Ahh! I'm alive! Yes I am alive and breathing (barely)! Before you give me any angry stares, I have a reasonably legitimate reason to excuse my (much too) long absence from the site and from posting! Last time I think was late November and since then, life has been a heartless bitch. I am a senior, in my last year of high school as well as the top student in my grade so as you can see, my school work is very important to me and I swear this weekend was the last (mental) break I've gotten since the last time I've posted. I admit that I have had long weekends where I could have technically posted and believe I tried, but I just was so mentally exhausted from all of the essays, projects, exams and reports I've had to write over the course of the last few months that every chance I took was to either sleep or write bits and pieces of this story which often times got deleted right after because I didn't like what I was writing.

Anyways, I present to you the long awaited chapter eighteen! Please enjoy :D

Chapter Eighteen: Relieving Me

"Hey, how was your first day?"

"It was alright. Very different than what I'm used to; a lot of people."

"Yeah, I bet! It'll grow on you, I'm sure. So how did you find the people?"

"There were so many so I couldn't focus on most of them but someone came up and started talking to me."

"That's great! What's her name?"

"H-how did you know it was a girl?"

"Ha, I went to high school too; I know how cliques work."

I smiled at the awed expression that played on her face. It was like I was explaining the theories of the universe to a young child.

"Cliques?"

"Oh, uh, yeah y'know, cliques; the groups people hang out in at school."

"Oh I guess I didn't notice..."

The look on her face had gone from highly attentive to almost guilty. I tried changing the subject to something lighter to get her to talk.

"So tell me more about this girl you talked to. What's she like?"

"Oh her name is Cream the Rabbit and she was really nice and helpful. She showed me around the school and introduced me to this other girl Cosmo who's an alien. They were both quite pretty and they seemed very happy in each other's presence..."

Her voice drifted off after the last sentence as she stared out the window. Outside we were passing by the police station. I attempted once again to keep her thoughts light. I couldn't have her mood dampened on the first day or she would be less inclined to go back. I wanted to stray her from her dark past and the only way to do that was to focus on the future.

"So other than this Cream girl, how did you find the school?"

"It was big; I got lost on my way to class a few times. Oh and there was girl who was quite rude to me throughout the day and Cream had warned me to stay away from her."

What? That's not too good...

I relaxed my face to hide my sudden panic and calmed myself.

"What did this other girl do exactly? Did she insult you? I can have a word with the school if you'd like and she wouldn't be a problem anymo-"

"Hehe, there's no need for THAT. I think she's only suffering from a superiority complex and she got over it by the end of the day. I didn't think too much of it though..."

"You sure about that?"

I raised my eyebrow at her with an inquiring look on my face. I wasn't too convinced that everything went as smoothly as she was implying. She looked at me and then looked down at her lap.

"…Well… maybe not at first… and I did sort of hide from her for most of the day but I wasn't sugar-coating it when I said it's alright now. She even invited me to a party this Friday."

I heard Amy's voice pick up at the mention of the party. I was a little shocked at the fact that she was invited somewhere on her first day but I didn't really trust this girl; not one bit.

A party? Is that such a good idea?

I wasn't too keen on letting a bunch of inexperienced losers get her drunk and maybe take advantage of her! I was getting way too far into the prospect of her safety but how could I not worry? She was under mine and Sonia's care and was our responsibility! I needed to talk this over with Sonia.

I tried to divert the subject until later and wanted her to focus on some of the more important aspects like her education.

"So how did you find your classes today?"

"Classes were... tough I have to admit. It seems like I have so many classes all at the same time and that means lots of work and apparently today was only a fraction of the courses! I don't know how well I'll be able to handle it..."

"Don't stress too much; you'll be just fine, Amy. I mean, they wouldn't have let you pass that exam if they didn't think you were ready for it."

"But... I've never..."

"You just can't think that way. Now you have a new life; you can't dwell on the past, not after everything you've overcome."

Things were turning to a dark side and I didn't want to be giving her life lessons and lectures on her first day of school; I couldn't even imagine how scary it must have been for her although she's able to maintain a straight face. I stopped after that hoping that what I had said was enough to subside her anxiety for the moment.

We reached the apartment not too long after that. The air outside had cooled down from the summer heat that lingered in the air earlier. The afternoon sun was hidden by big white clouds that cast shadows along the street. Amy squinted her eyes the minute she stepped out of the car, shielding her face from the bright rays with her hand. She ran to the front door with her bag and disappeared behind the door quickly.

The sun was glaring down at me with angry fiery eyes. The heat felt concentrated on my face and was beginning to give me a headache. I locked the car door then made my way inside.
The day had tired me out even though I didn't go to work; I was on my long overdue vacation for the week. I decided to take the elevator as opposed to the stairs; today they just seemed like too much of a challenge.

I walked through the front door after exiting the elevator and found Amy sitting at the kitchen table talking with Sonia about her day. I kicked off my shoes and took a seat next to Sonia.

"So what are these girls like? Cream and Cosmo, you said their names were?"

"Yeah and they seem… nice. They're a little – how do I put this – easily amused."

"Haha, yeah, that's basically every teenage girl in this city! I used to be one of them."

I could see in Sonia's eyes that she was recalling her high school days. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of melancholy in her eyes but it passed too quickly for me to be sure. I would understand why; I seemed to remember our childhood a little differently.

"Sonia! Where the hell were you?! It's almost seven o'clock! Answer me right now!"

"I-I… A few of us were just going to see a movie after school 'cause it's a Friday and-"

"You know the rule… You are supposed to come home directly after school and you deliberately disobeyed me!"

"It wasn't like that! I was just trying to have some fun for once!"

"That's enough! I will not raise a child who chooses to be a nasty delinquent! You are to head downstairs in the basement right now… and you can forget about supper!"

"…F-for how l-long this time…?"

"Until you've learned your lesson…"

We heard slow footsteps leading to the dark and dusty basement. Each creak down the old wooden stairs grew with fear and misery. It pulled at our hearts as tears filled our pained eyes to hear the slamming of the heavy door downstairs and the click of the metal lock. We hid under the covers when we heard the thumping of heavy boots climbing the staircase that led to our room on the second floor. Panic filled the air and I shut my eyes tight. The last thing I saw was the green hand clasped around my own blue one.

I shook my head to clear it of those awful memories. We'd escaped from that life long ago, yet it still haunted us every now and again. Manic seemed to be the one to get over it the quickest; perhaps he was just better at hiding his emotions. Sonia too... Maybe we all were just too good at hiding things.

I found Sonia staring at me intently once I refocused my eyes.

"Something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh sorry… No I'm just tired, that's all."

"Tired? From what? You did nothing all day."

The skepticism in her expression made it hard to sell my claim. I turned the focus back on Amy to avoid any further explanations.

"So anyway, Amy, what were you saying just now, about Cream and Cosmo?"

I let out an inaudible sigh of relief when I saw Sonia's attention divert right back into the conversation; her eyes dazzling with curiosity and her smile inviting. The last thing I wanted was to upset her by bringing up the past at a completely unnecessary time. Just as well, this wasn't about to be a giant pity fest for Amy to hear after such a big day. I shook the thoughts away once more and listened in on Amy's school experience.

"So then she introduced me to this other girl Cosmo. They both seemed really nice but I'm not used to all of the useless banter they go on about for the majority of the time. To me, it just makes the halls louder than they already are."

"I bet you're not used to seeing so many crowded areas at once. That must have been a difficult adjustment throughout the day, huh?"

"Yeah, quite so. There are just so many people at once; it's like a hurricane of constant noise."

"Ah, well. That's life. Gotta deal with what's handed to you."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it…"

I tuned out once more and just sat back in my chair, enjoying the boisterous conversation that echoed through the apartment. It felt all too quiet during the day since I was home alone. I only opened my eyes at the mention of that party once again.

"Ooh that seems fun!"

Sonia seemed to be entirely alright with the idea of letting Amy go off to a random house at night in a place she isn't too familiar with. I wasn't as inclined to let it pass that easily but nevertheless, kept my thoughts to myself for the time being.

"So who's throwing this party?"

"This girl named Mina the Mongoose. She's not exactly the nicest of people I encountered today but we compromised on an arrangement which led to her inviting me to her party."

"I hope you're planning on going!"

"I'm not sure; I mean I don't know anyone. And besides, I don't even really know what people do at parties. From my bare knowledge, parties are for celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary but there doesn't really seem to be a special ongoing reason that I know of."

"Ha ha! I forgot you haven't really experienced anything since… you know. Sorry I'm not very good at this. If only Manic were here; I'm sure he would give a great explanation; don't you think so, Sonic? Sonic…?"

"Huh, what? Yeah… He was quite the party animal back at Mobius High."

My thoughts once again dug into the past. The days where Manic would disappear for the night and not return till the morning; the days when we shared a small one bedroom apartment because that was all Sonia could afford at the time.

"You alright? You seem to be drifting in and out of this conversation."

"Yeah, yeah. It's probably just the heat that's getting to me."

"Okay, if you say so."

Sonia geared her ears back towards Amy to continue their talk.

"So aside from this party, what else happened? How did you find your classes?"

"They were… alright. I do like the book that the English teacher handed out though."

"Ooh, which is it?"

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. I always liked the symbolism."

I looked at Amy and nodded my head in agreement. That book had always interested me but I also recall it making me feel awkward at the same time, when I first read it. Almost as if my mind was splitting in two the further I got; I recall sympathizing a lot with Jekyll and his fear.

"Yeah that's a good one if I'm remembering correctly."

"One of the classics! You seem to like those a lot more than other people your age, huh?"

"Mm."

Amy gave a little smirk as the topic dispersed in the air with the light breeze that blew in from the open window nearby. The lighting in the room seemed to dim slightly as large clouds gathered over the sun, forming an ominous smudge in the daylight.

"Rain's coming soon."

I stood up and made my way over to the little window, closing it partially so that just enough of a breeze blew in to cool down the day's humid air. The weather was always bouncing around from sunshine to downpours this time of year; nobody ever knew what to expect. It was a little Jekyll & Hyde-ish itself.

Sonia had gotten out of her seat and began flitting around the kitchen.

"Well I think it's about time I started getting supper prepared. Amy, would you like to help? I'm sure I've taught you a few things by now."

"Sure."

Amy gladly took up a place at the kitchen counter and as Sonia handed her appliances to aid with the process. With a smile at the scene, I turned away from the window and departed to my bedroom. It was true that the summer heat had drained me dry of energy and I suddenly felt a dire urge to sink into my mattress and close my eyes for hours. I shut my door behind me and plopped onto the surface of my bed, face smothered in my pillow. The covers underneath me felt damp from the humidity but even so, it didn't take long for me to drift off into a world of shadows.

xXx

I awoke with a start to the sound of my curtains flapping in a heavy wind and papers flying around my room. I jumped out of bed and slammed the window shut, watching as the chaotic scene came to an abrupt halt, leaving the papers hanging in the air like fluttering feathers. It had gotten darker now and the sun had almost completely disappeared behind the horizon, leaving the clouds to collect like black masses against the purplish sky. I walked over to the clock beside my bed and checked the time. It read 8:08. The red luminescent light from the numbers distorted my eyes and I put down the clock. My room was now littered with worksheets and a few bills. I began to collect them in a neat pile and place them back into their respective folders when I heard a buzzing sound coming from somewhere nearby. I checked my pockets but found them empty of anything useful. I glanced around the floor and desks coming up empty handed, until I caught a glimpse of a light flashing from underneath my comforter. I pulled back the sheets and discovered my cell phone vibrating with a "calling" signal flashing in bold letters. I pressed the answer button just in time for the caller to hang up. I looked back at the screen and checked who had been calling me at such a weird time. I expected it to be Fiona wanting to meet up but found it quite surprising to find Rouge at the top of the "recent" folder.

I decided to call her back right away in case it was urgent; she wasn't usually one to call out of the blue in the middle of the evening. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello? Sonic?"

"Yeah, sorry I just missed your call. I seemed to have momentarily misplaced my phone. What did you call for?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you about a strange phone call I just received from a possible new patient."

"Not that I don't want to hear about it but what does it have to do with me?"

"I wasn't talking about you idiot! I was talking about Amy. I just got off the phone with one of her friend's mother, asking me if Amy would be open to a group session with her and possibly the others but I've yet to contact them."

"Oh, wow. That's… kinda out of the blue. But why did you call me? Why not the house phone and speak to her directly?"

"I'm not at work right now so I don't have her file on me and I don't have your home phone number. Plus I use my cell for work as well so can you just put her on the line or ask her for me then get back to me later?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Hold on, let me go get her."

I stumbled to the door and glanced down the hallway but found it to be silent. I searched around the rest of the house and found Sonia on the computer in the living room working on some document for work. I clutched the phone to my chest to mute myself as I whispered to Sonia.

"Hey, do you know where Amy went?"

"Woah, look who's finally awake! I tried to wake you earlier but you just wouldn't budge!"

"Haha, yeah. I don't really know what happened either. So uh…"

"Oh, right! Amy should be in her room. I think she said she was re-reading Jekyll & Hyde for her class tomorrow."

I nodded in return and headed over to her room down the hall. Her door was shut with light peeking out from underneath but there was an odd silence. I thought she might have fallen asleep with her lamp still on so I knocked softly in case I were to wake her. However I heard her call from inside, her high voice calming the silence.

"It's open."

The knob clicked as I turned it and I stepped inside the lilac colored room. We had repainted Manic's room a few months before – with his permission of course – originally thinking of painting it white, however, Amy remarked that it would remind her too much of the hospital and that it would make her feel uneasy so we settled for a more neutral color, of her choice.

Amy was in her pajamas, sitting on the carpeted floor of her bedroom, her back propped up against the bedside and her knees pulled to chest as she gazed intensely at the little book in her hands. I strutted up to her and crouched down so that our eyes matched the same level.

"Hey, I need to ask you about something."

I spoke in a quieter voice that may have come off as unsettling; I could tell by the sudden flash of anxiety in Amy's eyes before she replied.

"What about?"

"I just got a call from Rouge and she told me that one of the girls' mothers just asked her if you would be up to a group session with her and possibly the others. Do you think you might be up for that?"

"We already had a group session back in May."

"Yeah but that was… different. That was a psychoanalysis done by other kinds of doctors and this one would be essentially a follow up to that but of your own accord. A lot less drastic as well."

"Well if one of them is asking to do it, then sure. I don't see why it could ever be a negative thing to do. Besides, I haven't even spoken to them since the court trial a few weeks ago. I think it would be nice."

I smiled at her positive thinking. She'd developed a much better attitude with things since getting the girls she knew so well back. Blaze, Julie-Su and Tikal: the three most important people in Amy's life. I can't even imagine if I'd been separated from Manic and Sonia at that age. There just seemed to be more proof every day how strong some people are.

I stood up and made my way to the door.

"That's great to hear. I'll call Rouge in the morning and let her know."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. And don't stay up too late reading that."

"Haha. I'm almost done anyway. It's really short but I'll try my best to go to bed at a decent time."

"Alright."

Then I closed the door behind me and marched into the kitchen. I hadn't eaten yet and the hunger was beginning to form a pit in my stomach. I opened the fridge door and pulled out the left over pasta that Sonia and Amy had put together earlier. I heated it up, ate it quickly and washed my dishes before heading back to my room. It had gotten darker since and the sound of the wind picked up, whistling and groaning outside my window. This bipolar weather was strange but relaxing. In any case, it was better than the relentless heat we've had for the past month. The gusts wavered a spider's web that hung in the exterior corner of the window frame, fluttering it around like a curtain until finally releasing it into the air storm. Green leaves painted black by shadows were picked off one by one by the streams that flew by. Something was stirring, but I just couldn't place it.

I caught myself staring blindly out at the scene and decided that it was idiotic to continue on as so. I turned on the lights so that the images outside were blotted out by the glare of the lamp. I picked my cell phone off of my desk and checked the messages that were left. I had yet to respond to one Fiona had sent me a few days ago for no particular reason. Like we had decided in our initial agreement of round two in the relationship, I was taking things slowly, which involved not calling/messaging each other really often, not that she did that. There was way too much drama involved the last time and we clearly moved at an uncomfortable pace so this time, everything was going to be perfect; she was doing her thing, I was doing mine, and we made time for each other occasionally and we seemed pretty happy with that.

It had been decidedly, a long enough gap between conversations so I decided to send her a message that I knew she would most likely only receive in the morning.

Sonic – Hey sorry about not getting back to you sooner. Things had to be done and stuff. No harm, right? Anyway, so I was thinking, I'm pretty much free all week so if you wanna do something, I'm game :)

It felt right to just send fun texts rather than more intimate ones for now. Nothing rushed, just two adults having fun. At least that's the way I hoped she felt.

What if she thinks I'm too boring now? What if I'm taking things TOO slowly? Maybe she hasn't been texting me too often because she's given up on this relationship!

I was panicking way too much over something that hadn't even occurred. I tried to calm myself down through deep breaths but found myself only staring at the space underneath the message I had just sent where it would place a checkmark if she'd read it.

"What am I freaking out about?"

Great now I'm talking to myself… Maybe I just really miss her. I mean we've talked for the past few weeks but we haven't seen each other since that time we went to see that movie together maybe what – twelve days ago?

I was probably still tired from waking up in the evening and it left my head all foggy, making me think stupid thoughts that would only make it harder to comprehend things normally. I turned my phone off and tossed it on my desk so that I would leave the distraction on its own. Getting to sleep at this point was obviously going to be difficult enough; I didn't need another distraction keeping me awake.

I laid back on my bed with my head comfortably against my pillow and tried to calm my thoughts. I came to the conclusion that I was just bored and I'd had nothing better to think about since being on break from work. I took off those particular days because I wanted to be available if Amy needed anything since she was so nervous about going to school for the first time. Reflecting upon it made me smile. She reminded me of a young child, the way she acted. Scared of not fitting in or sticking out too much, nervous about the crowds, anxious about her classes… Innocence was refreshing at times.

A knock on my door jolted me out of my relaxing mood and instantly alerted all of my senses. I swung my legs over the bed and lazily dragged my feet to the door. I opened it to find Sonia waiting outside my door.

"What now?"

"I'm going to bed now. I know you only woke up two hours ago but try to get some more rest; you look like you need it."

"Yeah, yeah. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I have to go in extra early tomorrow so I need you to drive Amy to school."

"Sure thing."

"Try not to scare her too much."

"Since when have I done that?!"

"Haha, I'm just warning you. Watch what you say, she might take it the wrong way and I don't want her to hide in her locker because she's frightened to talk to people."

"Yeah, alright. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Okay then. Goodnight!"

Sonia drifted away in her singsong-y voice and disappeared in her own bedroom. I leaned against my white wooden doorframe, thinking about any possible I might have scared Amy with something that I said.

Scare her? Why would Sonia warn me about that? When have I-

And then it occurred to me. Back in April, the last time Amy was nervous around me, I… told her that she would never see her friends again. And I was wrong; both for saying it to her the way I did and about what I had told her. What I should have done was prepare her for that news but instead I just flung it at her like a ton of bricks.

Huh… So, I just need to make sure I don't do anything like that again.

I sighed heavily and stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I splashed water in my face to cool down the headache that was beginning to form from the mix of confusion I'd had all day. I seemed to be reflecting on the past way too much lately and it was starting to get to me. I couldn't handle all of it at once; my childhood, Fiona, Amy…

I brushed my teeth and decided to let all of my thoughts rest with another shot at sleep. I closed my bedroom lights and covered my head with my pillow as I attempted to lose consciousness.

xXx

A light ringing sounded from just outside my ear and noisily pulled at my senses to allow them to awaken. I opened my eyes to blackness and my hearing more muffled than usual. In a panic, my head shot up instantly only for me to remember that I had not been suffocating nor blind, as I had initially thought in my sleep-entranced stupidity. I removed the pillow I had placed over my head and threw it aside as I laughed at my own absurdity.

At least the event had jolted me to the fullest extent of alertness so I was now completely animated to resume my daily routine. I had already awoken several times during the night which made for quite a disrupted and unpleasant sleep. I hopped up from the bed and was bathed in the warm orange light from the rising sun. The wind was still blowing forcefully outdoors but not as destructive as it was the night before; the sky was dotted with clouds, a pale blue sky painted around them yet, far off in the distance, a dark haze lingered, wavering in the air at the edge of the horizon. The promised storm would soon show its face to this side of the town.

I grabbed my phone from where I threw it the night before. It was still early, 6:32 A.M. to be exact, and I hadn't been expecting to have received a message from Fiona yet but I still had my small lit hopes. That flame was blown out when I saw that my inbox was just as empty as it was eight hours ago. Letting out the first of many sighs to follow for the day, I took care of the things I had to do until it was time for me to drive Amy to my old high school; a place which brought back memories every time it came into view.

"You ready?"

"Yup. Oh! Wait, I just need to get something."

Amy ran back to her room and came speeding back in about fifteen seconds flat. She hadn't anything in her hands and I questioned what she could have possibly forgotten that was so small it could be concealed.

"What did you forget?"

"Oh, just this book that Rouge told me keep with me for when I get nervous."

"What does she want you to do with it?"

"Just to write things down about what I'm feeling and things that are happening or anything I want to write in case I get scared at school or if I get too anxious about anything."

"Huh. So, a diary or journal?"

"Yeah I suppose so. I forgot to bring it yesterday so I made sure I remembered to bring it today!"

She smiled to herself and sauntered out the door. I followed directly behind. It took only twenty minutes to get from our apartment to the school. On the way there, we made small conversation; I avoided mentioning possible negativities she might face, following Sonia's legitimate instructions to keep away from fear. She knew what she was supposed to do if anything happened and if she didn't, she was smart enough to figure out the best course of action. Despite my own fears of what may or may not happen to her, I kept my mouth shut and concealed my worries to encourage her bravery of once again entering the school domains and encountering the obstacles that lay inside. I made sure she had everything before she left the car and then sent her off with a warm grin.

"Do you have all of your books?"

"Yup."

"You have all your pencil case?"

"Yup."

"Lunch money?"

"Yes!"

"Your brain?"

"Ye- hey!"

"Ha ha! Alright, I'll see you later!"

"Sure thing, Sonic!"

She closed the door and stiffly made her way up the front stairs with all of the other students at the school. Flashes of my younger self and siblings following the same order rushed into my mind but were quickly swept aside by my common sense to not dwell on past occurrences. I let out yet another sigh and drove off.

When I arrived back home I sat down at the computer and regardless of being on vacation, I began completing little tasks for work; things that I would ordinarily despise doing in the office but I guess boredom takes a toll on people as well. When I got bored of that I sat down on the couch and watched sports on the TV until around noon, when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

Fiona – Hey, sorry I only got to respond to you now, I had a late shift at the hospital last night and only woke up now. Why don't we just meet for coffee later today since I'm off too, around 1? :P

All of my anxieties about our relationship dispersed immediately as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I found myself smiling like an idiot as I replied to accept her invitation.

Sonic – That sounds great! I'll be there. :)

I pressed send before I realized how much I sounded like a desperate fool. That exclamation point was way too eager for a slow relationship. Nevertheless, I brushed it off with the fact that she was still interested in me. After that, I turned off the television and began getting ready to meet up with her; shower, get dressed and mentally prepare myself. By the time I was good to go, it was 12:35.

Perfect timing.

I grabbed my car keys and opened the door to leave. Time stopped in front of me. My blood halted in my veins, my face dropping all color. The sight before made the world stop turning for a moment until I was able to regain my sanity. I died and was waiting for resuscitation. For before my eyes stood a woman I hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Hello Sonic. It's a true pleasure to see you."

And it ends here! For now, at least. Thank you for sticking around and waiting for it, for those of you who have! So, who do you think is at the door? Tell me in the reviews or feel free to tell me via PM! I always welcome any ideas you have on what's going to happen or even if you just want to tell me what you think of it, I'm open to pretty much anything you've got to shoot at me.

May I just remind you how much I appreciate every single follow, favorite and especially review! It helps to encourage me a lot to get a move on to write the following chapter! (Even when I'm a break, I am always watching my page!) And I know this chapter may seem a little different from others, I'm not 100% sure but if it is, it is only because I haven't written in quite a while but I promise that I will be back into for the next one for sure! And I promise I won't leave that much of a gap in between chapters again. Thanks for keeping up with my story and have a lovely day :3

- DarkRose