Human-Hedgehog

'Alien' Encounter

Jackie
______

My life is usually the same. Day in and day out.
On a school day I wake up to a breakfast of toast with a side of orange juice, then rush back upstairs to get dressed. I switch on my hair straighteners and brush my hair before straightening it, grab a snack for break, sort out my money for my lunch, then catch the bus for school.
At school, I get bullied like no tomorrow.
First class, the emos trip me over.
Second class straight after, I like to read. The jocks try to steal my book all the time, but the teacher always catches them.
At break, the popular kids push and trip me down the stairs.
Third class, the jocks are back. This time, they use the work as an excuse to call me rude names.
Lunch, and the popular kids threaten me into giving them my lunch money. They always get it, and I always end up starving.
Then last 2 classes, the jocks - AGAIN - bash my head with their books.
But it doesn't stop there.
When I log into my Facebook at home, I usually find hate posts sent to me.
"Haha, when we tripped you down the stairs and left you to starve, what you get for being different!"
I close my laptop and find my mother in the kitchen.
"Jackie. There you are. I'm going away for a few months. Will you be okay on your own?"
"Yes mum, I'll be fine," I reply. "I'm just going out for some fresh air."
"All right, sweetheart. Be good. Don't do anything troublesome while I'm gone. Promise?"
"I promise mum. I love you," I tell her, wrapping my arms around her body.
She kisses my forehead and says, "I love you too" before I walk towards the door.

+++

With my mother somewhere else in the world, my father dead for the past 7 years, and no siblings, I'm really on my own.
I walk towards the park, looking up at the stars. They're so beautiful tonight. And one that shines the brightest.
A shooting star, it is. I close my eyes and make a wish. A wish that I had at least one friend.
But I look closer, and I see it is hurling towards me.
Towards me!
Oh God!
I run and climb the nearest tree, as high as I can. The hurling object crashes in the ground with a loud THUD!
A door opens, and strange creatures emerge.
What are they?
Aliens?
They seem scary at first. But then I see the blue spikey one. His green eyes glisten in the moonlight. He looks so brave, yet so kind-hearted.
The 'aliens' all turn to the green one, and I can hear their shouts.
"Nice going, Manic," the yellow one shouts at him first. "We're in the middle of a park. On EARTH!"
The white one holds up his palms, and traps the green one in a bubble. "Bad Manic! Bad!"
"Can you please stop arguing? It doesn't help us get back home to Mobius," the blue one shouts. His voice is clearly heard, because the others stop arguing.
Mobius?
What's Mobius?
I step back, but the branch I'm standing on snaps, as I fall to the ground.
"We got a spy," the green one says, looking at my direction.
The white one walks up to me and reaches out his hand to me. "Don't worry, we're friendly."
I'm too shocked to take his hand, so I get up by myself and run.
They start to run after me after a few seconds, and I hide in the closest bush.
"Where did she go?" I hear the purple one say. He has such a low voice.
"This girl's a good hider," the blue one says. "Split up and look for her."
Before I can get a chance to peak out and see what's going on, the red one has me on his shoulder.
"Put me down," I shout. "Put me down now!"
"Put her down Knux," the blue one orders, and the red one obeys.
They all crowd around me for a closer look.
"She's seen us," the black and red one says. "We have to take her home with us."
"No way Shadow, we can't just snatch her up," the yellow one says. "They'll be search parties."
They all turn to the blue one as if he is the leader, who looks at me.
"We can't take her," he says. "She'll have to stay, as long as she promises not to tell anyone."
He offers out his hand to me, and I take it as he helps me up.
"I'm Sonic," he says. "Sonic the Hedgehog. And these are my friends, Shadow, Silver, Tails, Knuckles, Espio, and Manic."
The others wave at me and they say hi in their own way.
"I'm Jackie. Pleased to meet you all," I say.
"THE Jackie?" Knuckles questions me.
"What do you mean?"
"We're gonna come clean, Jackie," Sonic says. "We need your help. Our home is in danger and it's rumoured you're the only one who can save it. Will you help us?"
I look at the others who all give me the thumbs up.
It must be true.
I look back at Sonic and nod. "Okay."
Tails walks over to the capsule the boys arrived in. "Great. It's gonna take a while for this to reboot."
"How long we talking here?" Shadow asks.
"About a month."
"Don't worry," I say. "My mother's away for a few months, so my house is free for you guys to stay in. Come on, I'll show you."
For once, I finally have friends.