(I do not own Sonic. Sonic is property of SEGA and Sonic Team.)

Ding Dong

No answer.

Ding Dong

Still no answer.

Ding Dong Ding Dong DING DONG DING DONG!

"WHAT!"

Ogwa opened the door.

"Hey. Could I bunk with you guys tonight?"

I tried to sound like I wasn't the person who had just been pounding mercilessly on their door bell.

"Hey Ogwa! Who is it?"

Carlos screamed.

"Wow, Maria. Your face is all red. Have you been crying?"

Ogwa didn't understand love that much yet.

Knux was still working on that emotion.

(Knux was trying to teach Ogwa's real half emotions.)

But she understood sadness pretty well.

"Sorta…"

I said quietly.

I was so embarrassed.

All my life I had never really trusted anyone other than Shadow and Breeze.

And now I was leaving my life in the clumsy and gullible hands of Ogwa Model463.

"OGWA!"

Carlos screamed again.

"It's Maria, will you shut up already? I'm trying to talk here!"

Ogwa understood anger quite well though.

"Is it Shadow?"

She turned back to me.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you guess?"

Man, she was really getting good at this.

"Knux told me that often times people that you love cause you even more sadness than the ones you hate… like Carlos."

"I don't love Shadow."

My teeth were clenched and my eyes were fixated on the floor.

"Come now, of course you do. I mean, I don't understand it that well, but I have seen it's evil grasp take hold of your innocent although slightly violent heart."

Even Ogwa could tell.

"He betrayed me and when I see him I'll kill him. I know his power and believe me. He didn't have to take over earth. With his kind of strength he could have killed us all one by one with his bare hands and not have broken a sweat."

"You think about this a lot don't you?"

"More than you know. Countless times I have had my hands wrapped around his neck. And then I stop and watch him struggle for breath."

I laughed at the image of his suffering.

"But, then how could he kill you without breaking a sweat?"

"Jwan once asked me that. I told her he was scared of me. Now I know her theory was a little bit more accurate than mine. It's because I'm his friend and he doesn't want to see me get hurt."

"Then why'd he betray you?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to ask him."

"Are you still gonna kill him?"

"Guess not."

"Watch out! A leaf!"

Her arm turned into a bazooka and she blasted it.

"What about it?"

I asked staring at the remains.

"Shadow can turn invisible, read our minds, fly, and turn into anything green."

Remember when I told you Ogwa was gullible?

"For the last time Ogwa, no, he can't."

"Oh, okay. Well, come on in. I'm sure Roxxi can make you a bed in our room."

"Our room?"

I asked.

"Yeah, since SOMEONE SAID THE WE COULDN'T BE BOUNTY HUNTERS TOO…"

"Shut up, Ogwa!"

Carlos yelled from the other room.

"We don't have the money for a six bedroom spaceship."

Ogwa finished.

"I see."

"You hungry? Carly's makin' dinner."

It was seven and I hadn't eaten breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper, or dinner.

I hadn't even had a snack.

My stomach growled.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Ogwa turned and left.

"Hey, Maria. Where's Breeze?"

Roxxi asked.

"Why in zee milky way galexy would zyou want to know where zee blue one eez? Maria eez red. Red eez close to pink. I am zee pink anz eevrey one should foceezed on moi."

Petite was a pink poodle with a French accent.

"Omigosh! I left Breeze back on Earth! I gotta go get her!"

I almost ran out the door but Roxxi grabbed my arm.

"Whoa there, cowgirl. I know you wanna help your friends but I overheard your conversation with Ogwa and you're a nervous wreck. Not exactly the best position to go and almost kill your boyfriend. Breeze is a big girl and she can handle herself."

Roxxi was originally from Japan but her attitude and life-style features a vast array of cultures.

Although most of the time she's pretty much like Carlos.

No, not in that she's a smooth talker.

She seems a bit more 3rd world country-ish.

"Now, dinners ready. I'll get you the phone so you can call Stella and I'll go make your bed. Petite, if you don't mind leading her to the kitchen."

"Thanks, Ritsuko."

"Don't mention it."

Roxxi headed off down a long narrow hallway.

"Ritsuko. Ugh, zee name leaves a fowell taste in my mouth. Eetz no wonder zee girl changed her name to Roxxee."

Petite rolled her R's.

"I think it's a lovely name."

I said.

"Ugh. Zee Japanese, zey eez all alike."

I saw small room with a stove, a fridge, a microwave and a table.

I took it that was the kitchen.

"No wonder you guys like it better at my house."

I sat down next to Carly at the table.

"No, we like it because Carlos hasn't trashed your house."

Carly rolled her eyes.

"See the horribly ugly orange paint? Carlos's idea. See the pizza that will be stuck to the wall forever more? Carlos's idea of Frisbee. Oh, the clothes piled up against the walls. Carlos's laundry. I almost forgot the constant shooting noises in the background. Yeah, Carlos broke the TV and now it won't turn off."

"I see. Your utter hatred for your brother, how do you keep it bottled up like that?"

I asked.

"I don't. Every time I get him mad I beat the crap out of him."

"Uh huh."

I nodded.

Ogwa came and sat next to us, Roxxi was following her.

"I can't believe you would hack into someone's computer for fun!"

Roxxi was wagging her finger.

"I'm sorry just stop the nagging! It burns!"

Ogwa tried to shield herself from the comments but I'm gonna guess it didn't work seeing as 25 seconds later she howled in pain.

"Now go eat your dinner! You kids get so darn skinny!"

Roxxi pointed at the table.

"You do know that you're younger than Ogwa, don't you Roxxi?"

I asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

Then she rolled up her sleeves to go get Carlos.

"Ow! Hey! Quit it! This is my favorite show!"

Carlos was dragged back to the table.

"Now EAT!"

She used a low demanding voice.

I could've sworn there was a flash of lighting.

"Scary."

I murmured.

Carly nodded.

We had chicken tortilla soup.

Man, that stuff's good.

Roxxi handed me the phone directly after dinner.

Then I forgot Breeze's cell phone number and my home number.

How is that even possible?

"Crap."