A/N: WOW! I am SO sorry it took this long to update. Life . . . happened, I had some writer's block, and multiple video games I'm a massive fan of dropped (plz forgive me, for I have sinned).

But I'm back! With a new update! And I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you to all of you for sticking with me, that means the world to me. Enjoy guys!

Hi Shadow, this is Blaze Katba. I just wanted to let you know that I got your number from Rouge, and I'm ready to talk with you. Just message me whenever you see this.

Blaze stared at her phone screen, her eyes flickering between the draft message, the time, and a reply text from Silver that read, "No problem :) ."

I don't know if I'm ready . . . What's he gonna say? What if this isn't really him like the last time?

She laid back on her bed, thumb hovering over the "send" button. She wanted answers, but her anxieties prevented the simple thumb twitch required to send the message to get them. She exhaled, pondering over the options rushing through her head.

Shadow took the time out of his day while in the hospital to specifically track down someone to give them his number . . . Silver said a girl named Rouge Stone had given it to him . . . Rouge, the girl who helped after I was attacked in the lunchroom. Surely she wouldn't deceive me, right?

Blaze exhaled, staring at Shadow's name at the top of the blank conversation. She tapped the draft convo and briefly considered deleting the text she had written out, her mind wrestling with itself over what should have been a simple, uncomplicated decision.

Just do it now!

Feeling a rush of boldness and determination, she quickly tapped the send button, pressed the home button, turned off the screen, and tossed it across her bed. It landed on her comforter with a gentle thump. She leaned back on her main pillow, clutching another pillow for comfort.

It's just a text . . . Why am I so nervous?

A minute or so passed. Nothing.

I need to pee.

Leaving her phone face down on her bed, she went to the bathroom, taking a deliberately longer time than it usually would take her. When she finally did decide to leave, she came back and picked up her phone again to check. Still nothing. She climbed back onto her bed and continued clutching her pillow nervously.

Finally, a sound familiar to her ears, but in this instance, nerve-wracking: a notification chime. Blaze immediately grabbed her phone and turned on the screen.

1 new message, from Shadow

Blaze drew in a nervous breath and unlocked her phone. She tapped on her messaging app and then went to the conversation with Shadow.

Shadow Ultima: Oh, hey Blaze! It's good to hear you got my number. I've been wanting to talk with you for a while.

Shadow Ultima: I have some explaining to do. I'm sure you're confused about everything.

Blaze blinked in surprise. I mean . . . Yeah, I'm confused, but what is there to explain? Unless he's talking about his relationship with Selena.

Blaze leaned back on her bed and typed out her response.

Blaze Katba: Hey, personal question, but uh

Blaze Katba: How are you doing? Are you okay?

Blaze Katba: I heard from one of my friends that you were hospitalized Monday

Typing . . .

Shadow Ultima: Oh yeah, that

Shadow Ultima: Appendicitis. It was severe, but the doctors took out my appendix before it could rupture.

Shadow Ultima: I'm just on antibiotics and pain relief meds right now

Shadow Ultima: In fact, I think I'm getting discharged tomorrow

Blaze breathed a sigh of relief. She was insanely relieved that he was relatively okay.

Blaze Katba: Oh that's good to hear!

Shadow Ultima: Yeah, I'm just grateful it didn't rupture

Shadow Ultima: I'd be stuck in here for a lot longer if that happened.

Shadow Ultima: Anyway

Shadow Ultima: I owe you an explanation

Blaze felt her palms go sweaty. She sat up straight and watched the typing indicator with a vested interest.

Shadow Ultima: To put it simply: I'm not dating Selena

Blaze felt her eyebrows raise and her jaw drop open in confusion.

Blaze Katba: What?

Blaze Katba: What do you mean

Blaze Katba: ?

More typing on Shadow's end. After a minute of watching, she started to get more and more curious. Her mind started racing through the possibilities more, but she couldn't think of anything that would make sense.

Shadow Ultima: I know this is gonna make no sense, but basically, I pretended to date her, Selena. When I got detention, she bailed me out by showing the principal proof that Scourge hit first. Then she begged me into a ride to our neighborhood, which I didn't want to do initially, but she would not leave me alone. I thought that'd be the end of it, but as it turns out, she had an agenda.

Shadow Ultima: She half convinced, half blackmailed me into an agreement where I would date her in return for her leaving you alone. I thought it wouldn't be that bad, but she's . . . terrible, to put it lightly.

Shadow Ultima: She forced me to kiss her without my consent because she's a horrible person. And then the next day, she demanded me to give out my phone number and then forced me around the school, claiming that I had asked her out yesterday.

Shadow Ultima: And she made me take her on dates both last Saturday and Sunday.

Shadow Ultima: And that's the story.

Blaze was stunned. It was fake! Oh my God! It all makes sense now! He wasn't actually dating her! He doesn't like Selena, and he didn't ditch me on purpose! He all did it to . . . actually why did he do it?

Blaze began to type once more.

Blaze Katba: I . . . I don't know what to say

Blaze Katba: Well, I guess just . . . thank you for telling me

Blaze Katba: And wow, thank you for dating her. I never thought I'd say that lol, but she and Alysha and Fiona did actually leave me alone for a bit after you did that. I don't deserve that

Blaze Katba: Well, they left me alone till Monday anyway

Shadow Ultima: Don't say that Blaze. You deserve to be able to attend school without facing harassment. You don't deserve to be their punching bag, no matter what anyone tells you

Blaze felt herself smile upon reading his latest message. God, he's so kind . . .

Shadow Ultima: But yeah, after Monday, I confronted Selena about what those people did to you.

Shadow Ultima: I'm so sorry that happened Blaze. Like, I can't even express how much of my sympathy you have.

Shadow Ultima: Selena claimed to have no knowledge of that, but I'm not sure I believe her fully. Either way, still cruel beyond measure.

Shadow Ultima: She also claimed that she never specified that Alysha and Fiona were a part of the deal.

Blaze Katba: Wow, she's scummy

Shadow Ultima: Understatement of the decade

Shadow Ultima: She got mad at me for confronting her because Selena will be Selena, and she made me take her out to this niche coffee house for yet another date.

Shadow Ultima: And that's when I got appendicitis, and what led us to, well, now.

Blaze looked up at her ceiling fan, which spun slowly, its motor whirring quietly. It was all so much to take in.

Blaze Katba: So . . . what's going on with her?

Blaze Katba: Selena I mean

Blaze Katba: TodayI overheard her bitching about not knowing what happened to you on Monday

Blaze Katba: Like, did you tell her?

Typing . . .

Shadow Ultima: No.

Shadow Ultima: She's been texting me and trying to call me nonstop.

Shadow Ultima: I've been ignoring her.

Blaze Katba: Ugh. Sorry dude

Shadow Ultima: It's okay.

Shadow Ultima: Funny story. I actually gave her a Google Voice number when she asked for my number, and I deactivated it earlier today.

Shadow Ultima: So now she has no way to contact me.

Blaze couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the thought of an enraged Selena attempting to contact a dead number and getting madder and madder with each subsequent failure.

Blaze Katba: Lol that's smart

Shadow Ultima: Haha thanks :)

Shadow Ultima: Anyway

Shadow Ultima: I'm sure you're probably at least a little upset that I didn't tell you sooner. That's probably the biggest mistake I made.

Shadow Ultima: I was scared at how far she would go to keep me in line.

Shadow Ultima: But really

Shadow Ultima: I'm really sorry.

Shadow Ultima: You deserved to know sooner, and I was too cowardly to even try to tell you.

Blaze blinked. He's way too sweet, oh my God . . . I don't know why he thinks he did anything wrong . . .

Blaze Katba: Please don't be too hard on yourself

Blaze Katba: Selena intimidates me too

Blaze Katba: As embarrassing as that is to say lol

Shadow Ultima: Don't be embarrassed.

Shadow Ultima: She's cruel and manipulative. You have every reason to be wary and uncomfortable around her.

Shadow Ultima: As do I now fully understand.

Blaze Katba: Right

A few moments passed by, with neither of them saying anything. Blaze started to feel awkward, despite being in the comfort of her own home, her own room, and her own bed. Why couldn't she think of anything to say? Was it appropriate to change the subject, or to put her phone down for a bit? She bit her lip and stared mutely at the conversation, waiting for a typing indicator or another suitable distraction to pop up. When nothing happened for a couple minutes, she pursed her lips nervously and began typing out another message.

Blaze Katba: Thanks again for telling me. I appreciate it.

Blaze felt herself relax once again as she saw Shadow reenter the conversation again.

Shadow Ultima: Hey, sorry about that. On my way to get a blood test.

Shadow Ultima: And no problem!

A message with an attachment popped up in the chat. Once it downloaded, Blaze's eyes went big. It was a selfie of Shadow. He looked a bit tired but was giving a slight, kind smile, one that made Blaze's heart flutter. His red eyes seemed to bore a hole in Blaze's chest, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of them. His black quills were a bit messy, looking like they had been hastily combed with his fingers. He was dressed in a light blue hospital gown and was sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by what was presumably a nurse. Shadow leaned against the back of the wheelchair in the picture, looking calm, composed, and (in Blaze's opinion) incredibly attractive.

Blaze felt herself blush, as though she'd stumbled across a forbidden picture. Did he mean to send that to me? Why did he send that to me? Oh my god!

Blaze chewed on the inside of her cheek. Should I send a selfie back? I look like shit though . . .

Blaze looked back down at her screen. How does he look so good while in the hospital? If I was in his place, I would look hideous.

She sighed, figuring that it would only be polite to return the very impromptu selfie with one herself. She reluctantly opened her camera, turned it to "selfie mode," and stared at the screen, trying to ignore what she felt was her unflattering face. She sighed again.

God, I can't do this right now . . .

She opened up her gallery to look for another selfie. She luckily quickly found one taken a few nights ago, when she was feeling a lot less self-conscious. She was lying on her bed, head on her pillow and arm under her head. She had managed to catch her slight smile in a way that actually appeared to flatter her face, despite not wearing any makeup. She was wearing her usual Doctor Who t-shirt and pair of sweatpants she wore to bed. Was it her at her best? Well, no, but it was the most believable picture of her for this occasion.

She attached the photo to a message and, taking a deep breath, sent it. She almost immediately regretted it, but there was little she could do, as almost as soon as it had been received by Shadow's phone, he had seen it.

Typing . . .

Shadow Ultima: Nice shirt!

Blaze felt what seemed to be a delicate blend of relief and . . . is that disappointment? . . . wash over her.

Blaze Katba: Thanks :)

Shadow Ultima: I've been slowly making my way through the second season. I'm enjoying it so far.

Shadow Ultima: Can't wait till we can discuss it more in-depth when we don't have to worry about spoilers.

Blaze Katba: Haha yeah

Blaze felt her heart soar for what felt like the umpteenth time.

Shadow Ultima: Well I've gotta go. Blood test is starting soon.

Shadow Ultima: Thanks again for letting me explain myself, I really appreciate it.

Shadow Ultima: Talk to you later?

Blaze Katba: Yeah! Good luck! :)

Blaze closed the conversation, turned off her phone's screen, flopped back on her bed, and sighed dreamily.

"Stop scrolling so fast! I didn't get to read the entire thing!"

"Julie, you literally had 15 seconds to read seven texts. How much more time do you need?"

"I am dumb and slow, okay? We can't all be smart like you, Sally!"

"You are not dumb, Julie."

"Shhhhhh! You guys are so loud! We're gonna get kicked out!"

"We're fine, Silver!"

"The librarian is giving us dirty looks!"

Six teens were stuffed into a far corner of the library, with Blaze at the center, sitting on a bean bag. Sally and Amy were practically glued to Blaze, with one on either side. Julie-Su hovered over Blaze like a shadow, and Sonic was curiously peering over his girlfriend's shoulder. Silver hovered around the outside of the group, his eyes nervously flicking around the space where they were parked. Trays of cafeteria food and lunch bags were placed precariously on knees, the floor, and the windowsill. And indeed, Silver was correct. A middle-aged owl gave them a look of warning from the circulation desk. Blaze hurriedly shushed her friends.

"Guys, guys, c'mon, I don't wanna get kicked out," Blaze hissed, trying to get the attention of Julie-Su and Sally, who were both looking at each other, eyebrows raised as if to say, "Come at me, I dare you!"

Sally broke her gaze with Julie and nodded in agreement. "Okay, okay, we'll be quiet, right?" She looked back at Julie-Su, who smirked and rolled her eyes at Sally.

"So, he was pretending the entire time!" whisper-shouted Amy, trying to get everyone refocused on the bombshell in front of them.

Sonic shook his head. "I can't believe it. I knew something weird was going on with Shadow, but I didn't think it'd be that."

"He's goofy," commented Julie-Su, taking a big gulp from a massive bottle of Body Armor. "Why would he do that?"

"Maybe cause he likes her?" tentatively suggested Sally.

"That much is obvious," Sonic said.

"Oh, well, I meant as more than a friend," Sally corrected, wiggling her eyebrows at Blaze. Blaze sighed in irritation and mild embarrassment.

"C'mon Sally, there's no fucking way," Blaze laughed.

Sally gave a long, slow, indignant blink, staring in disbelief at her pessimistic friend. "Are you serious? Literally, why would anyone else do what he did for someone else if they didn't care about them?"

"Well, yeah, he cares, which is awesome, but-"

"But nothing! I bet he's got a big crush on you!" teased Sally, to which Blaze blushed at the thought and shook her head.

"Nuh-uh, no way."

"Girl . . ." Julie-Su began. "Listen, but it's so fucking obvious Shadow likes you! I mean, shit, he sent you a selfie and everything. And while in the hospital too, when he's probably not feeling his best."

"Yeah!" chimed in Amy. "And okay, even if he doesn't have a crush on Blaze," she offered, looking at a skeptical Blaze, ". . . He clearly cares enough about her to do literally anything to make sure people leave her alone."

"Very true," said Sally, nodding.

The group sat silently for a minute, taking everything in. Silver and Blaze made eye contact, Silver toying with his macaroni and cheese on a tray. He shot her a befuddled look and shrugged but didn't say anything.

Blaze sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, so he might like me." Julie-Su let out an exasperated groan at this statement.

"What?" Blaze said, putting her phone down and taking a sip from her milk carton. "I don't know for sure, do I? Like . . . I guess I just don't want to jump the gun, you know? It'd be really embarrassing if I approached him and had the wrong idea. I just wanna be careful. I'm humiliated enough on a daily basis."

Amy squeezed her hand in response, and Blaze turned to look at her. "I get that. I was kinda the same when I wanted to confess to Sonic." She turned to look at Sonic, who gave a cheery grin back at her.

"Someone gets it," Blaze said, leaning back in the bean bag. "Unlike some of my other friends," Blaze said smarmily, looking up at Julie-Su. Julie rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Damn Blaze, let a girl have her ships and OTPs with her friends," she replied, gently pushing Blaze's head to the side. Blaze laughed in response.

"Let's talk about something else, though," Sonic suggested. "Not like Blaze can do much more at the moment."

Upon saying this, Silver perked up and scooted closer to the circle. Blaze glanced up from her chicken salad and gave a friendly smile, to which Silver gave a small one back before turning back to the game he was playing on his phone.

Blaze sat back against the bean bag and glanced up at Julie-Su, who was shoveling white cheddar popcorn into her mouth.

"So, how's your love life going?" Blaze teased. Julie-Su coughed in surprise, and Sally let out a small "oooooh," in response. Julie flopped onto the floor and choked down her popcorn.

"Okay, one, I was genuinely not expecting that from you," Julie started, holding up her hand in astonishment.

"Hey! You just grilled me about mine. It's your turn!" Blaze cut in. Amy laughed loudly, drawing attention from the now more-than-mildly-annoyed librarian. Julie-Su gave Blaze an annoyed look, struggling to hold back reluctant laughter.

"Well . . ." Julie began cautiously, eyes darting around the eagerly listening group of friends. "There is a guy I kinda have my eye on, and . . ."

"Spill. Tea. Now!" demanded Sally, breaking Julie-Su off.

"Fucking, shut up," laughed Julie, shaking her head in embarrassment, her dreads swishing from side to side. "There's this echidna in our grade, and he's kinda hot, not gonna lie. He and I listen to a lot of the same bands. Alice in Chains, Stone Sour, System of a Down, that sorta thing."

"What's his name?" Blaze asked.

Julie grinned and looked up at the ceiling dreamily. "Zachary Albright."

Silver's eyes went wide. "You're joking. You have a crush on Zach Albright?"

Julie gave him a dirty look. "What of it, dickhead?" she said, sticking out her tongue.

"I play D&D with him," Silver said, stunned. "Seriously? Like, he's cool 'n all, but like-"

"What? You think he's 'too good for me,' or some shit?" Julie said, giving him a judgmental glare. "What would you know about men, Mr. Straight-As-A-Stripper-Pole?" The entire friend group burst into laughter at this remark. Silver rolled his eyes.

"That's fucking rich coming from you, Julie," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "Besides, it's just a bit weird hearing that you have a crush on a guy I'm chill with."

"Hey! I might be straight, but I can say with full confidence that some girls are pretty attractive. Like your sister. What was her name, Tika? Tikal? Whatever, she has a nice fucking rack."

There was a weighty, brief pause from Silver.

"I immensely regret this conversation now," was Silver's only reply, looking mildly queasy upon hearing the overtly sexual remark about his adoptive sister. Julie-Su cackled evilly.

Blaze giggled, and she noticed Silver glance at her. Upon seeing her, he smiled, shook his head, and started laughing at the absurdity of it all. Blaze felt the smile on her face grow wider.

Shadow cautiously thumbed the edge of his T-shirt, bored. It was discharge day, and his parents were filling out the paperwork to do so. He was feeling better but was definitely tired still. He had changed out of the papery hospital gown and into a much fresher and more comfortable shirt and sweatpants with an elastic waistband. His IV line was disconnected, having finished the round of antibiotics. It had been replaced with a small cotton pad held in place over a vein with medical tape. He peered into the paper pharmacy bag. His supplements and a couple tubes of mupirocin antibiotic ointment stared back at him. He felt the slightly sore incision makes its presence known from under a loose dressing.

Well, for a first surgery, it was . . . certainly interesting.

He pulled out his phone, bored. He swiped through a couple various apps, which did little to satiate his growing tediousness.

Blaze . . .

He felt his mind wander to their conversation, and without even thinking, found himself opening the text conversation with Blaze. He tapped on the selfie that she had sent him and couldn't help but notice the smile creeping onto his face. Her straight purple hair hung perfectly around her face, framing her yellow eyes in a way that made them sparkle. Her toned arms and shoulders took up much of the picture, showing off her dancer physique. And the rest of her body . . .

She's cute. She really is.

He tapped on the text box and quickly jotted out a message.

Shadow Ultima: Hey Blaze, figured I'd just let you know I'm getting discharged today.

He sighed and closed his messaging app. He stared up at the ceiling.

It's Blaze . . . Why am I so nervous? She seems like she's not angry with me . . . God, but what if she is? I'm not sure what I'd do without her in my life.

Luckily, his phone vibrated.

Blaze Katba: Oh awesome! You feeling better?

Shadow found himself quickly engrossed in the conversation.

Shadow Ultima: I'm tired as hell. But otherwise good I think

Shadow Ultima: Probably going to stay home from school for one more day.

Blaze is typing . . .

Blaze Katba: Makes sense.

Blaze Katba: It'll be good to see you back in school

Blaze Katba: I've missed seeing you around.

Shadow felt his heart skip a beat.

Shadow Ultima: Samee, it's been dry as hell in the hospital

Shadow Ultima: I've had more company with Wandavision than actual human beings

Blaze Katba: Lol

Shadow Ultima: Not including doctors and nurses and that. They're all great, but they're like robots after a while

Shadow Ultima: Come in, thermometer, blood pressure, pulse ox, check IV, leave

Blaze Katba: Yeah that sounds boring

Shadow Ultima: Trust me, I'm understating it

Shadow Ultima: It's something that can only be experienced

Blaze Katba: Lmao I bet

"Shadow?"

Shadow looked up from the conversation. His parents had arrived back in the room, alongside one of the nurses.

"You're all set. I'm sure you're excited to leave," the nurse told him. "We're just gonna wheel you out to your car, and you guys will be good to go."

"Awesome," Shadow replied. He sat back in the wheelchair and looked up at his parents, who smiled back.

His parents started talking to each other about . . . something. He wasn't listening. His mind was still on the conversation with Blaze. He unlocked his phone and went back to the conversation with Blaze. He stared at it for a minute and smiled.

What do I have to prove? Well, nothing . . . but . . . oh, that'd be funny.

He opened his camera, snapped a quick picture of himself in the wheelchair, and, grinning like an idiot, sent it to Blaze.

Shadow Ultima: Check it out.I got a fresh set of wheels out of this whole thing

Blaze Katba: Haha!

Blaze Katba: Wait, why *are* you in a wheelchair?

Shadow Ultima: It's a liability thing. Don't want me to fall down on the way out lol

Shadow Ultima: I'm fine I promise

He smiled to himself, once again.

I've gotta make it up to her for sure . . . I know what I've gotta do to make things right.

⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤ TO BE CONTINUED ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤