Chapter 43: Will You Run Away With Me?
"Alice...what are you doing here? It's late! And what is it with you sneaking into my house?" Spines asked.
"Shhhh! Do you wanna wake up Amy?!" Alice asked.
"My mom is drunk, nothing can get her up." Spines replied. "So what's up?"
"I'm running away…"
"What? Why?"
"BECAUSE...my parents want to marry me off to their friend…" Alice replied.
"What?! That doesn't sound like dad!" Spines defended.
"It's mostly mom..I'm not sure where dad stands on this...but I'm mad that he let this happen!" Alice said. "Which is why I'm leaving for good!"
Spines sighed. "You really think running away from your problems solves everything?"
"Maybe…"
"...anyways so why are you here? You wanted to say goodbye?" Spines asked.
"Nope, I'm taking you with me." Alice said.
"WHAT? I'm not going with you!" Spines protested.
"Aw come on! We could start a new life."
"This is ridiculous, Alice...but I don't want you going by yourself…" Spines said.
"Then come with me! You're gonna be 18 this year so you may as well move out now." Alice suggested. "You can start your independent life and then return someday with a job! Don't you wanna make your mom proud?"
That question made Spines pause...he knew his mother devoted her life to him...he felt like a burden at times and wished he could help her more. Now that he was out of high school, he wanted to be a chef and take care of his mom.
"I do…"Spines whispered. "So much.."
"Then come with me.." Alice said. "You're the one I trust, big brother.."
Spines smiled a bit when she called him that. "Okay...but I'm only going to make mom proud."
"Yay!" Alice cheered.
"So what did you pack anyways?" Spines asked.
"Well...nothing!" Alice said.
"WHAT?!"
"I wanted to leave all my royalty behind me." Alice said.
"...you should've packed food or something!" Spines exclaimed. "Fine..I'll pack the food…" He added, grabbing his backpack before going downstairs.
"Oooh whatcha gonna pack?" Alice asked.
"Just some snacks and drinks." He said. "Did you leave a note for your parents?"
"Yeah it's in my room.." Alice replied. "Make sure to get some ramen packets."
"Got it." Spines said before adding them. "I got what we need in here. So where we gonna go?"
"Just...out of the Mobotropolis…" Alice said. "And we're leaving tonight! So drink some soda for energy!"
Spines shrugged and grabbed a can of root beer, chugging it. The two soon left the apartment building, but before they continued...Spines looked back at his apartment.
"Don't worry, mom...I'm going to come back...as a man.." Spines said to himself.
The duo left the town and arrived in the forest. Spines was huffing and puffing due to walking while being tired. However Alice had so much energy in her system to keep going.
"A-Alice! Where are you going?l Spines asked.
"To the train station, we're leaving this kingdom!" Alice said. "So why do you sound tired?"
"...because I am.." Spines deadpanned.
"Idiot! I told you to drink your soda!" Alice said.
"I did! I guess I'm just tired…"
Alice sighed and stopped in front of a tree. "Fine...we'll sleep here."
"Here?"
"Yes! What choice do we have!"
"Okay..okay.." Spines muttered, sitting down to rest in front of the laid down on his chest and smiled, nuzzling his soft furry tummy.
"What are you doing?" Spines asked.
"Your tummy is like a pillow.." Alice whispered. "Anyways, we need to get up bright and early."
Spines nodded in agreement and yawned. "Night...sis.."
"You too...bro."
Next morning at Castle Acorn, Sally calmly approached her daughter's bedroom door. Hopefully for her, Alice would be calm and able to be reasoned with.
Sally knocked on her door calmly. "Alice? Are you up?" She asked, but there was no answer. Sally became worried and knocked again.
"Alice?" She called out again. "Maybe she's sleeping...I should check.." The Queen said. Sally opened the door….but only found an empty bed and a wide opened window.
"Oh dear…." Sally whispered, eyes widened. The chipmunk mother rushed to the bed but found nothing but a note.
"Dear mom and dad...I can't do this anymore. I refuse to marry someone you arranged for me...I refuse to be the princess, it's not the life that I want to live. Again and again, I say I want to go on adventures and that's exactly what I'm going to do..which is why I'm leaving and never returning. We had a good run, but everything must end.
Love, Alice
Ps I'm bringing...my brother Spines with me."
Sally read the whole note, nearly ready to break down...but she had to pull it together. Today...she needed to look for her daughter and bring her back. However what confused her was that she called Spines her brother.
"She ran off with that boy that interviewed Sonic…" Sally whispered.
"Hey Sal, what's up?" Sonic asked, coming into the room.
"Alice is missing…." Sally whispered.
"What?"
"Are you deaf?! She's missing, Sonic! Our little girl is missing!" Sally yelled, before crying. "She ran away...
Sonic rubbed her back, surprised that Alice would do such a thing, but for some reason he couldn't blame her. Their daughter was going to marry someone she didn't love…
"There there, Sal...we'll find her…" Sonic whispered. Sally handed him a note, in which Sonic read...his eyes widened when Alice called Spines her brother…
"Dang…" Sonic whispered.
"Sonic...tell me about that boy Spines...how close are you with him..how close is Alice with him...who is he, Sonic?" Sally asked. "I want the truth..no running away, no putting it aside…"
The hedgehog took his wife's hands and looked at her in her baby blue eyes. He couldn't continue to hide it. "Well…no...Sally….he's actually my long lost son…" Sonic replied.
