Okay guys, I usually put Author's Notes after a chapter but for this one I'm making an exception.

I had a bit of culture shock the other day. A few helpful readers pointed out to me that in some places the word Puss does not mean the same thing it means where I live. Thanks to those who told me, by the way. :)

Here it's a term of endearment that people use to refer to children, just to put it in context. So you can imagine how shocked I was that it was used as an offensive term for a female body part.

My point, I suppose, is that I'm sorry if anyone was offended or confused by the use of the word. I have edited it out, just to be safe.

Now that that's over, thank you to all of you who are reading and if any more problems come up in the story please don't hesitate to leave your concerns in a review or PM me. I don't bite, I promise. :)

Back to the story, now.

Gossip

Idle talk, especially about another's personal or private affairs.

Rouge texted Knuckles, who texted Tails, who texted Cream, who texted Blaze, who texted Silver, who texted everyone on his contacts list by accident...Oops.

Needless to say, a rumour spread quickly around the school.

Like a game of broken telephone, what started as Sonic's innocent kiss goodnight on Amy's cheek became a heated make out session on the girls' dorm stairwell. At least the stories didn't go any further.

Amy kept her head down, sandwiched between Blaze, Rouge and Cream as they walked with her at lunch.

Amy had been getting looks all week.

She was the girl who snatched up one of Union's most eligible bachelors in a matter of days. Or, in some people's minds, gave into him.

Responses varied from jealous glares to flirting boys who thought she would be an easy snag.

It was awful.

"I'm really sorry about this," Rouge sighed, squeezing Amy's shoulder in empathy.

"Me too," Cream chimed in, sadly.

"I'm the most sorry," Blaze frowned. "I sent it to Silver, after all."

"It's alright," Amy half lied. "I'm not upset."

The truth was that all this had upset her.

She had been tossed into the spotlight for everyone to scrutinize and she didn't like what they had to say about her.

Despite that, she didn't blame anyone. Silver pressed a wrong button, sue him.

"I'm sure it'll blow over in a while," Blaze predicted, guilt still coating her voice. "People will see you and Sonic aren't a couple and realize how ridiculous they're being."

Rouge shook her head. "Not with the way those two are. They're always arm-in-arm."

Amy flushed, crossing her arms.

She didn't like how Rouge was talking about this as though she wasn't there.

"Not always."

"Yes always." Rouge insisted. "But it's not a bad thing. You make him happy; it's good."

Well, there was no arguing with that.

She still didn't like that speculation on her love life was the common topic of both the school and the girls.

"Can we change the subject?" Amy peeped, not wanting to sound too insistent.

"Gladly," Blaze smiled, giving the hedgehog a nod. "Are we going into the City tonight?"

Amy's ears perked up. The City? Amy had never been there.

It was a mere bus ride away from Union and famous throughout all the colonies.

Just like the Academy it mixed all the cultures together. Sure, the colonies each had a different district but they still shared the same city.

"Is that allowed?" Amy asked.

"Sure is," Cream answered. "We're set free from Friday night to Sunday."

Amy smiled at that thought.

Set free? That sounded amazing!

"What do you guys usually do in the City?"

"We go to the Chaos district," Rouge replied with a grin.

"They throw a huge party in the streets every Friday and Saturday!" Cream added happily. "They're a lot of fun."

Amy cocked her head and thought about that for a second.

Parties? She was pretty sure her teachers said something about parties. She couldn't quite recall what though.

All Amy did know was that she had never been to one. She knew the basics of what they were though.

It sounded fun. Scary, but fun.

"Can I come with you?" Amy wondered. "If you're going, that is."

Rouge stopped and looked at the girl oddly.

"Well, duh you can come. We're friends now, aren't we?"

Amy's expression brightened at Rouge's proclamation.

"Of course," she chirped. "We're friends."

Despite the rumors and the glares, Amy's outlook was much lighter than only a few minutes before.

She officially had a whole group of friends.

"Aw, that looks cute on you, Amy," Cream complimented the other Piko girl, giggling as Amy twirled in her yellow sun dress.

"Thanks," she responded, coming to a halt and patting the skirt down proudly.

All four girls had managed to squeeze themselves into Blaze and Cream's room as they showed off, waiting for the boys to come.

Amy and Cream stood by the door, gushing with Blaze, perched comfortably on the end of her bed, about how fun this would be. Well, they were gushing. Blaze doesn't gush.

Meanwhile, Rouge was lazing cross legged on the rabbit's bed. Her eyes were glued to her phone as she texted her boyfriend, frowning all the while.

She remembered how she and Cream had speculated about Sonic friend zoning Amy. Well, based on this conversation, the situation was worse than anticipated.

'Sonic says she's so sweet. It would be weird like dating his baby sister.'

The baby sister zone, if you thought the friend zone was bad try being there.

Rouge would have to change that.

"Don't worry about the party," Blaze tried to comfort Amy's jumpy nerves on the other side of the dorm room. "Cream was scared to death of the parties too but now she loves them."

"As long as you stick close to a friend it's great." Cream added. "But don't wander off."

"Such a mother," Blaze mumbled.

"DON'T SASS ME!"

All three girls giggled at the out burst.

Amy couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun, or even felt like she belonged somewhere. Now she had that and it was great.

"The boys'll be here in twenty minutes," Rouge cut in, raising her eyes from the palm sized screen. "That's just enough time to fix Amy up."

Cream and Blaze cocked their heads in confusion as Amy frowned.

"What's wrong with the way I look now?"

Rouge looked the girl over. She had to admit, the pale yellow sun dress looked adorable on her, but in it you might as well tie her quills in pigtails and call Sonic her big bro.

"There's nothing...wrong with it," Rouge paused, looking for a way to convey the message. "But it won't get Sonic's attention."

Blaze rolled her eyes.

"Not this again."

"This is entirely up to you, Amy," Rouge spoke over the groaning lilac cat. "But as of now Sonic sees you like his little, cowering sister. If that's gonna change we have to act...fast."

Now Amy wasn't saying she liked Sonic in a romantic sense. To be completely honest, she wasn't quite sure how she liked him at all. But she definitely didn't want to be his cowering baby girl or even his arm candy, for that matter.

In fact, Amy didn't want to be defined by her association to him at all. She wanted to be known as her own person.

She definitely didn't want Sonic to look at her like a baby though.

Maybe if she turned around, showed how she didn't have to rely on him, he'd at least think of her as Amy, not the shy girl he needed to protect.

"What do you need to fix then?"

Blaze slapped her palm onto her forehead, closing her eyes desperately.

"This is a bad idea."

"Honey," Rouge spoke slyly, "bad ideas are synonymous with romance."

And with that the prepping of Amy Rose began.

"Where are they?" Knuckles tapped his foot impatiently. "We've been waiting too long."

"It's only been five minutes," Tails said with a huff. "All of you are so impatient."

Sonic frowned.

He agreed with Knuckles on this one, not that he'd ever admit it.

They had probably been up there for at least a half an hour before they arrived. Wasn't that enough time?

Then again, this was coming from a boy who took ten minutes and a spritz of cologne to look this good.

Sonic had traded his uniform's dress shirt and blazer for a white T-shirt with a V-neck and his best, and by that I mean least ripped, pair of black skinny jeans. Top that off with wind swept quills and killer confidence and you had Sonic.

He looked around at his friends, all equally good looking in their own right, and smiled.

See what ten minutes could get you?

Then again, if you did the math, that meant the girls should be three times better.

Well, who are these guys to complain if their ladies look hot?

Chuckling at the thought, Sonic almost didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs.

He turned at the sound of the first compliment flying from Knuckles mouth.

"Babe! You look great!"

"Thanks. It was all for you."

Sonic watched his friends practically strutting down the stairs and observed them pairing up, as always.

Rouge and Knuckles were attached at the hip.

Cream and Tails kind of just stood there, stuttering through a debate on who looked better.

Silver on the other hand, sighed.

"What took you so long?"

"Oh hi, Silver," Blaze greeted sarcastically. "You look nice too."

"I didn't want to be Captain Obvious," Silver responded, sincerely. "I mean, you're the best looking girl in the room."

And that's why you gotta love Silver.

Yeah, he slips up. But when he smooth talks it means all the more because he means it. He always says what he means.

Sonic smiled and shook his head.

Once again, he was the lone wolf.

Oh well, he always found someone to dance with regardless, whether he ended up asking some random girl or tangoing with Silver on the dance floor.

"Everyone's here," he jumped in on the conversations. "Shall we?"

"I don't see Amy, though," Cream answered, glancing around.

Sonic's eyes widened.

Innocent little Amy at a party? Now way! They couldn't invite her.

"Are you trying to scare her away?" He hissed. "She's just like a kid, okay? You need to be more careful with-"

"Uh, Sonic?"

Her little voice rang in his ear as he whirled around.

His jaw fell at what he saw in front of him.

He blushed shamefully as his eyes went down to her attire.

One thought was running through his mind at a frantic pace, over and over: blue looked HOT on Amy Rose.

Yay! Another Author's Note and another chapter complete. It was a short one but the next will be jam packed with goodness, I promise.

Feel free to check out my new story, Parental Control, if you like this one.

Thanks! I really appreciate all you guys who are reading this. Review and tell me what you think.