed me around, kept makin' me feel blue
And I know, now I know, yes I know it to be true
I'm not still set on you

They say David beat Goliath with only a sling shot
So you've gotta stand tall and show the whole world what you've got
You might fade away, but there comes a day
When you can shout it out loud and say

I'm still standing, rising above the clouds
I'm still breathing, hear my voice as I shout it out loud
You try to keep me down, cut me down as I fall to the ground
But I'm getting back up, show the world I ain't foolin' around
And I'm still standing now!

When you knock me down I'll rise to the stand
When the waves wash away my initials in the sand, whoa-oh

Sometimes I get cynical thoughts of a criminal kind
But I pick up the pieces of my life without you in mind no-oh
If you're down, lost your crown and your sounds are all drowned out
Extend your sights to achieve new heights, eliminate the doubt
Now let me hear you shout

He smiled, sweat dripping from his brow as he looked around at the audience all enthralled in his new, upbeat song. They seemed to be loving it. With new found confidence, he threw himself into the chorus again.

The oasis in a wasteland, pearl emerges from a clam
Destiny's in my own hands, I now understand, and

I'm still standing, rising above the clouds
I said that I'm still breathing, hear my voice as I shout it out louder and louder and louder
You try to keep me down, cut me down as I fall to the ground
And I know, now I know, I'm still standing now!

Espio took a bow, waving to the crowd as he wondered off stage, back to where he was hidden behind curtains and shadows to finally take a breath.

"Espio, that was amazing!" He heard Gold yell from afar, rushing past a big burly security guard to meet him. He opened his arms widely as she ran up to him and she jumped into his grasp, hugging him tightly. "I knew they would love that song!"

"It's all thanks to you that I could write it." Gold shot him a perplexed look. "If you hadn't shown me how great life could be, if you didn't make me so happy I would still be writing dreary and depressing songs."

"Espio, don't give me all the credit," she grinned happily, touched by his words.

"But you deserve it. You are definitely the pearl to my clam." Gold leant up and pressed her lips firmly against him, clutching his torso tightly. It would have been such a magical moment. Would have been, if not for the envious fan who watched from afar. Sticks, her phone raised, had recorded the whole thing.

"If I can't have him, neither can that bitch," she muttered under her breath.

…

The foul stench of nicotine, vomit and alcohol swirled around the dingy air of the corner bar. Loud, undecipherable babble erupted from all corners, drowned out by the blaring beats echoing throughout the interior. Zonic sat at one of the bars, half a pint of beer clutched in his hand while the other clung protectively to yet another cigarette. He put it to his lips and drew a long, satisfying breath as the smoke collected in his lungs.

"Those'll kill you, you know," a knowing voice penetrated from behind.

"C'mon Zec, let him have this one," a second, equally familiar voice could be heard above the melancholy drabble. Zonic turned and was greeted with the friendly smiles of his two best friends, Zector and Zespio.

"I thought you guys weren't gonna come," Zonic said, scooching over slightly so that the larger man could squeeze into the table Zonic had acquired.

"Sorry, work kept us over time," Zector apologized.

"Some unruly inmates," Zespio added, walking over with a jug. He handed Zector a glass and filled it to the brim with beer, topping up Zonic's glass before filling his own.

"And I'm normally the late one. You guys only have to drive twenty minutes. It's a two-hour trip for me to come back to the city."

"But you do it because you love us," Zespio mused cheerfully. Zonic shook his head but couldn't hide the smile that crept along his face. Zespio took a long, thirst-quenching gulp of his drink, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Speaking of love…" Zector spoke up in an agitated tone.

"Oh no, not this again," Zespio pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She messaged me again, Zonic. She knows that I know where you ran off to. You are one of my closest friends and I won't tell her as a courtesy to you…" Zector continued.

"Thanks, Zec, I-"

"On the condition you go confront her," he concluded.

"Zector, you know as well as I do that I can't."

"Why can't you? If you don't love her anymore that's cool but she just needs some closure. Just talk to her."

"Sorry… I just can't," Zonic let his gaze fall to the floor. Zespio watched on in silence, sick of seeing this fight over and over again and watch it herald the exact same result.

"Zonic, do it as a favour for me. Please, she's my sister…" Zector pleaded, a tactic Zespio hadn't yet observed.

"I just can't face her," Zonic added with finality as he stood from his chair and turned his back on Zector. He began to walk away when he heard the angered calls from behind.

"You're a coward, Zonic!" Zector bellowed. Zonic clenched his fist and spoke calmly, spinning around to face Zector who had now also risen from his chair.

"I had no choice! You just don't understand."

"I understand very clearly," Zector narrowed his eyes. "You were nothing but a bloody coward." Zonic had had enough. In one swift motion, he sliced his fist through the air. It connected painfully to Zector's cheek. He fell to one knee, clutching his face as Zonic turned to storm off, rubbing his sore fist.

"You alright, Zec?" Zespio asked, offering his hand out and helping Zector stagger back to his feet.

"You fucking coward!" Zector screamed but Zonic didn't let it deter him. He continued walking, never once looking back.

…

The brisk winds chilled her skin, billowing beneath her dress as the jogged through the winding paths. The moon shone brightly in the air, not a cloud present in the night sky. It had been weeks since she had last gambled. Not since the break when her and Nack were kicked out of the casino. Cosmo was trying desperately to kick her addiction and although hanging out with Jet was helpful she still felt the inkling in the back of mind, constantly calling to her, urging her to make a bet or play some cards.

Cosmo had decided to take up jogging. The calm night and the fresh air helped calm her senses and stave off the ever-present hunger to gamble the ebbed its way through her brain. However, it was jogging through the school that very night that proved to be the single worst thing that Cosmo could have done.

"Fuck today was hard," she heard a familiar, masculine voice curse from around a corner.

"This whole semester has been hard," a second, much more feminine voice responded. "I'm just glad you could get some more before school started again. I don't know how I would survive without you."

There was no mistaking it. Cosmo knew from just one sentence that it was definitely the voice of Rouge. She stalled to a walk and stopped next to one of the brick buildings near the edge of the forest. She peered her head around the corner and watched with interest as both Rouge and Scourge leant against the building with two joints in their mouths.

"You wouldn't," Scourge smirked, drawing another breath from the joint and exhaling a heap of smoke.

"How much of the stuff do you have left?" Rouge asked as she took another drag, her eyes red and hazy.

"Enough," Scourge smiled, patting the breast pocket of his black leather jacket where the remainder of his marijuana still sat in a bag. Cosmo watched with intrigue, never having tried weed before. She heard how calming it could make people and inched closer, keeping to the shadows. She dared to travel as close as possible so that she could breathe in the second-hand smoke that billowed around Rouge and Scourge's heads without being detected.

It was there, breathing in the smoke, that she sat and enjoyed herself until Rouge and Scourge finally grew tired and went to bed.

"I need to get me some of that," Cosmo sighed happily, the urge to gamble held completely at bay within herself thanks to the smoke.

…

I remember it like it was yesterday. It wasn't the most romantic place ever, just a school dance. I wore a small red dressed that blossomed out from my hips with laced ribbons cuddling my shoulders. I originally didn't even want to go. It was just a stupid high school dance but Amy forced me to go. She wouldn't take no for an answer.

"It's the most magical night of the year," I remember her sighing. "And, it'll be the first dance that Sonic and I will be attending as an official couple."

Of course she wanted to go. She actually had somebody to go with. There was only ever one boy I wanted to go to the dance with, but he told me he didn't think he was going to go.

I didn't know what to expect as I walked into the gym, appropriately decorated as the 'under the sea' theme that the seniors voted on. Immediately Amy left me, dashing over to Sonic when she saw him but what I didn't expect was him. He caught my eye and, with hands in the pockets of the cerulean suit, strolled over to me.

"Hey," I murmured shyly, rubbing my toe into the ground nervously. He looked so amazing that night. I think it was obvious to anybody at school that I had a crush on him. I had since the first year of middle school, but I never thought anything would happen.

"You look beautiful tonight," he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. I couldn't believe it. He was nervous himself. I couldn't help but laugh a little. His face lit up in a vibrant red, only making me laugh louder. He was always cute like that.

"Wanna dance?" he asked me as his voice cracked, extending out his hand.

"Sure," I smiled, placing mine in his as we wondered out onto the dance floor. However, just as we began to dance the song chanced.

"Alright all my mermaids and mermen," the D.J announced over the microphone. "It's time to slow it all down," he winked as he played a romantic, slow song. I looked to him, swallowing anxiously. He shrugged and placed his hands on my waist. I replied by placing mine on his shoulder and as the music swelled around us, we danced in circles, never taking our eyes off each other.

Amy looked so happy, watching me dance with him. I think Sonic was proud of him too. After what felt like an eternity of heaven, just dancing with him, I remember him clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Cream… will you, go out with me?" he asked me. I couldn't believe it. My heart did loops in my chest, but I stayed calm.

"Yes. Yes, of course," I smiled as he leant down and placed his lips carefully and quickly on mine. The kiss only lasted the briefest of moments, but it was amazing. That was our first kiss, but it definitely wasn't our last. That was when our relationship first began. When I finally became the girlfriend of Tails Prower.

Cream sat on her bed, legs crossed as she slid her thumb across her phone, admiring the many pictures she had saved in her album titled 'Tails.'

'I can't keep doing this. It's not fair on him. It's not fair on Sonic and it's not fair on me,' Cream sighed as she contemplated her next move. She quickly thumbed through the pictures one last time, memories swelling around inside her before she finally clicked the small icon on the phone. In an instant, the entire album and all the pictures within were deleted from her phone.

"Goodbye Tails," Cream sighed, placing her phone back in her pocket. She lay down on her bed, staring up at the bed above her. It was finally time. Cream had officially moved on, pushing Tails out of her mind.

…

Silver roamed the halls alone, nobody wanting to be seen anywhere near him. His shoulders sagged, his head permanently in a vacant stair at the floors of the many winding corridors of the west building.

Lonely was one way to describe it. Silver knew that. He had never really experienced loneliness before. He had been sad before and he had been alone before, but it was never for a long time and he always had friends to lean on in times of need. When he was a kid, Silver always had Breezie. She was always there for him, never faltering when he needed her and he returned the favour to her in spades. Then, as he reached middle school and high school, he met all his closest friends. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Shadow… The list goes on and on. However, one friend quickly became his best friend and eventually his girlfriend. Blaze the Cat. His one true love, he thought. She was always there for him.

He made the biggest mistake of his life. He knew it, but he had done it anyway. He had plenty of chances to sort everything out, to explain it to both of them and fix his mistake before it had gotten out of hand but he didn't. Now, it was his own fault he was wondering the halls alone.

However, as a kid there was one other person in his life. One of equal importance as Breezie, if not more important. Somebody who Silver used to be closer to than anybody else. Somebody who vanished from his life and when they finally reappeared, seemed to want nothing to do with him.

Scourge leant against a locker, eyes intently following Silver as he slumped through the hallways dragging his feet along the floor. He couldn't help but feel bad for Silver, his heart breaking slightly at the sight of one of his oldest friends acting so depressed.

Scourge took a step forward, slinking out of the shadows as he began to approach Silver. He closed the distance, raising his hand. He was barely inches from tapping Silver on the shoulder when he quickly snapped backwards, retreating his hand. He looked from his arm to Silver, the back down at himself.

'No,' Scourge thought to himself, turning his back on the other teenager. 'I can't let him back into my life. I can't go through all that again. No, not again,' Scourge thought decidedly as he walked away, clenching his fist and steeling his nerves, knowing this was the right choice.

…

"And we had beers and everything just seemed to be back to normal, you know?" Knuckles looked back on his afternoon with Manic fondly.

"That's wonderful, Knuckles. I'm so glad that you two are friends again," Tikal beamed, genuinely happy that he had fully mended his friendship with Manic and had helped Manic mend his relationship with Sonic. "I guess everything is as it should be?"

"Well… not everything is sunshine and rainbows," Knuckles sighed, looking out from the table both the teenagers had acquired in the lunch room to the window. Tikal followed his gaze, confused, but instantly understood when she saw what he was looking at. Julie-Su lay snoozing in the afternoon sun underneath a tree, her laptop laying haphazardly next to her. She had dozed off whilst working on an assignment.

"Julie…" Tikal whispered. She didn't know what to say or how to approach the situation. It was a delicate situation that required some sort of tact that Tikal didn't possess. "Do you still… like her?" Tikal asked foolishly.

"What? Ew, no. Tikal, c'mon she's my sister," Knuckles fired back almost instantly.

"Sorry… I just, I don't know. I want to make sure you are okay because it seemed that you really liked her," Tikal pointed out.

"Well, I guess I did. But, I mean we talked about it all and we are happy to be siblings."

"Really," Tikal raised an eyebrow, not convinced.

"I mean I still love her, sure. But it's not a lusty kind of love but instead it's a brotherly love. I see her just as a sister now, and I couldn't be happier. I treasure Julie, but it was just a high school romance. Now we have a bond that will last our whole life. She's my sister, and I'll always be there for her, just like she will always be there for me," Knuckles explained thoughtfully with a smile. Tikal smiled too, glad that he was finally happy.

"I'm glad you feel that way. You deserve to be happy. And in case you ask, no, I haven't told anyone you and Julie's little secret."

"I trust you, Tikal, but thanks. Anyway… speaking of being happy," Knuckles smirked cheekily. "How's it going with Eclipse?"

"Things have actually been going really well. We both had some issues we had to deal with but we overcame them as a couple both times and we're only stronger because of it. I really do love him but…" Tikal trailed off.

"But what?"

"Nothing."

"Tikal, c'mon," Knuckles pried further.

"No really, I don't know what I was thinking. It's nothing, I promise."

"Okay," Knuckles replied, unconvinced. "But you know you can talk to me about anything."

"Thanks. Same goes for you. You're a true friend, Knux," Tikal grinned.

"You too, Tiks," Knuckles said, mocking the same tone that Clove would always adopt when calling Tikal by her nickname. The two burst out laughing together as they continued to munch down on their lunches, enjoying the serenity that the weekend had brought.

…

"It's surprising, really," Honey mused as she applied a fresh coat of ruby red lipstick to her lips. "I never thought I'd ever be the type to settle down with just one guy but there's just something about Storm. He's just such a… such a…" Honey struggled to find the words.

"Meathead," Rouge finished with a monotonal voice.

"His head is not why I like him," Honey winked, making Rouge cringe.

"Whatever. But seriously, Hon, if you really like him then I'm happy for you," Rouge smiled.

"Thanks girl, I'm glad you approve. Speaking of happy, however…"

"I don't want to go into detail about me and Scourge. We are quite happy." Honey gave her a knowing glare and Rouge crumbled under her gaze. Honey was the one-person Rouge knew she could never fool. The two had grown up together and although they had drifted apart in recent years, Honey still knew Rouge better than anybody else. "Okay, fine. Happy isn't the right word. Content, I'd say."

"That's nice, but I wasn't referring to Scourge, darling," Honey smiled.

"If not him, then who?" Rouge asked.

"Sorry Rouge, that's the bell. I'd better be off to class," Honey said as she grabbed her purse and swaggered out of the bathroom.

"Wait, Honey," Rouge called after her. "Who did you mean?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I was just wondering, since Knuckles and Julie broke up and he's a free agent again, if you are happy," Honey winked, laughing at the bewildered look on Rouge's face as the bathroom door closed leaving Rouge alone.

Rouge turned to face the mirror, her reflection staring back at her. She hadn't heard about Knuckles' breakup. She didn't know how she felt. If it had happened a month ago she would have pounced on the opportunity to win him back. She missed him dearly and just the thought of him being available again sent her heart a flutter. However… despite how horrid, mean, disgusting and down-right rude Scourge could be, she couldn't lie to herself. She had feelings for him too. Strong feelings.

Rouge didn't know how to feel. She felt sad for Knuckles, surely but also happy. Happy that he was now single. Except… Scourge. She truly did feel something for him, despite his brash nature. But a big part of her wanted Knuckles back. Badly.

Rouge stared at the mirror, torn. She didn't know how to feel or what to do. She hoped desperately for answers, but none came.

…

Breezie pushed open the door and slumped into the room, kicking it closed with her heel before she collapsed onto her bed. She sighed softly into her pillow, lying face down on her mattress.

"Hey Breezie, you alright?" Mina asked, extracting one of her earbuds from her ear.

"Whatever," Breezie moaned, turning to face Mina.

"Come now, if you don't want to tell me what's up then stop moaning so loudly and trying to seek attention," Mina commented brashly, fed up with all the times Breezie has overdramatized events.

"Fine," Breezie huffed.

"So, what's got you down?" Mina asked again, more sympathetic this time.

"It's just Silver…"

"Don't tell me you are still droning on about that boy. It's time to move on, you were so much better than him anyway."

"I just, I fucked up, Mina. I don't know why I can't get over him. I'm never like this," Breezie lamented, searching her best friend's eyes for any answer but none came.

"No, he fucked up. You did nothing wrong. You dated him and he lied and cheated on you," Mina stated plainly as if this was obvious fact that had no dispute.

"But-"

"No buts! You are a strong and independent woman. He screwed up and he's the one that should be moping about how he misses you, not the other way around."

"I know, I know but I just can't help it."

"I've got it!" Mina snapped her fingers, suddenly a flush with excitement.

"What?"

"I know exactly how to lift you out of this rut. Meet me tomorrow night at nine after curfew underneath the grand oak tree at the far end of the school."

"Mina, you can't be serious. We promised each other we wouldn't do that until after we graduated and no sooner," Breezie complained, understanding immediately what Mina was getting at.

"Look, you need cheering up and I can't think of a better way. Graduation's still a couple months away anyway so what's the harm in opening it up slightly sooner?" Mina grinned a wide smile that stretched from ear to ear, her eyes alight with anticipation.

"Okay, sure. Why not, let's do it," Breezie affirmed wearily.

…

"S-S-Seriously Jet, stop c-c-clowning around," Cosmo laughed hysterically as Jet assaulted her with a barrage of tickles, his long and slender fingers dancing up and down her sides. He lay on top of her, pinning her arms down with his knees as he continued his onslaught.

"Only if you change your mind," Jet threatened playfully.

"B-but you know I-I-I," Cosmo struggled to speak through her fits of laughter. Tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably.

"Just say you will," Jet said again.

"I have to s-s-study for the test," Cosmo begged through giggles.

"We've been studying non-stop all week. All I ask for is one proper date. Not at a wedding or at a public event. Just you and me, tomorrow night."

"O-O-Okay," Cosmo forced the words out. Pleased with the response, Jet relinquished his hold on her and rolled over, lying flat on his back next to her. Cosmo sat up and greedily gulped oxygen to her deprived lungs, taking long careful breaths now that she could finally breath properly.

"That wasn't fair," she exhaled.

"Still got what I was after, didn't I," he grinned sneakily, making Cosmo blush.

"You're something else, Jet the Hawk," Cosmo blushed.

"And you are too, Cosmo the Seedrian," Jet mirrored her body language, copying her voice. The two sat, staring at each other for what felt like ages before Jet slowly closed his eyes and leant in. However, instead of feeling Cosmo's lips against his own, he just felt air. He peaked open one eye to see that Cosmo had shuffled back slightly, looking down at the ground awkwardly.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her forearm with her other hand.

"Cosmo," Jet said somewhat seriously. "Be honest with me. Do you want to go on a date with me and continue seeing each other? If you really don't I'm not going to force you."

"What?" Cosmo gasped, turning to meet his gaze. "Of course I want to date you, Jet. I promise it was just because of the test."

"That's not what I meant," Jet shook his head solemnly.

"What do you mean, then?"

"Cosmo, this is the third time you've done this. I've tried to kiss you but you avoided it. Is… is something wrong? Do you not like me that way?"

"Jet, that's not it at all," she said reassuringly. "It's just…" she began, her voice waving and shaky.

"You can tell me anything," Jet assured her, grabbing her hands in his own.

"I… I've never really kissed anybody before and, well, what if I'm not any good and you don't want to date me anymore?"

"Cosmo, that would never change my mind. I love you for you, not whether you'd be a good kisser," Jet replied sweetly.

"You… you love… me?" Cosmo couldn't believe what she had heard. A boy, a boy that she liked had said that he loved her. Not liked, not adored but proper full on loved.

"Yeah… yeah, I think I do," Jet replied. Overwhelmed, Cosmo threw all caution to the wind and before Jet could say anything further she quickly leant in and crashed her lips roughly against his. The two shared the kiss together, slowly transforming it from a forceful gesture to a soft, subtle and magical kiss. Finally, Jet broke away to stare thoughtfully at Cosmo.

"Wow…" Cosmo breathed. "That's what kissing feels like."

"Yeah…" Jet said silently, unable to believe how amazing that kiss was.

…

"What?" Shadow's bewildered screams echoed around the office building. It rattled the many ceramics that decorated the inside of Razor's office.

"Shadow, I would advise you to keep your voice down. It is a Sunday morning and some students are still trying to sleep," Razor said in an authoritarian tone.

"Sorry sir," Shadow forced. "But surely that can't be true."

"I'm afraid it is," Razor sighed. "A shame really, he was a good student. I'll make a formal announcement at the assembly on Monday but I thought it would be wise to tell you and Sonia before everybody else, although I don't know where she is."

"Did he say why?" Shadow asked, an empty feeling in his stomach.

"He didn't say. I found the note slipped under my office door yesterday and all it said was that Mr. Dark had decided to leave the school indefinitely.

"But Mephiles wouldn't do that… would he?"

"It would appear he would," Razor stated tonelessly. Shadow couldn't believe what he was hearing. Without another word, he rudely turned and strolled thoughtlessly out of Razor's office, accidently bumping into Sonia on his way out of the building.

"Shadow? Do you know what Razor wanted with us?" She asked, but was completely ignored. Shadow quickly slipped back into his room, reached under his pillow for a small, folded-up piece of paper and, being careful not to wake his sleeping roommates, tiptoed out of the room again and set off. He didn't stop until he came to the clearing with the tree he liked to come visit when wanting some serenity and leant against the mighty trunk.

Shadow pulled the folded-up paper from the pocket of his jacket and unfolded it, staring down at the handwritten note that had been meticulously and painstakingly prepared a few weeks prior.

Shadow read through the words, unable to contain himself any longer. A single tear fell from his eyes, staining the ink on the page. Finally, as he got to the bottom of the paper he read the last sentence out loud.

And I'd like to end by giving my sincerest congratulations and to say, Good luck. Good luck in this step in your life and all future endeavors.

"Pah, good luck," Shadow spat, clenching his hand tightly into a fist, scrunching up the piece of paper. "More like good riddance," Shadow called out angrily as he furiously ripped the piece of paper to shreds and threw it into the prevailing morning winds. He watched in tormented anger as the small fragments swirled around helplessly at the mercy of the winds before being picked up and swept off over the forest.

Shadow held back further tears, not wanting to believe it was true. He didn't understand how Mephiles could do that to him. To leave Sonia at the alter and then run off without saying so much as another word, not even to him. Shadow thought they had something special. He thought Mephiles was different. It appears he isn't.

Shadow let loose, punching his fist in anguish against the trunk of the tree again and again in a fruitless attempt to release some of his pent-up anger. Slowly, a piece of the torn-up paper managed to catch itself on a low breeze and billowed across Shadow's shoe, lying against the tree trunk. Shadow looked down to read it. It was the title, in big, bold letters.

Best Man Speech

A/N: Poor Shadow, ditched by his best friend and his old lover without so much as a word. Just a note delivered to the principal. That can't be the end of Mephiles, can it?

Jet and Cosmo finally had their first kiss. Is this a good thing or will it only lead to disaster. And it seems that Spike and Sonia are growing closer and closer. It's far too soon for Sonia to move on after her wedding so what is Spike thinking? Does anybody else find it odd that he seems to have moved on to none other than Sonic's sister? No, just me? Well, now I've planted that thought in your head, haven't I :)

Lumina just gets more curious, and Fiona has had enough. But what could her cryptic answer mean? He ended up in prison because of 'just a boy'? What does that mean? I promise the answer will come soon, or at least the answer of how Lumina knows Void. In fact, you might want to pay attention to the Next Time part ;)

Knuckles is slowly climbing back out of the rut, thanks to Manic and Tikal, but now that Rouge knows that he is single again with things spiral back out of control for both these off again on again teens? And who is this she that Zector keeps harping on about? Why is he calling Zonic a coward? Soon, soon.

Our last big burning question that I have got so many PM's about (And don't worry, even though a lot of the PM's are about the same things I always love recieving them and will respond to all of them. But if you're going to PM, why not review too, ey :P You know who you are but I love you anyway haha. Of course, I'm refering to Scourge and Silver's history. Having been teased all the way back in chapter 8 it's lead to many theories over the past 30 chapters but it will all start to unfold starting with next chapter so I hope the wait is worth it. However, I warn you, when you think you have all the answers about these two, there's a bunch more secrets and plot twists in their sordid history so reserve judgment on the entire plot line until the end. Same goes for the death I promised. Within the next 5 chapters, I swear!

I just want to end by saying it's good to be back. Also to say chapter won't come out as frequenly as I was able to before I left. I will try to write as fast as I can but I always prefer quality over quantity, with this and my other stories so be patient and I won't give up on you.

Question of the Day: Are you happy to have me back writing again? Yes or yes? :P

Next Time on SH:EL

Elias decides to plan another party

Sonic and Tails finally, undesputably through?!

Silver and Scourge first meet

Breezie and Mina meet underneath the tree

...and Fiona, Void and Lumina have a standoff

All this and so much more, next time on Chapter 39: A Passionate Prison