To Silver's delight, he wasn't followed by Honey. To his dismay, he was followed.

"So...you and Blaze, huh?" Gadget started nonchalantly.

Silver gripped his sock ball tighter and let out a forced chuckle. "I don't know where you guys heard that."

"So it's true?" Gadget asked, like an eager puppy.

"I'm saying it's not," Silver shot back quickly, completely crimson.

Gadget pushed up his glasses with a paw, hiding a smug grin. Then his glasses skittered away as a sock ball slammed into his face.

"Ha-hah!" Knuckles crowed from behind them. "Gotcha, baby!"

"Yep, that would...seem to be the case," Gadget muttered indignantly, squinting to locate his glasses. Knuckles jogged towards them to retrieve his sock ball.

"Hey-hey-hey!" Gadget interjected, catching Knuckles' foot, which threatened to crush his glasses. "Watch where you're stepping, you menace."

"Menace. That's a good one," Knuckles rumbled in deep laughter, clapping Gadget on the back. Gadget nearly collapsed on the ground. "Anyway, who was your target?"

"Tails. And careful how you throw it. Lucky I had my glasses on; you're liable to give Tails a black eye." Gadget stood, inspecting his glasses for any bends. Then, satisfied, he turned back to Silver. "Oh. Good luck." He snickered as Silver's complexion began to match Knuckles'.

"Good luck with what?" Knuckles asked cluelessly as Gadget made his way back to the study room, "home base".

"Never mind," Silver replied quickly. "Have you seen Sonic? Or Blaze?"

"Uh, yeah, Sonic is with Tails somewhere in the basement." Knuckles tensed. "You don't have me, do you?"

"I have Blaze," Silver said, then furrowed his brow. "Wait, why would you even - why would I ask you where she was if I had you? -"

"Listen, Silv, I just throw the socks. I don't strategerize," Knuckles declared as he led Silver down the basement stairs.

Knuckles flattened himself against the stairs halfway down. "He's on the far end. He doesn't see us. Do not engage."

"You're a nerd," Silver said loftily, cruising past Knuckles and moving out into the hallway. Sonic was, indeed, at the far end, Tails in tow. They were covering each other's backs.

As they noticed Silver, both prepared to run. "Who's your target?" Sonic asked in a whisper audible to the entire building.

"Blaze. She isn't here?"

"She is not, in fact, here," Sonic said, unusually carefully. "Care to join us?"

"You said that really suspiciously," Silver whispered, giving him a side eye, "but okay."

"I think Blaze saw you and ran upstairs," Tails told him in a confidential tone. Sonic suppressed a giggle. Silver narrowed his eyes.

"What's that?" Silver asked.

"What's what?"

"You just laughed."

"I definitely did not just laugh," Sonic managed through choked-back laughter.

"You definitely - oh, whatever." Silver began to climb the stairs, motioning for the others to follow.

"Sure is nice that Blaze showed up, huh?" Sonic chuckled as they ascended.

"...um, yeah," Silver replied. "What are you saying?"

"Nothin'." Then Sonic and Tails burst into laughter.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Alright, Sonic, let's have it out. Why'd you tell Honey I like Blaze?"

"You like Blaze?" Sonic asked, stopping and raising his eyebrows. "I was kidding!"

"You told Honey?" Tails asked, surprised.

Silver's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, you didn't know?"

"Wait, you actually like her?"

"I knew," Tails offered.

"Of course I actually like her!" Silver groaned indignantly. "Who did you tell?"

"Just Honey," Sonic said, "I swear!"

"That's enough for it to get around to the entire school in a few days," Tails remarked unhelpfully.

"Wonderful," Silver sighed.

"Speak of the devil," Tails continued. "Blaze at 3 o'clock."

"So if you didn't know, then what was so funny?!"

"Oh!" Sonic broke into his characteristic grin as he tossed his socks at Silver. "I had you."

If looks could kill, Sonic would have been six feet under.

Silver became acutely aware of the twitching in his eye as he returned to the study hall. The rest of his face must have been just as expressive, as Amy immediately asked what was wrong as he sat down.

"That obvious?" Silver replied.

"You couldn't keep a secret from a deaf person," Amy tittered. "What's up?"

"College drama is bull!$#." Silver groaned. In his few encounters with Amy, he knew her to be a good listener, a good skill for a psych major.

"Preach," she smiled sympathetically. She propped her chin in her hands. "The only good drama are the ones the performing arts kids put on. Oh, by the way, I heard Blaze is playing violin in the pit for the show...I can't think of the name…"

Without thinking, Silver replied instantly, "Oh, yeah, Oklahoma! And she's playing viola for that one, actually, they didn't have enough-"

"-So it's true?" Amy asked as a smirk spread like a lazy dog across her face.

Silver's ears flattened in annoyance. Life was about to get much more difficult, unless he did something drastic.