Chapter 5:
Chapter 5, "It all comes down":
Sonic and Shadow awoke late the next morning. They didn't get to go to school, so they stayed at home. They mostly relaxed, but Janet would sometimes tutor Sonic and Shadow in english and algebra. They didn't bother to contact the school after a week because the school never picked up or called back. Shadow grew more frustrated as the days went by, and Sonic didn't know what to do to get him to feel better.
Sonic went out one day, without Shadow, and went to the mall. He decided he was going to get Shadow a birthday gift, since it was only a few days away. He found a card that he thought Shadow would like. It read, 'Lover, you are the person I want to be with all the time. You are the one I know I can ALWAYS trust, and that I know will always be there for me. You are my everything, and I hope that I am everything to you. You are the one I love, and I will always love you. Happy birthday.'
Sonic knew that Shadow would love this card, but he didn't know quite what he should get Shadow as a gift. He decided to check out the jewelry department. He was searching around, when he saw a pair of golden bands with names engraved on them. He asked the clerk, "Exuse me, how much are these bands?" The clerk looked at them, then said, "Those are $39.99 plain, or $44.99 to get them engraved.
Sonic thought it over for a moment, then asked, "Do you engrave them here?" The clerk nodded, "Yes, would you like to buy them?" Sonic nodded back, "Yes, and i'd like to get them engraved please." The clerk smiled, "Alright then, follow me." Sonic followed him back behind the desk to a room filled with boxes and machines used for fixing and engraving jewelry.
"So what do you want engraved on them?" The clerk asked, "Let me guess, you and your girlfriend's names? Most of the guys that come in here want that on them." Sonic shakes his head, "No, I want to put someone else's name on them." The clerk looks at him strangely, "Then who are you getting them for?" Sonic sighs and says quietly, "I'm getting them for.... for my boyfriend and I. His birthday is coming up and I wanted to get him something special."
The clerk stood silent for a moment, and Sonic folded his ears back, expecting to hear the clerk yelling at him. Instead, a smile slowly spreads across the clerk's face, "You know, not many people would admit to that. I've worked here for 24 years, and you are the first person to have the courage to admit it." Sonic's ears prick back up and he smiles; the clerk continues, "You know what? After I engrave them, just take them. I believe you deserve it."
Sonic opened his mouth to respond, but the clerk held up a hand, "It's okay, I own this place and I want you to have them, as a gift from me. Now, what is the lucky man's name?" Sonic speaks up, slightly embarassed, "Thank you... His name is Shadow. My name is Sonic." The clerk gets to work, and in a few moments, he finished them and handed them to Sonic.
"There you go Sonic, anything else?" Sonic thought for a moment, then held up a finger, "Wait one moment." He rushed out to the store and looked for cut gems used for putting into jewelry. He spotted what he was looking for: a display holding beautiful gems and crystals. He noticed that there was an emerald that matched his own eye color, and even better, there was a crimson red ruby that matched Shadow's eyes. They were the same shape and size, and Sonic thought they would be perfect for the bands.
The clerk noticed him eyeing them, and walked over to the display, "That emerald is a beautifully cut gem, and it matched your eyes very well.... You know we do have machines here that can put those gems inside the bands if you want." Sonic frowned, "Mabey one day, but I can only afford one.... I'll get one for his first." The clerk smiled, "And what one would you like?" Sonic pointed to the crimson ruby, and the clerk picked it up, "This one?" Sonic nodded. "Well well well, is this what his eyes look like? Mmm, I envy you, If I had a woman with these eyes.... I would stop at nothing to have her."
