Chapter 53

A Diamond in the Rough

The curtains were drawn, shrouding the extravagant living room in darkness. Deep maroon velvet carpets laced the polished floors. Decorative candlesticks stood tall on the glass coffee table. Old, vast and rare leather-bound books sat under a blanket of dust on the shelves of the intricately carved bookcase leaning against a wall. In the middle, lounging on the grand sofa, was Rosemary with a hand covering her eyes. She ignored the rattling of the branches on the glass windows or the pitter-patter of rain.

"For Pete's sake," a grumbling voice growled as stark light flashed on the room and the magnificent glass chandelier flared to life. Amadeus strode into the room. "You've been confined to this room since we got back from that accursed school. Rosemary turned but stayed quiet.

"You have to say something," Amadeus yelled. Naught but a sigh escaped Rosemary's lips. Amadeus had been trying for days to rouse his afflicted wife but she ignored all his attempts. It would seem that nothing could shake her from this zombie-like trance she'd found herself stuck in. Suddenly, the phone rang. Rosemary glanced at it but ignored it.

"Yes, hello?" Amadeus said as he swiped the phone off the table. "No, this is her husband, Amadeus. Yes, she is here. Dear, it's your manager," Amadeus said as he blocked the receiver with his hand. She didn't even stir. Amadeus rolled his eyes.

"No, sorry she isn't taking calls at the moment. Yes. Alright, I'll let her know and I'll make sure she gives you a call as soon as she can. Understood. Thank you for calling, have a nice day," Amadeus said as he hung up the phone.

"What did he want?" Rosemary asked. It was the first words she'd spoken in almost three days.

"He says work on the new movie can't wait much longer. They need you back in Westopolis to continue shooting within the week or they'll hire somebody else for the part."

"Let them do that, then," Rosemary sighed as she let her head fall back on the pillow.

"Rosemary," Amadeus huffed but bit his tongue. He took a deep breath and took a seat at his wife's side, combing a soft hand through her hair. "Darling," he adopted a soothing tone. "This has got to stop. I know Tails is gone. I miss him dearly, but you can't let that stop you from living. This movie is a big project and it will cement you as one of the greatest actresses of all time. You can't let this fall through your fingers because…" Amadeus trailed off.

"Because what? Because our only son died," Rosemary bit back, her spirit suddenly flaring to life with anger.

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Amadeus, how can you keep acting like everything is fine? Tails is gone, and it's all because we weren't there to help him. We were never there throughout his life. He had to grow up alone, with nobody but Ken for comfort," Rosemary was distraught. Fresh tears leaked from her black, puffy eyes and slipped down her pale, bare face.

"I know," Amadeus said solemnly. "But this can't keep affecting us."

"How can you say that? He was our son? How can you act like he never mattered to us? Just because he was gay? You threw him out! You abandoned him and you didn't even tell me until it was too late!" Rosemary shrieked.

"Darling, I–"

"No, you don't get to defend yourself," she bellowed. "I don't care who he loved. All I knew was that I loved him, but you cast him aside and didn't even tell me. You let him think that his own parents didn't even love him because you couldn't handle it. You were a horrible father, and you're a horrible man! You don't even care that he's gone."

"Of course I care!" Amadeus lost his cool. "I got confused and I got angry. I made some mistakes, but that didn't mean I didn't still love him!"

"Why didn't you show him that," Rosemary shouted.

"I tried."

"No you didn't! You ignored his pleas and you told him you didn't love him. You told him he was a disgrace."

"I… I didn't mean it. I was scared, but I never really wanted him to be out of our lives. I didn't want him to die. Oh, Chaos, I didn't want him to die but our only son, he's…" Amadeus trailed off as the soul-crushing realization finally settled in his heart and for the first time in the longest time he let himself cry.

"Honey…" Rosemary whispered when she saw her husband's tears.

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault he's dead. It's because of me…" Rosemary went to hug him – to console him but she bit back her instinct. She couldn't forgive him; not yet. He hid the facts from her. He let her go about her life with the knowledge that he told their son that they didn't want him in their life anymore. It was unforgivable.

"Yes. It is."

"I can make this better," Amadeus said with determination. "I won't let this go. I won't let them win. I'll make sure we get vengeance for our son. I'll make sure the school answers for their crime."

"How?"

"I've got in contact with Claire Fox and with her help we are going to sue that school for letting our son die. Mark my words, I'll avenge Tails so we can finally move on. I swear on our dear, dead son that by the end of the year, that school will be shut down!"

Nack was a lot of things. He was callous, crude, selfish. People called him hundreds of names. But there was one thing nobody could ever call him, no matter how much they disliked him – careless. He was cunning, meticulous and careful. He knew it was only a matter of time before Cosmo could come crawling back to him, but he needed to make sure he didn't drive her away with a thoughtless approach. He'd almost screwed it up once.

Nack had spent some of his free time between classes the past week studying her movements. He'd watch her move from one class to another from afar, mapping out her trajectory. He knew where she'd be, where she was going and he knew the best place to intercept her.

That place just happened to be behind one of the brick toilet schools adjacent to the sporting oval that she cut across to get to her environmental science class in the small laboratory on the forest's edge.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Nack whispered from the shadows as Cosmo rushed past the toilet block. Cosmo froze in place, hugging her books closer to her chest as her eyes darted all around her.

"Who-who's there?" Cosmo asked aloud. Finally, Nack made his presence known. "Oh, N-Nack. No, I haven't. You told me you'd be seeing me soon so I was just waiting for you."

"Come on Momo, lighten up a little. It looks like you're scared of me or something," Nack grinned showing his rows of pearly white teeth.

"I told you not to call me that," Cosmo huffed, her knees wobbling.

"Chill Momo, I'm just playing around. Why do you seem so nervous? We've been friends for years. It's just me; Nack."

"I thought I made it pretty clear that I didn't want to be friends anymore," Cosmo fought back, finding some of her nerve after his sudden surprise. A small frown crossed Nack's face. He thought his ambush might have made her just nervous enough to bite her tongue. He didn't want to admit it, but ever since she'd started attending this boarding school she'd began pulling away from him. He knew he needed to entice her. He needed to bait the hook again.

"Whoa, where's this hostility coming from?"

"Do you want the short list or the long one?"

"Alright, alright, how about I try to prove to you that I'm a changed man." Cosmo couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.

"You, changed? That's the funniest thing you've ever said."

"That hurts my feelings," Nack feigned pain. "I'm not the jerk you think I am. I'm not just the guy that only uses his friends for money anymore. I've come to see that money isn't all it's cracked up to be. I thought it's all I needed but I've come to realize that it's… lonely."

"Nack? Are you serious?" Cosmo asked when she saw the dejected look cross his face as he hung his head.

"I used you, and others, and drove everybody I ever cared about away. I just want my friends back. Screw the money you owe me, let's start with a clean slate, alright? I just want my old friend back," Nack begged with his hands together.

"Are you… crying?" Cosmo noticed the twinkling of a stray tear in the corner of his eye.

"What? Me? Never," Nack quickly wiped away the tear and cleared his throat, lowering his voice to be deeper and gruffer. "I don't cry."

"Aw, Nack, to be honest, I kind of miss our friendship too, a little."

"Really Momo? Why don't we hang out just once more? I've met some people and they've invited me to a poker game with them. You should come, just like old times."

"I really shouldn't. I don't gamble anymore."

"Please? For me? Just this once, and if you hate it, we won't go back." Cosmo bit her bottom lip in contemplation. She knew she shouldn't trust him. She knew she couldn't trust herself if she fell back into that world. An image of Jet flashed through her mind, but when she looked at Nack's earnest and pleading face she shrugged.

"Alright, just this once. Only for you," Cosmo forced a smile.

"Thanks Momo, you always were the best," Nack cheered as he gave her a quick hug.

"I really need to be off now. See you tonight."

"Bye!" Nack waited until she had rushed across the oval before he let a smirk cross her face. "Hook, line and sinker."

The heavenly aroma of freshly ground coffee beans wafted around the café interior as Spike thanked Bean, handed him the cash and took the two cardboard cups of coffee over to the bench overlooking the oval. Spike blew on his beverage and relished in its warming taste as it slipped down his throat.

"Hey Spike," Breezie smiled as she crossed the room and placed a kiss on Spike's cheek, slipping into the seat beside him. "I'm glad you came. I almost thought I'd have to spend my break alone," Breezie pouted as she removed her apron and placed it on the bench as Spike handed her the coffee he ordered.

"I wouldn't let my girlfriend spend her break alone," Spike said.

"You love saying that word, don't you," Breezie teased.

"Yes, yes I do. I've waited four long years to be able to say it so I'll say it as much as I like."

"You also waited a long time for these, too," Breezie whispered as she placed her soft hand on his cheek, turned his head and planted her lips on his.

"Do I get to do that as much as I like too?" Spike asked dopily.

"Of course." Breezie kissed him again, deeper this time. "Spike, is something wrong?" Breezie pulled back. She studied the intricacies of his face. Something seemed off. There was clearly something weighing on his mind.

"I never could hide how I'm feeling from you, could I?" Spike laughed humourlessly. "I did want to see you, obviously, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an ulterior motive today."

"So spill it. What's on your mind? I've still got twenty minutes."

"It's actually about your parents." Breezie's face fell.

"Oh."

"If it's still too much of a touchy subject I'll back off."

"No, it's okay. I don't like talking about it but for you… what would you like to know?"

"I'm sorry to have to ask this but, well, you told me you fled the country because you owed bad people a lot of money."

"My parents fell in deep with the mob, yeah."

"When they came back to Central City, you said you mother died?"

"Sort of. We fled as a family but they were scared that they were being tracked down. They thought it wasn't a good life for a young girl to live so they came back to enroll me in this country school and planned to go live in Soleanna so that the people after them wouldn't come after me. However, while they were here mum was mugged in the street and shot."

"A mugging?" Spike seemed almost relieved.

"That's what dad told me, but I know it's not true. They killed her, to send a message." Spike could feel his heart sink in his chest. "Dad came back to visit me for graduation. It had been four years. I guess he thought maybe they'd forgotten since he hadn't had any trouble but…" Breezie began to choke up as stray tears stung her eyes.

"Breezie, are you alright?" Spike placed a hand on her back and began rubbing in small circles.

"I was told he was murdered, around the same time as Tails' funeral. I just… I miss them so much," Breezie croaked as she buried her face into the crook of Spike's neck.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm here for you, Breezie," Spike continued to rub her back as he looked skywards. His mind was racing. All the missing pieces of the puzzle Spike didn't knew existed until recently began to fit into place. The proof was piling up and as much as Spike didn't want to admit it, everything made so much sense. He had to face his father. He needed to do it for Breezie. He needed to hear the truth from him. He needed Trevor to admit that he killed Breezie's parents.

"You were right, this was a nice idea," Sonia smiled as she took in the sweet spring aroma.

"I told you," Knuckles said with a content smirk. "Sometimes that school can just feel like a prison but out here it's like all your troubles just melt away."

Knuckles had gone to Sonia that lunch time and asked her on a walk through the forest. Surprised, Sonia graciously accepted. They had gone off the beaten path and stumbled across a small, babbling brook – one of Emerald Lakes many branches. The creek wound through the verdant forest and ploughed through the earth on a quest for the lake. The dew-tipped leaves rustled in the trees above their heads.

Knuckles removed his shoes and dipped his feet in the crystal water. The brisk water kissed his sun stroked skin. He almost slipped on the mossy rocks that covered the stream's floor. Knuckles continued to wade through the river.

"C'mon Sonia, the water's lovely," Knuckles urged.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Somebody's a buzzkill today," Knuckles joked.

"I just don't know what's in that creek. There could be leeches," Sonia pointed out.

"Leeches?" Knuckles shrieked cowardly as he jumped out of the water like he'd been stung. He sat on a rock and inspected his feet diligently. The colour drained from his face when he saw one of the black slug-like creatures stuck to his ankle slurping his blood.

"I warned you," Sonia tutted.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Knuckles freaked.

"The best way to remove a leech is salt or fire."

"Do you have either?" Sonia shook her head. "Oh god, it's sucking out all my blood. Am I gonna die?" Knuckles cried melodramatically. Sonia sighed with a smile.

"You're such an idiot," she laughed as she trudged over to him, pinched the leech and pulled it off in one swift motion. The leech gave way and Sonia flung it over her head, leaving nothing but a small trickle of blood leaking out of Knuckles' ankle.

"Ouch! You could have warned me? What if I get infected?" Knuckles babbled on like a frightened child.

"Don't be such a baby, you're fine. Just wash off the blood and you'll be fine."

"Good idea," Knuckles nodded as he stepped back in the water.

"Uh, Knuckles, there will be more than one leech in that water." Sonia couldn't stifle the laughter and Knuckles hightailed it out of the water as fast as he could. He leant against one of the tree trunks to catch his breath. "Here, put your shoes back on," Sonia giggled as she handed him back his trainers.

"Thanks," Knuckles said. As he bent down to tie slip his socks on Sonia noticed something carved into the tree.

"Hey, look at that." Sonia pointed to a carving of a heart with the letters D and S inside. "I wonder who carved that?"

"What's the bet Sonic carved that? He's a walking cliché."

"I think it's romantic."

"Hey… I can be romantic."

"Oh, can you now? Name one romantic thing you've done." Knuckles opened his mouth to talk about the golden bangle fixed with the magnificent emerald but bit his tongue. That piece of jewelry has given him and his family nothing but heartache. He didn't want to jinx whatever was brewing between him and Sonia.

"This walk," Knuckles said finally.

"Okay, this was a nice idea. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you about this."

"What about this?"

"Knuckles… I'm pregnant. I'll be having a child early next year. Why would you be taking me on romantic walks knowing the baggage I literally carry."

"I don't care about that," Knuckles dismissed. "I only care about you and the wonderful person you are."

"Knuckles…" Sonia was filled with warmth. She stretched on her tippy-toes and gave Knuckles a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

"No worries," Knuckles replied, trying his hardest to hide the blush on his face.

Mephiles had been livid for longer than he cared to admit. He didn't usually get mad. He was used to people hating him. He was used to being called names – freak, homo, loser – none of it ever phased him. It was all just water off a duck's back. However, something had him unreasonably madder and sadder than he'd ever been. Shadow.

It had been over a week since Maria had popped back up in Shadow's life in a happy surprise and since then Shadow has been different. He's been more cheerful, he's smiled more. Normally Mephiles would be thrilled that his boyfriend was so much happier, but Shadow had told him about his past. He knew about Maria, and how she was the only girl Shadow ever loved. He couldn't help but feel threatened. Shadow was hiding something, and Mephiles knew it had something to do with Maria.

"Shadow, can we talk?" Mephiles had asked that lunchtime when he approached Shadow eating a sandwich at a table beside some of his friends.

"Oh, hey Mephiles, what's up?" Shadow asked as he gave Mephiles a peck on the cheek.

"I need to talk to you," Mephiles turned from Shadow to Rouge and Cream sitting opposite him. "Alone."

"You can have him. He was being boring anyway," Rouge winked.

"Fine, let's go," Shadow shrugged.

"Good luck," Rouge taunted, only laughing at Shadow's scowl he shot her. Shadow followed Mephiles out of the cafeteria and over to their dilapidated rotting table behind the dormitory.

"So, what's on your mind, honey?" Shadow asked causally.

"Are you still in love with Maria?" Mephiles said bluntly. This took Shadow aback. He was left speechless. The question had come out of nowhere and he didn't know what to say, stumbling over his words. His reaction was enough of an answer. "I knew it."

"Mephiles, what are you talking about? I'm not into girls. I love you, not her," Shadow finally found his words.

"Cut the crap, Shadow. You've never lied to me before but I know when you're acting different. The signs are as clear as day."

"Mephiles, I don't still love her!"

"I heard you talking to her the other day," Mephiles accused. "After the funeral she came to you and I heard her ask if you still loved her. You said you did."

"Were you eavesdropping on my conversation with her?" Shadow growled.

"I just happened to be walking past," Mephiles answered defensively.

"I can't believe you trust me so little that you had to stalk me and listen to my conversations with her."

"I needed to be sure."

"You didn't trust me. Me, you're boyfriend! I fucking spent weeks searching for you when you went missing and gave up my job and my life to save you."

"Don't give me that shit. Don't try to take the high ground. He was your boss that kidnapped me. Besides, at least I'm not cheating on my boyfriend."

"I'm not cheating on you," Shadow sighed with exasperation. His temper was rising. The two had never had a real fight before and this was new territory. He didn't realize how stubborn Mephiles could be sometimes. "And if this is your definition of cheating, then what about Mighty?"

"Mighty?"

"Yeah, you like him!"

"What are you talking about? Sure, I used to have a crush on him but that was in the past and it was just a stupid crush."

"Exactly! Same with Maria, she was just a stupid crush that happened in the past."

"But you still like her. I can see it in the way you act around her," Mephiles pushed further.

"Chaos, why are you so stubborn. Alright, fine, you still think that, even if I did at least I didn't sleep with her. Unlike you."

"I never slept with Mighty. Wish I did, but he didn't like me that way."

"No, but that didn't stop you fucking Sonia and having a bloody baby!"

"I already told you it wasn't my baby, we took a DNA test. Besides, even if I did it was before we were even dating."

"That didn't stop you from almost marrying her!" Shadow bellowed.

"I was trying to do the right thing!" Mephiles fired back.

"It broke my heart talking to you in that dressing room before you were going to get married. I wanted nothing more than to run away with you and never look back but I had to sacrifice everything for your happiness. Twice. Even if I did love Maria, maybe you'd finally understand how I felt when I let you almost marry Sonia."

"Shadow I…" Mephiles trailed off. "I didn't think how hard that would have been for you."

"And then you just disappeared without a trace. I thought you'd run away from me." Shadow felt like crying. He thought it might help him, but he didn't cry.

"I'm sorry Shadow, I guess I never tried to put myself in your shoes. I sacrificed a lot for Sonia but I never thought you did too. And when you came to rescue me you sacrificed what little family you had left."

"The commander had become like a dad to me. My dad asked him to be there for me, and he was. I had to cut ties with him for you, but I'd do it again. I have no family, Mephiles, but now suddenly Maria has returned."

"And you promise you don't love her?"

"I do love her, but not as a lover but rather as a sister. I love Maria, but I'm in love with you," Shadow said. Mephiles said nothing for a moment, then chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Me. Us. This is our second real fight, all because of something so stupid, like last time with the commander and my father. But this time is even more stupid. It's all because we keep sacrificing things for each other. I'm just scared to lose you."

"You won't ever lose me. That's a promise," Shadow closed the gap between the two, wrapped his arms around Mephiles' waist. Shadow crashed his lips against Mephiles' and opened wide for Mephiles' tongue to explore.

"I love you, Shadow."

"I love you too, Mephiles, and I always will."

Sonic was struggling. His body ached, his stomach churned and just taking a step out of his room felt like a chore. He was struggling to sleep, and last night wasn't any easier. His body craved more Heroin, and his mind started to agree. Sonic couldn't understand it. It hadn't been nearly this bad last time. He felt a bit sick and sore, but not nearly to this extent.

It didn't help that his roommates were never around. Mephiles was off on his own planet like usual, always off in some secluded spot where nobody would find him unless he wanted them to. Mighty, on the other hand, was different. He used to hang around their room a lot, especially if Sonic ever asked him to hang out. These days, however, it was almost rarer to see Mighty than it was to see Mephiles.

Sonic's gaze flicked to his window that overlooked the forest. He followed the path with his eyes, veering mentally from it to his secret spot. He knew there was some left in that stump.

"I'm not addicted, it's just a little to help ween me off it. That's all," Sonic said to himself. He was about to plan a trip to the forest when something stopped him.

"Knock, knock," a voice called from the door.

"Just a second," Sonic put on his cheeriest voice as he struggled to lift his legs off the bed. His head was immediately struck with an intense pounding and nausea flooded him. With a grunt, he pushed though the pain and slipped over to the door. "Oh, hey Blaze."

"Wow, that's all I get? Nice," Blaze joked as she entered carrying a heavy plastic bag. She dumped it in the middle of the room, helped Sonic close the door and guided him back to the bed. "You look worse for wear."

"Thanks for noticing," Sonic tried to joke with her but the bile that threatened his throat silenced him as quickly as he began.

"Is it really that bad?" Sonic nodded. "Well, lucky for you I came prepared." Blaze poured out the contents of the bag onto the floor. There were a couple bottles of Gatorade, a couple bottles of water, some muesli bars, an orange, a punnet of strawberries and a few sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap.

"What's all that?" Sonic asked.

"A detox," Blaze answered plainly. "I'm going to help you kick this. I did some research and, sorry to say, but you're going to feel like shit for the next week. But that's okay, because these will help you. I got Sonia to pick up some things while she was back in the city and this should keep you going until you start to feel better."

"Thanks, but, why those foods?"

"Simple," Blaze beamed. "Gatorade to replace some electrolytes. Water is obvious. You look seriously dehydrated. Here, have some now," Blaze tossed him a bottle. Sonic begrudgingly twisted off the cap and gulped down a few refreshing sips of water.

"And the fruit?"

"I read that oranges and strawberries are the best fruits to eat because they are high in the essential vitamins which your body needs."

"And the sandwiches?"

"I hope you like them. I made them myself. Whole grain bread to give you the necessary carbohydrates. Tuna to get the essential proteins. Cheese for vitamin A and nice leafy spinach for calcium and B6. This should help you back on your feet in no time, so keep them in the fridge and eat one a day."

"Wow, you really did your research, didn't you?"

"I just want to make sure you are feeling better. And when I'm free from study and classes I'm going to be here to help you every step of the way," Blaze smiled.

"Thanks Blaze. This really means a lot," Sonic smiled.

"Anytime. Now, eat up. I didn't spend all this money for this food to go to waste. And I'm eating some of those strawberries!"

The sound of their raucous, boisterous laughter echoed through the halls of the third floor of the main building as Manic and Knuckles shuffled through the winding corridors.

"Did he really do that?" Knuckles wiped a stray tear from his eye as he tried to control his gasping breaths.

"Yeah, and Mr. Ash was not happy in the slightest," Manic chuckled. As the two approached the music room the sound of a guitar melody fill their ears and they slowed to a stop. It was coming from inside the music room. It wasn't fast and it wasn't complicated, but it was a solid sound. Then, a wrong note, and another, and suddenly frustrated grunts and screams replaced the sweet music.

"Whoa, what's going on in here?" Knuckles asked as he barged through the door. The two friends laid eyes upon Mighty, disgruntled and angry as he ran his hands through his hair.

"I just can't do it, guys. I just can't seem to get the hang of it," Mighty grumbled.

"What do you mean you can't get the hang of it?" Manic asked. "Sure, you screwed up a few notes but it wasn't bad. Probably just nerves or something. I'm sure you'll find your groove."

"What groove? I've only been learning to play for like a couple days," Mighty lamented.

"What?" Both Manic and Knuckles gasped. Mighty shot them a dumbfounded look. "I thought you had been playing guitar for years. Espio said you had musical experience. That's why he convinced us to let you join."

"Well… I mean, I play saxophone, but I've listened to Espio's work and it's not very jazzy at all. I didn't want to force him to change his style just because of me, and even though he said I could sing I didn't want to take the singing job away from him. So I figured, maybe I could learn to play guitar and earn my spot," Mighty said.

"We thought you could actually play guitar? If you can't, then why did Espio ask you to join?" Knuckles didn't understand.

"He said he'd been in the same place I was and two people, and music, helped pull him up in the lowest moment of his life when everybody turned against him." Manic and Knuckles exchanged a knowing glance and sighed.

"It's cool, dude, let me give you some lessons between classes," Knuckles offered.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I've got nothing better to do," he shrugged.

"And I'll start creating some new melodies that can incorporate some saxophone, too. I bet Espio would love the challenge of writing lyrics to a different style," Manic smiled.

"I don't want to be a bother."

"None at all. Bands change and evolve all the time. We've had trouble finding our sound, since we've mostly just been practicing Espio's solo work so maybe this is just what we need."

"Wow… this means a lot, guys," Mighty said earnestly.

"Anytime, bro," Knuckles nodded.

"Good to have you in the band," Manic agreed.

"Hey, can we talk?" Jet asked as he strolled up to the swallow sitting alone at one of the many wooden tables dotting the grounds of the school.

"Oh, hey Jet, what's up?" Wave smiled.

"It's about Lien-Da," Jet said. The smile was instantly wiped off Wave's face as she looked down at her thumbs.

"Oh, okay… Why do you want to talk about her?" Wave said softly.

"This," Jet gestured to her. "You. Whenever she is brought up or whenever she's around you act all weird and closed off. I'd like to think I know you pretty well, Wave, and this isn't you. Did something happen between you two?"

"No," Wave lied.

"Wave, I know you're lying. I'm just curious, because Lien-Da has approached me a couple times and we've gotten along pretty well. She keeps asking about you, too, so I've told her some stories."

"What stories!" Wave interrupted hurriedly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn't say much, I urged her to go talk to you. Is something going on between you two? If she's done something, you know you can tell me about it, right?" Jet sat beside her and placed his hand on top of hers. She glanced up at him. She never could resist those eyes. There was something about Jet that calmed her; that made her trust him.

"Okay, the truth is…"

I had a happy family growing up. They were perfect. Loving mother, hard-working father. I couldn't really complain. And yet, I was miserable as a child. It wasn't my family, it was everything else.

I was bullied in school for being a bird. My feathers, my claws, my beak, everything. It wasn't that bad, though, if not for one girl. Lien-Da. She was the worst. She was relentless. Every waking moment she would torment me. She'd scratch my skin, pull my hair, spit on my clothes, call me names, trip me down stairs. It was torture.

I never understood why. What did I ever do to that girl? She was my next-door neighbor. I never said a word to her, except when I begged her to stop. I don't know why she targeted me, but she did. The worst part was that she never used to. For the first few years she was ambivalent. We weren't friends, but she paid me no notice. We were just two girls who happened to go to the same school. Then everything changed when my family bought the new house on Alfred Street and I moved in next-door to her.

"Ever since we moved, Lien began her torment. I never did anything. I never said anything, and yet she ruined my life," Wave sighed.

"I'm so sorry Wave, I didn't know," Jet frowned. "Is that why you came up to me that day in the park?"

"That was one of the reasons. I saw the way school treated you for being different. I understood the pain. To be honest, you were the only thing that made primary school bearable. That, and my mum."

"Tell me about her," Jet smiled.

"I love mum. She was always there for me. Still always will be. She always knew just what to say to cheer me up. I remember all the times I'd come home from school with sore eyes. I pretended I was happy but she knew I wasn't. She knew I'd been crying. She tried everything to help me but eventually it got too much. In the end, she learnt that asking me what had happened only led to more pain. Instead she'd be there for me. She'd take me to the park, or to a movie, or to the ice-skating rink. She always knew what to do."

"Wow, I've never seen you like this."

"Like what?" Wave asked.

"So… happy," Jet mused. "When we were kids you were always carefree, but I guess I was so lonely I didn't see how upset you were. But now, seeing you talk about your family, your eyes light up."

"You… noticed my eyes?"

"I always did… do. I guess, despite how people ridiculed us we both always had loving families," Jet smiled.

"And we always had each other, too."

"I wish you never left," Jet sighed. Wave opened her mouth to speak but bit her tongue, eyes downcast.

"I had to."

The ringing of the bell echoed through the school grounds as teachers released the students from the confines of the classroom. Mephiles remained seated in study hall as his classmates scooped their bags off the floor and sprinted out of the classroom. He had no plans to go anywhere. Not until the person his reptilian eyes were fixated on had left – Manic.

Mephiles had grown more and more concerned about Mina as he continued to study her behaviour. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Mephiles knew she didn't want him involved but he couldn't help himself. He figured Manic might know what had been going on. He'd been dating her, and maybe he could shed some light.

"Thanks teach, I'll be sure to read up on that before the exam," Manic flashed a grin at his teacher before stepping out into the hallway. It was there that Mephiles stepped up to him, almost frightening the younger boy.

"Manic, I need to talk to you," Mephiles said darkly.

"Whoa, Meph, I didn't see you there. You scared me half to death," Manic laughed carelessly. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about Mina."

"M-Mina?" That took Manic off guard. He hadn't even thought about his not quite ex-girlfriend in a while. "What about her?"

"Surely you've noticed that she's been acting strangely. And I'm pretty sure I heard her crying the other day."

"And why should I care?" Manic said offhandedly.

"I thought you'd care the most. You are her boyfriend after all." Manic couldn't help but scoff. However, the confused expression fixed on Mephiles' face aggravated Manic.

"I'm not her boyfriend. I broke up with her last term. Where have you been?"

"I've been… incapacitated," Mephiles said as images of that room in G.U.N's headquarters flashed through his mind.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you but I'm not with her and, honestly, I don't care if she's going through something. She ruined my life and I've got no fucks left to give. Late Meph," Manic said bluntly before walking away. Mephiles sighed. He didn't know what to do next.

"Could it be that she's upset over her breakup with Manic?" Mephiles thought to himself. That must be it. All the pieces began to align. Mephiles set out to the dormitory. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to help. He didn't know why but he felt filled with a duty of care. However, when he arrived outside her door he heard the same thing. Sobs. This time Mephiles didn't know. He wanted to see for himself and, rudely, he wrenched open the door and stormed into her room.

"Wha?" Mina cried out in surprise as she sat up quickly from her bed and smashed her head against the bottom of the bunk bed above her. "Ouch."

"Sorry for startling you," Mephiles began somberly as he watched Mina rub her head. "I heard crying and I thought something was wrong."

"That doesn't give you the right to barge in here," Mina clapped back angrily.

"Again, I apologize, but I knew I'd heard crying before. Mina, if something is wrong you need to find help."

"Who are you to tell me what I should do," Mina glowered, anger replacing sadness. "You're the one that just barged into my room, and stopped me on the stairs yesterday, too. Are you stalking me?"

"Mina, something is wrong. I can tell. I just… I have this feeling. I get that you don't trust me, or probably even like me, but I want to help. You don't have to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to but know you're not alone."

"Thanks, but everything is fine," Mina crossed her arms defiantly. "Besides, if something was wrong I'd go to Breezie, anyway. She's my friend, not you."

"But you haven't told her about this, have you," Mephiles said. He could tell by her eyes that his summation had been correct. "Something happened that you've been bottling up for a while now. Something you've tried to live with but can't anymore."

"Please, stop talking."

Something that's been haunting you your whole life and now, after you thought you'd finally escaped it, it's back."

"I said stop talking."

"Somebody from your past, perhaps. Your parents?" Mephiles guessed. Mina ground her teeth and flicked her eyes sideways. Mephiles knew he was right. He only needed to get one more thing right. "Your father."

"How… how did you know?" Mina's defenses shattered at Mephiles' deductions and she collapsed back down onto the bed.

"I know the feeling."

"You can't possibly know anything I'm going through."

"I do, trust me."

"No, trust me, you don't. Now, thanks and all for being concerned but please, just leave me alone Mephiles."

"I can help."

"How can you possibly help me," Mina hissed. Mephiles sighed.

"My father is Crimson." Mina froze.

"You mean?"

"Yes, that Crimson. He's a terrorist, so I think I know a little about horrible fathers. He used me and abused me."

"My father was abusive too," Mina finally revealed as the tears that had been stinging her eyes threatened to flow freely again.

"Did he ever lay a finger on you?" Mephiles probed. Mina couldn't respond but nodded her head. Mephiles clenched his fist. "How dare he."

"He did so much…" Mina sniffed. "And… and…"

"And what?" Mephiles continued to push. He'd finally gotten Mina to open up to him and he wanted to know more. He wanted to be able to help, but she needed to tell him what had gotten her so upset.

"And he's managed to get custody. He's coming to see me next week."

The surprising pain was almost unbearable. Eclipse couldn't believe it. Sure, he'd had a bit of a stomach ache the past few days but nothing compared to this. He'd woken up this morning and was immediately buffeted by intense abdominal pain.

Eclipse moaned as he clutched his stomach and rolled over in his bed. His dry eyes looked out through the window at the beautiful day. He felt nothing but beautiful. His girlfriend dumped him, his grades had been slipping and now it felt like something was crawling around inside of him, churning deep in his guts.

Eclipse: Hey Sil, where's that medicine

Silver: Calm down, I'm coming. There was a surprisingly long line at the chemist

Eclipse: Hurry

Eclipse slammed his phone down onto the desk as he groaned. He placed his palm on his forehead. It was clammy and hot – very hot. Cold sweats racked his body and he had uncontrollable shivers despite his rising temperature. He needed some pain killers.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a key clunked in the lock and Silver strode into the room carrying a plastic bag.

"It's about time," Eclipse whined.

"A thank you would be nice," Silver rolled his eyes as he threw his keys on the bed and stepped up to Eclipses bed. "I got you the pain killers. I also got some vitamin tablets and some sports drink to give you some electrolytes."

"Thanks Silver, you're the best," Eclipse tried to force a smile as he fumbled open the pack of pills with shaky hands and popped two into his mouth. He washed them down with the sports drink and let out a painful sigh.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Silver asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Eclipse let his head rest against his pillow again.

"I don't just mean physically," Silver continued. "I mean you've hardly left your bed since… well, y'know, since Tikal dumped you."

"Wow, thanks for bringing that up," Eclipse said sarcastically as he rolled over to face the drywall.

"I'm just saying. Are you sure you're actually sick and it's not just, maybe, I don't know, a placebo sort of thing and you've made yourself think you're sick even though it's just heartbreak?"

"How could you even ask that? You think I'm faking sick?" Eclipse growled.

"No. I'm just saying, maybe you're making yourself feel worse than you actually are because of how bad you feel emotionally… or something. Chaos knows I felt horrible when I got my heart broken."

"I can't believe you think I'm faking."

"I don't think you're faking it. I just think–"

"Fuck off Silver," Eclipse barked.

"Eclipse, I'm not saying that," Silver sighed.

"I said fuck off. Leave me alone."

"Alright, fine, sorry I said anything," Silver threw up his hands and rolled his eyes as he scooped up his keys and stomped over to the door. "Feel better soon," he added bitterly before closing the door.

"Good riddance," Eclipse huffed childishly as his stomach gurgled and he clenched his sides to try and ease the tormenting, piercing pain.

Looking back on it, it was a stupid idea. Fiona had her reputation for a reason. She was feared by even the seniors in school for a reason. But she was my friend. Or, at least, I thought she was my friend. Me, Fiona and Bean – the three musketeers. We ran the freshmans and we always had each other's backs. I guess that's why I trusted her.

I was chilling in the cafeteria with Fiona. We were still freshman. It had been about two weeks since Tekno and Bean had started dating. Everybody was avoiding our table and looking anywhere else when they walked past like usual. She was talking about some gossip she heard but all her words were going in one ear and out the other. I was too busy staring at him – Bean – and his girlfriend.

"What is with you today?" Fiona complained. "Espio… Espio… Espio!"

"Huh? Yeah, I can't believe she did that," Espio said.

"You really aren't listening at all, are you?"

"Sorry, I've got my mind elsewhere." Fiona looked at Espio and followed his gaze. She noticed Bean laughing with Tekno. They were disgustingly cute. She watched as Bean closed his eyes, opened his mouth and let Tekno feed him. She frowned. Espio looked so sad.

"Hey, c'mon, let's get out of here," Fiona decided as she grabbed my hand and led me out of the building.

"Wait, where are we going?" I resisted as she began to lead me out of school. "We've still got fifth and sixth period.

"You look like you need to get your mind somewhere else. School won't even notice we're gone," Fiona replied flippantly.

"But they'll call my parents and I'll get in trouble."

"You'll be fine. Trust me, I do this all the time."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Fiona ignored me and, reluctantly, I followed. It wasn't long before she led me to a local arcade. It was strange, the loud noises, flashing lights and people rushing around with happy faced. I wouldn't have expected Fiona to like a place like this.

She pushed through the twisting pathways between machines like she knew the place like the back of her hand. She stopped outside a machine she pulled back the draped curtain of the shooter game and clambered inside. I followed. There were two seats, two guns and one big screen. Fiona reached underneath the coin slot and removed the plastic casing.

"Is that allowed?"

"They haven't found me out yet. The game covers us from the camera's. Don't worry, it's fine, it's not stealing if I use them on the same game." I shrugged as she stole a bunch of coins and put them back into the slot to start the game.

For the next hour or so we both played. Slowly I forgot my troubles as I was immersed in the game. We shouted, laughed, groaned and focused hard until we eventually managed to get the high score.

"Yes, we did it!" Fiona howled victoriously as she slapped my hand. "Never thought I'd be able to beat that dickhead. Thanks for the assist."

"Anytime," I smiled. "And, Fiona, thanks for this. I really needed it."

"Ugh, are you going to go all sappy on me?"

"I just wanted to let you know that this really means a lot."

"I didn't do it for you. I just wanted an excuse to skip class." I rolled my eyes. I knew she wouldn't admit it, but she really did care for me. That's when I noticed something scratched on the roof of the machine. It was faint, but I could tell it was carved out of the plastic with a knife. Home.

"Fiona, what's your home life like?" I asked. I don't know what came over me but seeing how much she knew this place I felt like she spent a lot of time here. I never really thought about it but it finally donned on me. I've never been to her place. She always came to mine or Bean's when the three of us used to hang out. Did she have an angry step dad like I did?

"I don't ask you about your home life so don't ask me about mine," Fiona snapped defensively.

"I know you don't, but I'm curious. I just want to make sure you're okay, Fiona. You are one of my best friends after all."

"Best… best friend?"

"Of course. Am I not yours?" Fiona paused for a moment. I don't know what was going through her head.

"Well, since we're on the topic of personal questions, let me ask you this," Fiona dodged. "What happened between you and Bean?"

"Bean? Nothing."

"C'mon, you know you can't lie to me. I saw the way you were looking at him today. Something happened, and as your friend I think I deserve to know."

"Okay… but please, don't tell anybody. Especially not Bean."

"Cross my heart," Fiona said as she traced her finger across her heart. "Now spill."

"Here goes…" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting the words spill out of my mouth. "I think I'm in love with Bean." Fiona said nothing. After a few seconds of silence I peeked open an eye and saw her staring at me. It was a judgmental stare, nor was it a disgusted stare. It just looked like she was thinking. "Fiona?"

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say. This is, like, my biggest secret."

"It's okay if you're gay. You know that doesn't change anything, right?"

"What? No, I'm not gay."

"But you like Bean."

"Yeah."

"And Bean is a guy."

"Yeah."

"So that makes you gay."

"Don't call me gay," I yelled, images of the way my step father used to yell at me and curse at me because he thought I was gay flashed through my mind.

"Whoa, calm down," Fiona raised her hands.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just, I like girls, I do, but there's just something about Bean. I don't know if I'm just confusing feelings but I… I really like him. I'm overcome with this intense jealousy when I see him with Tekno. I don't know, it's stupid."

"Hey," Fiona said sweetly. "It's not stupid. If it means something to you, it can't be. Look, how about you just take a little time away from him, let yourself get your feelings all sorted out and let him pass the honeymoon phase with his new girlfriend and then you and I can figure out what to do later. Deal?"

"Okay, yeah, deal. Thanks Fiona, this means a lot."

"What else are friends for?"

"And you promise you won't tell him?"

"I already told you I promised, now c'mon, let's play another round. I bet we can beat our score!"

Cosmo was nervous. She couldn't stop thinking about it all day. Ever since she'd run into Nack and he'd been so sweet to her, she hadn't known what to think. It was like he'd transformed back into that nice boy he was when she met him. But then he invited her to gamble with him again, and a part of her – a big part – really wanted to give in and get that rush only gambling could give her.

Cosmo wrapped her yellow woolen sweater closer around her body and crossed the lawn that blisteringly cool night. She ascended the stairs and finally came to a stop outside his door. She raised her knuckles and was about to knock when she bit her bottom lip.

She wasn't sure if she should do it. The allure to give in and play another round of cards was strong, and the thought that one of her oldest friends had changed his ways made her hesitate. Then her thoughts drifted to Jet again. He'd been so supportive of her. He'd been the best, albeit only, boyfriend she'd ever had. She loved him. Deep down she knew it, and she knew how disappointed he'd be if she gave into her desires and began to gamble behind his back again. He'd helped her every step along the way. She didn't want to let him down.

Jet or Nack? Recovery or relapse? Cosmo was conflicted, but she knew that despite what her brain might say, she had to follow her heart. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened, and Jet smiled at her from the entrance.

"Cosmo, I wasn't expecting to see you tonight. I thought you said you had some work you needed to do," Jet said as he stepped aside to let her in.

"I… finished it," Cosmo lied. Jet led her over to his bed and the two sat down together. Jet placed his hand on top of Cosmo's and their fingers laced together. Jet leant over and gently touched his lips against hers delicately.

"Either way, I'm glad you're here." Cosmo couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't lie to him. He was Jet – her Jet.

"I lied," Cosmo admitted suddenly.

"About what?" Jet replied innocently.

"About work. The truth is, I've been talking to Nack again." Jet rose his eyebrows. He knew of their history together and he knew what a bad influence he had been, and still was, on Cosmo.

"And what were you talking about?"

"He asked me to come play a few rounds of poker with him, Storm and Honey. That's why I said I was busy tonight. I was going to go play with them."

"So how come you aren't with them now?"

"Because of you," Cosmo said. "I thought about you, and how disappointed you'd be in me. When I was struggling to kick my addiction you were there every step of the way. Despite how frustrating or annoying I got, you didn't give up on me. Even when I said I didn't love you and became distant, you didn't give up on me. Now I want to show you that you put your trust in the right person. I want to stay away for you."

"You shouldn't do it for me, Cosmo. You should do it for yourself."

"Thanks Jet, I love you."

"I love you too," Jet smiled as he kissed her again, more deeply this time.

"Do you mind if I stay the night? I don't trust myself alone tonight," Cosmo asked.

"Of course you can. You know you can stay here as often and as much as you like." Together the two lay down on Jet's admittedly small bed and slipped below the covers, snuggling up together.

"Oh, before I forget, I have something for you," Jet said as he sat up and leant over to rummage through his drawer.

"For me? Jet, you really didn't need t–" Cosmo's voice failed her when Jet turned and showed her something beautiful. He was holding a magnificent necklace with what appeared to be a small, shimmering diamond.

"I know it isn't a big occasion, but I wanted to get you something special to show how I really felt about you," Jet said.

"Is that…" Cosmo trailed off.

"Yep, it's a real diamond. Turn around," Jet said softly as Cosmo turned her head and he clipped the necklace around her neck. She looked down at the stunning gemstone fixed to the chain. She played with it between her fingers, unable to believe it was real.

"Jet… how much did this cost?"

"It doesn't matter. You're worth it."

"But this must have hundreds of dollars."

"More like a thousand, but honestly the price doesn't matter."

"Jet…" Again Cosmo found herself speechless.

"I went with a diamond because of a few things. It's the only stone that could attempt to match your beauty, but also because it's one of the toughest substances on earth. Just like a diamond, our love is strong and can weather any storm."

"That's so cheesy," Cosmo giggled. "I love it, and I love you. Thanks Jet, I'll treasure it forever," Cosmo smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jet and crashed her lips against his as she fell down on top of him.

"Ugh, keep it down I'm trying to sleep," Scourge rolled his eyes as he turned around in his bed and placed his pillow over his head.

"Fucking Mighty, why does he have to make everything so complicated," I complained to myself as I stumbled up to the car and threw open the door. "I just wanted a nice night but now everything is screwed up. We're all falling apart and it's all his fault. Why can't he just be happy for others? Why does he have to ruin everything?"

I was tipsy and I was angry. I wasn't thinking properly. I should have just gone upstairs to the room that Elias booked but I just wanted to return back to school. I just needed to get away.

"Shit!" I screamed as I rolled over the speed-bump way faster than I should of. I was so focused on whether or not I'd damaged my friend's car that I didn't see him crossing the road. It came out of nowhere. Everything seemed to slow down as I tried to slam on the breaks but I wasn't fast enough.

I remember the thud when I hit him. I remember seeing his body fly over the bonnet of the car. I remember rushing out and seeing his broken, contorted body on the pavement, bruised and bloody.

"Oh my chaos, oh my chaos, oh my chaos, what have I done?" I freaked out. Tails wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. I knew I needed to get help, but I couldn't let anybody know it was me. I jumped back in the car and raced off out of the parking lot, turning around to put the car back in the spot.

I raced back into the hotel crying my eyes out. My mascara was running, my make-up was smudged and my hair was a stressed, guilty, chaotic mess. That's when I ran into Clove and got her to call the ambulance. That's when I found Sonic and told him that I saw Tails get hit by a driver. I lied to him; I said the guy who hit him didn't stop and kept going. I just wanted Tails to be okay.

But he's not okay. He'll never be okay again. He's dead and I killed him.

The memory still haunted Tikal every waking moment of every day. She still couldn't sleep. She still struggled to eat. The guilt had ruined her relationship with Eclipse, it severed some of her closest friendships and it made her a jumpy, anxious mess. She knew she had to come clean. That's why she found herself knocking on the door. She had to tell somebody, but she couldn't face Sonic. There was only one person she could tell.

"Tikal? What are you doing here? It's almost curfew," Sally yawned as she answered the door in her satin pajamas.

"Sally, you're Sonic's best friend. You've known him the longest, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sally shrugged.

"And you've dealt with hiding a secret that hurt somebody and the guilt that came with that when you accidentally burnt the school down."

"Also true. Where are you going with this?"

"I have a secret too. I accidentally did something bad. Really bad. Way worse than you," Tikal admitted.

"Worse than burning the school down?" Sally asked.

"Way worse. I didn't know who else to turn to, but I need to tell somebody. I was the first friend you made when you came to Mobius High, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were."

"I helped you adjust to a new life back then. Well, this time, I need you to help me."

"Just come out and say what you need to say, Tikal."

"I was the one driving the car."

"What?"

"I was the one that hit Tails. I… killed Tails." Sally almost fainted. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You… you killed Tails?" Tikal nodded, suddenly losing her voice. "You have to come clean. You have to tell the police. You have to tell Tails' parents. You have to tell Sonic!"

"Sally, please, I can't. You know better than anybody that I can't."

"Bullshit Tikal. All I did was put somebody in a coma, but even then, I eventually came clean. You murdered somebody, Tikal."

"I didn't mean to."

"It doesn't matter," Sally closed the door and stepped out into the hallway so her roommates wouldn't overhear. "You were responsible for Tails' death. You need to tell everybody. I'm not just going to be the thing that helps you deal with your guilt. I'm not going to clean your conscience for you," Sally growled.

"But Sally, please, I don't know what to do. I'm a mess," Tikal was crying again. She couldn't control herself.

"Alright, fine, I won't tell anybody on one condition."

"Name it."

"I won't call the cops or tell Sonic as long as you do. You have to tell Sonic yourself and let him decide. If he wants to tell everybody, the school and the police, then I'm with him. Either way, you're telling Sonic that you killed Tails!"

The night was still early and most of the students were getting ready to retire to their bedrooms. Curfew lurked close. Clove sat at one of the computers in the deserted library.

"Clove, five-minute warning before we're closing up," the librarian, Megan, warned.

"Alright, thanks," Clove said quietly as she waited for Megan to retreat back to her desk before she opened the tab she'd hidden. Clove couldn't believe she would be researching this type of thing but that's the curve ball life threw at her and Clove knew it could be her only option. She couldn't continue this way, especially after the circumstances surrounding it. Honestly, the idea of it made her feel sick. She'd judged others who'd made the same decision, but now that she was in the position it suddenly made sense. It made her feel like maybe this was the solution.

"Oh, hey Clove, what are you doing here?" Julie-Su said as she noticed Clove at the computer. Clove gasped and hurriedly clicked away from the tab she'd had open.

"Nothing," Clove blurted out incriminatingly.

"O-kay," Julie furrowed her brow and shot Clove a concerned, skeptical glance. "Anyway… I was just going to ask what you're doing here so late?"

"Why am I here so late? Well, why are you here so late?" Clove fired back defensively.

"Jeez, you don't have to get so aggressive. I was just grabbing this book on the great war. Finals are this month and I'm not ready at all."

"Oh, well, me too." Julie gave her a deadpanned glare.

"Really? You were just getting a history text book… on the internet…"

"Well, I was doing research online. Y'know how it is, exams and all."

"Right." Julie knew Clove was lying and, clearly, she was acting strange but Julie was far too tired and stressed to worry about it. "Anyway, I've got a date with this book so I'll see you around."

"Alright, bye Julie," Clove forced a beaming smile and kept it plastered obviously on her face until Julie left the building. Her features fell and she sighed. "Phew, that was close," Clove mumbled as she reopened the page she was studying and continued reading the article – Ten things you should consider before having your abortion!


A/N: Yep, that's right. Our third student to be pregnant (after Sonia and Mina) is deciding on whether or not to get an abortion. On top of her relationship with Ray, and the secret that the baby is actually Mighty's, Clove is now dealing with the idea of whether she can really raise this baby or if abortion is the real thing. Will she go through with it, and if she does, will Mighty ever know that he was going to be a father?

We learn more about the past that Espio and Fiona shared. Fiona grew up around an old arcade. Although she kind of stole from it, it was like a home away from home. At that age she never wanted to go home to that scary, dilapidated apartment so she spent most of her afternoons winding down time playing shooters. They were such good friends, but how did it end up so toxic. How did he just end up as her pawn like we saw when these characters were first introduced?

Spike seems to finally be getting the happy ending with Breezie that he'd dreamt about but slowly all the pieces of the puzzle have been falling into place and the picture is more horrifying than he could have imagined. He knows his father killed Breezie's parents, but how can he tell her the truth?

Nack has always been the worst influence on Cosmo but this time she chose to stay with Jet instead of giving in to her desires. But Nack won't give up that easily. Can she resist forever? So too did Sonic almost give into the need to have just one more hit before Blaze came in to detox him. Can he stay sober or will he end up a junkee again?

We are starting, and will continue to, learn about Wave and Lien's past along with Mina and her father's past, and each one isn't exactly how they appear. Be prepared for the worst. Mephiles and Shadow are trying to work through the newest roadblock in their relationship, Manic and Knuckles are trying to help Mighty like how they helped Espio, and something's wrong with Eclispe. Finally, we see from Tikal's perspective what happened that night and now Sally knows the truth. She's had to deal with a secret that almost got somebody killed, but now she has to deal with Tikal's secret too and she's adamant about the path Tikal needs to take. She needs to admit what she did.

QotD: Which relationship are you rooting for and which two characters do you hope will be together at the end? Could it be Ray and Clove, Rouge and Scourge, Shadow and Mephiles, Jet and Cosmo, Julie-Su and Sally, Spike and Breezie, newly blooming possibilities like Cream and Mighty, Sonia and Knuckles and Blaze and Sonic, or perhaps some couple entirely new. Let me know.

Next time on SH:EL

Razor tries to reconcile with Blaze and gives her something to prove his love

Spike approaches his dad to find the truth

Knuckles makes a mistake

Fiona and Claire make a dangerous deal

...and Maria returns to reveal the chilling reason she disappeared

All this and so much more next time on Chapter 54: Don't Mess with a Murderer