catfished

ch 4; the wasted hedgehog

Shadow stands among a small group outside the bar. But with a few meters away from the door, since they weren't allowed to smoke there.
The hedgehog inhales smoke when he notices something red running toward the bar, in the corner of the eye.
He turns the face slowly against Knuckles who looks confused around. It seems Knuckles hasn't seen him yet.
The echidna's cheeks are red from the run in the slightly cold air.
And he pants while leaning a slightly forward with the hands on the knees.
The echidna's face soon turns into a disappointment when he doesn't sees Shadow there.

Shadow let's out the smoke from the sight where Knuckles seems sad over being forgotten and dumped.
"Shadz... Wanna hang out at my place tonight?" Silver asks.
"Huh?" Shadow pulls the eyes away from Knuckles to Silver.
Silver smiles.
"We could play games or something?"
"Poker!" Rouge suggests.
Shadow exhales snorting and let's go of the cigarette.
"Sorry guys... But I can't... I have other plans for the night" he smirks and rubs the foot at the cigarette on the ground.
The female bat tilts her head asking.
"You do?" She asks.
"Yup-... I have plans with Knuckles" he answers with confidence.
Rouge blinks surprised and looks over his shoulder at Knuckles who looks at his phone. Probably hoping Shadow had texted him.
"Oh?..." she says and grins at Shadow.
"I never knew you like males... Least Knuckles..." she chuckles while Silver looks confused at them.
Shadow's cheeks turns bright red and he inhales sharply while taking a step backward.
"I-... I do not! W-we are just hanging out!" He stutters.
Rouge giggles and pinches Shadow's cheek teasingly.
"You cannot lie to meeee~... Hanging out is just another word for dating..."
Shadow snorts and slams her hand away from him.
"Gah" she flinches.
"Shut up woman... I don't wanna hear those words from you" he crosses the arms.
"Maybe not, sweetie... But I think you should go now, your boyfriend starts walking into the bar now ..." she points out while caressing the hand a little.
Shadow gasps jolting and starts turning around.
"KNUCKLES WAIT!" He shouts and starts taking few steps to the door.
Rouge smirks.
Shadow glances over the shoulder at her.
"Just so you know... He ISN'T my boyfriend!!!" He tells her.
She snickers.
"We will see about that" she waves at him.

Knuckles was indeed very disappointed since he thought Shadow had forgotten their 'date'.
But since he had heard the phone beeping while running, he was hoping it was Shadow who was about to tell him, he was late or something.
Knuckles opened the phone and the only text was from 'Sonic' aka Amy... The echidna furrows the eyebrows with a heavy heart.
Since the band will start playing at seven, he starts walking inside.
"KNUCKLES WAIT!" Shadow shouts.
Knuckles gasps with the hand on the opened door.
The echidna looks at Shadow who splits from his friends to join him instead.
"Sha-..." he starts saying before swallowing hardly.
"I honestly thought you had forgot about me..." Knuckles tells Shadow when he was next him.
Shadow clicks the tongue.
"Like I would forget something like that..."
The echidna nods and looks asking at Shadow's friends where Rouge seems clinging teasingly onto Silver.
"... And you don't wanna be with your... Eh friends?"
"My friends?" Shadow raises an eyebrow and follows Knuckles' eyes. When he sees Rouge and Silver, he exhales snorting.
"No-... I don't feel to hang out with them... Rouge is kinda annoying... Besides, I have already promised you... Isn't the band about to play now?" Shadow says and passes Knuckles where he walks inside the bar with loudly music.
Knuckles' heart starts pounding faster and he couldn't stop staring at Shadow.
He would love to grab Shadow's hand and walk in, by his side.
"Yeah.." Knuckles answers. Unsure what he answered on.
Right now he couldn't think about something else than Shadow. How he would love stroking his hands on Shadow's quills.
The echidna starts following Shadow and entered a room with wooden floor and icy blue lights beaming on the stage.
Right now where aren't anyone on the stage, instead the loud music comes from the loudspeakers from the corners of the walls by the ceiling.
Shadow takes a seat on the bar stool.
"I want the strongest beer you have..." Shadow tells the bartender.
While the bartender starts filling a glass with beer, Knuckles jumps up on the bar stool next Shadow's.
Knuckles looks asking at Shadow while the hedgehog's beer was placed in front him.
"Eh-... Do you want..." he gulps nervously.
A pair of red eyes looks asking at him.
"Food?... I mean... I can pay if you want a H-hamburger..." Knuckles adds fidgeting while Shadow swallows beer.
A few nervous seconds later, Shadow lowers the half empty glass.
"Yeah, why not... Since I don't know how long we will stay here, it would be great with something to eat..." he answers.
Knuckles exhales in relief.
"Great..." he smiles and turns the gaze at the bartender.
"I wanna two Hamburger with fries... Then I want... A strong-tasting beer, I don't care about the percentage of the alcohol..."
A few seconds later he gets the beer.