Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Only Time Will Tell ❯ Girl Talk ( Chapter 3 )

I am so sorry that it's taken me this long to update, I've had really bad case of writers block recently and this chapter's been giving me a lot of trouble. I feel especially bad for making all the wonderful people who reviewed my last chapter wait so long, and I honestly can't thank those people enough. Your reviews were all unbelievably awesome and I loved each and every one of them! I only hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint…

 

Disclaimer: I know that you all know this by now, but I thought I'd stick one in here anyway. I do not now own Tails, Cream, Amy or anything else Sonic related that may appear in this story (as much as I wish I did).

 

Chapter 3 - Girl Talk

 

Cream's POV

 

It was dawn when I finally decided to go and see her. Don't ask me why I had to choose that particular time, maybe I just wasn't thinking straight. All I knew was that I had to get things sorted out as soon as possible, and she was the only one who could possibly help me. So after leaving a note on the kitchen table just in case my mother woke up before I returned, I set out across the fields to save time, a short cut that rewarded me by soaking my shoes and socks with morning dew. I left Cheese snoozing peacefully on my pillow. I wanted to bring him, I really did, but after forcing him to endure another night of my tossing and turning, I didn't have the heart to wake him from his slumber.

 

Looking up, I could make out the streaks of pale pink gradually mingling with the inky blue-black remnants of the night sky, as golden tints began to outline the fluffy, mauve clouds. The winter months meant that not even the birds had woken properly yet, and the ominous silence that followed me as I hurriedly made my way through the countryside proved that the majority of the world was still asleep. Not me though, I hadn't slept properly for the past two days. How could I when my waking moments were constantly filled with thoughts of Tails and that mysterious feeling I get when ever I think of him? That feeling that I'm experiencing even now. The most infuriating thing about it was that I still had no idea why! I spent hours trying to figure it out, but my efforts remained fruitless. And that wasn't even the worst part…

 

That night when Tails walked me home after saving me, I felt so happy. Once again the reason for this escaped me completely, but at the time I didn't care, I was too drowsy. But as I was on the verge of falling to sleep, snuggled blissfully in my warm, yellow duvet with my Chao curled up beside me, I remembered the one thing I'd forgotten during all the excitement.

 

Cosmo…

 

I could picture her pretty face as she bashfully told me how Tails had fought to protect her from Shadow's wrath over a year ago. How her pale cheeks reddened slightly as she described how he carried her bridal style in his arms while flying away, similar to the way he had carried me that very afternoon. And then a different feeling came; a horrible, sad, sickly feeling deep down inside. It was almost as if I'd betrayed her somehow, though I wasn't sure what my action of betrayal was. I felt like I'd intruded upon someplace sacred, someplace where I had no right to be, and it was these emotions which had plagued my mind these past few days, causing sleep to constantly evade me. I had to tell someone, to get it off my chest so that maybe, just maybe I could solve whatever it was that was troubling me.

 

Which is why I'm here right now, staring at the carved wooden sign which bore the words `The House of Amy Rose', wondering if I'd made the right decision. I felt bad disturbing her, it was clearly far too early for any sane person to be awake without reason, and if I'd learnt anything these past few years, it's that Amy does not like missing out on her full quota of sleep. I hovered indecisively at the bottom of the garden path for a while as the sky grew steadily lighter, the sun's rays chasing away the last of the night, intent on enjoying its few hours of glory up above before the darkness pushed it back down again.

 

I've come this far, no point in turning back now.

 

Mentally steeling myself, I strolling boldly up the pathway to the doorstep - or at least as boldly as I could manage. Brushing my damp feet on the bristly `Welcome' mat, I reached up on my tiptoes for the small brass knocker and knocked sharply three times.

You're probably wondering why I couldn't talk to my mother about my mysterious dilemma. The truth is I don't even know myself… it just didn't feel right, which is unusual because I can normally talk to my mother about anything. Amy seemed the natural choice, she is my best friend after all and she'd had quite a bit of experience when it came to dealing with boys and grown-up feelings. She's been chasing Sonic long enough. Plus I once asked Knuckles why Amy always acted so strangely around Sonic, back in the days when I first met the group and didn't realise how much she loved him. He laughed and said that it was because of her hormones. I didn't really get it, and I still don't, but I guess that they must be something to do with figuring out boys and it was one of those “You'll understand it when you're older” kind of things.

 

Presently I shivered as the chilly breeze raised goose pimples on my bare arms. Whishing I'd thought to bring an extra layer of clothing, I reached up and knocked again, this time harder and for longer, which wasn't easy considering my height. Eventually my persistence provoked a response, and a frustrated wail ensued from the heart of the house, followed by a loud thump and an impressive array of colourful curses. Then after a lot of scuffling around accompanied by some murderous mutterings, the newly awoken Amy started towards the door.

 

CRASH! CRASH!

 

I flinched and shrank involuntarily away from the entrance, half expecting it to swing open through sheer vibration, revealing a savage beast stomping down the hallway.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…

 

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

 

There was a brief pause as she struggled with the lock, then the door swung open with such force that my fur rippled with the resulting draft. And there stood Amy, her green eyes blazing as her usually soft looking quills stuck out rigidly in all directions. I watched in dismay as her trademark Piko Piko hammer materialised in her right hand, as she commenced waving it around in full fury.

 

“WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!!” she raged at thin air, apparently blind to who was cowering at one side of her doorstep, “JUST WHERE DO YOU GET OFF PLAYING PRANKS AT THIS HOUR?!!”

 

“A-Amy…” I panicked, stepping in front of her (though still at a safe distance from the heart emitting weapon) in an attempt to calm her down, “It's just me!”

 

“I HAVE A GOOD MIND TO- huh?” the pink monster blinked, mellowing slightly as she registered my existence, “Cream? What are you doing here?”

 

I bowed apologetically, “I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I really need to talk to you about something.”

 

I watched Amy's shoulders sag as she leant against the doorframe, yawning widely from tiredness. She seemed to have returned to her regular, friendly self now that she'd established I wasn't some sort of hoodlum (much to my relief), showing that her abrupt burst of activity was fuelled by indignation alone. I noticed she was wearing a long, white dressing gown, the fleecy kind, with little red hearts embroidered on the pockets and matching slippers. She had also acquired a small, angry lump on the right side of her head. The red and yellow mallet dropped to her feet and promptly vanished in a small flash of light. Any other time, this would have fascinated me, but not today.

 

“What could possibly be so important that you need to talk to me about it at six in the morning?” she asked, looking at me with bleary eyes.

 

“Well…” I trailed off, unable to find the words to start with. How could I explain to her what I didn't even understand myself? I soon found myself wringing my hands anxiously, an old habit of mine when things aren't going well. There were so many confused feelings floating through me that now I was here I didn't know where to begin.

 

Feelings for Tails…

 

Cosmo's smiling image suddenly swam before me, causing the turmoil I'd recently experienced and hidden away to resurface, and I felt my lashes grow damp. My memories of her are all so warm and gentle… so why do they cause me to despair now?

 

Amy's hand appeared on my arm. “Cream? Are you alright?” she asked, concern evident in the tone of her voice.

 

“I'm sorry,” I whispered, and before I knew it I was sobbing into her shoulder, my tears creating a wet patch as they soaked through the soft fabric. Seeing this, I hastily backed away, horrified at the stain I'd caused, “Ah! I'm so sorry; I've wet your dressing gown!”

 

“Don't be silly, that's what dressing gowns are made for,” came Amy's sensible response as she enveloped her arms around me and began to gently steer me towards the threshold of her house. Her expression was kindly, no longer showing any traces of her previous weariness. Once again, my best friend had managed to instantly switch personalities to the one that best served her current situation, in this case, her caring, attentive one. It was one of her most admirable qualities, and a trait which had awed me since the day I met her. Sniffing embarrassedly, I nodded and allowed myself to be led into the quaint country house, feeling terrible for burdening her with my problems like this at such an unearthly hour. She didn't even ask me what was wrong, but seemed content with guiding me through the wood panelled hallway into the cosy living room before I broke down again, never once pressing me for the details which I no longer felt ready to give.

 

Pausing briefly to sit me down on the burgundy sofa, she then continued into her bedroom, returning with a floppy, white teddy bear, which she dropped into my lap before turning to smile at me again.

 

“You don't mind if I get washed and dressed before we talk, do you?” she asked, giving me a small wink, “I focus much better when I haven't got sleep in my eyes.”

 

I stared dazedly at the plush animal splayed across my knees. It was my favourite one out of Amy's entire collection, the one with the little pink, velvety nose. I'd taken to adopting it whenever I slept over at her house, especially on the rare occasions that I didn't have Cheese with me. I stoked the bear delicately, taking comfort in the feel of its soft fur beneath my fingertips. Amy knew that this toy could always make me feel better when I was alone, that must be why she'd brought it to me now; she must have noticed the absence of my Chao. And on top of that she was offering to give me the time I needed to sort out my thoughts; she still wasn't demanding any answers from me despite my intrusion.

 

Feeling a rush of gratitude towards my friend, a looked up at her with shining eyes, hoping that she'd understand how much her kindness meant to me, “Thank you Amy.”

 

She waved my thanks away, “What for? I only said I was going to get changed.” I watched as she entered the bathroom for a moment, then stuck her arm out briefly to sling a pink “Pampering in Progress” sign over the door handle. “I'll be out in a few minutes,” she called form behind the closed door, “Tissues are in the top drawer of the side table.”

 

Following her instructions, I soon located the multi-coloured, square box and helped myself to some of the patterned tissues, almost tempted to smile at the tiny rainbow animals prancing across them. Already I felt a lot calmer, resting on the dark rose sofa cushions, listening to the faint, slightly off-key melody that was Amy humming in the shower, whilst still petting the cuddly creature spread across my legs. Simply being here helped ease my frazzled nerves, and for the first time since the day of the storm, I started to relax and take in my surroundings. I'd been here before of course, but Amy liked to change things round every now and then whenever she got bored.

 

Her house was pleasant and, surprisingly enough, nowhere near as pink as you'd think. That's not to say that their wasn't a significant amount of pinkness that dominated her home, but it was more in the form of small trinkets dotted around the rooms, and so it didn't had the overwhelming effect that most people would assume. Her living room wasn't overly spacious, but it was well furnished, giving it that homey feel that reminded me a lot of my own house. A deep magenta rug embroidered with swirls decorated the lacquered floorboards while the windowsill, side table and practically every other available surface was decorated with pretty jewellery boxes, ornaments, or vases of sweet smelling flowers (roses from her garden being the most popular). In front of me was a small fire place with pictures of us all in assorted photo frames arranged on top. There was one of me and Amy in our swimming costumes from when we took a trip to the beach this summer on the left hand side. A group photo showing me with Sonic and Tails had been placed on the right; Amy had even managed to get Knuckles in the frame! Lastly, taking pride of place in the centre of the mantelpiece was a photo of Sonic in his traditional `I look cool and I know it' pose, though one glance at the frame told me that if he knew the photo existed, he wouldn't be caught dead in it.

 

I felt a smile tug at my lips as I examined the glittery pink and red hearts that climbed the twisted silver wires enclosing the picture. Amy really does love him more than anyone else in the world, doesn't she? And even though Sonic has rejected her countless times, she's never given up or backed down once. She just keeps on chasing him. Even when we first returned home from Chris's world and Sonic was left behind, she promised herself that she would wait for him, even if it meant waiting for the rest of her life. I decided there and then that Amy was a far braver and stronger person than I could ever be. I doubt that I would be able rise so easily after falling down, I don't honestly think that I'd be able to cope if the person I loved the most didn't love me back… Without realising it, my eyes had suddenly strayed back to the group photo with Tails grinning cutely in the centre. I was standing right next to him, hugging Cheese as usual; we looked so happy and carefree. That seems like eons ago now, when in reality it was only a year and a half. What I wouldn't give to go back to those days when I just thought of him a friend. Just a friend…

 

So how do I think of him now?

 

In truth, I had no idea. But for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about how close together we were standing in that photo, so close that the fur on his arm brushed mine. Like when I first went to see him and he hugged me. Like when he rescued me from the whirlwind and carried me in his arms.

 

So very close…

 

“Cream…?”

 

I spun around in surprise, having not heard the hedgehog girl emerge from the bathroom and walk over to my side. She'd donned her usual attire, which looked adorable on her as always, the only difference being the beige plaster that had taken residence just in front of her right ear. She caught me staring at it and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

 

“Oh this? Hehe, I fell off the bed when I woke up,” she explained, unintentionally making me feel worse. She raised a hand to stop me before I could apologise, then tilted her head to one side and stared at me strangely, “You were miles away, what were you thinking of?”

 

“Errrm…” I murmured, averting my gaze.

 

I heard a small gasp escape my friend, “Omigosh! Are you blushing?”

 

“N-no!” I stammered, Amy's question having made me blush harder. She continued to stare at me in disbelief for a moment, then grabbed my wrist and dragged me back to the couch, firmly plonking me on the seat beside her.

 

“Right,” she said, looking at me with eager anticipation, “tell me everything.”

 

I twiddled nervously with the blue satin ribbon on my dress. This was it, this was why I'd come. Amy's curiosity was obvious, but instead of getting impatient with like I feared she would, she simply covered my free hand with hers and squeezed reassuringly. And so, taking a deep breath, I turned towards her and started to talk. I did exactly what she asked of me, I told her everything. Every tiny detail that I could possibly think of to do with events of the past few days. I told her about how I went to visit Tails on the anniversary of Cosmo's death; I told her how he embraced me when I cried. I described how he plucked me out of the air when I was about to be blown away, and the funny-Tails-feeling that inevitably followed. Then, finally, I explained about how I can almost feel Cosmo's presence close by whenever I thought of Tails in this strange new way, and how wretched it always made me feel. Amy kept quiet all the way through, nodding slightly every now and then to show that I had her undivided attention. Feeling drained of energy, I allowed my back to rest on the cushions behind me once I'd finished.

 

I looked at her apprehensively from beneath my eyelashes. “So do you know what's wrong with me?” I asked timidly.

 

When she remained silent, I was afraid that she didn't know; that my problem was truly abnormal. Then to my great surprise, I saw a jittery little smile playing across her lips, as though she'd heard something funny and was trying her best not to laugh. I blinked a few times, hardly able to believe what I was seeing. I'd just poured my heart and soul out to her and she was just sitting there, grinning.

 

“Amy!” I cried, feeling quite distressed at this point. Which of my problems exactly had she found so amusing?

 

Clearly unable to hold it any longer, she burst out into a fit of giggles before launching herself at me and hugging me tightly. “I'm sorry Cream,” she laughed, “It's just the way you were talking, I though there was something seriously wrong.”

 

If nothing else, this astounded me even more. After a few seconds she pulled back, wiping away laughter tears, then proceeded to smile at me, “Come to me with a hard one next time, `kay?”

 

“You mean you do know what's wrong with me?”

 

Her expression changed to one of sympathy, having realised just how worried I was, “There's nothing wrong with you silly, you're in love!”

 

I blinked. “In… love?”

 

She folded her arms and grinned to herself, apparently pleased with her deduction, “Yep.”

 

For a moment I considered whether she was joking or not, then I wondered whether she was just plain crazy. “You must be mistaken-,” I began, only to be abruptly cut off by a slender finger wagging in front of my nose.

 

“I am never mistaken when it come to matters of the heart!” she declared, getting quite excited, “Think about it Cream, all the signs are there! He's always on your mind, you blush whenever he's mentioned, like you're doing now, and you get butterflies whenever you're near him!”

 

“But I can't love him!” I argued as my voice started to raise humiliatingly, something that only happens when I'm stressed, “I've never though of Tails as anything other than a friend before now. You don't just fall in love with your friend because he hugs you!”

 

She raised an eyebrow and gave me one of those `welcome to the real world' kind of looks, “Sometimes it just happens that way, a girl and a boy can be childhood friends for years, then one day it'll just hit one of them that they fancy the other. Besides, look at me and Sonic!” At this thought she clasped her hands together under her chin, her emerald eyes glittering with the light of a thousand stars, “I fell in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him!”

 

Ok I admit it, I sweat-dropped. I couldn't help it, it's the effect Amy in `Sonic mode' has on you. Trying to get her back on track before I lost the lovesick hedgehog completely, I brought up the part which had been bothering me the most. “Well if I am in love, then why do I feel so bad about it?”

 

She sobered after hearing this, and returned her attention to me, her expression having expertly changed back into one of seriousness. Sighing, she took my hand again, “It must be because you feel guilty about Cosmo.”

 

I didn't say a word; I merely continued to gaze at her questioningly. Amy turned over my hand and started tracing her finger along imaginary lines on my palm; a practise which I assumed came from the days when she used to tell fortunes with tarot cards. Her touch tickled, but I didn't feel like laughing.

 

She continued sadly, “You and Cosmo were good friends; you knew how much she loved Tails, like you knew how much Tails loved her. And even though she's gone now, you must feel like you're betraying her since you've developed feelings for the one she cared for the most…”

 

“…Like I'm trying to take her place,” I murmured, finishing for her.

 

Amy shook her head, “You mustn't say that, even if it is how you feel. You've done nothing wrong Cream!” Now she was holding both my hands together in her own and staring at me intently. “Cosmo's gone. We all wish she was still with us but she isn't. At least she's at peace now. And I know that the last thing she'd want is for you and Tails to be miserable for the rest of your lives! So please, if you can do nothing else then at least stop worrying about betraying her.”

 

I nodded slowly, seeing sense in her words, “She'd just want us to be happy, right?”

 

“Right,” she smiled, letting go, “You know, I think Tails may be going through something similar. You've really helped him Cream.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I was out shopping the other day when I saw Tails picking up some parts from an electronics store,” she explained, “I actually had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things, I was that amazed! He hasn't been out in public for months; the poor guy's been too depressed despite mine and Sonic's efforts to get him to be his normal self. Before now he's just kept hiding away in his workshop…” Her eyes lit up at this next part, “But now it all makes sense! He's come out again because of you Cream; you were the only one who was able to get through to him!”

 

“I don't know about that…” I murmured shyly, fidgeting in my seat.

My companion grinned knowingly, “Trust me, I know guys. When a girl who's close to them affects them like that, feelings change. You two are growing up, the hormones have to kick in sooner or later.”

 

There's that strange word again…

 

Noticing my perplexed expression, she flapped her hand dismissively, “Then again, maybe it's still a bit too early for all that. But I still think there's a chance he likes you back. After all, you're clearly helping him get over Cosmo.”

 

Her words spoke to me in ways that I'm sure she hadn't intended, and I was suddenly overcome by a wave of emotion. Closing my eyes, I placed my hand on my chest and shook my head, “No… loosing a loved one isn't something you can just `get over'.” I could feel my beating heart throb gently beneath my fingers, as memories of a small robot plunging into the ocean washed over me, carrying the sent of the sea spray that had soaked my trembling form at that very time.

 

Emerl…

 

“Time may make it hurt less, but the love you shared with them never truly leaves you,” I opened eyes sadly and gazed at the floor, talking more to myself that anyone, “Tails will never get over Cosmo, no matter how much time passes, she will always be with him… And I respect the place Tails has for her in his heart; I won't try to take it.”

 

From the corner of my eye, I could see Amy staring at me wide-eyed. “Wow,” she breathed, almost too softly for even my sensitive hearing, “You really do love him don't you?”

 

I glanced at her, wondering if I'd misheard, “Pardon?”

 

“You've just admitted to yourself that you love him and you don't even realise it.”

 

“T-that's not true…” I said defensively, my stuttering not helping matters. But my voice went unheard. Amy's a great friend, but when she gets hyped up she's completely oblivious to most things around her.

 

“Ok then!” she jumped up and clapped her hands together, making the gold bracelets adorning her wrists jingle as they met, “You've managed to overcome Step 1: Accepting your new love. Now you can move on to Step 2!”

 

“Step 2…?” I echoed, clueless.

 

Amy reached over and picked up her phone, then proceeded to dangle in front of me teasingly. “Now you gotta ask your love out on a date!”

 

I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my entire life. I was up and at the opposite end of the room like lightning, staying as far away from the hyper Amy and her pink phone as possible, “Err, I don't think that's such a good idea...”

 

“Sure it is,” she said, advancing slowly towards me, “If you don't make a move then nothing will change!”

 

“Nothing would change even if I did, Tails doesn't like me that way,” came my reply as I dodged behind the table. Didn't she understand that he was still grieving?

 

Seeing that she wouldn't be able to catch me, never mind convince to call him, Amy merely shrugged and sat beck down, her fringe masking part of her eyes. For a second I thought I'd hurt her feelings, then I saw one eye gleam despite the shadows of her hair. “Fine,” she whispered, a devilish smirk spreading across her face, “but if you won't, I will.”

 

I imagine that my pupils shank to dots after hearing that that. To put it politely, I was stunned, so much so that it took the dull beeping sound of Amy dialling Tails's number to rouse me again.

 

“No Amy, you can't!” I panicked, waving my hands in agitation.

 

“Sure I can. See, here I am pressing the `call' button…”

 

“No, please!” I begged, “It's still early, you'll wake him up!”

 

“Don't worry about that. Tails always wakes up early, it's in his nature.”

 

“But, but!”

 

Amy raised a hand to silence me as the line connected, signalling that Tails had picked up the phone.

 

“Hiya Tails!” she gushed excitedly, completely ignoring my silent pleas in the background.

 

“Oh, hi Amy,” I heard his faint reply from down the receiver, “What can I do for you?”

 

Oooooh, this is bad! So very, very bad!

 

The hedgehog gave me a sly sideways look and grinned, “Nothing for me thanks, Cream wanted to ask you something. I'll just put her on.”

 

Noooooooo! What's she trying to do to me?!!

 

I shook my head violently when she attempted to pass me the phone, earning me a pitying stare before she casually threw the cordless in my direction, my eyes widening in horror as she did so. She thinks she knows me so well, relying on the fact that she knows I wouldn't let it drop in case it broke when it hit the floor. Well maybe I should surprise her! While I was pondering this, I felt my hands instinctively close around the plastic object flying through midair, and to my dismay found the phone already in my clutches.

 

Why does Amy always have to be right about me?

 

“Cream? Is that you?” came Tails's far away voice.

 

Timidly, I lifted the receiver to my ear, dreading the outcome of our conversation, “It's me.”

 

“Hey, how are you?” he asked, his tone becoming much brighter the moment he'd confirmed my voice's identity. Was that just my imagination, or was he genuinely happy to hear from me? My insides began to grow pleasantly warm as I answered,

 

“I'm fine thank you.”

 

“That's good to know, I was still a little worried after what happened the last time we met.” He cut himself short for some reason and cleared his throat awkwardly, “Anyway, what did you want to ask me?”

 

The warm feeling disappeared in an instant, as though someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water over my head, leaving me drenched from head to toe. I didn't have any idea what to say, not even the slightest clue. All I knew was that I couldn't possibly ask him out like Amy wanted. If Tails knew how I felt… he might not want to be friends with me anymore. To me, such a fate would be even worse than simply being told that he didn't love me back. Besides, I'm sure Amy is over exaggerating, there's no way I can possibly love Tails in anything other that a platonic sense. There's just no way…

 

“Er... are you still there?”

 

I snapped back to reality, alarmed that I'd been so rude as to have kept my friend waiting. “Yes, yes! I'm still here!” I practically shouted through the mouthpiece.

 

He chuckled slightly, sensing my embarrassment, “Its alright, you can calm down, I'm not in any rush or anything. So what's up?”

 

“Errm…”

 

What on earth am I supposed to say?!

 

I shook myself as I desperately searched the recess of my mind for a plausible question. There had to be something that I wanted to ask him, something that only he could answer. There were, of course, a great many things that only someone as intelligent as Tails could explain, but all of them were far to advanced for me.

 

“Go on, you can ask me,” the kitsune probed gently.

 

Come on Cream, think!

 

What else could Tails do apart from create complicated inventions? Well he could fly, that one was obvious, but then again so could I, even if my talent was not as strong as his. Then I was hit with a sudden bolt of inspiration.

 

“Flying!” I called out hastily, praying that he'd believe I was sincere, “Could you please teach me to fly?”

 

“Huh? But you can already fly,” stated Tails, sounding rather puzzled at my unusual request. I didn't blame him, if he was half as confused as I was at that moment in time, then his head must be spinning like Sonic with a ring.

 

“Ah, no, what I mean is…” I tried to elaborate whilst pretending not to see Amy mouthing instructions to me from the opposite end of the room, “I was wondering if you could please teach me to fly your plane. I know that you taught me how to fly that spacecraft you made for me while we were in space, but I haven't been able to practise in over a year, so I'm afraid that I've lost the knack of it.”

 

No sooner than I'd said the words, I clamped my hand over my mouth, terrified. What if my asking triggered his sad memories of Cosmo again? Cursing my stupidity, I prepared to apologise for my thoughtlessness, only to be stopped in my tracks by the sound of the fox's cheery reply.

 

“Sure, I'd love to help you,” there was that awkward little cough again as though he'd just realised what he'd said, then he recovered, sounding reasonably happy again. “It'll be good practise for you to try the plane; the controls are slightly different to the spacecraft so we'll be able to see how well you adjust. Plus I think it'll be good to get out again…”

 

My face flushed uncontrollably, “T-thank you so much Tails!”

 

I was so surprised; I honestly didn't think that he'd be that eager to help me. We exchanged a few more words, arranging to meet up later that day, another part of our conversation that shocked me. I expected him to me busy or tired, that my lesson would be sometime next week, if not later. But he ensured me over and over again that I wasn't troubling him in the slightest (I had to check more than once, I hate causing problems for my friends) and that he was more than happy to meet me that afternoon, like he first suggested. And so after thanking him once more, I hung up with a sigh of relief, grateful that I'd managed to come up with a satisfying question when put on the spot. Tails's words lingered in my mind as I slowly returned the phone to its original place. “Sure, I'd love to help you.”

 

He hadn't emphasised the word `love' in any way, yet for some reason it was this sentence that continued to reply in my head, as though someone had set it on constant loop. The warmth in my cheeks failed to subside like it normally did, the pink tinge clinging stubbornly to my pale fur.

 

“Soooo,” Amy gave me a playful dig in the ribs, making me jump about two feet in the air, “He'd love to help you, eh? That wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said ask him out on a date, but it's good enough for now.”

 

I rounded on her, feeling rather annoyed that she made me jump so high, “That was really unfair of you Amy, you know I couldn't ask him that! Tails and I are just friends.”

 

“Yeah, for now,” she winked, clearly enjoying herself. Seeing my expression, she tried to summon up some remorse, “I'm sorry, it's just you two make such a cute couple, and I honestly think that he may like you back. You'll just have to give him time.”

 

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Ten minutes later I found myself at the bottom of paved path leading up to Amy's front door, after having nearly tripped over the wonky flag stone due to my haste on the way down. My new mentor had thrust me out of the doorway in obvious delight, instructing me to return home as fast as my ears could carry me in order to prepare myself for my `date'. Fighting back a sigh, I gave my friend one last wave before starting the journey home on foot. As much as I appreciated her advice, the morning's developments had exhausted me, and my poor ears didn't feel up to sustaining flight. Must be all those sleepless nights making a comeback. Baby sunbeams streamed joyfully through the cotton-wool clouds and landed on my head, though they brought little warmth with them at 7:30 in the morning. I'd have to wait till they matured at midday for that.

 

Checking that Amy's house was out of sight, I leant lightly again the nearest sapling, giving the childish breeze permission to play with my flying appendages. I still couldn't believe that Amy did that to me. I understand that she was only trying to help, but at the same time, I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was all about to go terribly wrong. And now I have to have a piloting lesson with Tails… I hope I'll be able to handle it ok. Then the truth dawned on me.

 

Oh my gosh! I'm going to have to fly the X-Tornado!

 

I hadn't even considered what I'd have to fly when I'd first asked. The X-Tornado was huge and difficult to manoeuvre unless you were an experienced pilot, there's no way someone like me could possibly fly it! I bet it's a lot more complicated than my little spaceship too. I cradled my head in my hands, whishing that Cheese was with me to provide some squeaks of reassurance.

 

What have I gotten myself into…?

 

End

 

I hope this update wasn't too boring, its one of those chapters that's necessary in order for the story to progress, but not much happens in it. (Sighs)I tried my best to make it interesting, I really did. I'm really sorry if I failed though. I promise that the next chapter will be much better, and hopefully quicker to write too. But until then, please review for me. I'd really, really appreciate it if you did.

 

Till next time,

 

fairy-girl