drew barrymore, an amy focused one-shot.

inspired by the song by SZA.

Twirling in front of the mirror in her new dress, she admired herself happily as she lightly toyed with the sides of the outfit, adoring the light, pale blue colour of the chiffon fabric. She flicked her pink quills back, which had grown much longer as time went by, and continued waiting. She wasn't the most confident or the most secure like her bat friend, who she hadn't seen in a while, but, regardless, she loved the way she looked, and was ready to leave.

Amy Rose was no stranger to new dresses and long quills, but she recalled a time she was when she last saw her childhood crush, and the rest of her friends, and it only reminded her of long it has been since she last saw them.

A knock at her door startled her, before a wave of excitement filled her body knowing it was her best friend at the door. Before she left the room, she made sure to grab her phone, as she walked to the door and opened it for her friend. In the doorway stood an attractive, young chipmunk, dressed in a white shirt with a denim jacket, completed by black pants that showed her figure perfectly. She truly was beautiful, and her security was evident in her stance and posture.

"Amy!" she shouted excitedly, as she pulled her into a hug. Both girls giggled happily, ecstatic to finally be going out with each other. Suddenly, a loud, harsh beep alarmed the two and they separated.

"Come on! Save it for later!"

"Rouge!" Amy shouted, immediately knowing who it was. She could recognise that voice anywhere. The two girls ran over to the ivory bat and entered her car. After reuniting with Rouge, along with Blaze and Cream, who she all gave huge hugs to, Amy sat back. Lauryn Hill played softly in the background; Rouge being a fan of female rap.

"Where are we going again?" Amy asked.

"Weren't you on the chat yesterday? We're gonna meet up at Déjà Brew. We might also catch a movie after if the guys feel like it," Rouge informed, glancing at her in the mirror as she drove.

Amy sighed, relieved. She missed going out with everyone and she was glad that things were slowly going back to the way they were. Ever since Eggman passed, the group slightly drifted apart and only a select few would talk to each other. Sonic, however, was determined to get the gang back together and decided that they'd meet up; Tails created a group chat so they could talk more often after receiving all their numbers.

Amy, Cream and Sally talked in the back, catching up with each other while Blaze looked out the window in thought. Rouge continued to drive, bopping along to the beat.

"Yes, my jam!" Rouge shouted as she turned up the music. Amy jumped in slight fright as the volume of Beyoncé's Flawless rose. Rouge started to sing along to the lyrics joyfully ("I woke up like this!"), and Sally laughed and decided to join in with her. Blaze shook her head as she chuckled at them and Cream giggled at their antics. Amy just watched on with a smile. She had missed how fun they are to be around and how down to earth they were.

They pulled up at Déjà Brew, and hopped out of the car. A bell chimed merrily through the café as they walked inside the small, warm place. They took in the cozy, warm atmosphere of the cafe; the bronze wooden floor covered in armchairs of a similar colour that each belonged to a table, and the strong aroma of coffee and cake that wafted throughout. Ari Lennox's Shea Butter Baby played throughout the place, emphasising the warm vibe to the cafe. They walked past the counter, which had a huge blackboard behind it, covered in all the menu options. The warm-white lights lit up the room around them. They found where the rest of their group were sitting; Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow and Silver all waiting for them on a huge table. They all got up and gave each other huge hugs; Amy was first to give Sonic a hug, who hugged back and was as ecstatic to see the pink hedgehog again, just as everyone else was with each other.

...with the exclusion of Knuckles.

"Took you long enough," Knuckles said, eyeing the ivory bat.
"Don't look at me, Knucklehead. I had to pick everyone up," Rouge sassed back before taking a seat next to him. "Did you guys order?"
"No we couldn't because someone was late," Knuckles snarled.
"Someone seems obsessed..." Rouge muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Knuckles asked, feeling blood rush to his cheeks.
"Just what you think it does, Knuckie," Rouge teased with a grin.
"Settle down, Knux," Sonic scolded. "She just came and all she did was breathe."

Just then, a waitress, whose nametag read "Solána", approached their table and they all ordered from the menus, choosing from the selection of deserts, breakfasts and drinks, excluding Sonic, who ordered his usual ten chilli dogs ("I can eat as much of these any time any day!"), along with an icy soda. Amy wasn't feeling too hungry and decided only to order a strawberry milkshake.

Sonic looked over at Sally and gave her his signature grin. The chipmunk was one of his best friends and they had known and worked with each other since forever.
"How's you been, Sal?" he asked her. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

He was right. The last time they spoke to each other was almost a year ago when Eggman had last attempted to take over the universe—and failed miserably. The doctor had since passed and therefore the two, just like the rest of their group, haven't found themselves interacting with each other much and drifted apart.

"Oh I'm great, Sonic!" Sally exclaimed happily. "Things have been great in the kingdom, even though I wish I wasn't part of it at times." She paused for a second, almost as if she were lost in her own words, before turning back to him. "But yeah, everything is good."

The two continued to talk with each other and Amy couldn't help but to watch on in silence, taking a bit too much attention to how they laughed with each other and how Sonic looked at her. She frowned slightly, trying to push out the green-eyed monster building up inside her that she swore she would never deal with again and had long since gotten rid of. But she couldn't help but wish that Sonic gazed at her the way he did Sally, wish that Sonic found her as funny and joyful to talk to. She felt that she wasn't as fun to be with as Sally, or even as Rouge, recalling her antics in the car just moments before. Not only that, but Rouge and Sally actually had a figure...

Snapping out of her daze, she turned to Cream, who had lightly tapped her on her shoulder.

"Sorry Cream, what's wrong?" she asked. The rabbit giggled cutely in response.

"You were staring at Sonic again and you couldn't hear me!" Cream whispered to her excitedly, trying not to giggle too loudly.

Not this time.

Amy mentally cringed at that. She laughed it off, playing banter with the rabbit. "No I wasn't!" she claimed. She wasn't specifically staring at him in the way Cream thought she was, but instead in slight jealousy

"You still love him, don't you?" Cream asked her quietly.

"Well, yeah," Amy sighed. "But he would never love me back. Just like he never did when we were younger."

Cream opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the waitress came over and brought them their ordered food and drinks.

"There you go... enjoy!" the waitress Solána chirped, after she finished handing out their order.

Amy sipped on her strawberry milkshake, and tried to shake off her thoughts about Sonic, but, strangely, the more he laughed or spoke with someone that wasn't her, the more she felt pushed away from him.

Would Sonic ever feel the same way about her? Why didn't he look at her the same way he looked at Sally, or even Rouge? What was so special about them and not her? What did she have to do for him to notice her? Her overanalysed thoughts about him made her dizzy and stressed out.

"Are you okay, Ames?"

Amy broke out of her thoughts, finding the very person that was on her mind was speaking to her. Cheeks warm, she feigned a smile at him and replied, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Sonic chuckled at her response, making her heart melt. "You sure? You just spaced out a little there," he commented.

If only you knew.

Her heart warmed at his attempt to truly make sure she was okay, always thoughtful. "Well, just thinking about some things, that's all..." she explained, her voice trailing off at the end. Amy immediately regretted saying that because she knew that he'd ask why.

"Like what?" he pried with a teasing smile. Amy sighed, wishing the ground would swallow her whole.

"I'm not sure if it's something I want to talk about right now, but thank you for asking," she said, trying to brush him off. "It means a lot. From you." Maybe she would tell him. Just maybe. But the years have taught her to keep her feelings to herself.

Especially considering the fact they were in the cafe with all their friends.

"Well, as much as I'd love to know what it is, I respect that, Ames," he said with a soft smile. "Just know that I'm always here for you when you need me. Or need anybody."

"I'll remember that," Amy replied, finding the courage to turn and look at him in the eyes.

It was something about the last sentence Sonic said that had Amy no longer feigning her smiles that day.

"Rouge! I did not fight with the waiter!"

"Yes you did, Knucklehead!"

"Did not!"

"Did too. And you got into one the last time we were all together. And the time before that. And the other time before tha-."

"Okay, I get it!"

Walking their way out of the cafe, the group watched in amusement as Rouge and Knuckles were going at it as usual; the poor echidna constantly falling victim to the sneaky bat making fun of him. A satisfied smirk rested on Rouge's face as Knuckles turned as red as himself. He seemed as if steam was blowing out of his ears which made their argument all the more comical.

Amy smiled at her friends messing around with each other. The pair never failed to put a smile on her face when they were together. As much as Knuckles and Rouge argued, it was clear that they harboured feelings for one another, but neither of them would ever admit to that; Knuckles being as stubborn as a mountain that couldn't move, and Rouge being secretive as if she were playing her cards and holding them to her chest.

In a sense, Amy felt like that today. She has never been so reserved towards her friends in her life. Her younger self always had her emotions on show with such pride and bravery as she constantly chased after Sonic, never keeping to herself nearly as much as she did now.

"So are y'all down for a movie?" Sally asked everyone, turning in the other direction to face her friends.

"I wouldn't mind that," Rouge said. The girls all seemed to agree with Rouge, but Knuckles groaned, insisting he wants to go home.

"I don't wanna sit in the movie theatre for too long. See ya!" Sonic said and randomly sped off.

"...And there goes Sonic," Sally deadpanned. "I'm guessing that's a no from you guys?"

"Yeah, I think we'll just head home," Tails said. Judging by the rest of them, they all seemed to agree.

"Okay ladies," Rouge began before yelling, "Movie at my place!"

For a moment, Amy wished to be as fun as Rouge, but she brushed it off and went along with the other girls towards the car, which whisked them all back to Rouge's place.

"Bring the popcorn, Rouge! What's taking you so long?" Blaze shouted towards the kitchen. She, Sally and Amy sat on the couch in front of the TV screen respectively while Rouge and Cream were busy in the kitchen. The three girls had a casual conversation while waiting for the others to come and sit down for the movie. Amy felt peaceful sitting with two of her best friends, finally being able to talk to each other freely without feeling any of her insecurities because of a certain blue hedgehog.

"We brought tacos!" Cream announced, walking in holding a plate of tacos for everyone to take from. Rouge followed in right after, carrying two bowls of butter popcorn.

"Wait, when did you guys make tacos?" Amy asked, interested.

"I prepared them last night and brought them with me to Rouge's place this morning!" Cream answered, a smile on her face and a bubble in her voice. A blind person could see the smile in her voice whenever she spoke, and Amy loved that about her childhood friend.

"Thanks, Cream!" Sally exclaimed in delight, taking a taco from the platter.
"Hey! I helped her too, you know!" Rouge interjected jokingly with a smile.
Sally laughed. "And Rouge."
"They're delicious, Cream," Blaze said happily.
Amy smiled, having missed their get-togethers like this. "Cream would always make the best meals," she reminisced, feeling nostalgic, which made Cream giggle.

"So, what're we watching?" Blaze asked, grabbing the popcorn.
Rouge grinned. "I was thinking, Never Been Kissed."
Relatable, Amy thought to herself.
Blaze frowned. "The Drew Barrymore movie?"
"Yup!"
Sally gasped. "I love Drew Barrymore!" she exclaimed.

Rouge grabbed the remote and searched for the movie on the screen, before hitting the play button and sitting back with her girls.

Amy frowned to herself in thought. She truly had never been kissed. She never fell in love with anybody other than Sonic, and when she was younger, she found herself promising to herself that he'd be her first kiss. But did that even matter anymore? She looked over at her friends and suddenly wondered if they had their first kiss too.

"Hey, Amy? You okay, girl?"

Amy lost track of her thoughts and turned to her best friend Sally sitting beside her, who had tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Amy reassured with a smile.

Sally laughed. "I was wondering if you wanted a drink."

"Um, just some juice please," she answered.

After grabbing the drink from Sally, she watched the screen carefully, trying to focus on something other than Sonic and her insecurities. She suddenly noticed how Drew Barrymore was beautiful indeed, but she didn't have the casual traits of beauty that people usually focused on (in humans, at least). She didn't have the most attractive figure, nor did she have full lips or big, almond eyes, but still, the actress was beautiful in her own, unique way.

It was then that it came to her, with a true, genuine smile, that even if she wasn't as beautiful, as outgoing, or as attractive as her best friend sitting beside her, she can still be beautiful in her own way.

before anything, i wanted to mention that the café, Déjà Brew, was inspired by the one seen in StarryScarstar's story "It All (Re)Started in the Cafeteria". props to her. i recommend y'all read it if you like high school fics! songs also don't belong to me. all rights reserved.

i've been working on this for a long time, probably around july 2019. at the end of august, i moved from my home and had to find myself in a new place and had to move away from my best friend and therefore it was a struggle to keep up with my story or any writing for that matter. i'm so glad to have found the time and also energy to write this. it's been so long since i've written anything sonic related and this might or might not be the last. i'll still read around but i could come back to writing fanfiction. i don't know.

i decided to use Never Been Kissed as the movie they watch because it's SZA's favourite drew barrymore movie. she also makes an appearance in here as the waitress, if any of you picked that up. in fact, there's a lot of little references to the song in here too :)

i hope you all enjoyed this! leave a review if that's alright. i love reading them :)