A week later the entire academy seemed to be bustling, some excited over the fact that they had received permission to not takes their final exams for the fact their grades had exceeded the rest. Some had even made it to the Dean’s list which was even a higher honor than that, including Tails who sat across from a distressed blue hedgehog in the cafeteria.
“Look it's not all that bad, you just have to relax.” He stared at a new envelope sitting in front of Sonic who sat staring at it with a serious look of disdain.
“That is easy for you to say Tails.” Sonic growled lowly, throwing a french fry in his mouth, “They might as well send the county out to gather up my grades and put them up for adoption, because I sure as hell can’t raise them.”
Tails chuckled at Sonic’s joke, “Look just open the envelope. Whatever happens, I’ll be here to support you through thick and thin.”
“What’s the matter?” A low voice hit the ears of the blue hedgehog who sat behind him, “Afraid of paper? Seems like someone like you anyways, especially compared to an artist such as I.”
Sonic shook his head as he turned to see Shadow, the black and crimson eyed hedgehog with a french fry held out towards him.
“What’s it to you anyways? Go paint a picture of yourself jumping off a cliff somewhere.”
“Insult throwing gets you nowhere, besides, I had told you from the moment I met you that you’d fail. I can pick apart every Mobian, and you are no exception Blue Hedgehog. Take it from me, it’s your destiny to fail.” Shadow threw the fry in his mouth with a cruel smile on his face.
“Are you suddenly my psychic? Like you can tell my own future just by covering yourself with glue and confetti?” Sonic turned his back towards Shadow, “Mind your own damned business.”
“If you are so sure of your own future then, open that envelope, prove me wrong.” Tails shook his head at the smug look that crawled across Shadow’s face, “Come on. Hurry up.”
“FINE! If you’ll shut your trap!” Sonic snatched the letter up tearing its seal and pulling it out. Quickly his eyes scanned the paper.
As suddenly his eyes widened and jaw dropped.
“What is it?” asked Tails.
Sonic opened his mouth to tell the contents of the letter as suddenly Tails saw Shadow gesture towards another student who was walking by to snatch the letter from Sonic’s grasp. Before Tails could say anything, the white spiked glove of Knuckles the Echidna was a blur in front of Sonic’s face.
“What do you have here weakling?” Knuckles instantly noticed it was from the dean. “We all know Sonic’s not smart enough to be on the Dean’s list, so let’s see how long he’s got now?”
“A final countdown per say.” Shadow snickered.
“Give me that back!” Sonic went to go for the letter but Knuckles pulled it away.
“Nah! Not after I get the chance to read it out loud and gloat about it!” laughed the Echidna holding Sonic back with his other hand.
He then began reading the letter out loud.
“Sonic T. Hedgehog as for the status of the previous letter you received a week ago talking about your declining grades, we would like to inform you that there was something else that had come up to our attention.”
“Oh, here we go! Bye bye blue hedgehog!” Shadow taunted.
Knuckles continued with a wide grin on his face fading into an honest frown as he silently read ahead.
“Something wrong Knucklehead?” Sonic asked a smirk forming, “If you are so keen to continue reading then please do so.”
Swallowing hard Knuckles continued reluctantly, "We would like to inform you that there was a glitch in the computer system and apparently the previous letter is obsolete. You are in a better standing with the academy than thought before. You are NOT on the Deans list for the semester, but it is high enough to keep you within the program. So..." Knuckles paused.
"Go on."
"So we hope you have another wonderful semester at Mobius Central Academy. Keep up the good work." Knuckles growled throwing the letter back at Sonic's face.
"Well, that's a bummer." Shadow turned back to his plate swirling the ketchup on his plate with another fry.
"Lesson learned you two? Don't always underestimate what I can do!" Sonic laughed, "You were right Tails! Maybe I should start listening to you more often."
"Yeah, Yeah," Knuckles began to walk off, "That doesn't mean that luck of yours won't run out."
"Agreed." Shadow huffed standing with his plate, "I've lost my appetite so I am out."
Snickering Sonic turned back to his own plate, "And that's how you make a bad day go from bad to better. I was all in a tizzy over nothing." He shook his head laughing, "Not only am I in good standing with the academy, but I also got to tear down those two chumps, who thought they knew it all."
"It was quite the show." Tails wiped a single tear from the corner of his eye, "You just gotta remember though not to slack off as much, though, you know if you get on the Dean's list you will get even better benefits."
"If I can get by like this, it's good enough for me." Sonic finished up his plate and began downing his soda, "Besides, right now the last thing on my mind is more work. We've got a full week off from our classes starting Monday, and I want to use that time to build my skills on the track, or playing some card games. Speaking of which, you up for a game of Rummy tonight?"
"Any other time I would say no, but since we are on break now, a game of rummy wouldn't hurt for celebrating." Tails fist bumped Sonic, "I am genuinely proud of you."
Sonic smiled standing and picking up his tray, "Welp, I think I'm gonna go for a nap first then Rummy."
"Whatever you wish!" Tail followed suit as they put their trays in the dish window of the Cafeteria.
----
Later that afternoon Sonic found himself slinking out of his twin sized bed before stretching a bit and yawning. Looking around he found Tails sitting at his desk reading one of his many novels he had picked up from the campus's library.
"Ah, you are awake!" Tails exclaimed closing the novel, "I've been sitting here reading this while you slept. I think I'm going to be going to return this book before the library closes, you wanna tag along?"
"Nah." Sonic shook his head, "I think I'm going to go get a bath before we play our game of Rummy tonight."
"Suit yourself. I shouldn't be too long."
"Sure Tails, you always say that, but it's a library. You know as well as I do, I will be long out of the shower before you finish browsing books." Sonic gathered up a few clothing articles, "Just take your time, the cards aren't going anywhere."
Walking out of his room Sonic slowly made his way down the hallway of the dormitory where a few other Mobians stood in the hallway waving him on as he walked towards the shower room. Quickly stepping in and pulling the solid door shut, Sonic let the warm water rush over him as suddenly the voices of Shadow and Jet hit his ears as well as a couple of their friends.
"Are you serious?" Jet laughed, "Knuckles must have felt horrid."
"Yeah we all did." The door to another shower stall clicked as Sonic froze, keeping still as he listened to the continuing conversation between the two, "But honestly we should just focus on our own troubles that that of him."
"Just let it be known Jet, you still are way cooler than he is." stated one of his friends, "Just focus on you, and you'll come out on top."
The other shower room stalls clicked as the water streamed out. Sonic decided to keep in the shower stall he was in, remaining silent, waiting till they left. Not much else was said afterward as the crew that had entered left after they finished the reason they were there in the first place. Sonic dried off quickly and threw his terry cloth house robe on.
Taking a quick look in the mirror he observed his damp fur and quills before slicking the smaller loose quills into place with his hand. He took his own dirty clothes in hand before walking back towards his own room. The door clicked loudly, echoing in the room before he tossed his old clothes at the foot of his bed. He quickly noticed that Tails, as he had predicted, still had not returned from his library trip, as Sonic clicked on the desk lamp between their two beds.
Slowly taking a seat on his bed Sonic swung his feet onto the bed before Something in the shadows of the bed hit his foot with a 'thunk'
"What the?" Grabbing the neck of the desk lamp Sonic quickly turned it towards him lighting up the rest of bed. He was taken back for a second as he realized his leg had hit a small box: black, cardboard and heart-shaped. "A secret admirer or something?" That seems a bit strange, especially for being in an all male academy. He didn't judge but it still was odd.
Observing the box and making sure it wasn't rigged, he slightly shook it. It sounded like a card or some sort of thick cardboard paper. Taking his fingers he slowly peeled the box open, he quickly noticed an envelope that said, "Read Note First, then open envelope."
"Okay then." Sonic stated out loud, "Strange, but whatever." Quickly he grabbed up the side note.
"Sonic. Do not think for one moment you are out of the dark yet. For, in fact, you are far from it. Enclosed in this envelope is instructions that I highly suggest you follow. You have higher things at stake than what you know. You aren't as smart as you claim to be...in fact you had more help from your little "BRO" than you thought."
Sonic's eyes narrowed, "W-What?" he looked around the room, making sure no one was in the room with him, "This...this sounds like...." He quickly grabbed the envelope ripping it open as suddenly four pictures fell out. Each at the bottom stamped with a digital time stamp. 8:45 pm, 8:47 pm, 8:48 pm and 8:50pm.
Taking a closer look at the photos Sonic's loose hand clasped over his mouth. He instantly recognized it as it being in the head Admin's office, and not only that, it was a set of pictures of Tails at the one computer the ENTIRE campus had been told not to touch, for it was the one that kept up with not only the costs for the school but the grades as well. The second picture was zoomed in, close on the computer, in which you could see his own name, "Sonic T. Hedgehog." was displayed on the screen. It was that moment, Sonic realized, it wasn't his dumb luck that got him passing grades but Tails.
Sonic without hesitation grabbed the second note as his hands were shaking, and read it.
"As you see, I have quite the evidence to hold against your prized little brother and get him expelled from the academy. How horrible would that be in his life? Such a young student with SO much potential and spark! That said evidence though can be easily erased. Meet me tomorrow night Classroom 4B, 9:00pm. Don't be late or I WILL tear your life apart."
"Shit shit shit..." Sonic cursed out loud as he quickly gathered the photos and notes back in the box, "This...this is NOT good." Quickly he hid the box in the locked chest under his bed, "Who...why would.... I can't say anything to Tails, though... not yet at least." Sweating Sonic began pacing, "I'll.... I'll just see what he wants, it...it can't be much."
The door to his room suddenly clicked as Sonic jumped momentarily, but sighed a bit seeing it was Tails, "Hey Sonic!" he called out seeing the stressed look on Sonic's face, "Are you...are you doing okay?"
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine." Sonic lied pulling the covers back on his bed, "I'm...I'm just not feeling too good right now. Something didn't agree with my stomach right." crawling into bed Sonic took a deep breath and let it out, "I'm gonna have to cancel for tonight for our game."
"Awww...well, if you aren't feeling good, it is understandable, hope you get to feeling better. In the meantime, I got a new book to read. So no worries."
"Heh heh... yeah..." Sonic stated under his breath, "No...no worries at all."