Haha, looking back at the reviews make me chuckle

MissMJS: You're on the right track, but who knows if you are correct ;D

Firewitch25: He really is though...

^.^ Thank you to the Guest, MissMJS, and FireWitch25 for always reviewing :D

Much applies!

Now, on to what happens next!

Tender - Miku Hatsune

Chapter 8: Crush

"Happy Birthday to you!~"

The uproar of clapping from the three hedgehogs elated Bernadette. She covered her flushed cheeks and closed her eyes to make her wish. Afterwards, she blew the candles. More clapping and finally they cut their dinner. Eliot handed his fiancée a slice.

"Mhhm, whoa," Bernadette said as he chewed with her hand in front of her mouth. "Sonic, this is really good,"

Amy caught his eyes beam for a moment, but he composed himself and cleared his throat. "Thanks, Amy helped too."

Amy hadn't expected Sonic to say it so simply that she swallowed her food without chewing and coughed abruptly. They all turned to her wide eyed. Amy sheepishly looked up at Bernadette when she cleared her throat. "Y-yea,"

She put on a bright smile. "Really? You two worked together to create this? The work of geniuses!"

Sonic and Amy exchanged glances recalling the mess they made in the kitchen. How Amy indeed didn't do so great at following directions and messed up a few times. As they looked away Amy couldn't help but remember how he'd help her anyway, even after a few angry remarks. He guided her thoroughly, and never gave up on her. A light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I cannot express how happy I am, all of you. Eliot for the wonderful gift and you two for dinner. I'm just so happy," Bernadette squealed liked a child.

Sonic and Amy smiled and took a bite of their food. Eliot and Bernadette began a light conversation and between their laughter Sonic whispered Amy's name and she turned to face him. "Your shirt has crumbs,"

Amy looked down and he was right. Bits of meat crumbs had scattered from her shirt all the way to her lap. She dusted her shirt and lightly blushed. "How embarrassing," She whispered.

Sonic snickered and looked away while saying, "For a first timer in the kitchen, you did alright. Thanks again for helping,"

With every word he spoke Amy's heart began to rapidly speed up and she couldn't control the goofy smile on her lips, not even as she bit her lip hard to hide it. "You're welcome," Her voice cracked.

"Haha! To Bernadette everyone!" Eliot suddenly acclaimed.

Amy opened her locker to grab Sonic's notebooks to study during free period. She stared at it for some time before feeling her cheeks go warm.

'What is wrong with me?' She questioned herself.

It was unnatural for her to act like that around someone she wasn't so close to. Well, for the sake of his mom and her dad they were forced to get along, but even when they weren't around, he was somewhat friendly with her. She didn't know if it was because of his kindness that she felt comfortable?

Amy ran a hand down her quills with a long sigh. She had to relax. There was no way it was comfort. Naive girls always think too much, she told herself.

Jet strode down the hallway coolly until he saw a familiar pink hedgehog standing near her open locker pondering. Jet grinned and skipped over to her.

"Hey Amy," Came the terse response.

Her head whipped to him. A confused look turned into a large smile and she faced her whole body towards him. He stopped in front of her and with a grin looked down at her as he leaned his arm against the locker.

"Hey Jet, right?" She asked a bit embarrassed to be asking for his name.

"Bingo," He clicked his tongue with a wink and looked down at the notebook she was holding. Then he stared at her face. "Ah, your face is doing it again,"

"My face," Amy gasped using her free hand to touch around.

Without warning, Jet took the notebook off her hands and Amy made a loud screeching noise. She jumped to try to grab it back, but Jet's movements were too fast. Jet skimmed through the pages as he tried to avoid Amy grabbing the notebook back. "What's this?"

"No, Jet give it back!" He was acting so childish with her even though they barely met.

As Jet laughed at Amy's struggles, he noticed the writing inside and stopped jumping around. "Dude, this is cute handwriting,"

Amy stopped jumping and her eyes fell half-way down with a wry look. She couldn't believe it. Even Sonic's handwriting was so neatly printed is looked like girl writing. But in reality, her handwriting was somewhat sloppy. How embarrassing. "Jet—!"

"But it's not your writing, am I right?"

Amy froze in place. Did he catch anything else besides that? She could still play it cool. "Yea, it's my friend, Sally's."

Jet was flipping the pages when he came to the end. He looked down at the very bottom of the last page where there was a written name and for a small moment his eyes went wide, but he chuckled closing the book. "Is it? Is that the reason why you go tomato? Didn't know you rolled that way."

"No! No! You've got it wrong!" Amy moved her hands around in total embarrassment.

Jet laughed loudly catching the attention of many around them. Sally along with a Lynx next to her turned their hands, have been around the area not too far from them, and Sally caught Amy taking a notebook back from a green hawk hastily. Sally's eyes narrowed puzzled.

"I'm just teasing." He said between laughs.

"You're terrible," She pouted her lips.

Jet's laughing died off and he took a breath. "Anyway," He began, "I was wondering if you can treat me to lunch. I'm hungers."

"You don't have money today?" Amy asked putting away the notebook.

"My parents don't give me money." He said pathetically.

"Not even for food!? I understand if it was for anything else, but food's important." Amy stated baffled.

"My family's kinda running low financially. We don't have time to buy food outside. We eat inside. I usually wait till I get home, but my stomach hurts by then. That's why I take it from lockers." Jet explained snickering a bit.

Amy closed her locker and nodded with a firm expression of determination. "Let's go to the cafeteria right away."

Jet grinned and went over to her side locking arms. "You're such a good friend."

Hearing those words again, from a different mobian, eased her soul of trouble, and she proudly held back his arm. Even though barely meeting, Jet had a jolly personality when he wasn't threating anyone. He was energetic and she liked that. To be able to be helping her new friend felt great!

From behind, Sally stared suspiciously at the backs of the two and her friend next to her curious looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," She muttered distantly.

/:xXx:\

Entering the cafeteria, Amy treated Jet for lunch which was fancy chicken wings with tater tots. They sat at a table near the corner since she didn't see Sally around near Sonic's group. It was just him and his four buddies at the middle table. And she really wanted to introduce Jet to Sally and show off in front of Sonic so that he'd question her at home. Then show that she has indeed improved in her friend-making skills. Amy moved away from staring at him and made eye contact with a grinning Jet.

"Crush?"

Amy felt she choked on her own saliva and had to fight to breath. She shook her head vigorously. "No, w-what makes you say that!?" Amy paused. "Wait who do you mean?!"

"I see you looking at him," He claimed taking a tater tot and plopping it inside his mouth coolly. "I mean, I don't blame you for having your eyes set on the prince."

'How would he know who I was looking at?'

"I don't know what you're talking about. His group just happened to be loud so I turned to see." She lied hoping he'd buy it, but Jet's grinning didn't stop.

"Denying it won't save you. From the looks of your round tomato face, it sure doesn't look that way." He razzed.

Amy's eyes averted to her food with her blushing increasing. She muttered, "That's not true."

"So you like a guy. Big deal. Girls like guys all the time." He explained unamused taking in more of his food, but Amy wasn't eating anymore.

She may not have thought so, but it explained the way she'd act around him. Jet was surprisingly observant, but could what he be saying be correct. She admitted she did feel something different around Sonic now, but could that be comfort? Because Jet was making it sound as if it were a crush?

"No way," Amy frowned in pure anguish.

Jet laughed making her jump. "This is a new. Why the long face?"

"There's no way, Jet. I can't possible like someone who's…" She paused stopping herself from saying 'my step brother'. "Who's someone I don't know well," She finished lamely rising her head.

"Sure you can. That's why it's called a crush." Jet said in a matter a factly.

She looked so baffled it was funny to Jet. She didn't seem to be able to wrap her head around that idea. "A crush…?" Amy repeated in a questioning tone, mainly towards herself.

"To make sure try thinking of him dating another girl. How'd you feel?" The moment Jet said that Sally flashed in Amy's mind and she flinched. Amy made a noise quite baffled by the idea and her hands reached her chest. Her heart was pumping hard.

Jet looked over at Sonic. "He gets crushed on all the time. You're no different than any other girls," He said too cheerfully in Amy's opinion.

"Geez," She said sweat drops on the side of her forehead, somewhat offended.

"What? Do you want him to return your feelings?" Jet inquired with a quirked smirk.

"No!" She replied rapidly with a head shake.

"Good. Don't bother with that guy. He won't return any girl's feelings." Jet said. For a second, Amy thought she saw a dark edge to his eyes. His voice changed too.

"Really?" Amy said faintly.

"It's been like this since middle school. He hates stupid girls, he said once. Besides Sally, he doesn't get close to any other girl."

Amy unconsciously flinched and nervously looked down at her food. That explained why he acted the way he did with her. He thought she was stupid…she couldn't really argue with that.

"I wonder why." She nervously chuckled.

"Because of his girl in middle school," Jet began his fingers wiggling in front of him.

"Eh? He's had a girlfriend?!" Her mouth open wide surprised.

"So you don't know the story." Jet chuckled. "Want me to tell you?"

"Um," Amy was hesitant. To know something about Sonic that she didn't know currently arouse her curiously, but to be told by someone other than him felt…wrong. She could hear her little demon telling her not to care, whispering for her to agree to hear it out.

The bell rang and Amy's chest loosened from a tight squeeze. A soft sigh of relief escaped her mouth and Jet stood up from the table.

"Damn bell." Jet hissed, but then gazed at her with a cheerful smile. His character scared her. "Ah, can we meet afterschool? Maybe we can go out somewhere or something."

"Today? I can't today," Amy said with a frown.

"Why not?"

"Testing Period. I need to study for tomorrow's math test which is going to be the hardest. I have to give it my all!" Amy replied with a confident fist pump. "But after it I'll definitely go with you!"

Jet chuckled at her childish movements. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

Amy got up from the table and took her tray of what was full of small plates with food on them. Now it was empty. She'd eaten it all. "See you tomorrow," Amy replied a large grin on her lips.

As Amy left Jet stayed in place, but a smile dwindled. It wouldn't be long before a frown took over and he looked down pulling out a notebook from his back. He'd taken Amy's study notebook when she wasn't looking out from her bag. He opened the notebook and stared at a name printed at the very bottom. He clicked his tongue annoyed.

"So that's her,"

"Yea,"

"What's her name?"

"Amy,"

"She's pretty cute,"

"She's not bad, but she's kinda loopy."

"Oh," The surprised voice said.

A yellow mongoose, dressed in a crop top and shirt, turned over to Jet with a smirk. Jet held the study notebook loosely in his right arm with both arms crossed over his chest. They stared at Amy talking to Sally from the school's field on some bleachers off to the right.

"Rouge told you a bit about flunk girl, right?" Jet asked facing her with an eyebrow lifted and grins, "She was a loner up till now so she doesn't know much."

"Really? Wonder why she was allowed in their group so easily?" She muttered. "It took Rouge and Shade a whole semester till she trusted them and they were smart."

"Who knows, but she'll get close to anyone. She's basically likes having friends." Jet chuckled recalling Amy asking him if they were friends after their meeting incident. "Did I mention she has a crush on blue blur over there?"

"But she's not talking to him," She said in a low tone.

"Maybe not now, but this here's proof." Jet explained removing both arms off his chest and showing her the notebook in his hand with a little wave. "This wasn't stolen. It was given to her,"

"I wanna meet her." The girl stated eagerly.

"Here then," Jet threw the notebook up in the air over to her and the girl caught it gracefully. The girl held the notebook and opened the book to turn at the pages. She glanced at the writing in it and smiled

"Her last period is B4 on the second floor." He stated and made his way down the steps of the blenchers while the girl continued to stare at the group. Jet then stopped. "Ah, Mina," He said and she turned looking down at him. The wind blowing her lavish purple hair. "There's going to be a party at my villa soon. You'll come?"

She stared at him coly and nodded. Jet smiled back and left.

/:xXx:\

Sally excused herself from talking to Knuckles when she saw Amy coming to her with a bright smile. "Amy,"

"I'm here," Amy giggled, but Sally wasn't smiling back.

"Why were you with Jet?" She asked in a low voice. Sonic who was nearby overheard and his ear twitched his eyes shifting over to them.

"Oh! You know him too?" Amy said beamingly. "And here I was going to introduce him to you."

"Introduce?" Sally raised an eyebrow confused.

"Yea, I met him yesterday. He's my new friend," She said openly which brought the attention of many of the Sonic's friends. They stared at her with wide eyes and Amy grew tense. They all stopped talking to glance at her even Sonic. After the 'crush' talk with jet, entangling gazes with him was confusing at best, dizzying at worst. She couldn't deal with that yet and turned back to Sally tensely.

"Really? You two are friends?" She questioned sounding surprise.

"He's actually pretty nice and he's funny. Sure he has a few flaws, but so does everyone else." She explained. Sally was going to say something when she was cut off by the ringing sound of a ringtone. Amy took out her phone from her dress's pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

Besides Sonic, Knuckles began whispering to Silver's ear. "Why is Flunk girl with Jet?"

"Are they really friends?"

"What is she doing with that delinquent?"

Sonic turned away from his friends and walked over to Sally's side. With a light smile and placed a hand on Sally's shoulder.

Amy couldn't concentrate on her father's voice on the other line with the sight of a smiling Sonic looking at a nervous Sally. Her stomach twisted and turned at the sight of the two being friendly. As Sonic told her something her focused flickered from her dad to them, but her will-power kept the important things her father was saying. Still, the feeling that burned inside her chest wasn't comfortable.

"Um," Amy said interrupting her father. "Hold up,"

Her head lifted and she smiled crookedly at Sally. "I'll see you tomorrow," She managed to say, but she it came out strained. She didn't want to be there, she didn't want to see that sight. She turned away heading back to the school.

Sally reached her hand out, but Sonic grabbed her shoulder and shook his head.

"Don't stress it. She'll be fine." he said wishing he hadn't lied like that.

"I hope so...Sorry for acting so paranoid." Sally said in a low voice but Sonic shook his head and lightly punched her shoulder.

"I'm looking out for you too so I know the feeling. I'll deal with it if anything happens." He assured her with a wink and Sally nodded. Sonic's eyes glanced up at the retreating pink hedgehog.

Four o'clock became five o'clock. Entering six o'clock Amy hadn't come home. Sonic grew impatient in waiting for the girl to arrive, but six o'clock went into seven and even after their parents came home she still was missing. He sat on the couch on the living room while their parents prepared dinner in the kitchen. He had an open view to the front door, but after hours it never did open to her.

He stared down at his phone nonchalantly. Seven twenty-four was marked on the top and he locked his phone with a groan. He didn't have her number so he could just call her and he didn't want to ask Eliot since he was busy and Sonic was half-embarrassed to ask.

"Where the hell's that girl," He thought out loud.

"Sonic!" His mother called from the other room and Sonic flinched but got up walking to the kitchen doorway.

"Yea?"

"Can you go to the convenience store? We're missing salt." She asked him with a smile. Behind her, Eliot rotated the pan full of vegetables.

"Yea, I'll buy it." He said remembering he had money of his own and walked for the door. He opened the front door with the intention of dashing his say to the store, but when meeting a pair of lambent jade colored eyes he halted. Both hedgehogs were taken aback by each other's sudden appearance which left them dazed.

Sonic recovered first seeing she was carrying three boxes, small, medium and large in her hands and stepped to the side to let her pass, but when he opened his mouth to speak he was beaten by Amy's hurried words. Without looking at him she dashed right through. "Thanks."

She raced towards the kitchen adding loudly. "Dad I got the packages."

Sonic was left with his mouth half-opened and with eyes narrowing he waited for her to come back out but when she did she rushed over to the stairs barely allowing him to finish his sentence, "Amy I want to ask yo—"

"I-I have to go study now. The test is tomorrow. Night Sonic." And with that, she stopped upstairs and disappeared. Sonic stared up at the stairs incredulous of her attitude. Why did she look so hurried?

He shrugged and left shutting the front door. He'd could always ask later.

Upstairs, Amy shut herself inside her room and dropped to the floor turning her bag over and allowing all the things inside to fall straight down on the floor. Pens, paper, pencils, a binder, but Sonic's notebook was missing.

"Where is it?!" She cried, looking around anxiously. If she'd truly lost it and was never to be found again, how could she possible face Sonic about it? She barely even studied the math portion and now she was certain to fail. Prickles of water formed on the corners of her eyes from feeling crushed on the fact of losing it, but she blinked them away refusing to cry and bit her lip.

"What do I do now?" She wondered hopelessly.

Sonic's book was stolen.

Jet seems to have a completely secret persona.

And who is this new character that's appeared?!

We're also getting a little bit more of interaction between Sonic and Amy and knowing it, it's going to continue.

Anything strange in this chapter? Hahaha.

You guys are in it for the long run xD

Due say whatchu all thought about this chapter.