AMY ROSE'S NEW SCHOOL

Chapter Three

"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"

Amy had hoped for a chance to talk to Sonic while running laps, but she soon realized that it was nearly impossible for her to talk and run at the same time. Sonic, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problem. Unfortunately, he also seemed to have no interest in waiting for her.

"Hi, Amy!" he called as he raced past her, practically a blue blur.

"Hi!" Amy cried.

The next time he passed her, he waved, and called, "Get a horse!"

"Hi…huff…Sonic!" Amy cried.

The next time, he was running backwards, "Yma, Ih!" he said. He could even talk backwards while running!

Amy, on the other hand, could barely mutter "Hi," much less think of anything clever to say. Her legs felt like rubber. She finally stopped. As she gasped for breath, Cream passed her, breathing like a steam engine. She looked like she was about to pass out.

"Warm today, isn't it?" Cosmo asked, jogging easily past her. She hadn't broken a sweat! Amy was so going to get her with her croquet mallet!

When the coach finally blew her whistle and told the girls to hit the showers, Amy was staggering around like she was drunk.

"Whoa, hey!" a voice said to her. "You should cut down on the drinking!"

Amy looked up, intending to tell off the smart aleck, then saw that it was Sonic. "So…huff…Sonic!" she gasped. "I'd like…puff…to talk to…wheeze…you after…gasp…class!"

"You're kind of out of shape, aren't you?" Sonic said. "Listen, I know some breathing techniques that can help. I'll show you a couple after class."

Despite her exhaustion, Amy beamed from ear to ear. "Great! When can I…huff…see you?"

"I'll be running laps for an hour after school," Sonic said, stretching, "so I'll see you right here. Oh, make sure you do some stretches, or you'll have trouble getting up in the morning!" He dropped to the field and started doing push-ups.

"Hey!" a big, red-haired guy with big hands covered with gloves, yelled. "You call those push-ups! Let me show you how it's done!" He kissed his biceps, then dropped and started doing push-ups with one hand behind his back.

"Beat it, Knucklehead!" Sonic said. So this was Knuckles, the captain of the football team. He looked like he was all brawn and very little brain.

"You're just jealous, shorty!" Knuckles said. "Watch! One finger!" He did this a few times, then missed a beat and fell on his nose. "Arrgh!"

"And that's why we call him Knucklehead!" Sonic said, jumping to his feet. "Well, you'd better hit the showers before your drill sergeant comes out. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Sonic!" Amy called, waving. He'd noticed her! And he wanted to work out with her! Amy saw them boxcercising and doing aerobics every day together. As her fantasies went wild, she could see them at the movies and the mall and walking down the aisle together. She squealed at the thought.

"Hey!" the coach practically yelled in her ear. "Stop spinning around in circles and hit the showers! What are you, insane?"

Amy ran into the shower room. She crashed into Cosmo, who was just leaving, knocking the smaller girl over. "Oh! Excuse me!" Cosmo cried.

Amy helped her up. She didn't need a rich girl wanting to get even with her. Her life was already getting too complicated too fast. She practically had a date with Sonic, but she also still didn't have a clue how to help Cream get Tails away from this girl.

Cream was the only person still inside. "You spent a long time talking to Sonic," she said. "I hope things are working out for you, Amy."

"So far so good!" Amy said, trying her combination.

"So…what do I do about Cosmo?" Cream asked.

"Um…we'll discuss you and Tails after I talk to Sonic a little more," Amy said, trying her combination again. "He's going to help me with my running."

"Well, you did seem a little out of shape today," Cream said. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by that!"

"Don't worry about it," Amy said, trying her combination again. "Stupid locker!"

"Well, I'm going to the science lab," Cream said. "Tails said he usually hangs out there after school for awhile, looking through microscopes and things. He used a lot of big words, so I don't really know what he's doing."

"Yeah, sure," Amy said, trying her combination yet again. "I'll meet you at that little mini market down the street in about an hour or so. Then we'll go to the mall to work on Operation: Get Tails from Rich…Argh! I'm gonna kill whoever gave me this locker!"

"Here, let me try," Cream said. Amy gave her the combination. Cream opened it on the first try. "I…guess you…loosened it for me," Cream said, a bit nervous by the look on Amy's face.

"Thanks," Amy muttered. As Cream left, Amy sank down on a bench. "Ah, man! I'm pathetic!"

When Amy finally left the locker room, she looked around for Sonic. When she saw him, she froze. That purple cat was running alongside him! Of all the nerve! Didn't she realize he was Amy's guy? Besides, didn't she have a boyfriend at the dentist?

"Another obstacle in the path of true love!" Amy yelled out loud. "I'll show her!" She hurried down to the field and waited for them to run by. As they came around, Amy pretended to stumble right into the cat. They both went down.

"Oof! Hey! What is your problem?" the cat demanded.

"Sorry!" Amy said. "I tripped."

"Well, next time trip in someone else's direction!" the cat said.

"You okay, Blaze?" Sonic asked, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine," Blaze said, brushing herself off. "But my clothes look terrible! I knew I should have worn my gym outfit!" She turned to Amy. "I ought to give you my cleaning bill!"

"Isn't your boyfriend out of the dentist's office by now?" Amy asked sweetly. "You might want to make sure some other girl doesn't go after him."

"He's so clueless, he'd never notice," Blaze said. "Wait. How did you know Silver's at the dentist? Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, this is Amy," Sonic said. "She's a little out of shape, so I'm helping out a little."

"Yes, she could stand to lose a bit of weight," Blaze said.

"Oh yeah?" Amy yelled. "And how much do you weigh?"

Blaze sputtered. "None of your business!" She turned to Sonic. "Is she saying I'm fat?"

"You both look great to me," Sonic said, grinning.

"Well, I'll see you later, Sonic," Blaze said. She and Amy stared daggers at each other for a second, and then Blaze flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away like a princess going to her coronation.

"Now," Amy said, smiling. "You were going to help me out?" She batted her eyes at him.

"Got something in your eye?" Sonic asked. Okay, he was a wise guy. That just made him more interesting to Amy.

While Sonic was showing Amy how to run properly, Cream stepped into the science lab. She sighed when she saw Cosmo sitting on a table, watching Tails.

"So," Tails was saying, holding a test tube under a Bunsen burner, "by analyzing the aldehydes in this, you can calculate the ratio for the next experiment."

"That's…fascinating," Cosmo said. Cream would have laughed at Cosmo's completely confused expression, except for that fact that she hadn't understood what Tails was saying either. Maybe the poor guy was just a little too smart, she thought.

"Yes, well, I've discovered that by manipulating the spectrum, I can create different conclusions," Tails went on.

"That's wonderful," Cosmo said. "Um…will this take too much longer? Mister Zelkova is going to come bursting in here soon, I'm afraid."

"Good," Cream said to herself. Maybe that big galoot with the comic books would take Cosmo away, and Cream would get a chance to talk to Tails alone.

"Oh, am I keeping you?" Tails asked. "I'm sorry. I've already finished my work. This is just for extra credit." He laughed. "I'm not even sure why I'm doing it. Last year I got As in every class except P.E."

"Oh?" Cosmo asked. "And what did you get there?"

Tails suddenly flushed. "Um…a D, actually. I couldn't do the stupid chin ups. Poor upper body strength, I guess."

"Is that where you hang from a bar and try to pull your head up over it?" Cosmo asked. "Oh, I can't do those. I'm going to flunk for sure."

Ah hah! There was Cream's opening. "Um, excuse me?" she said.

"Oh, Cream! Hi!" Tails said. "Doing a science project?"

"Um…" Okay, how did she explain what she was doing in science lab? "I…knew you'd be here, and I was wondering if you knew anything about…astronomy…because…uh…is Pluto a planet, or isn't it?" D'oh! That sounded so stupid!

"Well," Tails said, "that depends on your definition on the word 'planet.' Do we judge it by weight or circumference, or by its orbit or affect on the other planets? According to Copernicus…"

Cosmo suddenly seemed fascinated by her shoes. Cream, unable to think clearly, decided to stare at her own.

"Note to self," she thought, "never ask Tails to explain anything scientifically if you don't really want to know!" Was he actually quoting Latin now?

"You speak German?" Cosmo asked Tails.

"Just a little," Tails admitted.

Great. Cream couldn't even tell the difference between German and Latin!

"Daddy made us learn a little of several languages," Cosmo said. "I got French and German, Nova got Chinese and Italian, Galaxina, she's the oldest, she got Spanish and English. Sunflower got Russian and Korean. I've also picked up just enough from them that I can order seconds in a restaurant in nine languages!"

Cream made a strangled sound. She was having enough trouble learning English, and Cosmo and her sisters were all taking two foreign languages?!? And Cosmo knew a little of her sisters' six languages too?!? Even Cream's Japanese wasn't all that great!

"Are you okay, Cream?" Tails asked.

"Would you like a drink of water?" Cosmo asked, opening her purse. "I always carry a couple of bottles of water. It's important to stay well hydrated."

"I'm just fine," Cream said. "Um…" her mind went completely blank.

"Oh, there you are, Miss Cosmo!" came a voice from the doorway. Zelkova stood there, chauffeur's cap in his hand. "I'm sorry, but your father wants to call a big family meeting as soon as he gets home."

Cosmo sighed. "I'm sorry, Tails," she said, taking his hands in hers. "But I've got to be going now. I'll see you in the morning." She gave him a peck on the cheek, then waved to Cream. "Bye-bye!"

"Good bye, Cosmo!" Tails said, waving. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, bye," Cream said. Well, now she was alone with Tails. "Come on, brain! Give me something to work with here!"

"So, how can I help you, Cream?" Tails asked once Cosmo and Zelkova were gone.

"You can dump her and go out with me!" Cream thought. Out loud, she said, "Um…I was going to the mall, and I wondered if you'd…like to come with me? We could…see a movie or something?"

"Thanks," Tails said, "but I really don't care for any of the movies out right now. And I really should be getting home as soon as I finish this last experiment." He turned back to the Bunsen burner. "If I'm write, this solution should turn from orange to purple once it reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit!"

"Oh," Cream said with a sigh. He had paid attention to Cosmo, but, now she was gone, he'd gone back to his work. Cream just didn't register to him. "I…um…I guess I should be going then. I'll see you tomorrow, Tails! Bye-bye!"

"Bye, Cream!" Tails said, barely looking at her. "See you around!"

Cream ran back to the track field. Amy was running laps with Sonic. Cream sat down in the front row of the bleachers. Amy seemed to be doing okay. What was her problem?

But Amy was having problems of her own. "Okay, I think that's enough for one day," Sonic said. "One more lap, and then I need to get back to my training. I think I'll run to the beach."

Amy gasped. "But that's nearly five miles!"

Sonic shrugged. "Gotta stay in shape, ya know!" he said.

And all too soon, he left her and started on his five mile run. Amy would have gone with him, but she knew that a jog like that would probably kill her.

"No luck either, huh, Amy?" Cream asked, coming over to her.

"Let's go to the mall!" Amy said, grabbing Cream's arm. "It's time we got serious about our goals!"

And so Amy and Cream were off on an adventure that neither one of them would ever forget.

Shadow walked slowly up the driveway of the old mansion. Once an elegant example of opulence, it had fallen on bad times. He'd hoped doing business with his father would solve the money problems his friend's family was experiencing, but his father was liable to change his mind at any time. There was always the chance that Black Doom might renege on any promises just for the sheer fun of it.

"Master Shadow," the butler said, bowing. "The young miss is in the library."

"Thank you," Shadow said. He crossed the living room and walked down the hall, his shoes making no noise in the old carpet. He knocked on the door to the library. "I'm here!" he called softly.

The door opened. "Shadow! I'm so happy to see you! Please, come in!"

"How are you today, Maria?" Shadow asked, sitting down on the windowseat.

"I'm okay," came the response as the pretty blonde girl sank down into the heavily padded chair in front of her desk.

Both of them knew it was a lie. Maria hadn't been to school. She was still in her nightgown. The bags under her eyes seemed more pronounced today. Her left shoulder seemed to quiver as she sat down. There was a fresh purple bruise on her right ankle.

"I'm going to lose her," Shadow thought miserably. "If I can't get Father to help her, to speed up research, to do something, the day will arrive when I come to see her…and she won't be here anymore!"

Maria smiled. It was a tired smile, but it was genuine. Nothing ever seemed to get her down. Not even the doctor's prognosis last year. "How are you today, Shadow?" she asked.

"I'm…going to be starting at your uncle's school tomorrow," Shadow said.

Maria giggled. "That's great! Gives me incentive to get out of my room and go to school!"

Shadow wondered why she would even want to waste her time at school. Her precious time. But he knew that Maria loved to be around people. Always had. Hadn't she sought him out years ago, at the stupid party? When the other kids had picked on him because of his origins? Hadn't she been the only one to talk to him, billionaire Black Doom's dirty little secret with a member of the hired help? Maria had always been there for him. And no matter what, Shadow swore he would be there for her.

However much time she had left.

In case you're wondering, I'm assuming this is Japan, so they're speaking Japanese. If you'd rather place them in America, just switch Japanese and English around.