This chapter has been updated as of 09/08/2020
Monday, November 7th, 5:41am, Amy's Bedroom
Amy finds herself awake nearly an hour before her alarm goes off. She can't help it though. How can she sleep when dreams no longer compare to her reality? The prospect of entering school holding Sonic's hand has her heart aflutter. She imagines people staring as they saunter in, blown away by how cute the new couple is. They'll be jealous of the love so clearly resonating between Sonic and Amy, and then, when the bell rings for class and as the two part ways, Sonic will lean in and kiss her cheek, telling her he misses her already.
There's no doubt about it; today is going to be perfect.
Because today is so important, Amy takes longer than usual accessorizing her uniform. Her socks have to be just right, her skirt pleats hanging just so. She can't decide whether she should wear her coat buttoned up or loose, and which headband should she wear? She takes the time to fluff her hair, using some mousse to put some extra wave into her usually sleek bob. She wonders if she should text him, or if it's too early? No, mustn't seem over-eager. She debates skipping breakfast, but a quick look at her phone shows her that she still has forty-five minutes to go.
Once she's done eating she can't wait any longer. She needs to see him, she loves him so much!
Amy bolts into the hallway and knocks on Cream's door nearly thirty minutes early. Her very surprised friend answers the door after several impatient moments of waiting on Amy's part. "Amy? Is everything okay? You're so early!"
"I couldn't wait, I'm just so excited to go to school today!" Amy gushes, earning a concerned look from her friend.
"Are you feeling okay, Amy?"
"Of course! I've never felt this good in my entire life! Everything is perfect and I can't wait to see everyone!"
"This is about your date with Sonic, isn't it? It went well, then?"
"Yes," Amy squeals. "It went so well! Now hurry up and eat!"
By the time Cream finishes eating, grabs her lunch kit and backpack, and slips on her shoes, half an hour has passed and it's their usual leaving time. Amy dances on the spot as she waits, filled to the brim with so much energy that she can't even stand it. As they head out, Amy finishes filling Cream in on all of the details about her date. Her friend smiles politely, making admiring noises at appropriate times.
When they arrive at the intersection where they always meet the triplets, Amy is disappointed to see that Sonic isn't there.
"Hey Sonia, hey Manic," Amy and Cream greet in near unison.
"Hey Amy, hey Cream," Sonia replies. Manic settles for a simple "Ladies."
"Where's Sonic?" Amy asks.
"Oh, he left early again," Sonia answers as the four teens start walking together.
"Oh…" disappointment leaks through her words despite her best effort. "I was so sure he would be here."
"You were?" Sonia asks with a frown.
"Of course. I mean, he is my boyfriend now." The siblings shoot Amy startled looks at this. "Didn't he tell you?"
Sonia recovers first, replying with a frown. "No, he failed to mention it."
"Oh. I guess he wanted it to be a surprise then? I shouldn't have said anything." Amy feels immediately apologetic. She hadn't meant to ruin any plans Sonic might have had, it's just so hard not to shout her new relationship status to the world when it's making her so very happy.
"That's probably it," Sonia agrees, but she doesn't sound enthusiastic. Maybe she's disappointed on her brother's behalf?
Amy vows to get better about blurting other people's secrets.
...
Amy doesn't get to see her beloved until lunch, but the moment she does, she makes up for it by running across the room and throwing herself into his arms.
"Sonic!" she cries out. "I missed you this morning! Actually, I missed you all weekend! Did you miss me?"
"Ah, hey Amy. I, ah, of course I missed you?" he answers, gently trying to untangle himself from Amy's embrace. A muscular guy with crimson dreads that reach past his shoulders starts laughing uproariously beside them. "What's so funny, knucklehead?" Sonic demands, traces of actual irritation in his voice.
"You seem to be having lady trouble," the boy points out, purple eyes dancing with laughter.
"Shut up. You're just jealous because girls don't fall all over you," Amy's beau retorts.
"What? I have plenty of girls falling for me, I just don't flaunt it like you do," the larger boy protests.
"Is that so?" a flirtatious voice asks from behind him. Amy looks to where Rouge is leaning over the table, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.
"I, err, yes? I mean, of course it is!" He insists, sweat forming on his brow.
Rouge's smile turns into a grin. "Well then, I'll have to tell Sonia. Maybe she'll think twice about going to the movies with you on Friday."
As the boy starts protesting, Amy turns her attention back to Sonic. "Want to walk me home today?" she asks, trying to pull off Rouge's seductive smile look. "Just me and you?"
Sonic shoots Amy a weak smile of his own. "Ahh, gee Amy, you know I'd love to, but, uhh, I have plans? And you know how I hate to let people down. I really can't cancel last minute. You, ah, you get it, right?"
"Oh, yeah, of course. That's too bad," she answers with a pout. "So, um, what are your plans?"
"I, ah, promised a friend I'd help him out with some things and… stuff. You know how it is."
"Ah, gotcha. Things. And stuff." If Amy's life depended on guessing what things and stuff could be, she'd be doomed. She doesn't want him to think she's ignorant of his hobbies though, so she doesn't ask again. Besides, as his girlfriend, she should already know these things.
When the bell rings, Amy meets Blaze in the hall and excitedly launches into the story of her date on Friday all over again. "Blaze! Did you see? At lunch? Did you see?"
"You and Sonic? Yeah, I saw. Does that mean you're actually an item now?"
"Mhmm!" Amy still can't believe it. Sonic. Sonic! Star of the track team, most popular guy in school, friends with everyone. Sonic is dating her. Her! It's incredibly overwhelming and wonderful.
...
Amy's day passes in a blissful haze, and by the end of it she barely remembers anything that wasn't directly related to Sonic. After school, she walks home with Cream and Manic, since Sonic and Sonia both have plans.
"I'm not too sure how I feel about you dating my brother," Manic confesses once the school's out of sight, earning a distressed look from Cream and an indignant one from Amy.
"What?" Amy demands. "Why? Am I not good enough for him?" Cream opens her mouth to say something, but Manic beats her to it.
"What? Don't be stupid, if anyone isn't good enough, it's Sonic-"
"You're wrong," Amy cuts in. "Sonic is perfect for me, so as my friend you should be happy for me. Unless..." a wave of horror passes over Amy. "Oh no, you're not... you're not jealous, are you?" she asks, aghast. Manic is her friend, if he has feelings for her then she shouldn't be flaunting a relationship with his brother! She-
Cream tries to say something again, but Manic's voice is louder. "What? No! Ew."
"Ew?" Amy demands, horror replaced by deep offence. "What do you mean, ew?"
"Amy, come on, you're practically my sister! That would be like being jealous of someone dating Sonia, and-" he pauses to swallow. Cream tries to take advantage of the opening, but Manic recovers too quickly. "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Anyway, I just don't think that he's right for you. At all. And I don't want you getting hurt."
"I appreciate the sentiment Manic, but I don't think it's any of your business. Plus, Sonic wouldn't hurt me. Really, it seems to me like you're letting your discomfort cloud your judgment." With that, Amy speeds up her pace, refusing to look at Manic.
"Amy-" Manic starts, and Amy is just about ready to turn around and let him have it.
"Manic," Cream interrupts in a tone Amy has only ever heard used when the girl is well and truly done with something. A beat later she picks up with "did you ever manage to finish that hover board?"
After a longer pause than necessary Manic replies, voice easy and upbeat like normal. "Yeah. There's still a few bugs, but for the most part she flies like a dream." he says with an easy smile, relaxing his posture.
Despite herself, Amy slows down for her friends. Sure, she's irritated that Manic is clearly being selfish about her and Sonic, but she can't help but be awed by his technological skills. Building a hover board doesn't sound even remotely easy.
"You'll show us some time, won't you?" Amy asks, really hoping he will. Seeing a hover board might be almost as exciting as seeing Sonic. Maybe more, honestly, but it seems unfaithful to admit that, even if she's only admitting it to herself.
"Oh please, won't you?" Cream pleads, eyes wide. Amy's lips curve into a small smile at her friend. Cream loves the idea of being able to fly, and even keeps a flight helmet in her closet; She once told Amy that she wanted to be a pilot someday. Amy wouldn't be surprised if Cream convinced Manic to let her ride the hover board.
"Sure, why don't you two swing by tonight and I'll take her for a test run," Manic suggests as they near the intersection he turns off at.
"Really? You're sure you don't mind? Oh, that would be lovely," Cream enthuses before turning to Amy. "Could we?"
Amy laughs. "You know you can go without me, right?"
Cream blinks at that. "Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," she says, toeing the ground.
"I'll be testing at six tonight," Manic says nonchalantly. "Swing by a little before then if you're interested," he suggests with a wink for Cream, causing her to giggle. "Ladies," he says, raising a hand in mock farewell salute before turning onto his street and walking off on his own.
...
A little before six Amy finds herself arriving at the triplets' house with Cream. Partially she's there to keep Cream company, and partially she's there to see the hover board. Mostly, though, she's hoping to bump into Sonic. Unfortunately, Sonic and Sonia are still out when Amy and Cream arrive, but Manic is there as promised, holding a strange red and yellow object. It kind of looks like a wide skateboard with stubby winglets at one end, or maybe a flattened rocket-ship.
"Alright, so she's still a prototype, and I think I can streamline her design a bit better, but this is my hover board," he says, leading the girls into the back yard. "I call her Mina."
"Why Mina?" Cream asks, and Manic shrugs.
"Why not?"
Neither of the girls has an answer to that, so they both give a return shrug.
Manic starts by hovering along the ground a bit, making sure the board is stable. Once he's satisfied nothing is misfiring, he kicks the engine up and starts flying higher and faster, doing some standard skateboard tricks with it in the air. On the one hand, Amy thinks that's a terrible idea, but on the other, she can't deny the coolness factor.
After about half an hour Aleena, mother of the triplets, comes out with a plate of snacks and drinks. The three of them take their time eating, laughing, and chatting about the hover board and Manic's plans for it. Mostly, he plans to use it to get internet famous making stunt videos. Amy's pretty sure he could use it to get a high paying engineering job instead, but the idea of Manic having a serious job seems absurd, so maybe he's onto something.
"So where did you get the parts for it?" she asks, and Manic shrugs uncomfortably.
"Oh, you know. Around. The dump mostly. Some things I had to get on loan, but I'm sure it's fine."
"On loan?" Amy asks skeptically, but decides to drop it when he seems particularly uncomfortable with her scrutiny. Generally with Manic, you're better off not knowing the details.
"So, would either of you fine looking ladies like a ride before you head home?" Manic asks with a cheesy grin. Amy rolls her eyes at his antics, but finds herself smiling nonetheless.
"I'm good," she says before looking at Cream.
Cream grins, nodding enthusiastically and reaching into her bag to pull out her old flight helmet. Once on it's clear the helmet's too big for her, but she looks so excited that Amy can't bring herself to point it out.
At first, Manic gets the smaller girl to stand in front of him, steadying her as they hover along the ground, but once it's clear she's got the balance not to fall off, he lets her ride on her own. As she takes the board higher, Amy and Manic share a grin. Cream's manners make her seem so small, but she's always had a hint of fire in her blood. She doesn't try any tricks, just enjoys the view as she zips around. When she finally lands her cheeks are flushed and she can't stop laughing. Sonia gets in as Amy and Cream are leaving. There's still no sign of Sonic, but Amy's not nearly as disappointed as she would have expected.
In fact, she enjoyed herself so much that she's still thinking about the evening's events in class the next day, and between those thoughts and waiting to watch Sonic run at lunch, her morning passes fairly quickly. Just like they do every Tuesday, Amy and her friends eat and then head out to the track. When they get there, she waves at Sonic, and he waves back before focusing on what he's doing. He's so focused on his running that he doesn't even seem to notice Amy cheering him on from the sidelines. When the bell rings, Amy is tempted to give Sonic a hug and tell him how amazing he was today, but Blaze reminds her that they only have five minutes to get ready for class.
When school ends Amy walks home with Sonia, Manic, and Cream. Apparently Sonic is busy again today, but that's not surprising with how popular he is. Once home, she changes into some comfy around-the-house clothes and starts painting her toenails and watching TV. Blue, she decides, like Sonic's hair. She's just finishing up when her condo's buzzer rings, reminding her that she has a tutor coming. Amidst all of her daydreaming about what she and Sonic will name their kids, she'd completely forgotten. She doesn't even bother to pick up the receiver, just buzzes the person in and then quickly cleans up her mess. She's just finished getting everything tidy and was heading down to her unit's first floor when a knock comes at the door. She answers only to see an older boy with golden-brown skin, thick black hair, and crimson eyes standing in the hallway.
"Hello," he greets in a velvety-smooth voice. "My name is Shadow, I'm here to tutor Amelia Rose in history. I assume that's you?" His black hair falls in perfect waves around his face, flicking up at the tips. When he moves, the light catches in it, revealing hints of red throughout. If it weren't for the cold disdain in his expression, he would be beautiful. Instead, he's a bit scary.
"Ah, I prefer Amy," she stammers as she steps aside to let him in, feeling nearly as nervous as she did on Friday.
...
Tuesday, November 8th, 7:00am, Shadow's Bedroom
Shadow wakes up to an obnoxious beeping somewhere to his left. He reaches around groggily in an attempt to locate the source, to no avail. Maybe he can drown it out, though. He pulls his pillow over his head, but it makes no difference. After a minute of this he gives up and drags himself to a sitting position, blearily looking around for his alarm clock. After a few moments he spots it on his dresser, which means he actually has to get up to turn it off. He grumbles to himself as he does so, continues grumbling as he grabs his towel and school uniform and goes to have a shower.
The rest of his morning passes routinely. Shower, dress, kiss Aziza on the cheek, grab a fresh-made muffin, and head out the door. The neighbourhood he lives in is a nice suburban neighbourhood where every house has a nice suburban yard. As a result, the walk to school is always incredibly unremarkable. Today is different, though. After spending almost all of Moday refining his skates he's sure they're ready for short periods of use. They'll still short out if overused, but they should be able to handle a distance like the one from his house to school. In fact, he's confident enough in them that today he's testing that exact distance.
The trip to school winds up taking a quarter of the usual time, maybe less, and it's exhilarating. Certainly it's a better way to start the day off than walking. He hopes they continue working so well. At lunch Shadow considers joining the track practice just to show Sonic up with his skates, but decides that the victory would feel hollow, so he eats with Manic like he usually does.
After school he texts Aziza, reminding her that he's going to be tutoring today, and then heads to his student's house. Or, apartment. He stares up impassively at the complex. The building has twelve floors, though only eleven seem to have units listed. Shadow checks the time, making sure he isn't too early. He has about forty minutes to kill, so he decides to sit on a nearby bench and read. At three precisely, he rings the buzzer labelled '1102. Rose'. Instead of getting an answer he's buzzed in, which is incredibly irresponsible. He could have been anyone. He doesn't pay much attention to the building's interior as he heads for the elevator, just enough to notice that it's a very nice building. After a quick ride he finds himself at the correct door and, taking a deep breath and reminding himself to be patient with his student, he knocks.
The pink-haired girl who caused a bit of a scene at lunch on Monday answers. She's about average height with a pale, creamy complexion and the widest eyes he has ever seen. They're a vibrant green that practically sparkles, even in the building's artificial lighting. She's also changed out of her uniform into a pair of leggings and either a very short dress, or a long tank top. He tries not to let his consternation about tutoring the girl he saw tackling Sonic show as he introduces himself and confirms that she's Amelia.
"Ah, I prefer Amy," she stammers, stepping aside to let him in.
He enters the unit, taking note of its appearance. It has that level of clean that can only be achieved from daily cleaning, so either his student's mum doesn't work, or they have a daily cleaning lady. There's a hallway to the right, a comfortable living-nook to the left, and a staircase across from him, which explains the lack of units on the twelfth floor. He turns to Amy, gesturing vaguely into the unit. "Is there anywhere in particular you would prefer to study?"
"Oh," she squeaks. "Yeah, of course. We can study in the living room, if that's okay with you? I mean, I don't see why it wouldn't be, it's a good living room. Very, ah, livable. Do you want anything to eat, though? Like a pre-study snack? I think my dad left some pie. Do you like pie? It's homemade. Mama makes the best apple-"
"Enough," Shadow cuts in, interrupting the senseless babbling. "Amelia, if you're going to be tutored by me then you're going to need to be less..." he fumbles for a moment, looking for a polite way to share his thought. "Excitable," he decides. "I'll need you to be less excitable."
"Sorry! I just, I don't really know you, y'know?" Amy explain-asks with a nervous smile. Shadow just stares at her for a moment, unsure of how to respond. If anything, his bewildered look just makes her more flustered. "I'm sorry! If it's not too much trouble, could we maybe have a snack before we begin? I can't focus on an empty stomach."
Shadow resists the urge to point out that she had plenty of time to eat before he arrived, if hunger is such an issue. Still, he doesn't exactly relish the idea of trying to teach her in this state, so he decides to allow it. "Alright, we can eat something, but then we study. And next time you need to eat before I arrive if hunger is going to be an issue. Understood?"
Amy nods a bit too fast. "Of course, sure. The table's this way." She gestures to the hall on his right and manages a small smile. Shadow doesn't bother to return it before walking the way she pointed and finding himself turning into a very well appointed kitchen. Through the kitchen he goes, finding himself at a glass wall with doors onto the patio, to his left is a dining area large enough to comfortably hold a dining table and eight seats, and to the right is a door. The wall of windows spans the entire dining area and boasts a lovely view of the park next to the building. Shadow takes his seat at the dining table and pulls some history books out of his bag which he begins to arrange while Amy grabs their food. By the time she arrives with two slices of re-heated pie, each with a scoop of ice cream on top, Shadow has laid out his textbooks and notes on the dining table to his satisfaction.
The pie, admittedly, smells delicious.
"I'm sorry you got stuck with me," Amy says softly as she hands him a slice and takes the seat next to him. "I can be a bit scatterbrained and I'm sure I won't be the easiest student, so I understand if you start getting frustrated with me."
"As long as you actually want to learn, we shouldn't have a problem," Shadow replies, taking a bite out of the food. The flavour is a pleasant surprise, and he concedes that the girl might not have been exaggerating her mother's baking skills.
While they eat he barely replies to her, and yet the difference after their snack is immediately evident. Amy seems much more at ease. Certainly her babbling is not so nervous any more, if no less incessant. Still, he's not sure if he can do this twice a week. But, he promised Aziza. He takes a deep breath.
"Amelia, how do you expect to retain any of this if you change the subject at every opportunity and don't wait for me to answer your questions?"
"Right, you're right. I'm just so excited, because Sonic finally asked me to be his girlfriend on Friday, and I just can't believe how lucky I am, y'know?" Shadow does know. Amy has told him about it four times already. It's almost impressive, her ability to move any topic back to Sonic. He's very thankful that his two hours are nearly up.
"Amelia, if you can't focus on history, I will not be coming back," he pauses, something in her wording not sitting quite right. "Also, didn't you say that you asked him?"
"Well, yes, technically I did, but it's basically the same thing." It's really not, but continuing this conversation seems counterproductive to his intention of keeping things professional.
"Right. Well, if you could please close your book, I'm going to quiz you on what we've gone over. If you can get half of the answers right, I won't consider this a complete waste of my time and will endeavour to continue tutoring you."
Amy gets under half, but her effort seems sincere so Shadow decides it's close enough. He'll let her get away with it this once, but only because she tried very hard. It has nothing to do with the utterly defeated look in her so-very wide eyes when he'd told her she was two answers short.
...
The next day Shadow goes out of his way to be at Rouge's house early enough to drive to school with her. She lives on the far side of town, but the hoverskates cut down his travel time considerably.
"Well this is unexpected," she teases when she sees him waiting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I figured I should tell you that our Thursday movie nights will either need to happen in the evening, or be moved to a different day of the week."
"Oh? I take it you've decided to actually be serious about this tutoring thing then?"
He nods. "I have. Amelia can be frustrating, but I promised Aziza. Plus, she actually wants the help."
Rouge shrugs as they climb into her white convertible with its pink interior. "Fair enough. If it's alright with your mum, I'll start showing up later then. Maybe I could pick you up from Amy's? Then we can have dinner and watch our movie before I head home."
"I'd prefer a bit of alone time after tutoring, if that's alright with you."
She nods. "Six or seven, then?"
"Works for me," Shadow replies.
"Plus, this way I can hear all about your tutoring while the sessions are still fresh in your mind," she says with a grin. Shadow rolls his eyes.
"Yes, I can see the appeal. Truly there will be no hotter gossip than whether or not Amelia is able to recall the third king of Ancient Mobius."
Rouge nods solemnly. "I'm glad you understand."
At school the two part ways, Rouge going to find her friends and Shadow going to wait in his homeroom. Shadow considers going home after lunch, but decides to stick it out for the afternoon run. It's overcast today so they're running on the track, but that suits Shadow just fine. Sonic likes to show off when he isn't stuck running with someone, so he won't be bothering Shadow about joining track today.
Once school lets out Shadow puts his hover-skates back on and heads home. He's halfway there when one of the small rockets on the bottom of them sputters and dies, slamming his foot into the pavement and tripping him up. He's ready for the experience this time, twisting his body as he hurdles through the air, curling his shoulder and bringing his arm up. He lands on the shoulder and manages to execute a pseudo-somersault. His intent is to land on his back with, ideally, minimal damage. To his credit he does manage to land on his back without hurting it, but the wind is knocked out of him and if the pain is any indication then his shoulder is going to be a mess of bruises by nightfall.
After the longest minute of Shadow's life, he manages to get his breath back. Another minute of letting his nerves settle passes before he sits up to inspect himself. The arm and shoulder he'd braced himself with look pretty scraped up, and bruises are already beginning to form, but that looks like the worst of it so Shadow gets up, only to promptly fall back with gritted teeth. Crap. He takes off the skate that sputtered out and pokes at his ankle. Not only is it very tender and sensitive, but it's already beginning to swell up. Not good.
Frowning, Shadow attempts to stand again. It's unpleasant, but do-able. Not too wobbly. Painful, but bearable. He can do this. One step, two, three... he seems to be managing, but there is definitely more damage than simple bruising would merit. Probably a sprain, then. A minor one, given his ability to walk it off. It will likely take about a week or so to heal, if Shadow remembers the medical text he read last summer correctly. Perhaps he should re-read it. Regardless, the pain is nothing Shadow can't deal with, so he continues on his way home.
In the morning Shadow is surprised to discover that his ankle feels fine. The swelling has gone down and there's minimal bruising. Not a sprain after all, then. He had been so sure... He debates whether or not he intends to go to school for a moment before grabbing his clothing and getting in the shower.
...
Wednesday, November 9th, 9:51am, Station Square Academy
Amy clucks her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she stares out the window. She knows she should be working on her biology report, but she keeps thinking about yesterday's tutoring session and also the fact that she's barely seen Sonic since they started dating. Like sure, there's probably a good reason, he's popular and has many extracurricular activities, but she can't help but wonder... No, best not to doubt him. There's a good reason. There has to be.
As for the tutoring, well that's just all kinds of mixed feelings. Yes, Shadow seems to know what he's talking about, and he even made some things easier to understand, but he's also just... intimidating. And quiet. And then there's his perpetually grumpy demeanour... The way he looks at her makes Amy feel like he's judging her and finding her lacking. There's also his reputation. The first time she'd seen him, someone had whispered to her that he was dangerous and she should stay away from him, that he'd once broken someone's arm for getting in his way. True, she'd never seen any evidence to support those rumours, but there has to be a reason no one ever confronts him.
Amy isn't afraid of Shadow, but she doesn't really want to see him twice a week either; especially if he's going to keep looking at her in such a disapproving way.
Then again, he'd smiled when he tasted the pie—not much of a smile, but she'd been keeping an eye out for one—so he can't be all bad. After all, how could someone who enjoys mama's pie be bad?
The bell ringing for locker break snaps Amy out of her internal struggle and she quickly packs up and heads to Sonic's locker. She's determined to get him to talk to her at lunch, because maybe then he'll realize that their love can only blossom into the beautiful flower it's meant to be if he actually spends time with her. It isn't long before he shows up.
"Amy? What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you happy to see me, Sonic?" she teases. "I'm happy to see you." She wraps her arms tightly around him.
"Ah, you know I'm always happy to see you, Amy, I'm just surprised, is all," he says as he removes himself from her loving embrace.
"Why would you be surprised? We go to the same school!"
"Ah, haha, yeah..."
"Anyways I was wondering... could we eat together today? Like, just the two of us?"
"Ah, I'm not so sure about that..." Sonic begins, causing Amy's lower lip to begin trembling. "Ah, no no no! That came out wrong. What I meant is, uh, I just don't think it would be fair to your other friends, keeping you to myself," he amends quickly.
"Oh Sonic!" Amy's expression softens into its usual look of adoration. "You're always so considerate! I'm the luckiest girl in the whole world! But..." she hesitates, feeling unsure.
"But...?"
"It's just, I've been hoping we could talk about us? And, I know that you're busy after school most days..."
"Ah. Yeah, I think we should talk about us too. Lunch, then?" Amy nods. "Okay. How about I meet you by the track?"
The bell rings, causing Amy to jump. Is locker break really already over? "Yeah, the track works," she agrees before turning and running. Her next class is at the far end of the school and she still needs to get her books from her locker!
...
History drones on for hours in Amy's mind. This has got to be the longest single class she's ever had to sit through. She just wants it to be lunch already so that she can eat with Sonic. He's agreed to discuss their relationship! This is good! They'll talk and then he'll start spending more time with her, and they'll be able to proudly display their love to the world. Amy can't wait!
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the lunch bell rings. Amy is the first student out of her class, and manages to even be one of the first five people in the cafeteria itself. She grabs her food and makes her way to the bleachers before any of her friends find her. She's too nervous to eat while she waits for her beloved to arrive so she settles for twiddling her thumbs.
"And here I thought you were the fastest in our school," she teases when Sonic shows up five minutes later, causing him to laugh.
"Even I can't speed up the lunch line, Ames. You, on the other hand, have clearly learned some sort of witchcraft," he says with a grin and Amy's heart can't handle it, that grin is just too perfect. For a minute everything is good and easy and comfortable. Then the grin fades and the moment is over. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"
She swallows and nods, not sure how to start. "Yeah, it's just... you're always so busy, and I don't blame you or hold that against you, but it makes me feel like you don't love me." Her eyes water as she admits it, and she balls her hands into fists in her lap. She should have more faith in her boyfriend.
"Amy..." Sonic sighs. "You know I love you. I just... I don't... I... this isn't..."
"Are you breaking up with me?" Her voice hitches as she says it, and when Sonic meets her eyes she tries very hard not to let her tears fall. As far as Amy's concerned, Sonic holds the fate of the world in his hands right now. She tries not to let that show, though. Bites her lip to keep from pouting, lest she guilt him into or out of any decisions.
"Of course not, Amy! You're my best girl, you know that," he assures her, his face vaguely pained. Amy's heart swells knowing that the idea of breaking up hurts him too. The dread leaves, and she beams up at him.
"Really, Sonic? You mean that?"
"Of course I do," he answers with a firm nod, conjuring up a tight smile. Amy squeals and throws her arms around him.
"I'm really glad to hear that," she whispers, face hidden in his chest. "But Sonic?" She glances up at him, almost shy. "Could we please spend more time together?"
"Ah, yeah, I..." he stops for a moment, looking to the sky to collect his thoughts. "Is there any particular day you can't do?"
"I have tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays," she answers. "But other than that-"
"Oh, really? Man, that really sucks," Sonic says with a pout. "I'm only free Tuesdays right now. Ugh. I guess we'll have to figure something else out," he decides. "But, ah, not right now."
"What, why not?"
"I, ah, there's something I need to return to the library, and I won't have time after school," he explains, getting to his feet as he does so. "I'll see you around!"
"Couldn't I go with you?" Amy calls after him, but he's already running off. She lets out a frustrated growl. Oh, how she hates it when he leaves her behind!
...
The rest of Wednesday passes easily enough, and then Amy walks home with Cream and Sonia. Apparently Sonic is working on something with his friend Tails, which is why they're hanging out so often. Manic, on the other hand, has detention for using someone's missing phone in class after his own phone was confiscated.
"So are you guys going to Rouge's pool party next Saturday?" Sonia asks.
"Rouge is having a pool party?" Amy asks, surprised that this is the first she's hearing of it.
"Oh, right. Yeah, she's going to start inviting people tomorrow, but she told me I could go ahead and invite you guys tonight."
"If Sonic doesn't want to go on a date with me that night then sure." It's a well-documented fact that Sonic doesn't like swimming, so the odds of him going are low. Everybody else will probably be there, though, so there's a good chance he'll be free if Amy asks.
"Err, right," is all Sonia has to say on the matter, but that isn't important. After all, she probably doesn't want to think of her brother dating. Who would want to know about their brother's love life? Not Amy! Not that Amy has a brother, but she imagines it would be similar to thinking about her parents' love life.
"I'm not too sure," Cream admits. "I don't really know Rouge that well, and she's so much older than me. Are you sure she'd want me there?"
"Don't be silly Cream, do you think Sonia would really pass on the invitation if Rouge didn't want you there? You should definitely go," Amy insists. Cream shoots her a grateful smile.
Sonia tries a different tactic. "I know you don't know Rouge very well, but I'm going to be there, and Blaze and Amy probably will too. It wouldn't be the same without you."
"Okay, okay," Cream laughs. "I'll go."
...
On Thursday, Amy invites Cream over for an after school snack before Shadow is due to arrive. The two watch the news in Amy's room as they eat and chat. Cream lets Amy in on the secret to a truly rich chocolate cheesecake while a reporter talks about a mysterious package found on government property in the background.
The buzzer rings at three PM sharp and Amy gets up to answer it. "Shadow?" she checks through the intercom.
"Amelia," his velvety voice answers. "May I come in?"
"Sure thing," she replies, ignoring her irritation at his continued use of her full name.
Cream rushes downstairs to put her plate in the sink and grabs her bag and shoes. "Thank you for having me," she says with a small curtsy, before heading to her own condo.
The door is still open a crack when Shadow arrives, and he raises an eyebrow at Amy as he enters. Amy just kind of shrugs in response before leading the older boy to the dining area, which had proven to be a good study area on Tuesday.
"So what are we going to work on today?" she asks in an effort to fill the silence.
"Your class is studying the ancient Mobians, correct?" She nods as they take their seats, and Shadow slides her a textbook. "Then that's what we'll be reviewing."
Amy manages to focus for an entire forty-five minutes before her mind wanders back to Sonic. Perhaps she should call him about going on a date next Saturday? Thursday is track so he'll likely be home by-
"Amelia," Shadow's tone is sharp as a knife cutting right through her thoughts. She flinches. "We are not here to think about boys. We are here because you need to learn." Amy feels her face burn at the comment, but still manages to stammer out an apology.
"I'm sorry, I just can't stop thinking about Sonic. We haven't really had much time to spend together, you see, and-"
Shadow cuts her words off as easily as her thoughts. "Amelia, please. Can we just... never talk about Sonic? Ever?"
She pauses, surprised by the genuine frustration in Shadow's voice. "But… but he's my boyfriend," she finally points out.
"He's a distraction; one that you can't afford if you want to pass this course." She opens her mouth to protest but Shadow cuts her off again. "I think I have some ideas to make this easier for you, but you have to promise that you will no longer speak of your boyfriend in my presence."
Amy is torn. On the one hand she knows she should be trying harder, on the other...
"How can I not talk about him when he's all I think about?"
"Try thinking about something else- your school work, perhaps."
She splutters. "Seriously? That's your advice?"
He shrugs. "Take it or leave it."
She stares at him for a moment before deciding to drop it. "What did you have in mind to make things easier?"
"Study breaks."
"Study breaks?" she repeats.
"Yes. Thirty minutes of studying and then a five minute break where you can do whatever you'd like. Except talk about Sonic." The last words are tacked on as an amendment, which causes Amy to laugh.
"That sounds do-able," she admits. "And all I have to do is not mention... him?"
"Who?" Shadow asks, and if it weren't for the brief flicker of amusement in his otherwise detached eyes she might have fallen for it. Instead, she ignores the bait and pulls one of the textbooks over to her. As a result she doesn't see his triumphant smile.
They study for a bit, and then Shadow gives Amy her first break. She uses it to stretch her legs and grab a snack.
"Lemon tart?" she calls to him from the kitchen, grabbing one of the remaining pastries from yesterday's home ec. class for herself.
"Sure," he calls back.
When Shadow finishes eating, he licks the residual filling off his fingers instead of grabbing a napkin from the holder on the table, and Amy can't help the wave of pride.
"I made those," she tells him in a soft voice, earning a startled look. It's quickly covered by his usual cold expression.
"And here I thought all your time was dedicated to daydreaming about Sonic."
Amy feels a flush creeping up her neck. For a moment, she thinks he might be joking, but his face lacks any expression other than its standard cold veneer. And just when she thought there was more to her tutor than condescension and judgment, too!
"At least my time isn't dedicated to stroking my own ego and putting everyone else down!" She snaps. Shadow levels her with a flat look, and she remembers his reputation too late. "I'm sorry," she stammers, "I didn't mean-"
"Of course you did," he cuts in. "I'm not a nice person, and I think it's very clear that neither one of us wants me to be here."
Amy blinks, caught off guard by the observation. "What makes you say that?"
"You think I don't see the way you look at me? Think I don't see you flinch when I speak? I'm not blind, Amelia."
"Oh."
"Oh," he agrees. "Now then-"
"In my defence," Amy begins as her emotions flare again, "you look at me like dirt. I know there's more to you than a bad reputation, but it's hard to look past that when you're always such a butt."
It's Shadow's turn to blink. "Did… did you just call me a butt?"
"Yes."
He presses his lips together in a thin line, like he's trying to repress a smile- but that would be ridiculous. "I see. Well, I... I'm not here to make friends, but perhaps my efforts at maintaining professional distance have been..." he trails off as he looks for the right word, and Amy decides to help him out.
"Unnecessarily dickish?"
Again, that expression like he's trying not to smile. "Not the words I would have chosen, but yes. However, it now occurs to me that creating a hostile environment is not conducive to furthering your studies, so I will endeavour to be less of a… butt."
Amy isn't nearly as good at keeping smiles off her face or laughter out of her voice. "I can't believe you just called yourself a butt! I mean, if that was supposed to be an apology, it was terrible, but I'll take it." She grins at him, holding out a hand. "I won't talk about Sonic, and you won't be a butt." For a moment Shadow just stares at her proffered hand as if unsure of what he's supposed to do. When he does take it, his hand is warm and surprisingly soft.
"Deal," he says, and the lack of derision in his tone makes his voice seem as soft as his hand. As soon as he lets go he glances at his phone. "It's a bit late to continue with your studies, how about I quiz you and we call it a day?"
"Okay."
"The ancient Mobians worshipped stones that they believed to be primal energy sources. What were these stones called and how many were there in total?"
"The Chaos Emeralds. There were eight, right?"
...
Thursday, November 11th, 6:18pm, Shadow's Bedroom
Rouge can tell Shadow's in a good mood from the moment he opens the door. It's not always easy to figure out what Shadow's feeling at any given time, but she's known him long enough to know what his relaxed posture looks like, and the way the corners of his mouth twitch when he feels like he's succeeded at something.
"I take it your date with Miss Rose went well?" She drawls.
Shadow raises an eyebrow at that, an expression Rouge had helped him cultivate in the eighth grade. "You do know that she has a boyfriend, right?" he points out as he lets her in instead of protesting the idea of dating anyone at all. A very good mood, then.
Rouge waves the statement off. "Since when does that stop people from going out with each other?"
Shadow snorts, folding himself onto his favourite couch cushion. "I'll have you know, I'm a gentleman."
It's Rouge's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Of course, and as a gentleman I do not date anyone who already has a boyfriend."
"And what if they have a girlfriend?"
"I'll tell you if it ever comes up," Shadow answers with a shrug, and it's Rouge's turn to laugh.
"Appreciate it. But, what if Sonic weren't in the picture?"
He tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. "As a gentleman, I also don't date my students."
"Ah, of course. Well then, how was your regular, ordinary study session?"
"It was a study session. Amy daydreamed, I reprimanded her, there were lemon tarts."
"Lemon tarts? How scandalous."
Shadow snorts. "Truly. So, what's new with you?"
Rouge fills Shadow in on all the latest gossip until Aziza calls them for dinner. As always, Shadow puts on a good act of being indifferent to the lives of their peers, but he never fails to remember all the little details that even Rouge forgets, and he never needs reminders on who's who. It's possible his memory is just that good, but if that were the case, why doesn't he remember anything before his accident? No, Rouge is pretty sure he's just more interested than he cares to admit.
Dinner is pita bread and stuffed peppers, and it smells amazing. It tastes even better, since Shadow's mom is one of the few parents that knows how to make good vegetarian food. She'd long since given up on dinner at Sonia's; Aleena tries, but she's used to relying on chicken broth to flavour her meals.
Aziza, though? Her cooking is by far the best thing Rouge has ever tasted. Better, even than her chef's. Unfortunately, Shadow's mum has no desire to be a personal chef. She knows- her parents had asked.
"Will you please give me the recipe this time?" Rouge pouts.
"Family secret," Aziza replies, bringing a finger to her smiling lips. "Marry my Shadow, and I be happily teaching you."
Shadow chokes on his food, but Rouge just laughs. It's a bit of a running joke, one that never fails to get under Shadow's skin.
"Mother," he complains when he manages to clear his airway. "You know me and Rouge are just friends."
"Ah, but I do dream," Aziza teases, eyes dancing with repressed laughter. "Such handsome grandchildren I would have."
At this point Shadow's ears turn a deep red and he visibly cringes. Rouge, meanwhile, is outright cackling. "We would make pretty babies, wouldn't we hon'?"
"Please stop," Shadow groans, covering his face with his hands and earning more laughter from the two women.
"You know what, I don't think I'd want such a grumpy partner anyway. How about you adopt me instead, Aziza? Then I can get the recipes without having to marry him."
Aziza flaps her hand in Rouge's direction. "Such a cheeky girl! Perhaps you are right. Shadow must find a… sweeter bride."
"I couldn't agree more. But, I'm dead serious about those recipes. If I find him a suitable wife, then can I have them?"
For some reason the idea of marrying someone else does nothing to stop Shadow's grimacing and groaning, but Rouge can't fathom why.
"Deal," Aziza says, and Shadow lowers his head onto the table.
"You guys suck," he grumbles.
After dinner Shadow goes to clean up the dishes, but Aziza waves him off. "You have company," she chides, as she does whenever Shadow tries to clean while Rouge is over.
"I thought of what I want for my birthday this year," Rouge announces as she heads to his room.
"Oh?" he follows, settling onto his couch as she sets up the movie of the night.
"Mhmm. I'm having a party next Saturday, and I'd like you to attend."
He frowns. "We should go back to discussing our hypothetical children instead."
"Don't be ridiculous," Rouge chastises, dropping next to him.
"Isn't that the pool party you were talking about?"
"Yes. And I want you to stay for most of it."
Shadow groans, but he also nods and for a moment she wants to throw her arms around him, the way Amy threw her arms around Sonic. But, unlike Amy, she resists the urge, knowing that Shadow doesn't handle being startled well. Instead she leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder when he wraps an arm around her waist.
Shadow complains about the unrealistic stunts and the poorly thought out plot through the entire movie, and Rouge hopes more than anything that they never lose this if he ever does wind up in a relationship.
...
Saturday, November 13th, Evening, Shadow's Bedroom
Shadow's weekend starts off much the same as any other: he reads, he does homework, and he works on his latest project; his hover-skates, in this case. He's happy enough with the prototype to move the parts into a more streamlined pair of shoes. They're still bulkier than he'd prefer, but they're not as heavy and they look a bit less ridiculous- more like expensive sneakers and less like shoes with bricks attached to the bottom. Still, he wouldn't call them ready yet. More testing Saturday evening proves that they're still prone to shorting. It also proves that he's gotten much better at catching himself. He's trying to figure out what to do next when a thought occurs to him: Manic.
He pulls out his phone, and is glad that Manic had stolen it long enough to add his contact information right before summer break last year.
"Are you busy?" – Sent, 8:46 PM
After sending the text, he wonders how long he'll have to wait. Perhaps he should have just called...
" holy shit, shadow?"
"fuck yeah im free"
"whats up?" – Received, 8:57 PM
"Were you telling the truth when you told me about your hover board?" – Sent, 8:58 PM
" ye"
"why?" – Received, 8:58 PM
He considers asking Manic to bring it to the school, but there isn't much light here.
"Could I come take a look at it?" -Sent, 8:58 PM
"sure! when did you have in mind?" –Received, 8:59 PM
Shadow pauses. Hadn't asking Manic if he was busy made it clear that he meant right now?
"Does right now work for you?" -Sent, 8:59 PM
He waits impatiently as the minutes go by. He definitely should have called. He much prefers calling to texting; you can get the information you need and then be done with it. No mid-conversation waits.
" yeah, now works"
"3286 mission st sw" – Received, 9:06 PM
Well, that's a surprise. He passes Mission Street SW on his way to school every day. It's about ten minutes from his own house, at the edge of his suburban neighbourhood.
"Alright. Be there in 20." -Sent, 9:07 PM
...
The house is a modestly sized single story affair with a beautiful front garden. Four steps lead up to a small porch and the front door. When he knocks Sonic answers.
"Shadow?" he questions, clearly taken aback. "Is this about the track team? How did you get my address?"
Shadow raises an eyebrow. "I'm stalking you, clearly. Where's Manic?"
Sonic blinks, then steps aside. "Didn't realize you two were buds. He's down the hall, third door on your left."
The hall way has two doors on the left before it turns. Shadow tentatively knocks on the door that would be at the end if the hall didn't turn to the right. Technically Sonic's right, this is the third door on the left, but Shadow kind of hates him for it.
"Sorry for the mess," Manic greets when he opens the door. "I haven't cleaned in, ah… years. Why the sudden interest in my hover board?"
Looking past him Shadow can see that Manic's room is a disaster. Under a window across from the door is an unmade bed with a desk at its foot. A half-eaten meal sits on a cat tree next to a beanbag chair facing a dresser with clothing spilling out of it. A TV is perched precariously on a shelf above the dresser, nestled among papers and knickknacks. The floor is hidden under a wave of clothing and a box of miscellaneous hardware is gathering dust under the desk. On top of all that, the room smells... musty.
"I'm working on a similar project, but one of the jets keeps shorting. I was hoping to compare notes if you've had similar issues."
"Oh, yeah feel free to take a look. I've had months to fine-tune Mina, so maybe she'll give you some insight." He kicks aside a pile of fabric and then passes Shadow the red and yellow object that was hiding underneath. "Sit wherever you like. Tools are," he glances around, "under the desk, next to my spare parts." Then he pulls himself onto his dresser and watches.
After much debate, Shadow decides that the foot of the bed is least offensive available surface and perches himself there, crossing his legs and pulling the hover board into his lap. He can't help but ask: "Do you actually work in this mess?"
Manic laughs, "Not even a little. Mostly I work out on the deck or in the basement."
Shadow nods, grabbing a screwdriver and opening the board. "Seems practical." He carefully pokes around at the machine's innards, Manic watching him all the while. He can't blame the other teen, though. He'd keep a diligent watch over anyone poking through his stuff, too.
"Finding any inspiration?" Manic asks when Shadow spends longer than usual looking at one area in particular.
"Maybe. What's this cylindrical object you're using as fuel?" Shadow wonders, looking at a glass tube a bit wider than his thumb that seemed to contain a purple crystal. Something about it calls to him, makes the hair on his arms stand on end. Whatever it is, it doesn't feel safe.
"Oh, no idea man. I found it when I was scavenging for parts and it seemed cool. It seems like some sort of infinite source of power, though. Without it, I don't think Mina would fly half as smoothly."
That sounds incredibly sketchy, but... "Any shorts since you started using it?"
"Nope."
"I don't suppose you have a spare?"
Manic laughs. "Brah, even if I did have an extra, I had a hard enough time getting that one. You're cute, but not that cute."
"I thought you found it while scavenging?" Shadow asks, ignoring the vague almost-flirt. Manic suddenly seems very interested in his phone and a few snippets of previous conversations come to mind. "You stole it," Shadow realizes.
"Stole is such a negative word. I like to think I liberated it."
He snorts. "Well, how did you deal with shorts before acquiring a mysterious and likely radioactive power source?"
"I got really good at the tuck and roll manoeuvre."
"I see. Any other advice?" Even as he asks the question, Shadow knows the answer.
"Get higher quality parts?"
He considers for a moment. "Where did you liberate it from?"
"You know the robots they have guarding the government offices?" Manic asks.
"I know of them. G.U.N., right?"
"Correct-o-mundo. I disabled one and tried to reprogram it so I could have one of my own, but it started sounding an alarm so I stole its parts instead. That weird little tube was one of them."
For a moment Shadow just stares, then he shakes his head and gently places the still-open hover board on the bed beside him. "If you don't want to tell me just say so, don't make up stories," he reprimands as he gets up.
"What? Wait," Manic yelps, slipping off his dresser and catching Shadow by the wrist as he tries to leave. Shadow shoots the wiry teen a death glare. "Dude, look. I swear I'm telling the truth."
"You're telling me you fought a security robot and won?" Shadow asks, putting as much skepticism into his voice as he can manage.
"What? Don't be stupid. I snuck up on one of those floating sentry-bots and took it out with a baseball bat." That's not much more believable, and Shadow says as much. "Look, the sentry-bots are easy enough when you know their routes, okay? I'll prove it." And then Manic was the one leaving his room, still clutching Shadow's wrist.
"What?" Shadow asks, not making any effort to get free. "No. Manic, this is a terrible idea. Besides, I should have been home ages ago. Aziza will kill me. Manic!"
...
"Dude, you're bleeding," Manic points out as he attempts to get a better look at Shadow. Shadow continues swatting his hands away.
"I said I'm fine," he insists. "It's just a scrape."
"A scrape you wouldn't have gotten if you'd just ridden the hover board with me," Manic points out. Shadow knows Manic's right, knew he was right even before insisting on using his skates. But how does he explain the electric tingle he felt along his spine the moment the board fired up? The way it branched from his spine and buzzed along his nervous system?
No, Shadow would much rather risk a trip into the heart of the city on his faulty skates than get any closer to that activated power source than he absolutely had to. "Look, we're almost there. Another few minutes by foot, right? Let's just get what we came for and go."
Manic practically growls, roughly shoving a hand through his green locks. "Fine," he bites out. "But if you bleed to death it isn't my fault."
They continue on until they wind up in an alley across the road from an imposing government building. Football shaped sentry-bots float around the perimeter. They may not be as heavily armed as the security robots, but they still have little plasma-blasters attached to their undersides. They watch for a little while until a patrol pattern emerges. Once it does Manic turns to Shadow.
"Okay, you wait here and I'll grab us a robot."
Shadow scowls. "What? No way, you're not going in alone."
Manic returns the scowl. "You're limping, asshole. You'll get us caught. Just wait here and be ready to run if things go tits up."
He's right, and Shadow hates it. He's still not entirely sure how Manic got him to agree to this fool's errand in the first place, but they're here now and Shadow's pride is insisting that there's no turning back. "Whatever, just don't get shot."
Manic laughs at that, "Relax, I'm a pro."
Shadow watches as Manic darts across the street while a sentry-bot swings around. The wiry teen sidles along the wall, baseball bat in hand, and it finally sinks in that this is, by far, the stupidest thing Shadow has ever done. Cutting class is one thing, but stealing heavily armed government property? Stupid.
Manic is beneath the robot now, readying his bat. His form is terrible, but he strikes true. The robot drops to the ground, siren blaring and gun shooting at nothing. He hits the robot again and the casing comes loose on one side. He pries it off, then he reaches in, looking for something. He pulls out a glowing green cylinder, like a recoloured version of the one in the hover board, and the siren stops. Manic doesn't bother grabbing anything else from the robot, just darts back into the alley, grabs his hover board, and keeps running. Shadow follows. Behind them, he can hear other robots coming to investigate.
Fifteen minutes of keeping-to-the-shadows later, the two teens are finally beginning to walk comfortably. Manic tosses Shadow the strange power source. "I hate to say I told you so, but... that's a lie, I told you so."
Shadow examines the green tube as they walk. His hands tingle where they touch it, and the sensation spreads up to his elbows like gentle fingers ghosting along his veins. He wants to absorb the sensation and use it up...
He tosses the tube back to Manic. "I don't think this thing's safe to handle."
The other teen catches it easily and drops it into one of his many pockets. "Why, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Radiation poisoning?" Shadow suggests.
Manic frowns as if that hadn't occurred to him, but then he shrugs. "Eh, too late now."
Anyone who read the original version of this fic may notice a change. In the original version, this chapter was when the main plot-line began. However, in that version someone had reviewed on a chapter before it saying my fic was clearly just a self insert fantasy with no real direction and hormonal drivel pending, and I really took that to heart. In this re-written version I have decided to add a few more chapters of hormonal drivel. Enjoy~
(Partly I made this call because I feel a few extra chapters gives us a better opportunity to become familiar with our protagonists and see who they are in their daily lives, and partly I made it so that the relationship feels less rushed after everything goes down.)