Chapter 8

Only Sonic would reference the Black Night during a driving lesson.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

Oh gosh. I think my heart has fallen into my butt permanently as I wait at his door. I'm trying not to blow up my face, knowing how stupid I'd look if he saw me.

He opens the door smiling, but when he sees me, his smile falls. He doesn't say anything.

"Uh, hey." How lame am I?

He narrows his eyes. "What do you want, Amy?"

He's still angry. He has a right to be. From how I left on Friday or what I did at lunch I'm not sure. And I stutter out my next words. "I-I wanted to say I'm… like, I'm totally sorry about leaving the way I did on Friday."

His eyebrow goes up and his ears flicker. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. That wasn't cool of me. And I don't really have a good excuse for it."

He shrugs and moves to lean against the doorframe, but misses and falls right into me.

I'm trying really hard not to giggle, but I'm not victorious. When he balances himself he moves about ten feet away from me, but I can still feel the heat coming from his face.

"Uh…" He mumbles over the small syllable. "D-did you need something else?"

My breath catches as he shoves his hands in his pockets. His fitted jeans look so damn good on him. Usually, I'm always focused on his spiky quills and those green eyes. And his jaw line is so chiseled, I can see the muscles contract as he bites his bottom lip, waiting for one of us to continue the conversation. Even his collar shirt under his diamond pattern sweater does it for me.

"Ames?"

I shift my eyes, hoping he didn't notice me checking him out. "I wondered if you were still okay teaching me how to drive?"

"I thought you were grounded."

That lie is really starting to throw me off course. "I-I just can't see any of my friends." Darn. That totally came out wrong. "I mean—"

"No, you're right," he says, not making eye contact. "We're not friends."

Ouchy. I wish I could say something about that, but I can't. I haven't been his friend. Gave that up when I gave up everything. I swallow and ask again, "So, can you? You know, teach me?"

He pauses which makes me almost stumble out a whole bunch of "you don't have to if you don't want to, but I'd really like you to"s but I manage to bite my tongue. I can't control the natural response I have to awkward silence, and my face blows up to the size of a giant water balloon.

He smirks at my cheeks and pinches them together. My stomach does that stupid backhandspring like he's suddenly the center of my universe.

"Hey, Mom!" His sudden outburst makes me jerk and he laughs at me. "It okay if I take Amy out for a drive?"

He makes it sound like a date. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. Mrs. Hedgehog pops her head out into the entryway, a gleaming smile plastered on her face.

"Oh hi, Amy! I didn't know you were here. Sonic, honey, aren't you going to invite her in?"

"We were going to head out," he says, giving her a stare I can't see.

"Will you be home for dinner?"

"Yeah."

"Is Amy joining us?"

"No."

I only see half the conversation, but Sonic obviously gives her the please-don't-embarrass-me look.

"Okay. You kids have fun!" Her excitement is so obvious, it makes me feel like I should say something, but Sonic pulls me down the porch steps before I can squeeze it in.

"Sorry," he mutters as he pulls his hand from my arm. I kind of wish he would've kept it there. Like old times. Like with his other… oh that's right. We're not friends.

"You don't have to apologize. I know she adores me." I nudge him with my elbow—because I just have to touch him—and he smirks.

"Must be because you're so humble about it."

"Hey, you know you want this." I gesture to my body in a teasing and completely unsexy way. Sonic throws his head back in a fit of laughter, which causes me to giggle like a little school girl. We better get in the car fast before someone sees Freak Amy.

"Yes. So humble." He walks over to my car, right to the driver's side. I go my way to the passenger seat.

"Um, hello? Where are you going?" There's that smile again, sending waves of tiny butterflies in my stomach.

"You walked to the driver's seat. I thought you were going to take me somewhere secluded so I don't kill anyone."

His loud laugh is so addictive. "I was opening your door for you, silly girl."

"Oh." I'm so stupid. I move around, and he holds the door open. "I guess chivalry isn't dead."

"For some of us it isn't."

He closes the door and walks over to his side. Gosh, I'm freaking nervous. My hands shake so badly you could put a paint can in them and I'd have it mixed within seconds. And he called me "silly girl" again. Why the heck does that make my heart go ka-boom?

He sits and a wave of his amazing cologne hits my nostrils. I resist the urge to moan.

"Okay," he says as he puts on his seat belt. "You ready?"

Heart still going way too fast. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

But I nod anyway.

"You've got your foot on the clutch?"

I nod. I know that much about manuals.

"Let's start her up."

I can't get the stupid key in. My hands won't stop shaking. Sonic smiles, reaches over, brushing my hand, and turns the key.

The car vibrates up my butt and I let out a squeal.

Sonic grins, totally holding back his laughter and says, "Nice. What kind of engine does this have?"

I shrug. I don't think my voice can work right now.

"Okay, let's put the car in reverse." He looks down at the shifter and laughs. "You've got a funky one."

"What?"

"You see the 'R'?"

I look down, squinting at the tiny letter in the upper left corner next to the number '1'. "Yeah."

"Well, that means you have to push the shifter down before going in gear. Watch me, and keep your foot on the clutch."

He shifts so fast I blink a couple times before saying, "Wait. Show me again."

He chuckles as he pulls it out of gear, then back in. "Did you see that time?"

I give him a look. "Yes."

"Okay, now feather the clutch."

"I wanna what now?"

He shakes his head, stifling his laughter again. "Do you remember on the Black Night—"

"You're seriously going to go there?" Now I'm stifling some major giggles.

"Let me finish. Caliburn. Does King Arthur sway the sword down when he does an attack?"

I obviously know the answer. I still play it every other week. But am I ready to be one-hundred percent Freak Amy? Well, maybe right now. I mean, we're not in school. And I know Sonic won't make fun of me or anything.

"No. He does it kinda slow."

"That's feathering. Ease your foot off the clutch."

Okay, so the Black Knight reference works. Darn boy knows me better than I know myself. I "feather" the clutch, my foot shaking either from nerves or the vibrating engine, and the car rolls back.

I yank my foot off the clutch, startled from the sudden movement and the car lurches to a stop.

"It moved!"

Sonic bends over, cackling between his legs. "It's supposed to move, Ames." He wipes tears from his eyes. My defenses pop in, but I can't help but laugh with him, so I know he's not going to take me seriously.

"Well, I'm sorry. I got scared. There are too many things to concentrate on. Shifting and the clutch, not to mention all the other stuff like the speed limit and you know, people in the road." I shake my head, trying to get the smile off my face. "I can't do this."

"Relax, Ames. This is your first attempt. Everyone stalls. I still do sometimes."

"There's too much crap going on," I say, folding my arms across my chest, my smile finally disappearing. I don't feel like embarrassing myself anymore today. Especially in front of him.

"Tell you what. Put your hand on the shifter."

I glare at him.

"Just do it. Trust me."

I huff, but I throw my hand down on the stupid thing.

"Okay," he says before setting his hand on mine. He tangles his fingers in between my own, and I swear I swallowed a drummer with the way my heart pounds in my throat. I steal a glance at him, and he looks like he's about to sweat a rainstorm. "I-I'll shift, you worry about the clutch." He gulps and his grip tightens on my hand.

If he thinks this is less distracting, he's dead wrong.

He goes to start the car for me again, leaning so close his breath tickles my neck. My head goes blurry as I picture him closing the distance between our bodies, forgetting I'm supposed to be paying attention. His lips form words, but I don't hear them. His scent is intoxicating, pulling me under. Holy crap! I'm going to pass out!

"Ames?"

"Huh?"

He chuckles. "Did you hear me?"

"Um, sorry what?"

"I need your foot on the clutch to start the car."

I shake my head, wishing the blurriness would wear off, but he smiles, and it makes everything hazy.

Somehow I focus enough to press my foot down. He starts the engine and leans back, taking the mouthwatering air with him. He moves my hand on the shifter.

"All right, sway the Caliburn down slowly."

I giggle and ease out the clutch. When the car moves this time, I don't jump.

"What do I do when I get to the road?" I ask as I near the end of my driveway.

"Push down on the clutch, put your foot on the brake, and wait for me to shift."

Whoa. Lot of words. "What?!"

"Don't freak out. You're doing fine."

The car bumps off the curb as I turn onto the road. I try to remember what he said, but in my haste I put the clutch through the floor and slam on the brake.

At least the car's still running.

Sonic doesn't say anything about my jerky stop, but purses his lips together and shakes with silent chuckles. He moves my hand.

"Do it again."

If he means stall, I do as told.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it'll happen more than once. Try again." He leans over me to start the car. I consider stalling it on purpose if he's going to come this close to me when I do.

I'm pretty good once the car gets going. Shifting from first to second to third isn't as hard as when I come to a complete stop and start going again. I try to avoid stop signs and traffic lights.

"Pull into this parking lot," Sonic says pointing out my window.

I do, then park the car in a spot overlooking a big field.

I cut the engine the way I'm supposed to this time. Sonic releases his hold on my hand, and I realize how sweaty his must've been because the breeze instantly catches on my skin.

"Ready to do it by yourself?" he asks, looking around the vacant lot. "Pretty sure you won't kill anyone out here."

I want to give him a playful punch in the arm, but I'm still too nervous slash exhilarated from the drive.

"Maybe in a minute." Crap. My voice totally quivers.

"Are you okay?"

I nod.

"Really, you did just fine. Especially for your first time."

I lean back on the headrest, taking deep breaths. If only he knew it isn't just the driving making me all flustered and crazy.

The tension in the car must make him flustered too, because he stumbles out his next question, which comes out of nowhere.

"So, you and Shadow, huh?"

x.X.x

I would like to thank those who read my stories, but I would especially like to thank those of you who review because you are all the ones who get me all worked up and wanting to start the next chapter immediately!

Gosh I feel like posting a chapter everyday, but I'm not sure. What do you think?

Oh N I'm planning on writing a new story too so you should check out my poll on my profile!