The Incident at the Park

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Ok faithful readers. Here is the next chapter in this book. Hope you like it, it was kinda put together really fast one day but I felt bad for not updating. It's a little rough and may need a little tweaking. Anyways, thanks for all the support, you guys rock!

Shadow set Sonic down in the snow.
Instantly, the little hedgehog whined and reached up his arms, wanting to be picked up.
Shadow crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the toddler. "Go on. You said you wanted to play." He nodded at the playground that was overrun by kids close to Sonic's age, despite the cold.
Sonic cast pleading eyes up at Shadow. "But, please. Can't we go somewhere else?"
Shadow quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"
Sonic's bottom lip quivered and he ducked his head.
Shadow was confused, but a few moments of speculation brought the answer to him. Shoot! It had only been a couple months since he brought Sonic home, and already the kid was becoming a social outcast! He was just plain scared of interacting with other kids.
Shadow decided that he would not give to the puppy dog face. He'd hoped that playing with the neighbours kids a few weeks ago would help a little. But Sonic seemed more nervous now then anything. Which was puzzling. The little speed-demon was nothing if not confident. At least when they were at home.
Shadow knelt to Sonic's level and raised his chin so he had to look up. "Hey, I know it's freaky, meeting new people." He said carefully. "But I think you're going to be great at making friends."
Sonic sniffled and gave Shadow a small hopeful smile. "R-Really?" He asked in a quavering voice.
"Absolutely." Shadow told him, ruffling his little blue quills.
Sonic smiled for real. Turned to look at the playground. Took a deep breath. Glanced back at Shadow nervously.
Shadow smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
Sonic grinned and held up his own thumb. Then he zipped over to the playground.
Shadow's smile faltered. Maybe he should have suggested to the little guy that he keep the speed to minimum? ... Nah, he'd be fine.
He stood and watched as Sonic ran up to a couple of kids who were building a snowman off to the side of the jungle gym.

Sonic repeated Shadow's words in his head as he approached the other kids. "Great at making friends. Great at making friends. Great at making friends." By the time he reached them (about 1 1/2 seconds) he almost believed it.
A little pink hedgehog and a bigger green hedgehog were building a snowman.
They looked up, surprised to suddenly find him standing there. For a moment they just stared.
Sonic wondered if he'd done something wrong. He thought back to Rosa, the little girl raccoon from the first day it snowed. He attempted to imitate what she'd done when he first met her.
"I'm Sonic." He said, sticking out his hand like he'd seen grown ups do in the movies when they met someone new.
The green hedgehog glowered and didn't say anything.
Sonic didn't know much about how other kids acted, but he could feel the hostility practically radiating off him.
But the girl smiled and took his hand. "I'm Amy." Then she frowned at her companion. "Don't be rude Scourge!" She scolded.
The green hedgehog, Scourge, growled.
So much for great at making friends. Sonic thought as he shook hands with the girl, then shoved his hands into his pockets nervously.
"You wanna help us build a snowman?" Amy asked.
Sonic wasn't so sure he wanted to be around Scourge, who obviously hated him, though he couldn't guess why. But Amy seemed nice, and besides, who was to say that any of the other kids on the playground wouldn't hate him as much as Scourge did?
So he grinned and said. "Yes please." Using his manners the way Shadow had taught him.
The base of the snowman was already finished and Amy started rolling another snowball along the ground.
Scourge stayed off to the side, glaring at Sonic.
Sonic felt himself frozen in place.
But when Amy rolled the quickly growing snowball over to him, he snapped out of it. He helped her pack more snow on and when it was too heavy for her to push on her own, he got beside her and helped with that too.
As they pushed, Amy whispered something in his ear. "Just ignore Scourge, he doesn't like it when people talk to me."
Sonic was confused. "Is he your brother?" He asked. He'd noticed Rosa's brother was a little protective of his sister at first when Sonic had gone over to play with them, but he'd warmed up rather quickly.
Amy shrugged. "Nope."
More confusion. "Then why?" Sonic asked.
Amy shrugged again. "He just likes to play with me alone I guess. He won't let anyone else play with us at school. So he's my only friend."
Sonic was quiet. Then he asked. "What's school?"
Amy stopped pushing the snowball, so Sonic stopped too.
She was giving him a weird look. "How old are you?"
Sonic shuffled his feet, suddenly aware that he'd said something odd. "Five."
Amy cocked her head. "And you've never been to school?"
Sonic shook his head.
A loud bark of a laugh drew both little hedgehogs attention to Scourge. He laughed again, walking over. "Why not? Too stupid to be in public or something?!"
Sonic took a small step away, baffled at the strange behaviour.
Amy scowled at the green hedgehog. "Be nice, Scourge!"
But Scourge walked right up to Sonic. He was a good 3 inches taller and his scowl had gone from angry, to menacing. "I asked you a question!" He barked, shoving Sonic in the chest.
Sonic fell in the snow. It didn't hurt or anything. But the whole experience left him feeling overwhelmed and uncertain.
"I'm not stupid." He said.
"Then why don't you go to school?!" Scourge yelled.
Sonic felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes. "I don't know." He picked himself up.
"I do." Scourge said. "It's cause your stupid!" He shoved Sonic again, but this time Sonic just stumbled back, not letting himself be pushed down again.
This didn't feel like a game. Scourge was mad at him, but he just couldn't grasp why. Did that mean Scourge was right? Was he stupid?
"Stop it!" Amy put herself in between Scourge and Sonic.
Scourge glared at her and pushed her aside, advancing on Sonic.
Amy's eyes widened. She'd seen this kind of behaviour from Scourge before. It meant someone was going to get hurt. "Run Sonic!" She screamed.
Sonic didn't need to be told twice. He shot away from the menacing green hedgehog and up the nearest tree.
Scourge yelled angrily and chased after him, stopping at the base of the trunk. "Get down here!" He kicked at the tree.
Sonic clung to a branch and shook his head no.
"I said get down here stupid!" Scourge yelled again.
Sonic really, really hated that word. He was frozen in place, unable to climb down, even if he'd wanted to.

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