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Sonic pulled the camper he had saved up for into the driveway. He groaned as he saw Manic sitting on the porch.

Judging by the way Manic was hurriedly moving around, he was smoking something again and was trying to hide the fact before he got grounded.

This was one of the many reasons why Sonic wasn’t going to let Manic move into the camper with him after graduation.

“What am I gonna do with him?” Sonic muttered as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He got out of the van as Manic walked over.

“Why’d you get the van, bro?” Manic asked. “I thought we put the band thing on hiatus.”

Sonic ran his hand through his spines. “Yeah, bro, we’re on hiatus until we get more gigs and we throw Egghead in jail.” He replied. “I got it for my travel stuff.”

“Sweet!” Manic exclaimed. “We’re really gonna do that?”

“Well, it doesn’t have room for both of us.” Sonic said, walking Manic inside the house. He closed the door behind them. “I’m barely gonna live in it. Tails is gonna-”

“You don’t have room for me in your stupid camper, but you're gonna let Tails live in it with you.” Manic sneered. “He’s not even your blood brother. He’s just some kid you saved from bullies and adopted.”

“Manic, we’ve been over this.” Sonic said. “I’m barely going to be home, so it’s not like we’d see each other and you still use drugs, which you know is the reason why I don’t want to live with you when I move out. I don’t want to get arrested because of you.”

“I quit a while back!” Manic yelled.

“Then what the heck were you doing when I pulled up and why do you reek of weed?!” Sonic yelled. He yanked up Manic’s left shirt sleeve. “You have the insignia of a gang tattooed on your shoulder too! Do you think I’m stupid or as clueless as our mom?!”

Manic narrowed his eyes.

Sonic took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Whatever.” Manic said finally. “It’s just an excuse. You’re no better than Ma.”

“Bro, don’t say that.” Sonic said as Manic stormed off to his room.

Sonic followed Manic. “Come on, we can-”

Manic slammed the door in his face.

Sonic sighed. He should’ve known this would be his little brother’s reaction to him moving out.

Manic started playing his drums quite furiously as the floor vibrated under Sonic’s feet and some picture frames fell off the wall.

Sonic sighed as he headed for his folding treadmill in the living room. “He’ll calm down after his jam session, then he’ll talk to me. He always does.”

Sonic unfolded his treadmill, got on, and started running. A part of him wanted to tell Manic he would let him move in with him since that would be the only way to make sure Manic would stay out of trouble.

The other part of him wanted Manic to stand on his own two feet with a legitimate job, even if it was just working at Hot Topic again. He was constantly stressed out over Manic and he desperately needed a break from being a ‘dad’ to a rebellious teenager while he was still a teen himself.

Though he felt guilty for wanting that break. He knew this break would mean Manic would spend more time with Surge, which he wasn’t sure was for the best.

Though Surge did seem to be a better girlfriend to Manic than Rouge was. She didn’t seem to encourage his self-destructive tendencies, instead she encouraged him into doing stupid things like sticking plastic flamingos in Shadow’s yard on their way to some random fast food place in the middle of the night.

Sonic kept a daily check on Manic’s phone and tablet and hadn’t found anything worth breaking the couple up over. He knew Manic disliked anything smutty for reasons he’d truthfully discussed before, but checked the search history on his browser anyway just to make sure nothing had changed.

Besides, Manic was too lazy to bother with even bookmarking sites he frequented.

However, Sonic suspected Manic was deleting his texts to keep him from finding out what he was actually up to.

Sonic hadn’t had the energy to question Manic about it and was a little afraid of burning down that line of communication as Manic would get more secretive about his life. He reasoned that, if Manic had done something to get himself in serious trouble or anything, he’d always tell Sonic and the older brother knew what was coming before Manic could open his mouth.

The routine was always the same: Manic would shuffle over to Sonic, grinning nervously and rubbing the back of his head. Then, he’d sheepishly say “don’t be mad, but….”

Manic said this enough to be his catchphrase.

Sonia even made it into a T-shirt for him with her Cricut that he surprisingly wore with pride.

Sonic was just surprised that the sentence hadn’t ended with Manic saying he’d gotten Rouge or Surge pregnant. He had a feeling that would happen eventually, given how much time alone Manic had at home now and Surge was over a lot lately.

Sonic exhaled loudly. He was so distracted, he hadn’t realized he hadn’t taken many breaths.

Manic finally shuffled in and sat down on the couch. He was rubbing the back of his head.

Sonic stopped running. “Don’t be mad, but….” He said, smirking.

Manic laughed. “Nah, I was gonna say I’m sorry.” He replied. “I think it’s cool if you’re gonna do that and I guess you’ll let me visit. I’ll really quit this time, bro. I promise. I’m not gonna stay in the Guild forever. I haven’t done anything aside from petty stuff anyway.”

“Good; good, though I wish you’d quit the gang already.” Sonic replied. He walked over and sat down beside Manic. “Of course you can visit me, little bro.”

“Anyway, I don’t think I want to do all of that traveling.” Manic said. “I want to travel, then have a place to go home to with my own family.”

“And you definitely gotta straighten up if you’re wanting kids one day.” Sonic replied. “By that I mean in a few years or so from now. Please don’t surprise me with a niece or nephew right now.”

Manic nodded. “So we're good?”

“Yeah, bro.” Sonic replied.

Manic turned the tv on and turned it to Speed.

“Thanks, bro.” Sonic said, ruffling Manic’s spines.

“You’re welcome.” Manic replied. He got up and made popcorn for them.

Sonic paused the movie and went to get them some water.

Manic waited on the air popper to make the popcorn.

Sonic debated on asking Manic what his after high school plans were, but didn’t want to fight again. He’d ask later when Sonia was here so he could ask her too, just to make it look like a normal conversation.

After they got their snacks ready, they sat on the couch to watch their movie.

Sonic checked his phone. “Sis is bringing home chili dogs for dinner after her test is over.”

“Sounds good.” Manic replied. “What kind of test would she take at a cosmetology school?”

“Ask when she gets home.” Sonic said. “I have no idea.”

*

Sonic tapped his foot as he waited for Sonia to finish talking about her graduation plans. He hated to seem rude, though Sonia knew why Sonic had brought it up again, but he was dying to get an answer from his brother.

“So that’s it.” Sonia said.

Sonic looked at Manic. “So what’re your plans?”

Manic shrugged. “Eh, I was hoping our band would take off.”

Sonia and Sonic exchanged glances.

“But I’m trying to go solo.” Manic continued. “I’m writing some comics that are getting some attention, but not enough to quit my day job.”

“Sounds like you have a plan.” Sonic said.

Sonia got up and gathered the dirty dishes. “I just wish you’d quit the gang.”

“I’ll quit one day, sis.” Manic replied. “I promise.”

Sonic and Sonia exchanged glances in a silent “I’ll believe it when I see it” agreement.

*

Sonic slipped out of his room that night and went to talk to Sonia in the living room.

Sonia was already on the couch. “You don’t believe him either, do you?”

Sonic sat down next to her. “No way.” He said. “I hate to leave him to his own devices when we graduate, but I’m burned out.”

“Me too.” Sonia replied.

Sonic put his feet on the coffee table. “Does that make us selfish?”

“I think it makes us exhausted.” Sonia replied. “He’s an adult anyway. An adult who almost constantly makes poor choices.”

Sonic slowly nodded.

“I know, bro.” Sonia said, rubbing Sonic’s shoulder. “But it’s not like we’re completely abandoning him. We’re doing our best, he has to make his own mistakes.”

“You’re right, sis.” Sonic replied.

Sonia leaned on the arm of the couch. “Did Mother ever look at the letter you had written?”

“She did, but every time we sit down to talk, she’s called in.” Sonic said.

“I tried to catch her at lunch.” Sonia replied. “But apparently the cafeteria isn’t the appropriate place to discuss our brother’s mental health.”

Sonic nodded. “I hope Manic straightens out before we move out.”

“So do I.” Sonia said. She yawned. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

Sonic got up and helped Sonia up. “I guess I should head to bed too.”

*

Aleena sat on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, after she came home from her triplets’ high school graduation. She couldn’t believe her children were all grown up.

It felt like yesterday that she was bringing them home from the hospital and now they were adults.

She missed seeing them grow up and hated herself for it. Granted, she was only working to provide their basic needs. She never even used what little time she had off to go out and have fun or spend money on anything the family didn’t need. She even tried to apply for new jobs with better hours, but was simply passed over each and every time.

Still she mentally kicked herself for being absent from her children’s lives for fourteen long years.

Aleena hung her head. “Is it too late to try to make amends?” She thought.

“Mom?” Sonic called. “We’re home.”

Aleena got up and headed into the kitchen.

Sonic, Sonia, and Manic were in the kitchen.

Manic narrowed his eyes at her. This was the only look he could give her lately.

“I thought you were at the party.” Aleena said.

“It’s over.” Sonic replied. “Gerald wasn’t going to give a huge all day and night party.”

“I suppose not.” Aleena said. “I guess we have plenty of time to talk.”

Manic rolled his eyes. “Meh, I’m tired.” He said, brushing past Aleena on the way to his room. “I’m going to my room.”

“We’ll talk with you, Mom.” Sonic replied.

Sonic and Sonia sat down at the table.

“We’ll take as much time as you need.” Sonia added. “We’ll let you go first before we get into our concerns.”

“Thank you.” Aleena said, sitting down across from them. “This will definitely take a while.”