If there are any mistakes, I blame my sore throat and my exams. :)
Third
While walking along the white glow of the shopping centre, my stomach growled and I couldn't help but smirk as she eyed me up and down, growling right back.
"I suppose you want to go get a chilli dog?" she sneered, a grin emerging onto her lips.
"What an idea, Amy!" I smiled sarcastically, opening one eye and looking in her direction. With her lip turning up slightly in either anger or amusement, she took my wrist and I eagerly followed her along into the food court.
"Did you want a bite?" I muffled with my left hand gestured towards her. She watched the chilli dog's cheese melting onto my glove and shook her head immediately. Her face looked almost green, so I didn't offer again.
Amy had seemed a little quiet after finding Tails' present but I wasn't really one to disturb her when she felt like being introverted. I was too preoccupied, stuffing my face with what I called 'the most incredible food in the world'. I was in a deep state of bliss, so I wouldn't be much conversation anyhow. I simply waited for her to speak up, hoping she'd say something eventually.
"I should go…" she said softly when I had finished my ample supply of chilli dogs, avoiding my gaze for reasons I couldn't justify. "Do you need any more help?"
"No, but… I was going to go for a bit of training with Tails for a while… D'ya wanna come?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't leave.
"Oh. Not today, Sonic. I don't really feel up to it." She began to walk away but turned back quickly, adding "Did you need a ride?"
"No, I'll be okay," I insisted with a false sincerity, almost like I wasn't talking about transport. Amy smiled and walked away with me staring at her until she disappeared. I felt like slapping myself for not enforcing my company, but she seemed to want some alone time.
*
"Sonic," Tails chuckled, watching me kick a soccer ball from one knee to the other while almost hacking at a car engine with his wrench. "You should really try to do something more substantial with your time."
"Like what, playing with metal?" I jested, jumping up and kicking the ball directly towards the foxes' face. His reflexes worked just in time, catching the ball and throwing it back. The ball now had black oil smudges on the sides, matching his stained gloves and fur.
"Touché," he conceded, rolling back beneath the car. "How's Amy holding up?"
"It's hard to tell…" I began.
"Go on…"
"It's just… sometimes I'm convinced she's gone a step forward, then something will happen and it'll be fifty steps back again." I confessed. Tails made a mild grunt in agreement.
"Do you think maybe Shadow can sort her out? He probably understands better than the rest of us…" he trailed off, rolling out from under the vehicle and leaning against it. Noting my face of disgust, he pulled off his gloves and laughed off the idea. "Maybe not… I'm just saying it happened a month ago and things aren't getting much better."
"I know, I wish I could fix it…" I muttered. I suddenly felt suffocated, so I decided to air out my mind in the quickest way possible. "I'm going for a run okay?" I bellowed, watching Tails yell behind me and speeding into the nearby Forrest.
Legs spinning as fast as they could below me, I zipped between the thousands of trees. The cold air was whipping my skin, blades of grass caressing my legs as I flashed by.
The faster I go, the easier everything will feel.
I ran to my favourite spot, the grass field not too far out from home. The sun was sinking into the hills ahead, leaving an orange glow on the bottom of the sky. I laid myself down on the refreshingly cool grass and rested my eyes, trying my best not to think.
Images of the day flashed through my memory, like flicking through a book, trying to find something worth looking at. I tried to pick out moments that would validate Amy's sudden sadness, but I couldn't see anything wrong. I was never truly sure if I had said something upsetting, so I often pretended that I never did. Perhaps that was the whole problem.
After resting there for a while, I peeked through my heavy eyelids; observing the darkened sky. It had to be around 7 o' clock, so it was probably best to head back. Nobody seemed to over think my extended absences anyhow.
When running back through the woods, I noticed a small stream and stopped for a moment. It seemed to be sparkling, so I walked over. Looking below into the water I saw a small blue figure staring back at me, surrounded by a dark night's sky and faintly glowing stars.
"What are you gonna do, Sonic?" I said to my reflection curiously, hoping for a response somehow.
The water rippled slightly and I crouched down closer, observing. The figure only looked back at me, mimicking my face as if to say,
"I have no idea, kid."