Right, sorry about the wait for this chapter. I have been editing it a lot and I've also come back from my family holiday a couple of days ago - so I haven't had much time to update.
I should probably review what's happened so far, so you don't have to read over the past chapters (although, you can if you want to! ;D)
Last time on 'So this is love':
Sonic is still waiting to be released with his wounded ribs; Sally has promised him that she's going to change for the better. Amy is still trying to sort out things with Silver, Blaze, Cosmo and Tails – but her first priority is to talk to Blaze for Silver. Fiona is on the prowl with Scourge and Mina is giving off mixed messages to Amy. Shadow is protecting her from the side-lines but will he be able to help Amy?
Shout outs to: SAOMNYIC, The High School Hero, DragonBall22, Steve993, A winnar is you, Fate is me, Guest, 4everallways, fairlyoddme, Guest, Love th story, Zgirl101, waveandcipher, TheMidnightShadow, x, Merp, Eli Swafford, Shadowofdarkness, LittleDudet515, ToxicWolf1132, Blury-Star-on-Fire, guest, Meowzerz101, Doomsday2028, SonadowStories! Wow! So many reviews! X3 Thank you so much guys! 269 reviews are incredible! Honestly, I know I keep saying it, but the insane amount of reviews for M.M.G was infinitely heart warming and the number of reviews for the sequel is incredible! X3
Here's some replies (well...I say some...;D)!
SAOMNYIC – Thank you so much! :D That means so much to me. Honestly, writing on this website has changed my way of writing so much (hopefully for the better). I'm so glad that it helps people with their writing and that people enjoy reading my work :3
The High School Hero – Hey, FFN BF! :D oooh...so many questions that I cannot answer! :D Ummm...regarding the number of chapters, I will probably do a few more than M.M.G. But we're still at an early stage so, I'm not entirely sure! :3 (yes, this isn't one of the stories that I'm trying to finish up. Not yet, anyway). Ooh, I'll also reply to your PM once I've posted this ;D Stay cool!
DragonBall22 – Teehee! :D Thank you! Well, here is the next chapter! :D
Steve993 – Thank you very much for your comments :3 It means a lot to me :) Umm...well, I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. 'So, this is love' was going to be about the gang AFTER school but I decided that might be too cliché (well, more cliché than this story already is ;D I'm not going to lie – I know the first one was insanely cliché. And so is this one. But I like to think that this one is a little more original) so it turned into a story about them at university. However, if I did write a third one, that would be about their life after education. However, since we're not at the end of this story, I haven't made a decision. I'll probably ask my readers towards the end. But thank you for being interested at such an early stage :D And thank you for wanting this series to become a trilogy :3
A winnar is you – Ahhh...my lips are sealed ;3 You'll find out soon enough ;D
Guest – Teehee ;) Here is the chapter! :D Aw, thank you! :3 love you too *virtual hug* :D
4everallways – I've actually just looked at the date and realised it's been about a month (possible two! D: ) since I updated this :/ So, you'll probably be back from your trip by now! :3 I hope you had fun! :D Thank you very much for your review! :D I'm SUPER glad you like it :3 Merci beacoup! ;)
fairlyoddme – Thank you! :D Poor mina ;)
Love th story – Ahhh...that would be telling ;)
Zgirl101 – Thank you very much! :D I'm afraid Mina isn't in this chapter, but she will be coming again, soon! :)
Waveandcipher – Ahhh, the woman in black ;) the old ITV series version is terrifying! :D We watched it in my English class a while back and the whole class was screaming XD Thank you very much and here is the chapter! ;D (once I've finished the replies)
TheMidnightShadow – Ahhh...that's good. Well, I hope that laptop is better than the other one :D I couldn't live without mine (even though there are times when I hate it)
X – I understand completely :D the best part about a fandom or a series is liking/disliking characters. You find characters you adore and you find characters that piss you off to high heaven :D Regarding Fiona, yeah, I probably did use an overly-used plot but the thing is, in the comics – Fiona basically is the evil ex. I'll try to spin it out and make it more original, anyways :D I'm glad you like it :3 And I'm currently writing the next chapter for Identity Theft ;D
Merp – Ah, nope, fair enough :) Thanks for your advice and I'm glad you liked M.M.G. I honestly haven't started thinking about an M.M.G 3. I'm too busy trying to balance this story and my other stories! :D I'll think about it when I'm nearing the end of this story.
Eli Swafford – Ha ha! :D I hope real university isn't like this! XD Yeah, I have several ideas for future chapters but I just had no idea how to plug them into the current situation. However, my inspiration is back now :D Yay! XD And thank you for your other review concerning my 'disappearance' ;) it's nice to know I'm missed ;D Nope, I had this chapter written out a while back actually, but I needed to edit some parts and I've been on holiday for a week. So, sorry about that! :/
Shadowofdarkness – Thank you very much and yes they are! xD
ToxicWolf1132 – Ha ha! They are great films :3 I re-watched MG the other day for inspiration ;D
Blury-Star-on-Fire – Don't worry! X3 Thank you for this review! :D
Guest – Thank you very much! :D I haven't actually thought about Shadow's situation at the moment! *face palm* Poor Shadow...I really need to write a fanfic where he ISN'T in a sad situation! I will think about it ;3
Meowzerz101 – Heh heh, sorry! XD here is the update you've been waiting for! :D
Doomsday2028 – Ahhh...I'm afraid I cannot tell ;D But you're probably right!
SonadowStories – Thank you very much for your review on M.M.G and So this is love! :D I'm really glad you're enjoying them! :D And you're definitely right, I need to sort out something for Shadow soon ;D He does deserve some credit. Poor guy...I feel bad :/ In a few chapters time, I'll focus it on Shadow for a bit! ;)
Well, that's done! :D Okay, here's the disclaimer, because I haven't done one in a while!
I own nothing but the plot, Mel the bat and Maya the rabbit! The Sonic cast belong to SEGA. Dove belongs to Dovewing01. Shrine belongs to Waveandcipher. Star belongs to Blury-Star-on-Fire and Savvy belongs to Savvy0417. Everyone's OC will appear in the next chapter because we will return to another one of Amy's lectures soon! The appearance of these OC's was just to introduce them and let the owners know that I hadn't forgotten! :3
Anyway, time for me to shut up and let you read! Here is chapter 18, Drinks and Decisions! You're in for an eventful chapter! ;D I hope you enjoy it! Xx T.C xX
SONG RECOMMENDATION: Dressing up by Katy Perry
Chapter 18 – Drinks and decisions
(...Amy's P.O.V...)
"We need to talk,"
She didn't reply; simply looked at me in confusion before closing her book and placing it back into her rucksack. I quickly glanced at the cover and frowned when I read the words: 'Twilight – New Moon'. The second book in the series. The one where Edward leaves Bella and the girl struggles to get her life back on track.
Not much good for feminism but I guess it summed up how Blaze was feeling.
We quickly crossed the courtyard – avoiding eye contact and trying to ignore the rest of the students. I vaguely saw Mina out of the corner of my eye, but when I did look up to catch her attention, she scurried away. I didn't feel entirely comfortable around her – yet I didn't feel scared of her like I did Bunnie and Fiona.
My pace quickened and I expected Blaze to slump along at her own speed. However, she seemed as keen as me to walk off; so she sped up too. The amount of kids began to thin out, due to the fact that it was getting later and later into the evening as we walked on the path between the Science/technology block and the drama block. It was interesting to see where Silver and Tails went to whenever they had a lecture or rehearsal.
I wanted Blaze to say something, but she just kept her head down and kept her hands gripped onto the straps of her bag. After a quick glance at her, I decided that not saying anything probably was the right thing to do.
"Okay, what's this about?" Blaze had stopped behind me, standing between the two university buildings. No one was around and I guessed that here was quiet enough. So quiet that I could hear my heart thumping in my chest.
"You know what this is about," I folded my arms, taking a good, hard look at the purple cat, "This is about you and Silver,"
Her gaze lowered but her expression stayed cold, "There's nothing to discuss. Has he told you what happened?"
"Yes. And he's distraught,"
"No he isn't,"
"Yes he is!" I snapped, making her jump, "He wants you back! But you're being stubborn and refuse to listen to anybody! I don't get it! Why are you being like this?!"
"Like what?!"
"Like this! Moping around and reading books which you loathe – yet they're books which Silver loves! It would make sense if Silver had broken up with you! But he hasn't! You broke up with him! So why don't you just put it aside and apologise! He'd do the same and then you'd be back together! Simple!"
Blaze snickered, sarcastically, "You really think it's that easy? That we just make up and hug? You know, Amy, not all of us have the same fairy tale romance as you and Sonic do! You might sell your soul to be with Sonic but I don't want to!"
"What are you talking about?" My voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. That comment had stung me, immensely.
"Exactly! You don't even realise it! You're love sick! You're...different,"
I stepped towards her, trying to look calm and collected, but inside I was shattering, "You, along with the gang, encouraged me and Sonic to get together. You said we should date. What has suddenly changed from now and then!? And what has any of this got to do with Silver and you?!"
"If you don't know, I don't want to tell you,"
"For Chaos' sake, Blaze! I'm trying to help you! But you're just being stupid! You blame me for what happened between Silver yet you won't tell me why?! Why can't you just admit that it was your fault and you over-reacted?"
"Oh, so now I'm stupid and it's my entire fault?! Jeesh, if you're not careful – you're going to turn into Sally!"
"WHAT!?"
"It's true! You encouraged Cosmo into this stupid plan! She told me that you said she needed to show Tails what he was missing!"
"I never dreamed that she would do this! And besides, this isn't about Cosmo or Tails or even me, Blaze!" I growled, losing my patience and feeling annoyed with her, "This is about you – getting over your problems and telling Silver that you're sorry,"
"Why should I have to be the one to say sorry?! What even makes you think that I want to continue being in a relationship with him?!"
"Lemme think, Blaze – the fact that you've been crazy about him ever since you met him! You were the one who told me that! And even if you don't want a romantic relationship, surely you still want to be his friend?! Cause you're his best friend!"
Blaze's lip was wobbling, as if she was going to burst out crying. I just didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. Why did she think it was my fault? And if she didn't want a relationship with Silver, why was she doing this? She continued to stare at me, with glazed eyes, "W-w-well why doesn't he tell me himself?! He hasn't even tried to talk to me about it! Not once! He's just sent you along to act as a messenger!"
My hands flew to my face, massaging my forehead and trying to calm myself down. It wasn't working, "You didn't exactly make it easy for him! And you told him not to come after you!"
"I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE TO HAVE TO PICK UP THE PIECES!" Her voice cracked, yet she still managed to bellow at me, "BUT HE DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING! IF I LEAVE IT TO HIM, SILVER WILL JUST LET ME BE THE FIRST ONE TO APOLOGIZE!"
My brow furrowed, unfortunately making me look like I was glaring, "No, he wouldn't! You're just making excuses because you don't want to admit you were wrong! There's nothing wrong with being in the wrong! But there is something wrong with being a spoilt drama queen who's acting like a bit of a bitch for no reason!"
.
..
...
...
...shit.
My anger was suddenly replaced with immense guilt. As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to snatch them back up and force them back into the evil side of my brain. I've never called anyone a bitch. Ever. Okay, maybe Sally...and I've wanted to call Fiona one, lately. But never a friend. Never Blaze.
And there I was. Feeling like the meanest and the worst hedgehog in the universe. I didn't know how I could make things any worse.
I did have a small weakness for yelling horrible things in rage. I'd been trying to defend Silver in the argument, playing prosecutor and trying to get Blaze to see what she was doing to him. But instead, I just made everything a million times worse.
I wasn't going to be a hypocrite and pretend that I'd been perfect in this whole situation with Cosmo, either. Rouge, Cosmo, Blaze and I were all to blame. It seemed like Shadow was the only one who had stayed on the side of common sense. But I had no clue why any of this would affect Blaze and Silver's relationship. Silver had been angry at her for helping Cosmo's plan to, unintentionally, hurt Tails. They had both said things in rage – but then Blaze suddenly broke up with Silver and became cold; for no apparent reason. Sure, they had arguments. Fights over who ate the last gummy snake or fights over Harry Potter and Twilight. But those were small, meaningless arguments which they would laugh about five seconds later. This was serious.
She was acting the weirdest, out of the two of them. I'd never seen Silver so distraught – but I'd never seen Blaze be so cold and defensive. Blaze was never shy with people she knew. She was never shy to tell Silver what she was feeling. And she was never sarcastic in arguments. Ever. Something wasn't right.
I battled the ideas and theories in my head of why she was so annoyed, when her sobs broke me out of my thought. My breath was hitting the cold air and creating a tense shroud of mist in front of me. I shut my mouth, abruptly, and looked at Blaze for guidance.
She blinked several times, before spinning round and making a dash to the science block door; disappearing from my sight – clearly showing me that I'd gone too far and she didn't want to continue this conversation. But I wanted to make things right. I couldn't let her go without apologizing and receiving an explanation.
"Blaze! Wait!" I called, racing after her. The corridors were silent except for the low hum of a generator, nearby. Blaze had disappeared and I was no closer to setting her up with Silver again.
I groaned, hugging my arms tighter around my body. The corridors were colder and I needed to get back to the bedrooms with Blaze, "Blaze! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please! Where are you?!"
"Amy?"
My neck snapped up in the direction of the voice and I was standing face to face with Sally Acorn. I definitely wasn't in the mood for this. I didn't want to be reminded by what Blaze had said – that I was acting like Sally – and I was starting to believe her after losing my temper and calling Blaze a 'bitch'. My eyes rolled, automatically, causing a hurt look to form on the chipmunk's face.
"Fucking brilliant," I muttered, glancing around the hall way. Thankfully, Sally didn't seem to hear me. A couple of my friends from my art course had told me that after ten o'clock, the lights at Mobius University became motion activated – meaning that they would only turn on if something was moving. That way, the lights wouldn't waste energy and students could move around the university without having to fumble around in the dark.
However, as a result, our part of the corridor was the only bit that was lit – telling me that Blaze was long gone. And I was going to have to converse with Sally. Alone.
Sally gave a soft, defeated chuckle, "You sound like your day has just gone from bad to worse,"
"Yeah, well..." I sniffed, looking up into her baby blue eyes as she stepped towards me. Her black heels were clacking against the floor as she approached. She might have sounded like she was having the day from hell – but she still looked flawless. Auburn hair twirled up into a bun and a black dress which clung to her hips made her look seductively gorgeous. We may not like each other – but I would kill to have looks like that. I knew many other girls felt the same, "It has. I have really screwed up. Big time,"
She smiled, in a pitiful way, "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think,"
"Really?"
"Trust me. Bad days – I've had the worst,"
After making a small sound of agreement, I tucked my hair behind my ear and stared at her – alarmed to see her staring back. She shot me a friendly smile, which I struggled to return. I felt stiff and nervous in front of her.
"So..." Sally pulled out her hair band and shook her hair out around her shoulders, whilst clutching her black bag on her shoulder, "...how is everyone?"
I managed to raise my eyebrow, despite my nervousness, "Really? Small talk? With me? Of all people?"
Sally shrugged, "Well...do you want to discuss the growing economy problems in Mobius at the moment?"
I found myself snickering, which I hadn't done in a while. But, despite her best efforts to make me chuckle, I couldn't believe that I'd laughed at something that Sally had said – without feeling like I was going to melt from my nerves. I felt...strangely safe.
A tiny smile lingered on my lips, "No...I guess I don't,"
"Well...I honestly would love to know how you're doing. I mean, it's been a hell of a long time! Things...things have changed. I know that for a fact. And I'd like to hear about your friends. Shall we go somewhere else? I know a nice pub on the corner of the high street..."
"Hold on," I held my hand up, not believing what I was hearing, "Are you inviting me for a drink!?"
I scanned her eyes for any sign of evil or ill intent – but after a small shrug and smile from Sally, I found myself believing that she did simply want to go for a drink. I struggled to keep my mouth from dropping open in pure shock.
"W-well..." I had no idea what to say. I was more concerned that the prospect didn't make me feel weird. I didn't want to say no. In truth, part of me wanted to say yes. I wanted to prove to the others that she had changed. I desperately wanted to see if she'd changed, "I guess I could. I mean, if you're sure you want to. A-and...I'd need to go and get some stuff before I could c-c-come..."
Sally nodded, with understanding, "Okay,"
"A-and it's Thursday. You know we've still got tomorrow before we can kick back and enjoy the weekend...right?"
"Yeah," The chipmunk giggled, heartily.
My thoughts seemed to have clouded over and I couldn't think straight. Why on Mobius would she want to come out for a drink with me? She was my enemy! I, in her eyes, stole her boyfriend! We shouldn't even be talking!
Sally breathed out, curving her lips down into a frown, "Listen, if you don't want to...that's okay. I just want this to be considered as an apology. I want to wipe the slate clean and start again. Plus, it'll be my treat,"
I nodded, assessing the invitation in my head. It wouldn't be that bad, would it? And, maybe, if she was telling the truth – I could become friends with her. Sonic had said he wasn't sure if she was trustworthy – yet, I'd been the one to say she had changed. I was the one who thought she was different. I was the one who stuck up for her. Shouldn't I be true to my word and give her another chance?
"Just say the word, Amy, if you're against the idea..."
"...no," There was a lump in my throat that I couldn't seem to get rid of, no matter how many times I swallowed, "I...guess...I would...like to. I'll go and get my c-coat from my room a-a-and meet you outside the uni?"
"Okay!" She gave me a massive grin before turning on her heel and strutting down the corridor, clacking with her heels. Her hand ran through her hair before she called out, "Please don't keep me waiting too long! I don't want to freeze my butt off out there!"
"Heh heh..." I watched her leave before turning in the other direction and heading towards the Halls of Residence. I had accepted her invite...with a tone of question in my voice. What was I doing? How was I not a ball of sweat by now? Why had this happened? There I was, thinking that I'd be able to sort out everything with Silver and Blaze. I thought this night would end with me and Blaze having a girly chat about our guys before Blaze went and got back together with Silver.
I guess I thought wrong.
No, instead, I was on my way to get my coat – with no idea where Blaze had run off to – and planning to go down to the pub with Sally Acorn. Of all people. My past self would be less surprised if I was going for a drink with Fiona Fox than Sally Acorn.
My legs started to go wobbly as I climbed the stairs towards Halls of Residence. Did I really want to do this? Wouldn't we just sit there, feeling awkward, and sipping our drinks? I'd felt unimaginably weird whilst talking to Sally for five minutes. Could I really do this?!
However, whilst every bone in my body was trying to deny it, the fact of the matter was that I had enjoyed talking to Sally.
And I really did want to get to know her better and put the past behind us.
Even if it did end in disaster and sweat.
Although, there was no reason to assume that it would end badly. I'd often been described as a little bit naive and too trustworthy, but it had been over a year since we last saw Sally. People change, dramatically, over time. I could only hope that she really was telling the truth and that she did want to start again. Other than the obsessive, mean, bitchy, snarky comments and all the horrible events which I had to deal with (thanks to Sally), she might have been a really nice person.
Okay, maybe I wasn't ready to completely trust her and become 'BFF's' with her – but, hey, I'm an optimistic kind of girl.
But then there was the problem with Blaze. I needed to find her. It would be incredibly selfish of me to go and have a night out when I didn't know where she was, after saying that to her. But, then again, I was probably the last person she wanted to see and I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to find her. Blaze could make herself well hidden, when she wanted to be. And I figured that she'd want to be alone for a while, rather than face me.
I knocked on the door of our room, waiting as Cream pulled it open. She seemed to be by herself in the room, dressed in her PJ's and a cookery book in her left hand. She sighed, seemingly relieved, before pulling me in and closing the door.
"Oh, Amy! I was so worried! You just disappeared! Vanished! I was thinking about getting Shadow to arrange a search party! I was worried that Scourge had done something to you!" She babbled as my eyes glanced around the room, looking for my coat and make up bag.
"What? Oh, I'm fine, Cream. Really. I was talking to Blaze," I pulled away from the small rabbit, making her look younger and lonelier. She gave a small nod, watching me as I hurried around the room – pulling together a suitable outfit. I didn't want Sally to think that I looked like a complete slob now I was at university. A grey track suit was definitely not the appearance I wanted to have when making peace with Sally Acorn.
"How is she? We haven't seen her either. Silver was worried," Cream looked away, respectfully, as I tugged my top over my head and put on a green dress before replacing my trousers with black leggings. Unlike Rouge, who would get changed no matter who was looking (especially if it was Knuckles); Cream was a lot more private and embarrassed about that sort of thing.
I ruffled my hair before starting to apply a small amount of mascara, "Really? That's a good thing. The Silver-being-worried-thing. Not the Blaze-disappearing-thing. It's one step closer, I guess,"
"Yes but..." Cream was still watching me as I finished up and coated my lips in a shiny gloss, "...I'm worried about her. She doesn't talk to anyone. Nobody. Not even the girls. She just reads. She reads books that she doesn't even like!"
"You've noticed it too?" I straightened up, hurriedly pulling myself into my jacket and zipping up my knee-high boots, "Well, maybe we should wait for her to talk to us. We can't force her. She'll talk when she's ready,"
"Yes, I know, but shouldn't we..."
"Where are the others?" I strode over to the door, with Cream on my tail, "It's late. Shouldn't they be back?"
"They have been. Rouge took Knuckles out to a club,"
"I bet he'll enjoy that,"
"Silver's revising with Tails in their room. Sonic's still in the infirmary. Shadow's gone somewhere. He didn't say where. Cosmo is in the library and I don't know where Blaze is,"
"Right," I tucked my bag over my shoulder and wore a serious look, "I'm going out. Cream, please text me if Blaze returns. I need to know,"
"Right, okay. Yes, I will but..." Cream shuffled towards the door, before grabbing my wrist and preventing me from leaving. I was vaguely aware of my phone chiming in my pocket, "...where are you going? Why are you so dressed up? It's late, Amy. I thought you were coming back and going to bed. We could help each other revise for tomorrow's lectures. Haven't you got that report due in next week...?"
"I'm sorry, Creamy," I felt genuinely guilty about leaving her, but I needed to get going, "I really am. I promise that I'll make it up to you. But I need to go,"
"At least tell me where you're going!" Cream let go of my wrist, reluctantly, and poked her head out of the door to see me walk away, "I want to know! Just in case! I'll send Shadow to pick you up!"
"I'm going for a drink!" I yelled back, "With the most unlikely person you'd guess!"
(...)
"How did you get my number?" I asked, jogging towards Sally, as I held my phone out towards her, with the text displayed from her which was telling me to 'please come quickly before she turned into an ice cube'.
"I have sources," She laughed, giving me a sly chuckle before eyeing me up and down, "You look great! You changed, didn't you? How do you do it? I'd need an hour before I looked that good!"
"Ummm...thank you...and you look great, too! You must have been somewhere before, because if you look like that all the time, it's just not fair!"
Wait...this isn't me, I thought, suddenly, I'm complimenting Sally. Without a second thought. I didn't even have to think of something to say – it just tumbled out. Like I was talking to Rouge or Cosmo. This doesn't make sense. What is happening!?
"You're too kind!" She didn't seem to notice my sudden change in expression, "But you're right. I had gone somewhere before. I was out with...a friend. He- I mean, we, were just hanging. You know. I wanted to make a good impression. Anyway, enough about me! Let's get going!"
"Oookay?"
Sally raised her arm up as if she was offering me to link arms with her, but, she quickly dropped her arm to her side. I was tempted to link arms with her anyway. But I didn't.
(...)
"Okay, now you've really got to tell me how you and your friends are doing!"
We were seated at the bar in a pub on the high street called 'The Bride's Heart'. It was a nice little place – not very far from the university (thankfully, because Sally's heels looked like they would have murdered anyone who wore them for longer than a mile) and not too loud. It didn't look like a place that was going to break out in fights. I saw several people who looked like they came from our university. I actually saw a few people who I recognised. Four hedgehogs were sitting on the other side of the pub, looking slightly out of place, but seemingly content in each other's company. I remember the female black hedgehog to be called Dove, the white male one was called Shrine, another girl called Star and the pink girl's name was Savvy. I glanced over at them, curiously, but Sally tapped my arm and distracted me.
"Hey, what do you want to drink?" She asked, tossing her hair out of her eyes and glancing in the direction of the four hedgehogs, "And how come you're staring at them?"
"Umm...white wine. Please," I told the bar tender, who nodded, after Sally paid. I was about to dig into my purse and pay for my drink, but she firmly told me that tonight was on her, "And I wasn't staring...okay, maybe I was. Was it that obvious?"
"No..." She smirked, teasingly, "Not obvious. I was just curious. I wouldn't have seen you as the type to stare after guys when you're in a relationship. Especially since there's only one guy over there,"
"No! No!" I could feel my cheeks heating up and I was thankful when the wine came. I grabbed the glass and chugged down the liquid to cool myself down, "It's nothing like that!"
"Steady on, girl!" Sally was in a fit of giggles, as she took a small and lady-like sip of her drink, "It's not even midnight!"
"Yeah, well, at least I'm not the one knocking back the Vodka," I smirked, obviously joking, as Sally stuck her tongue out at me. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't grasp the fact that I had said something that blunt to Sally Acorn. It was like another person was talking. Or maybe it was the wine.
"You still haven't answered my question. You seem to be dancing around the subject," Sally placed her glass on the counter and stared at me, hypnotically, "It must be one hell of a secret! Since it's a simple question!"
"Er...remind me of the question again?"
"Tsk, tsk, Amy. The wine's gone to your head. How often do you drink for you to be tipsy after half a glass?"
I giggled, fondly, "Dream on,"
"How are you and your gang?"
I leaned back, feeling the memories rush to my head. A sigh escaped from my lips, "They're...okay. I mean, no one is dying of cancer, if that's what you mean. Although...I doubt that Shadow would even tell us if he were dying,"
"I see where you're coming from..."
Another sip of drink made me think about the question, "Well, you've obviously heard about Sonic. I still have no idea how that happened. He's run through more dangerous areas than a field and he's never even got a scratch! I don't understand how he hurt himself so badly. Then again, it is Sonic..."
Sally's laugh was forced. It seemed that I had struck a nerve when I mentioned Sonic, "Yeah, I see what you mean. You're right, I heard about the accident..."
"He's fine, Sally," I felt tempted to placed my hand on hers when her expression fell, talking about Sonic, "He's doing okay. He's actually allowed to walk and come back tomorrow. He just can't run or take part in sports,"
"Gotcha," Her smile returned, "And call me 'Sal',"
"Okay...Sal," I smiled, but the nickname felt false. That was what Sonic used to call her. It didn't feel right, "Umm...Cream's good. Doing cookery. Tails and Cosmo...well, that's complicated,"
"Complicated how?"
I paused, realizing that I had said too much. Tails and Cosmo would not want me to blab about their problems to Sally. I may be starting to trust her, but I was as sure as hell that Cosmo and Tails weren't, "It's not really my place to say, Sal. You'll have to get me drunker than that,"
"I can certainly try," She gasped at my expression, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I wouldn't do that! Ahem...anyway, how about Blaze and Silver? Are they good? Still lovey-dovey?"
"Y-ye-yeah," I thought that it was better to lie than say anymore about other people's relationships, "They're good. Happy, yeah, yeah. Umm...Silver is doing drama and Blaze is doing English,"
"Ah, yeah, I can definitely see Blaze doing English! I'm glad they're together. They're right for each other. What about Rouge? And Knuckles?"
I pushed the thought of Blaze and Silver to the back of my mind, "Rouge...still the same old Rouge. She's doing fashion and has actually buckled down and done work for it! Knuckles...history. He's really happy about his course too. It's amazing. I didn't think that they'd be so excited,"
"That's really nice," Sally seemed genuinely happy, "It's great that they've found something they both love,"
"Yeah, it is,"
"And, of course, how is Mr Sunshine?"
"Who? Shadow!" A snort came out as I laughed, even if I did feel bad for Shadow, "He's...well, to be honest, he's a little bit quieter. Maybe he's just feeling shyer, what with being in such a different and big place,"
"Or he's jealous,"
I frowned, "What? W-why would he be jealous?"
"Oh, Amy, come on," Sally's shoulders slumped and her head rolled to one side, as if she was mocking me. But her smile seemed sympathetic, "Surely you know about Shadow's crush on you?"
My eyes widened and I rocked back in my chair, slightly, due to surprise. I didn't know that Sally knew about that. She really did have sources, "W-well. Yes. Of course. He told me. But there's nothing there now,"
She seemed to sense my uncertainty, "Amy Rose...the main reason for Shadow and Sonic's rivalry,"
"Don't say that," I whispered, wishing it wasn't true. I didn't like hurting Shadow like this. It made me feel bad every time I saw him.
Sally bowed her head, apologetically, "Sorry. It's just...Shadow hasn't gotten over you. It's as clear as day. He really loves you, you know that, right?"
"Yeah. I just...hate doing this to him,"
"I get it. You've made your decision. You've chosen Sonic. But...was there something? A long, long time ago...was there something between you two?"
I hadn't even discussed this with Rouge, who I thought to be the queen of romance and love. Everything that happened between Shadow and me hadn't been mentioned. Shadow didn't even like talking about it, so I respected him and didn't bring it up. Sally was the first person to ask about it in a long time. She had once taken a photo of me and Shadow hugging, to destroy my chances with Sonic. And there she was. Asking, kindly, if I still had feelings for Shadow. I kept waiting for a malicious look to appear on her face, but it never came. I suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation to pour out all my feelings. But I swallowed my wishes and decided to keep most of it to myself. But here it was. The truth which I hadn't said to a living soul, "...yes,"
Sally sat back, waiting for me to expand and giving me space.
"I suppose...there was...something. A long time ago. I...I liked him. I thought he was special. And he is. But...I've chosen Sonic,"
"Have you? Amy...tell me to butt out if you want but...you don't sound sure,"
"What?" I laughed to block out my shock, "I have chosen! I've chosen Sonic! He's my boyfriend!"
"I know! I know! But...do you still feel something for Shadow?"
I couldn't break away from her. Where had this come from? I'd never thought...no. It wasn't true. I didn't feel something for Shadow. He was a friend. Nothing more. I wasn't going to do this again. I'd already gone through my feelings for Shadow and Sonic. And I'd come to the decision that I loved Sonic. Which was true. And that I didn't love Shadow in the same way. Which was also true.
Sally was wrong.
I didn't like Shadow.
I didn't.
I didn't.
I didn't.
"Let's talk about something else," I took a shaky drink before turning back to Sally. She nodded, feebly, looking embarrassed. She knew that she had taken it too far but looked too nervous to apologise. I took that as a signal to start a new conversation, "So, have you got a guy? Here's us – talking about Shadow and Sonic and I haven't even asked you about your love life! Is there someone? Maybe that would explain why you've been curious about Shadow. Is there a secret crush on Shadow that you want me to know about?"
"No! Oh gosh no!" She laughed, seemingly happy to change the subject, "No, no. Shadow's cool but not my type at all. Plus, there's the fact that he can't stand me. No, he's yours. And...I guess...there...might be someone,"
I ignored the comment about Shadow, "Oh! Really? Do I know him? Or her?"
"Him, Amy," Sally smirked, holding back a giggle, "And no. He's someone from my last school,"
"Oh," I gulped, "You mean...after you left Mobius High?"
"Yeah," The red head shot me a grin, "I mean, I can't stand sticking around in one place. I had to get out of there. It got too dull for me. I wanted a new start. Somewhere else,"
I nodded, agreeing with her, but knowing that she didn't mean it. She hadn't wanted to leave. Not really. But she had no choice. I couldn't help but fear that I was part of the reason. And so was Sonic.
"So...this guy...what does he look like?"
She smirked, raising her glass to me, "Nice try! I'm not giving any more clues! You'll have to do some detective work if you really want to know!"
"Fine," I smirked back at her, cheekily, "I'm a great detective!"
"I bet you are! Now, what are we going to do about the guys who are obviously eying us up over there?" I, casually, looked over at the males that Sally was talking about. As soon as I saw them, I groaned, not bothering to hide it.
"Trust me; you do not want to speak to those jerks,"
However, as soon as he saw me groan, Jet the Hawk dragged Storm over to us and barged his way into the conversation, "Hello, Ames. Long time no see,"
"Never call me Ames again, and what the heck are you doing here?!"
"I'm just getting a drink and hanging out with Storm! There's no law against it!"
"There should be," I muttered, turning my back on him, angrily, "Where the hell is Wave? I can't imagine that she'd like to see you harassing other girls,"
Sally raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on my attitude, "Listen, boys, we're here for a night out. And as good looking as you are, I'm not in the mood for chatting up. Please, return to your seats,"
Jet's attention was directed on Sally, "If you want us to leave, why are you flirting?"
"I'm trying to get you to leave in a nice way,"
"Fair enough," With a small shrug, Jet ushered Storm back to their seat, but finally called out to me, "Hey! Amy! How's Sonic?"
"Grrr..." My fists were clenched in anger, but Sally ignored it and sucked her teeth in disgust at Jet.
"Don't worry about it. They're gone now. I don't think they'll be any trouble. Not like some guys would be,"
"Like Scourge?"
"Exactly! Be glad that it wasn't him who wanted to strike up conversation,"
My lips stretched into a grin, "Yeah, I guess you're right,"
Downing the rest of her drink in one and running a stray hand through her hair, Sally spun out of her chair and grabbed her bag, "I'm just going to the toilet. I'll be back in a moment,"
"Okay," I mumbled, watching her leave and drumming my fingers on the table. I sighed, feeling my shoulders droop. Realization suddenly hit me. How was I acting so calm about all this? I mumbled to myself, "What am I doing?!"
"I was about to ask the same thing,"
I tried to not act surprised as I looked up at him. I should have known that Cream would have sent him out to find me. She did say that she was going to get him to give me a lift. I'd just forgotten about it.
"Hello Shadow," I replied, feeling my throat grow dry as he glared at me with his arms folded, "Want a drink?"
"No, thank you," In one swift movement, he moved past me and sat down in Sally's seat. I mentally begged that she would take a long time in the toilet so that I could talk to Shadow in private without either of them seeing each other.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed, feeling my cheeks heat up as I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Jet was glancing in our direction, "You should be...well, I don't know! But why are you stalking me!?"
"I'm not," Shadow muttered, gruffly, "I came to find you. Cream sent me. She's worried. What were you thinking?! I thought you might be investigating this 'Fiona' business. But here you are, having a nice drink in the pub with Sally Acorn!"
"Yeah? And?"
"Forgive me, Rose, but if I recall our time at Mobius High...you couldn't stand the sight of her! She was the thing between you and Faker!"
"Maybe I'm sick of feeling angry at her!" I snapped, glaring into his red orbs, "She approached me! She was kind! I thought that I should give her a second chance! Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?!"
He shook his head, disbelievingly, "Rose, she's had plenty of chances! None of us think we can trust her!"
"And if everyone thought like that – no one would ever have a chance ever again!"
Shadow paused, assessing my argument, "I don't want to see you hurt. If she is genuine, then that's great. If she isn't...she'll try and split you and Sonic up again. Or worse. You don't know what she's up to,"
"Thank you, Shadow, but I don't need protecting,"
He gave an unsatisfied grunt before turning to face the bar. I quietly sipped my drink, thinking of ways to get him to leave. Having Shadow here was strangely comforting, not that I was going to admit it.
"Didn't think you were a drinker," He mumbled, gesturing at my nearly empty glass.
I shrugged, "I'm not, not really. I just felt like it tonight. Do you drink?"
He frowned, before shaking his head, "No, thanks,"
"Can't say I'm surprised. Although, I could imagine you being a 'Whisky-kind-of-guy',"
That comment amused him, as a crack of a smile formed on his muzzle, "Whisky? No. I don't like the taste of Whisky. I don't like being drunk either. It makes me feel vulnerable. And besides, if I got drunk, who would help Silver and Knuckles when they're drunk out of their minds?"
"Hold on, when have you ever drunk Whisky?!"
"Rouge. She claimed that I needed to 'expand my horizons',"
"...I think she may have been trying to take advantage of you, there,"
His smile broadened, and it spread to me, "I think you may be right. Good thing that I didn't accept,"
"Yeah..." We shared a laugh, quickly and abruptly. I kept glancing over at the toilet door, subconsciously waiting for a chipmunk to saunter through the door. Shadow seemed to notice this and grabbed me by the elbow, dragging me to the door.
"Hey!" I snapped, lashing out at him. I didn't appreciate being grabbed or taken hold of.
"You can't do this," He muttered, not letting go, but stopping where he stood, "You know how the others would react,"
He had a point, "I won't make it a frequent event. And I won't tell them,"
"She wants to be friends with you. Soon, she's going to want you to introduce her to the others – so she can become formal friends with you,"
"Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing,"
"And what would faker have to say about that?"
Sonic hadn't even occurred to me. I didn't need to run everything by him. Our relationship wasn't like that. I didn't check up on him when he went out with Knuckles and Tails. He didn't do the same to me. That was the way we liked it. I could just do that same with Sally. And besides, this would be good for him. He could now have his girlfriend and his ex...well, ex friend, getting on and being friends. He'd have Sally back as a friend. He'd want that.
"It would be better for all of us," I replied, firmly pulling my elbow out of his grasp, "Sonic would have his old friend back. I wouldn't have an enemy. She'd be forgiven. It's a win-win situation,"
Shadow didn't look convinced, but he didn't object, "Do you want a lift?"
The suddenly out-of-context comment confused me, "Huh?"
"A lift. Back to the university. Do you want one?"
"Oh, uhhh..." I brushed my quills out of my eyes to see Sally making her way towards us. Her head was down and she was glancing into a compact mirror – but she soon looked up and met Shadow's stormy expression.
"...oh! Hello, Shadow. How are you?"
Shadow didn't react. I imagined that he was going through the same emotions that I was when Sally first spoke to me. He looked vaguely confused and mistrusting, but he straightened up and returned to his confident self, "I'm fine. What about you?"
"I'm good...errr...I was just...here and I saw you two talking..."
I shook my head at Sally's lie but was grateful that she was trying to cover up our meeting, "It's okay, Sally. I told him,"
"Really?" Sally's shoulders relaxed, as she let out a mock sigh, "Thank god. I was scared that you were going to scream, 'stay away from her' or something, Shadow,"
I vaguely heard Shadow mutter something along the lines of 'I can't promise anything' but a firm glare from me made him shut up. My phone buzzed in my bag, forcing me to glance at the new text that I'd received. It was from Cream.
1 New message from Cream
Hey, Amy. I'm sorry about interrogating you. I was just tense. And I'm sorry that I sent Shadow along. I was worried about you. I told him not to interrupt unless it was SUPER important. I hope your night is fun. Blaze has come back. But she's not speaking to me. I think she's been crying. Do you know what that's about? Cosmo's back but I don't have a clue where Rouge is. C x
P.S I need to talk to you about something. But it can wait.
Great. What now? Everything was going to pot. I still hadn't done anything about Tails and Cosmo. My plan to get Silver and Blaze together was failing. Knuckles and Rouge were...well, on the bright side, they weren't having romance problems. But they seemed to be drifting away from us. I still had that report due in – and I hadn't even started. And then there was Sonic and Fiona...
And now Cream had something to tell me.
And I was currently watching Sally and Shadow awkwardly glancing at me, waiting for me to break the ice.
"It's getting late," I murmured, shoving my phone into my jacket pocket, "We should probably head back,"
"Good idea," Shadow nodded, heading towards the door, "I've got my motorbike outside,"
"But that won't carry three people!" I called out, making Shadow stop – with his hand on the door handle, "You go. I'll walk back with Sally,"
"No, no, no," Sally shook her head, whilst waving at me to go, "I'll stay here a bit longer. I plan to get a little bit more wasted. Don't worry – I'll stay sober enough to not get off with some random guy,"
"You sure? I don't mind..."
"Go on," The chipmunk smirked, gently pushing me towards Shadow, who caught me in his arms, even though I hadn't tripped or stumbled, "Your carriage awaits,"
"Okay," I gave in, "Thank you for tonight, Sally, it's been...well, it's been interesting,"
"You're telling me," Sally hurriedly pulled out a pen and notepad out of her bag, scribbling away and ripping out the sheet of paper, "Here's my number. Just in case something happens,"
"Huh?" I took the paper, carefully folding it up and clutching it in my hand. Sally must have forgotten that I already had her number in my phone from where she had texted me, "What might happen? Sally? What is it?"
"It's nothing. Just...don't jump to conclusions. Not everyone is trust worthy,"
How right she was. Not that my naive, stupid past self knew it. My head was too full of plans to get my friends' romances back together to understand what she meant.
When, really, I should have been worrying about my own romance.
A/C – Dun dun dun! Ooh! Amy really didn't help matters, did she? But, I really like Sally in this chapter! :3 There's a new side to her which I hope the Sally fans like! :D I, for one, am excited about Amy and Sally's new friendship – but will it last? What is Blaze trying to tell Amy? And will they forgive each other? Find out in the next update! XD