Alright, so maybe some of you have noticed that the previous chapters were given titles (for example, "Faded Rose" or "Distant Memories". You may also notice that this chapter does not have a title. It's because I'm lacking creativity right now, and I'm already bad with names... -_-' So please forgive me. I'll probably give it a title later after this chapter has been already uploaded. Depends on if I can think of one... So, sorry.

Chapter 4 :

Sonic blinked. He almost didn't recognise her. She had changed so much from the obsessive twelve-year-old he'd once known. All he could do was stand and stare, his entire body numb. He knew he probably shouldn't be so shocked, but he had always believed he'd never see her again. And there she was, right before him, now a tall, slender seventeen-year-old he barely recognised.

Although it seemed like ages to Sonic, it was only a few minutes that passed before Amy finally noticed him. She turned her head fully now, meeting gazes with Sonic. If someone didn't know better, it might have been assumed they were both statues because they were standing so still. While the four others continued conversing without acknowledging the frozen, emotionless gazes that Amy and Sonic were exchanging, said two hedgehogs remained in their seemingly-locked positions.

Sonic looked at her from head to toe. He couldn't get over how much she had changed. She had let her quills grow long and wavy. Her bangs were now combed downward slightly to cover one of her gleaming jade-green orbs. Her eyelashes seemed long, thick, and black, and her eyelids were textured with dark-magenta eyeshadow. Her lips were dabbed with lipstick the same colour of her eyeshadow. She had even changed her headband- it was now a dark burgundy colour, with a small red rose pinned to one side of it. Her dress was still held on by a white collar, as was before, but it was now a darker red, to match her headband. The satiny fabric of the dress extended down to just below her knees, fitting her now mature feminine figure enhancingly. As Sonic continued gaping slightly, he could see she was standing on her high-heeled red-and-white-striped boots awkwardly.

"Ahem. Sonic?"

Sonic was jolted awake from his thoughts when Tails placed a reminding hand on his shoulder. The fox cleared his throat another time and nodded at Amy, who blinked and stood up straight having realised she had also zoned out.

"You remember Amy, of course."

"O-Of course." Sonic tried to straighten up, stretching his spine out fully and puffing his chest out a bit. He attempted to put on the suave smile he had planned on using, but all he could muster up was a weak grin. He extended a hand towards the female hedgehog. "Good to see you again, Amy."

Amy's dark-green eyes studied him for a moment longer before she finally reached out and took his hand, shaking it firmly. Sonic could see that she still wore the thick golden rings around her gloved wrists. "Likewise, Sonic." Man, even her voice had changed! Hearing it gave Sonic an unusual bubbly feeling...

The blue hedgehog shook the feeling away before he drifted off into his thoughts again. He pulled his hand back from Amy's and hid it behind his back along with the other, glancing away nervously.

"It's so good to see you again!" Cream happily hugged Amy another time. "I missed you so much!"

"We all did," agreed Tails.

Amy smiled as she returned Cream's embrace. "And I missed you all, too."

Sonic half-wondered if her word "all" included him. He was still hoping she wasn't too upset with him about before.

"Say, Sonic, have you met Sally?" Tails gave Sonic a nudge, partially startling the hedgehog.

"Sally?"

The female chipmunk stepped forward, offering Sonic a friendly smile. "Hello there, Sonic. Amy told me all about you."

"She did?" Sonic took the chipmunk's outstretched hand and shook it. He blinked. "Oh, wait... Hey, I remember you."

Sally nodded. "Took drumming lessons with your brother Manic a long time ago."

"Yeah." Sonic also gave himself a nod. "Yeah, that's why the name was sorta ringing a bell..." His voice trailed off as his eyes involuntarily turned back to Amy.

Amy was aware of the gazes he kept casting her and rubbed her arm a bit. "So, um... I suppose you're all wondering why I came back."

"We're just glad to have you here!" Cream threw in, her pet chao giving a gleeful cry of his own in agreement.

Amy chuckled half-heartedly before continuing. "I guess I just missed you all... Something told me it was time to visit." She looked at Cream. "I got every one of the postcards you sent me. They meant a lot."

Cream gave a radiant broad smile.

"So did you get the text yet?" Sally addressed Amy.

Amy reached into the pocket of her dress and retrieved a small red cellphone. "... Hmm... Nope, not yet."

Sally rolled her eyes. "Wow, he sure is taking his dear sweet time, isn't he? And here I thought he was the fastest thing around."

"You know how he is." Amy rubbed her ear. "He likes to do things his way..."

"But he did promise you he'd send you the text and let you know he was on his way!"

"Mm..." Amy shrugged with a small sigh. "Like I said... you know how he is."

"Who?" Cream asked the question that was also running through Sonic's head.

"Her boyfriend, Dexter." Sally answered for Amy, looking at the younger rabbit. "He was supposed to text her and let her know he was almost here, but he hasn't sent the text OR showed up."

"..." Sonic said nothing, but that one word was now pounding against his mind. Boyfriend?

"I saw him following the limousine!" Amy protested, sounding as though she were defending this mystery man. "I know he's coming..." She looked away, playing with two fingers as her voice got quiet. "I just wish he would let somebody know."

"Aw, are you worried?" Sally had a jokingly teasing tone in her voice.

"I am not," Amy muttered, but she knew Sally was being good-natured about the subject.

"Oh, look at you. You're blushing," Sally chuckled.

Sonic kept quiet and did his best not to move for fear of attracting attention, especially from Tails, but it was difficult resisting the hard stare at Sally and Amy. Amy had a boyfriend? Part of him could believe it. He knew she probably would have moved on by now; that was for the better. But... a boyfriend? He was unable to imagine the prospect. All his life he had been given the notion that he was the only person Amy would ever consider getting into a relationship with. It was somehow wounding to his ego to hear that Amy had no interest in him after all. He hated it when she used to pester, but he had gotten so used to being chased around and being tackleglomped by the girl, he couldn't think of it any other way.

"Sonic." Tails nudged him slightly, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn't notice the expression on Sonic's face as he had. "You doing alright?"

"I'm fine," grumbled Sonic. He lowered his gaze to focus it on the ground. Meh, he wasn't bitter about it. It was Amy's right to move on if she wanted to. Maybe this Dexter guy wouldn't be so bad. How could he be jealous? That wouldn't make any sense.

Then again, would it make sense if he had begun to develop feelings for someone he used to hate?

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. Amy, who had been under a playful tickle-attack by Sally, immediately jerked back, giving her friend a flustered look.

"It's him. Somebody get the door!"

Cream moved towards the door, but Sonic lifted his head and spoke before she could do so.

"I'll answer it."

Amy blinked, while Cream and Sally gave Sonic questioning looks. Tails glanced at Sonic, trying to catch the hero's gaze and reassure himself that Sonic was as okay as he had said, but Sonic wouldn't look back. He was ready to go headlong. And besides... part of him was curious as to who Amy's new boyfriend really was.

The knock pounded again. Whoever this was, he was impatient. Sonic gave the door an inward scowl before twisting the knob slowly.

He still couldn't get over that Amy had a boyfriend.

Ack, cliffhanger again! I know you hate that but it just seemed like it would work for the way this chapter ended. XD Anyways, new chapter coming soon, because I'm writing it right now. ^^