Chapter 4

I'm covering my mouth with duct tape next time I'm at the salon.

Want to know the best solution to fix pain? Go back to routine. Starting with the monthly trip to the hair salon with one of my popular friends, Mina.

"What's it gonna be this time, hon?" Wave totally has a hairstylist's name. I think it's a requirement for every student when they go through cosmetology school. If you don't have one, get one.

"Can we make it darker?"

"Darker pink? Or red?"

"Pink." Ahem… Nimue.

She nods and goes to prepare the dye. I run my fingers through the frizzy strands. I used a cheap box last time and got a shameful glare from Wave when she saw it. Gosh, it's not like I can poop out eighty bucks every month.

I mean, I give the impression I'm pretty loaded. Like I've got a million bucks shoved down my bra everywhere I go, but truth is, Mom and Dad work their butts off for half a paycheck. And they don't even complain about it, and so I try not to be the bitching teenager who begs them for money all the time. They don't know about the clubs, but the cleavage is my ticket in anyway. As for the alcohol—whenever I do drink—someone usually pays for me. Again, thank you cleavage! Who knew, right?

But the salon? Yup, I gotta save up for this stuff. Image mobians, image.

Clicking my tongue as I wait, I try not to think about Rosy who has been locked in her room until she dies. She hasn't talked to me since the hospital. I've tried to make amends, but really, shouldn't she be the one begging for my forgiveness? The more I think about it the more upset I get. I'm tempted to turn my head to the side and slap my ear to get rid of the train of thought.

Mina wiggles around in her chair, texting her latest boy toy. She giggles every time the phone vibrates.

"Is he taking you to the club tonight?"

She nods and continues to tap away on her screen.

"Hey!" I kick her hard in the knee.

"Geez, what?" She laughs and rubs her leg as she puts her phone away.

"Girls' day, remember?" Mina is usually good at the girl stuff, which is why I always pick her over Rouge. But today she totally sucks at it.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." She rolls her eyes and throws me a huge grin. "You know how it is though. New flame and all."

Gosh, I thought she'd be used to the new flame crap since she has a new boyfriend about as often as she changes nail polish. Mina's one of those girls who is gorgeous and nice… most of the time. I mean, she's nice to your face, but the second you piss her off, she's firing off nasty crap all around school. Like the rest of us I guess.

She's also fun. Like, I can almost be myself with her.

"Alrighty, here we go." Wave stands behind me with the bowl of the perfumed dye. I close my eyes and let her go to work. The process has become so natural I don't even feel the burn in my nose anymore. After a good twenty minutes of slathering the stuff on my head, Wave leads me to the dryer and hands me a few magazines.

"I'll come check on you in a few minutes."

I won't open the magazines. Unless one of them is an Entertainment Weekly on the next Night of the Werehog movie, then I may take a peek. That's okay to look at in public because that movie is all the rage right now, but if anyone found out I dissect it to death, researching the characteristics of the actors picked to portray each character to make sure they got the casting right… yeah, that'll be curtains down on Popular Amy. And of course, the only magazines they have are ones I only pretend to be interested in.

Mina's now getting slathered herself. Probably going purple. Damn girl is perfect. Nice rack, pretty face, skinny waist, and long shiny hair. Like Ghost Girl from Night of the Werehog.

I yank out my cell in the side pocket of my snug jeans, and slide it open to a text.

From Scourge.

I miss u.

Gag me. He really needs to take the obvious breakup hint. I don't want to ever see that jackass ever again. I blow up my cheeks and let the air come out slowly as my fingers fly across my screen.

Stay the hell away from me.

There, if he doesn't get the hint from that, he's an idiot.

My phone buzzes.

Bitch.

Nope, not an idiot. Just a horny prick. Things have never been that way with any guy ever. And I don't want him to look at me, or touch me, or anything. If he tries it again he's losing a testicle.

Hands are suddenly on my shoulders and I jump back in the seat.

Wave giggles. "Sorry, hon, I didn't mean to scare you."

I clutch my chest and try to laugh it off.

"Looks like you'll need a few more minutes," she says prodding my scalp. She plops the dryer back over my head and smiles. "I'll make sure to wave in front of your face or something when I come back."

"Ha ha."

Ten minutes later, it's like my face is on fire. Wave shuts off the dryer and the cold air hits me in a soothing wave of relief.

"Ooo!" she squeals. "It's gonna look real pretty, Amy."

I nod and she leads me to the sink. I close my eyes and involuntarily moan as she washes my hair. Oh my gosh, this is the best part. Her fingers massage my scalp and the warmth of the water sends me into an intoxicating state of bliss. Ah yeah. No Rosy, no Scourge, no persona. Just me in a luxurious bath.

Then a face snaps behind my eyes. I'm not alone in my paradise here, and I'm not sure if I'm happy or upset to see his bright eyes, his cobalt quills flaring, his boyish grin as he strokes my lips with his thumb, the muscles in his arms flexing as he moves his hand to wrap around the back of my neck, his eyes twinkling as he closes them, his lips parting and coming closer…

The squeak of the water faucet jolts me back to the salon. My face is warm, actually my entire body is flushed, and I have to calm my breathing.

What is wrong with me?

"Did you enjoy that?" I look at Wave who is stifling a huge grin, and I gaze around the salon as I hear several giggles. Mina is keeled over in a fit, wiping her eyes.

I don't know if it's possible to send all the blood in your body up to your face, but I'm sure that's what happens to me.

"Um… yeah." Oh man. How loud was I moaning?

"Come on." Wave laughs and pulls me to the styling chair.

I plunge into an agonizing hour of being locked in the seat while several people whisper around me and steal amused glances in my direction. Mina keeps winking at me, and I'm ready to sock her perfect nose in.

That's not even the worst part. Sonic will not leave my thoughts, no matter how hard I try to shut the door on him. He's just so… swoon! I wish I could give him a popular makeover like all those movies so we could be friends in public. But, knowing Sonic, that totally wouldn't fly. Besides, he wouldn't be Sonic anymore. And that would suck. Having two personas is tough business. Worth it, but it's not for everybody.

I'm done before Mina, but I don't have to wait long. We primp ourselves in the mirror, throwing out compliments to each other, though it seems pretty fake.

"Really, Amy. You're totally sexy as a light pink quilled. Scourge will be falling all over himself when he sees it."

This is how distant my friends are from me. I haven't said a word to him since last week, and no one has noticed.

"Yeah."

She gives me a look. Oh right. I'm supposed to be agreeing or something.

"Looks like it'll be a club night for me too." I force a smile. "No way am I letting this hair go to waste."

"That's what happens when you don't use the cheap stuff." Wave grins as she rings me up.

I roll my eyes and pay her, wishing I could afford to give her a bigger tip.

Mina links elbows with me and speed walks through the parking lot.

"What's the rush?" I say as I try not to fall face-first on the asphalt. Pumps aren't good for walking, but they are rule number three.

"You'll see." She's grinning from ear to ear, and I can't help but reciprocate. I love it when Mina is like this. Like we're really friends and she wouldn't care if I suddenly spouted off Dr. Who trivia.

But she would, so I keep my mouth shut.

We hop in her car. (Cute sports car that looks like the one Rosy wrecked, only Mina's is brand-new whereas I got mine from my grandma. Sigh. I miss my car.) Then she takes off toward my house. She's the craziest driver in the world, I swear, so I close my eyes and pretend I'm traveling by Transport Tube.

"Okay, close your eyes!" Mina says, not noticing my lids are already clamped tight.

The car jerks to a stop and I hear Mina unbuckle. "Okay, you stay here and I'll be right back."

I give a fake impatient sigh but smile. I'm a sucker for surprises.

After a few minutes, my door opens and a hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me out.

"You can open your eyes now!"

Mom is out here in the driveway and shouts, "Ta da!"

I'm really trying to be happy about it. The car is shiny and it's silver, which isn't a bad color, but it's old. Like, 'Watch out! Old lady on the road!' old. Compared to my cute sports car Rosy wrecked, this is a downgrade. And not good for my social status.

But Mina looks happy about it. So maybe it's not as bad as I think.

I give Mom a forced smile. "For me?"

She nods so fast I think her head might jiggle off her neck. She hands me the key and I can't hide my shaking hand.

Why am I such a brat? She bought me a car! I try to snap myself out of the bad attitude. It's not her fault I humiliated myself with sex noises in front of twenty strangers. And definitely not her fault she gave birth to the devil. AKA, my sister.

I cozy into the driver's seat as she bounces in next to me. Mina crawls in the backseat and squeals. The interior is nice, it's clean, and who can't love a new car? Now I'm squealing too. My smile isn't forced anymore as I shove the key in the ignition.

Nothing.

I look down, trying to figure out what the crap I'm doing wrong. When I rest my hand on the shifter, my stomach drops.

"Um, Mom?"

"Yes?"

"You bought me a manual?"

She nods.

"Did it cross your mind I may not know how to drive this thing?"

"There's no better way to learn." She's still smiling, and I'm trying real hard not to break down. I'm so not talented enough for this, and I can't even imagine driving this thing to school without making a fool of myself. I blow up my cheeks and close my eyes.

Mom lets out a huge sigh. "Amy, I'm sorry. I wish we could have gotten you a car you wanted, but this was the only one we could afford that wasn't on its last leg."

I stay quiet, imitating a blowfish.

"We'll teach you how to drive it. It's not hard."

All the air I've been holding in my cheeks explodes out. "When? You and Dad are so busy. Hardly ever home."

She seems to be struggling with the answer. I raise my eyebrows exaggerating my point.

"We'll try to make ourselves more available, but I'm sure some of your friends know how to drive a stick." She gazes back at Mina who shrugs.

I guffaw which is so unattractive, but I don't care right now.

She ignores my dismissive laugh. "What about Rouge?"

"No."

"Does Scourge know how?" Mina asks.

Ugh. "No."

Mom sits biting her lip for a minute. Then a huge gasp of revelation fills the car.

"Sonic! You can ask him. He drives that truck."

I think I'm going to die. In fact I can feel the combustion starting in my gut. Fake it, Amy, fake it! Mina is in the backseat and she can't know you even talk to him. "Ew. No."

"Why not?"

"We're not friends, Mom."

"Doesn't he take you to school?"

Oh gosh. "Just that one time. I walk."

"Well, it was just a suggestion," she spits. Great, now she's upset. "Be happy when your father gets home. He's really excited about this, and he's trying to say he's sorry for yelling at you."

She gets out of the car, leaving me feeling like the horrible person I am. I wish I could escape my company too.

"Um," Mina stutters, "I'm gonna head out."

I nod and try to push back my tears. Maybe pretending to be a bitch has made me into a real one.

"I'll see you later."

And she's gone.

I crawl in the backseat and curl up, letting my styled quills fall over my face. The smell of the dye mixed with the fruity shampoo fills my nostrils, and I almost get high off it.

You know what sucks? I want to talk to Sonic. I want to start spewing some nerdy crap and laugh and stuff. Mina is good to chill with but she's not who I need to feel better right now.

Maybe I can ask him. I mean, it would make my parents happy. And Mina saw how I initially reacted so I could come up with some excuse if she found out.

I sit up and look at his house, stomach knotting with the idea of going over there. Do I really want to risk it? I could ask around school to see if anyone higher on the social ladder is available to teach me.

But do I really want that?

No.

I want him.

Sexy freak.

My breath fogs up the car window as I huff. Why are stupid decisions like this hard?

I huff again.

Because I make them that way.

x.X.x

Yes... Amy is not a natural pink-head :I ANYWAYS to make up for the previous short chapter, here is this!

The time has come. Ready for the Sonamy? :D

Also, you should check out the poll on my profile about what couple I should write a new story about!