Chapter 2 Cousin Nebula and Uncle Tails
Ding dong!
"I'll get it!" I called, running to the door.
I grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open. Standing on the porch was Uncle Tails and Nebula.
"Hi," I greeted them, stepping back.
"We're here for a visit," Uncle Tails explained, entering the house.
"Yeah," Nebula said shyly.
"Tails!" Dad cried, having just run in. "I knew I heard your voice. Good to see you little bro!"
"Good to see you too," Uncle Tails grinned.
"Oh, c'mon, you see each other, like, every other week!" I grumbled.
"Really?" Uncle Tails asked. "I was working with Knuckles the other day, and that felt like years ago."
"Only a couple of days," Nebula informed.
"Do I hear my favorite niece in there?" Mom asked from the livingroom.
"Aunt Amy," Nebula squeaked, running into the livingroom.
"I'm here to check on you," Uncle Tails whispered to me.
Dad nodded and asked, "the usual spot?"
"Sure," Uncle Tails answered.
Five minutes later, I found myself standing in a secluded clearing in the middle of the woods.
"Can we not?" I groaned.
"Too late now," Dad chuckled.
You may wonder what is happening. Well, you see, Uncle Tails has a more intellectual mind than most. 300 IQ when he was eight, I heard. So he's very interested in my werehogness, or whatever you call it. Lycanthropy maybe.
Anyway, Uncle Tails started asking me questions as he measured me in odd ways. I mean, what would you need with nose length!
"When was your last transformation?" He asked.
"Last night," I answered. He always started with that question, and unless the last night was a new moon, I always said 'Last night'.
"Anything odd happen?"
"Well, several days ago I watched a movie with Mom and Dad," I replied.
"Can confirm," Dad added.
"I meant last night," Uncle Tails clarified.
"Nope," I answered. "Ran around with werehog-hyperactivity and then fell asleep."
"How hyperactive were you?" he asked next.
"I dunno, about normal?" I replied.
"Not unusually so," Dad answered for me.
"Right," Uncle Tails mused.
"Are you done yet?" I asked, since I was pretty sure there weren't any more absurd ways you could measure someone.
"Just one more," Uncle Tails answered as he measured the distance from the tip of my right ear to my left eye. "Done."
"So…?" Dad asked.
I rolled my eyes. Every time, Mom or Dad, depending on who was with me and Uncle Tails at the time, acted like the results were such a big deal. I already knew what the answer would be, and if it turned out I was wrong, so what? It's not like it would kill me.
Although, if Uncle Tails said he found a way to cure me, that would be amazing.
"Average," Uncle Tails answered.
"Whew!" Dad breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whatever," I said. "Let's go back home. I want to show Nebula an extreme gear trick I just learned."
"Race ya!" my dad cried, speeding off through the trees.
Uncle Tails and I laughed and ran after him.
Five minutes later, I skidded to a halt in the backyard. Dad and Uncle Tails were already there waiting for me. I couldn't run nearly as fast as Dad, even in my werehog form, and Uncle Tails just flew over the trees in the obstacle-free sky.
"Took you long enough," Dad teased.
"He cheated," I pouted, pointing at my uncle.
"We didn't specify the rules beforehand, so technically I didn't," Uncle Tails argued smugly.
"If it was nighttime, I would have won," I stated.
"But it isn't, is it?" Dad asked.
"Fine, you win," I said, giving up. "Just don't let it go to your head."
"Me? Never!" Dad exclaimed, pretending to be shocked.
"Really?" Mom questioned as she stepped out the backdoor with Nebula.
"Amy! Good to see you again," Uncle Tails said.
"Nebula, come see this new trick I learned!" I said, running over to the obstacle course.
Nebula giggled and ran after me. The only good thing about Uncle Tails' visits, is that Nebula came over too. Sometimes, I could just pretend I was a normal girl with a normal cousin.
But that didn't stop me from accidentally hearing Mom whisper to Uncle Tails, "Is she still doing OK?"
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I ducked into the garage and pulled out my red and blue air board and helmet.
"I wish I could ride one of those," Nebula sighed.
"Here, wanna try on mine?" I asked.
Nebula beamed. I grabbed the knee, wrist, and elbow guards that I had by then grown out of and helped Nebula put them on. They fit well enough, so I gave her my old helmet. To both of our surprise, it fit perfectly.
"Wow!" I gasped. "I would never have thought a helmet meant for Hedgehogs would work for a Seedrian."
"I could ask Daddy to make a few adjustments," Nebula commented.
"Or you could do it yourself," I added.
"No way!" Nebula exclaimed. "I mean, I'm not nearly as good as Daddy. What if I mess something up?"
"Not as horribly as I would," I joked.
We both laughed. Then we walked outside, and I helped her get onto the board.
"I'll fall!" she squealed, clinging onto me.
"No you won't," I countered. "And if you do, I'll catch you."
"What if you're not fast enough!" Nebula asked, almost slipping, which caused her to grip me even tighter.
"Um, my dad's Sonic the Hedgehog," I replied.
"I can't!" Nebula cried. "Can I get off now?"
"Come on, please?" I pleaded.
"Oh, I'm gonna fall, oh, I'm gonna fall, oh, I'm gonna fall," she whimpered.
"Fine," I complied. "You can get off."
"I'm stuck!" Nebula moaned. "Oh, please help!"
Rolling my eyes, I lifted her off of the airboard and set her down on the ground next to me.
"Thank you so much!" Nebula said.
"Sure," I replied. "Now can I show you the new trick I learned?"
"Oh, yes!" Nebula answered. "I'd love to see."
"Hey, kiddos!" Dad shouted as he walked over with Mom and Uncle Tails.
"Hello, Uncle Sonic," Nebula greeted politely.
"It's about time to go home now, Nebula," Uncle Tails said.
"Aw, I wanted to see the new trick Stacey learned," Nebula sighed.
"You can't leave yet!" I cried.
"Why not?" my uncle asked.
"Because you need to convince Mom to let me not go to the summer party," I answered.
"Stacey!" Mom groaned.
"What's this all about?" Uncle Tails asked.
"Stacey doesn't want to be at the party in a week," Dad explained. "I think it's because of… you know… ."
"Oh," Uncle Tails murmured sympathetically.
I gave my uncle the cutest look I could muster and asked, "Pwease?"
"Oh, why do you have to be so cute!" Mom shouted, squeezing me in a giant hug.
"I can barely breathe!" I protested loudly.
"You too, Nebula," Mom said, bringing her in too. "Cutest daughter and niece ever."
"Um," Nebula stammered.
"Give it up," I advised. "When she gets like this, she never lets go."
"Oh alright," Mom sighed, letting us go, "but this doesn't mean you can get away from the party."
"But I really, really, really, don't want to be there!" I complained.
"Maybe she has a point, Amy," Uncle Tails suggested. "And if she really has to be there, she could just say hi to the others and then hang out in her room when it gets… you know… We can cover for her."
" 'You know' what?" Nebula wondered.
"But don't you want to see all the others?" Mom asked me. "I'm sure Star and Cinnamon would love to see you."
"And Pepper," Dad added.
"But what if they find out?" I protested.
"Find out what?" Nebula asked.
"Let's go inside," Uncle Tails said quickly.
"OK…" Nebula complied.
"But I was showing her a trick!" I complained.
"Party time!" Dad cried, trying to break the tension.
"Chilidogs for everyone?" I asked hopefully.
"You got it, Stace," Dad said.
Mom and Nebula both made faces.
Half an hour later, we were all sitting on the couch and chowing on chilidogs. (Well, Dad and I were, Mom, Nebula, and Uncle Tails had made popcorn.)
"OK, but we really should be leaving soon," Uncle Tails said.
"Yeah, there's this really awesome project I'm working on," Nebula added. "I can't wait to-"
"Shh, it's a secret!" Uncle Tails interrupted.
"Oh, yeah," Nebula giggled.
"Oh, come on, tall me!" I begged.
"I can't, it's a secret," Nebula explained.
"Please?" I asked.
"Don't pester her too much," Dad warned, "because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that whenever one of the brains is working on something, it'll be essential for survival in the future."
Uncle Tails and Nebula laughed.
"Well, see you next time," Mom said.
"The party I suppose," I sighed.
"Unless it's sooner," Uncle Tails replied.
I followed Nebula and my uncle outside and watched as they climbed into the Tornado. The air buffeted me in a torrent as the Tornado took off. I watched them disappear amongst the clouds.
"Whatever this party brings, it can't be that bad," I told myself. "I hope."