A New Hope -Sonamy-

     I looked down at the invitation in my hand, although I didn't need to. Bright lights, sweet music, and happy voices told me that I had arrived at my destination. The annual Spring Dance. It was being held to celebrate the coming of spring.  It was open to anyone who wanted to come. A few people were invited to come, though.

"So...this is it?" Cream asked from beside me. She had asked me to come with her because she had no one to go with and she didn't want to be all alone.

I smiled, "Yep! This is it! You ready to go in?"

"Ah, well..." she looked down at her long, shimmering baby-blue dress and shiny white flats "do you think I look okay...?"

"No," I said "I think you look stunning! Come on."

"B-b-but..." she turned her brown eyes toward me and whispered, "I'm scared." Her eyes became glassy. I understood (because I had been in her shoes) that putting my arm around her and whispering comfort in her long ears would only make her break down and start crying. She needed confidence, not pity. So I gave her a big smile.

"Hey, don't do that, you'll smear your eye makeup!" I said cheerily as I carefully dabbed her eyes with a hankie, "Now listen, the important thing is having fun, not what other people think of you, not that that would be an issue...you look great! Now," I took her trembling gloved hand in mine, "ready to go have some fun?"

"Well I...yes. Yes I am!" she responded, trying hard not to show how insecure she felt as I led her into the ballroom.  Poor girl. I remembered when I was 11. It's a scary age, at least it was for me. You start to realize that you're not always going to have a flat chest and a pimple-free face. You start to understand that your a young woman and what it means to be one. It doesn't help at all when you have a crush on someone older than you...

"You think Sonic will be there?" the cream-colored rabbit asked me. I stopped. I didn't know why she was asking.

"Why do you ask?" I continued walking.

"Well..." she said "Tails said he wouldn't be able to come because he had to work on something. So I thought Sonic might stay and help."

I smiled. I knew Sonic WAY better than that. "Sonic wouldn't let hardly anything keep him from a good time like this! I'm sure he was the first one here. Besides, I don't think Tails would want Sonic in the workshop when he was trying to focus."

Cream sighed, "I wish Tails had come..."

"Hi girls!" As if on cue, we turned around to see the sandy-colored fox pull up in his Cyclone. When he hopped out, I could see that he was wearing a dark cool-gray tux with a cute blue bow tie that matched the color of his eyes exactly.   

"Your late!" I joked.

"Yeah, well I was working hard today so I could be done in time...for..." he trailed off as his eyes wandered to Cream. "uh...hi-" his voice cracked and he cleared his throat, "Hi Cream."

"Hello." Her cheeks turned bright red in a way that was very flattering to her cute round face. Tail's jaw dropped.

"Weeeellll..." I said smugly "Looks like I'm not needed here any more. Cream seems to have someone else to go with after all!"

"A-Amy! I-I...I" the rabbit stammered.

"Good luck!" I ran inside leaving Tails and Cream standing there looking lost. I figured that they'd go in together after a few moments of awkward silence and then maybe some stuttering. Besides, now that Cream had Tails to keep her company I intended to do the thing I had done since I had laid my eyes on my first and only love.

I was going to track down Sonic.

This time, though, I was determined not to get all excited when I saw him. I wasn't even going to approach him. I was just going to make myself available to him and for once let HIM ask ME to dance! But I was not going to be a wall flower ether. Maybe I'd even dance with someone else to spark his natural male jealousy and sense of competition. Doesn't sound like me, does it?

Actually, it wasn't my idea...

Before the dance, Rouge took it upon herself to drag me aside and give me some advice. I had objected.

"You think I don't know how Sonic is?! I've only been following him since forever!" I had said.

She smirked "And he still isn't yours, is he?".

I had to admit that she had a point. So I gave in and listened to what she had to tell me. After all, she IS and adult and I've seen guys drool all over her since I had met her when she was 17, and I'm sure they had done it before then, too.

Snapping back to the present, I caught sight of the mysterious white bat. I also noticed the strong form of Knuckles the Echidna standing beside her with her arm in his. Yep, Rouge defiantly knew what she was talking about when it came to guys. Not only had she somehow made Knuckles (of all people) go from wanting to kill her to falling madly in love with her, but she was turning just about every male head in the room. The way she swayed her shapely hips made the high slit in her tight, sparkling red dress move just so. He bare shoulders moved back and forth with her hips as she walked so her low shirt was even more noticeable then when she was just standing still. There were more people gawking at her then Knuckles could glare at.

I looked down at myself.  I had picked out a red dress too (after all, it IS my best color)  but mine had a whole different flavor. The collar of the dress was fastened around the base of my neck, allowing it to be backless, but not showing any cleavage (to be honest, even at 16 I didn't have much to show). It then flowed down until it hung about my ankles, allowing the gold high heels that matched my new headband to peek through. The slit running from just below my waistline on down reviled a lightweight white fabric underneath the heavier crimson material.

I know I shouldn't be jealous of Rouge getting that kind of attention, but it was hard not to be. After all, she was so beautiful, and I was...well...kinda plain.

Thats when I saw Sonic. He was amidst a group of girls that were older than me (and probably better looking) talking and laughing.  Well! I though Don't they look like their having a good old time! I knew I was being unreasonable, but just the same I felt my heart begin to pound as I felt the burning feeling of jealousy I was so familiar with rise in my throat. Normally, I would go up to Sonic and put my arm in his of give him a hug to let them know that they had some competition. But I didn't. I was going to give Rouge's strategy a go. If it works for her I see no reason why it wouldn't work for me.  

And then I thought about it. I had been following Sonic for so long and he had always pushed me away, it had never occurred to me that maybe it was time for me to give up this wild goose chase. If Sonic had not excepted me for this long, he sure wasn't going to now. He WAS 3 years older than me, it wasn't exactly fair of me to deprive him of the opportunity to find someone more his age.

Sonic's emerald-green eyes met mine, I had to turn away. Giving him up wasn't easy for me, after all. I hid myself in the crowd by the snack bar, and poured myself some punch. I took a sip and set it back on the table. Have you ever gone after something for a long time, and then realized that (after all the blood, sweat, and tears that you put into it) it was never going to happen; that lost and empty felling that seems to eat away at your stomach. That's what I was feeling. My head swam. I tried to think about what I was going to do next when I felt a cool touch on my hand.

I had been too immersed in thought to notice the dark figure of a deep blue, almost black hedgehog come up beside me. His crimson eyes gazed into mine.

"If you do not mind me saying," he began in a strange voice, "you are much too attractive to be a wall flower."

"Me? Well...uh, thank you." I stuttered.

He smiled at me. "No need to thank me for stating such an obvious truth."

I didn't know what to say. Normally, when in this situation, I would have told him that I already had a boyfriend. But now that I was willing to give Sonic some space, I wasn't sure what to do.

"Would you do me the honor of letting me  have this dace with you?"

What have I got to loose? I thought. I let him take my hand. His cold fingers entwined with mine.

"What am I to call you?"

He put his arm around my waist.

I swallowed. "Amy Rose."

He pulled me close.

"A pretty name, for a pretty face."

He spun me out onto the dance floor.