CHAPTER 22

"Bowling?" Shadow had repeated in a shocked tone. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen of his house talking to Rouge who was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed.

The bat woman made a nod, "That's right."

"Espio and Tonya are having relationship issues and you want to actually drag us into the middle of the crossfire?"

"Come on, Shad. They could really use this. Besides, it'll be fun."

"Fun? It's you, me, Nails, Tikal, Espio, and Tonya…together!"

Rouge didn't understand what was making Shadow so upset. "I don't understand the harm in it."

"Well apparently Tonya's full of fucking jealousy. So full of it, she's using us as an example against Espio so she can get him to commit to her."

Rouge thought it was great that Tonya wanted more of a serious relationship with Espio. "What's wrong with that?"

"He doesn't want to commit!"

Rouge sighed heavily in frustration over Shadow's reaction.

"I'm telling you Rouge, it's a disaster waiting to happen and I want no part of it!"

She had began to think that Shadow just didn't want to get involved. "Shadow, listen to yourself! Don't you even care about their relationship? Their happiness?"

"Of course I care. I want the best for them, but I just think that they should work it out on their own."

"But that could end up any kind of way."

Shadow leaned his back against the chair and crossed his arms, "Well I didn't raise my hand and volunteer to do this stupid date thing."

Rouge leaned over on the table and glared towards the hedgehog, "You're right. I did it for you. So you're going!"

He was finally tired of arguing about the subject and just give in. "Fine! But I'll only do it so you'll get off my back about it!"

She made small yet satisfied smile before she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you. That's all you had to say at first."

As she walked away, Shadow rested his head on his hand and just knew that everything would go horribly wrong.

That next night was the night that Shadow and Rouge had went out bowling together alongside Tikal, Nails, Tonya, and Espio. They were sitting beside each other as separate teams while inside of the bowling alley.

Shadow and Rouge sat together while wearing red bowling uniform shirts.

Espio and Tonya's bowling shirts were blue and Nails and Tikal were sitting next to each other wearing pink shirts.

Tikal looked over to Nails in excitement. "I'm so excited! I've never been bowling before!"

Nails turned to her with the same excited look. "This is going to be fun!"

Shadow looked like he didn't want to be there at all. He sat beside Rouge with an uncaring look and his arms crossed.

Rouge flashed her eyes over to him and angrily whispered to him. "Remember we're doing this for Espio and Tonya."

Shadow glanced over to the two who were sitting beside them and noticed that they were barely even talking to each other.

Espio saw how Tonya was awkwardly staring at him. "I don't know why we're all here doing this."

"Well", she began. "Since the Chaotix is finished and Shadow and Rouge's wedding is on the way, Nails thought this would be a good way for everyone to unwind a little."

The chameleon rose an eyebrow in interest at the cat woman. "Nails huh? So she thought it would be a great idea for all of us to hangout together on some kind of crazy date? Cause this is what it looks like."

"Geez can you drop the attitude? You're bringing everyone down."

"What? I didn't even want to be here!" He pointed over at Rouge, Nails, and Tikal. "If you didn't open your fucking mouth, they would've never stuck their noises in our business!"

"Stop acting like such a jerk! They're just trying to help!"

The area around them had gotten awkwardly silent for a moment because their shouting was being carried throughout the room.

Nails looked around and saw other people beginning to stare at them. She uneasily turned to the group. "So who's ready to bowl?"

Tikal tried to force a smile on her face as she raised her hand. "I am!"

Shadow slowly turned to Rouge while giving her the 'I told you so' kind of look.

As the night progressed, everyone was finally bowling and having a fairly decent time. However from time to time, Espio and Tonya had stopped to argue about one thing and then another.

Tikal stood at the end of the lane nervously holding the ball in her hand.

Nails saw her hesitating and stood beside her, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

The echidna looked over to her in embarrassment, "It's just…it's my first time bowling. I'm not quite sure what to do."

"It's easy once you get the hang of it." Nails practically wrapped her arms around Tikal's body as she tried to teach her how to bowl. "I'll show you, hun."

As she felt Nails' body brush upon hers, she couldn't help the fact that her face went cherry red.

Rouge and Shadow were bowling in the lane next to Nails and Tikal.

Shadow just hit another strike and he acted like the entire game was a cakewalk. He stood next to Rouge and watched her pick up a bowling ball.

She turned to him with a pleased look. "Another strike? Way to go, baby!"

The hedgehog shrugged his shoulders, "We're both good shots so we're definitely going to win if it even matters."

"What do you mean?"

Shadow directed his attention to Tonya and Espio who were sitting at a table arguing with each other. "Espio and Tonya are still going at it." He then turned to Tikal and Nails, "And your sister's too busy hitting on Tikal."

When Rouge turned, she saw Tikal make a strike.

Tikal excitedly jumped up and down in Nails' arms. "I did it! I got one!"

Nails held the echidna woman in her arms, "I told you it was easy."

"You're just an amazing teacher." She had then found herself lost into her red eyes until she was pulled into a sudden kiss.

Rouge's mouth dropped as she watched Nails kiss Tikal. "Oh my…" She was so stunned by the act, she dropped the bowling ball she was holding. She didn't notice until she heard Shadow's yelling.

"God damn it!"

The white bat's eyes widened in shock as she realized that she had dropped the bowling ball on Shadow' foot. "Oh my God! Shadow, are you okay?"

Nails pulled away from Tikal when they both heard Shadow's yelling. They both ran over to them.

"Oh God! Shadow!" Nails spoke in a worried tone.

Shadow tried to ignore the pain and pretended that he was okay. "I'm fine! I'm fine! Christ!"

Everyone was startled when they heard Espio's voice carry.

"I can't believe you're acting like this!"

The group turned and saw Espio and Tonya confronting each other angrily.

The purple cat woman yelled back at the chameleon, "Acting like what?"

"Do you really want me to say it?"

Tikal walked up to the arguing couple along with Nails, Rouge, and Shadow. "Um, guys?" She began to speak nervously, "Maybe we should be using our indoor voices."

The angry couple glared at the orange echidna, "Stay out of this!"

With unease, Tikal did as they wanted and decided to let them to continue arguing.

Espio focused his attention back to Tonya, "I still don't understand what this is about!"

"We've been dating for awhile now. Don't you think we should advance a little?"

Now he was worried. What did she exactly mean by advance? Marriage perhaps? "…What do you mean advance?"

She crossed her arms, "Move in with me."

"…What?"

"You heard me", she spoke in a low and bitter tone.

Espio loved Tonya and thought that they would possibly settle down one day but this was happening to fast for him. "I'm not moving in with you!"

"I thought you loved me?"

"I do love you!" He sighed heavily in frustration, "God Tonya, I wish I could make you understand!"

"No", she spoke. "I think I do understand."

The chameleon arched an eyebrow in confusion. He had doubted that she finally understood how he wasn't ready to commit to her.

Her eyes slowly wandered away from him, "I think…us dating was a mistake." She bit her lip, "I think we should break up."

With those words, he couldn't help but to feel heartbroken. He couldn't believe this was happening. She was breaking up with him. "…At least that's something we can both agree on."

"What?" Everyone couldn't believe what they were hearing from the two.

"No!" Rouge spoke in a devastated voice, "You can't!" She watched as Tonya stormed out of the building.

Tikal worriedly looked over to Espio who had stood there in both anger and sadness. "…Espio?"

"I just need to be alone." Without looking back, Espio had left as well.

It broke Rouge's heart to see their relationship fall apart in front of her very eyes. "Shadow, what are we going to do?"

The hedgehog winced from the throbbing pain on his foot from where Rouge had dropped the bowling ball. "How about a giant bucket of I told you so and some damn ice for my foot?"

Rouge angrily flashed her eyes over to him and stomped her foot on the top of his already hurt foot causing him to yell out in more pain. "You men are impossible!"

In The Next Chapter…

Rouge: I can't believe it! Our wedding is tomorrow!

Shadow: And your parents are here…great…

Rouge: Why can't they be more supportive of us?

Nails: My parents are super embarrassing!

Rouge: Shadow, calm down!

Shadow: This wedding is going to be a fucking disaster!