I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Chapter Five:
First Lesson"

After school, Shadow walked with Sonic to his house. They both sighed with grief. Who could blame them? Sonic was about to take swimming lessons from the person he likes the least, and Shadow was about to give swimming lessons to the person he hates the most. How could this not go wrong? Sonic, and Shadow arrived at a white, and blue colored, two-story house. "Who in hell lives here?" Shadow asked.

"I do." Sonic said. He walked straght to the door, with Shadow at a distance behind him. They walked into the door, into a narrow hallway, painted a grand royal blue. "Mom, Dad! I'm home!" Sonic yelled. "And I brought someone!" Sonic yelled. Shadow could care less, only because he wanted to get it over with.

"Hi, honey!" His mom yelled, crashing into, what it sounded like, the wall.

"Sonic, your brother's running a muck, again!" His father yelled.

"Close the door!" Sonic ordered Shadow. Shadow didn't complain,... the expression on Sonic's face could only mean bad news. He rushedly shut the door behind him, and began to walk down the hallway. "I wouldn't." Sonic said, as Shadow walked down the hallway. He turned back at him.

"Why not?" He asked. Sonic was about to answer, but Shadow ignored him. "Whatever his brother is doing, I can handle." He thought. About twenty feet away from the door, and he saw something heading towards them.

"Heads up!" Sonic said, but it was too late. Shadow got run over by whatever it was, and it was heading to the door, until it was stopped by Sonic's hand. "Gotcha!" Sonic said. The cloud disappeared, and they saw a boy with shining white hair, and blue eyes, that appeared to be seven years of age. He was wearing white socks, black shorts, a white tank-top, and a blue vest. "Mach-One Speed! How many times have we told you "no running?!" Sonic yelled at the seven year old boy. Shadow stared at him from his landing position in shock, he never knew Sonic could be that serious.

"Sixty seven." He answered in a moody tone.

"And how many times did you disobey us?"

"Eighty two." Mach-One answered.

"And how many people have you run over?" Sonic asked.

"Fifty eight." He answered.

"And this makes fifty nine. You ran over a guest, now go apologize!" Sonic yelled. They walked up to Shadow, who was trying to ignore the sores Mach-One gave him. Sonic held out his hand. Though it annoyed Shadow, he accepted Sonic's helping hand, and got back on his feet.

"I'm sorry." Mach-One said. He rushedly walked away, seeming how he wasn't allowed to run.

"Am I going to bother asking?" Shadow asked.

"Mach-One, my younger brother, he has speed capabilities, like you, and me, only he can't control it, which is why we give him the rule of no running." Sonic explained.

"And he ran over me, why?" Shadow asked.

"When he starts running, there's literally no stopping himself." Sonic answered. Sonic's parents walked into the narrow hallway.

"Hello Sonic." His mother said, holding an ice pack on her head.

"And you must be Shadow Luminous, from the tutoring committee." His father said holding a hand out to Shadow. "Welcome to our home, and thank you for helping our son." He said, smiling. It just pained Shadow to put a small smile on his face. He hesitatated himself to shake hands with Sonic's father.

"Nice to meet you." He said, not moving his teeth, shaking Mr. Speed's hand. When, he let go, the smile was stuck, and it was painful.

"Uh,... come on, Shadow." Sonic said. Shadow was lead throught the narrow hallway, and was lead into a lower level that had a long, in-ground pool.

"Let's get this over with." Shadow said.

"Couldn't have agreed with you more." Sonic said.

Shadow was lead to a bathroom on the second floor, to change. Sonic, on the other hand, merely got dressed in his room. They both came out, Sonic wearing red and blue trunks, and Shadow wearing black and white trunks (couldn't think of anything else). They both grabbed a towel from the linnen closet next to the bathroom. They went down to the indoor pool.

"Alright, Faker, let's get this over with." Shadow said dully, stepping into the shallow pool.

"Ok." Sonic said, his voice filled with regret. Sonic made it only to the steps, but didn't go into the water. His eyes wide with fear, like back at the pool in gym.

"What are you waiting for?!" Shadow asked, impatiently. When Shadow saw Sonic's fear-filled expression. His forehead met the palm of his hand, gripping as tight as he could. "A childhood fear, no doubt." Shadow thought. He sighed. "I can't belive I have to be nice to him. I guess that's part of my punishment." Shadow added. "Sonic, listen." Shadow said, croaking on his words of kindness. Sonic looked at him. "This will be harder than I thought." He thought, clearing his throat. "Nothing's going to happen. It's shallow water, you can stand in it." Shadow said. Sonic smiled lightly.

"Thanks." He said.

"Don't mention it." Shadow mumbled. Sonic chuckled, and walked into the pool. "No. Seriously. Don't mention it." Shadow said. Sonic shrugged, and walked up to him.

"So how are we gonna start?" Sonic asked. Shadow hadn't thought about that, though, he hated it enough as it was.

"We'll start with a back float." Shadow answered. Sonic's fear only grew more.

"O...k." He said, fear binding his throat. Shadow sighed again.

"I swear, I'll kill myself at this rate." Shadow thought. " Relax." He said turning to Sonic. "You won't be moving, and, if it helps..." He swallowed something, he swore, he was going to choke on. "I'll hold you so you won't sink." He said. Sonic smiled slightly. Here comes an odd gayish part.

Sonic allowed Shadow to pick him up, and lie him on the surface of the water. Sonic soon became a bit less fear filled, and relaxed. When Shadow noticed, he, only then, slowly moved his hands from underneath him, Sonic, still unable to notice, only sighed of relief. "Never knew it was like this, almost like I'm actually floating." He laughed the last few words.

"You... are." Shadow said, bringing his hands above water. "Just start moving, and you'd be swimming." Shadow said. Sonic was surprised, and stood up. He started to allow himself to float, moving in the water. When he stopped, he turned to Shadow.

"Thanks, Shadow." He said.

"Though, I hate this fact, your lessons aren't over." Shadow admitted.

"Let's call it a day, and continue tomarrow." Sonic said.

"Alright, Sonic." He said, smiling. Sonic was shocked.

"You never called me by my real name before." Sonic said.

"I may just see things through another end, but Sonic..." Shadow said. Sonic looked at him. "Tell anybody about today, and you'll suffer dearly for it." Shadow threatened. Sonic smirked. He held out his hand, as if to shake Shadow's, but the hand was declined. "Don't push your luck." Shadow said.

They got out, and left the below ground level, pool area. They got dressed, and headed for the door. Shadow, bag in hand was ready to leave. "Later, Shadow." Sonic said. Shadow opened the door, and started walking. Sonic was about to close it, but he stopped, when Shadow turned back.

"Later. Faker." He said smirking. Sonic only grew a smirk, and shut the door.

"I wonder, if he was..." Sonic stopped the thought. "I have got to be kidding myself." Sonic said. He went to the dinning room to do his homework.

--With Shadow

Before Shadow had left Sonic's driveway, he looked back at the house. "I wonder if he was..." He stopped in mid-thought. "No way. It's impossible." Shadow answered himself.

Ok, so, not what most of you were expecting, but, I bet you were wondering what those two were thinking about in the last part. Plz. R&R.