"He's so clueless, sis." Bijou tells her sister with a weary sigh. "He doesn't respond to my flirting, he doesn't respond to anything."
Nina smiled and patted her sister's hand. "Bij, he's a boy; some boys are clueless or late bloomers. In Hamtaro's case, I think it's both." She said. Bijou smiled.
"Do you have any advice?" Bijou asked hopefully. Nina cocked her head, eyeing her sister. "Yes: Don't give up." She smiled, turned, and walked out of her sister's room.
…
Pashmina giggled. "She told you not to give up? You've been flirting with Hamtaro ever since we were twelve, and you still haven't given up. What makes Nina think you will?" Pashmina asked. Bijou shrugged, leaning against her locker.
"She's right, though." Sandy said. "She gave me that same advice when Maxy seemed, like, oblivious to my feelings. I didn't give up; now me and Maxy are happy and, like, in love." She smiled at the thought of her boyfriend.
"But how does she know anything about romance, though?" Bijou asked. "Before, all of her dates were disastrous, her relationships hardly lasted a week, let alone a day. She doesn't like romance novels; she doesn't like writing or singing love songs. So how come the girl who probably hates romance the most know so much about it?"
"Cause my sister is the biggest romance freak ever." Nina said, walking up to them and grinning under the arm of her boyfriend, the one and only Stanley Torahamu. "Also, my boyfriend is the most romantic guy ever." She kissed Stan's cheek and smiled at her friends.
"I can't believe your dating my brother!" Sandy said disgustedly. Stan rolled his eyes. "Don't be jealous because me and Nina are the power couple of this school." He said. It was Sandy and Nina's turn to roll their eyes.
But they knew he wasn't lying; unless Hamtaro and Bijou got together, Nina and Stan will stay the power couple, Nina being one of the most popular girls in school though she chose to hang out with Bijou and her friends and Stan being on the football team along with Hamtaro, Boss, and Howdy (He only joined to- successfully- impress Pashmina).
"I was serious about the advice I gave you last night, Bij. Don't give up. Don't even think about giving up." Nina commanded. "Tell Hamtaro how you feel. Don't say that you love him, just tell him you like him more than a friend."
"And tell him you like him like me and Nina like each other." Stan piped in, making a warm blush rise on Nina's cheeks. "Anyway, I have to go to practice. Later, babe." Stan said, pecking Nina on the lips before heading down the empty hall. Nina sighed dreamingly as he disappeared down the hall.
"I think I'm in love." She said, smiling. "Eww!" Sandy squealed. "I'm not Bijou, it's really rare for me to fall in love. She's the one who's been in love with Hamtaro for five years." Nina said, smirking.
Around the corner of the hall, Hamtaro stayed frozen, as if rooted to the spot, from what he heard. He shook his head and ran to the boys' locker room.
….
"Did you know about it?" Hamtaro demanded Stan. Stan turned to him, a confused look on his face. "Know 'bout what?" He asked. "About Bijou being in love with me." The surprised look on Stan's face confirmed it. He knew. That rotten traitor.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "One, my girlfriend's Bijou's sister. Two, she's like a ninja; I think she took lessons from Ninja-Ham. Why do we call him that, anyway? Three, Nina would have killed me if she found out I told you." Stan said. Hamtaro sighed. "What am I going to do? I like Bijou, but I don't like like her… Do I?" He mentally face palmed at the last sentence.
Truth is, he liked Bijou but he didn't know if he liked her more than a friend or not. He wasn't as clueless as he was when he was twelve. Stan raised an eyebrow. "You have the hots for Bijou… don't you?" He accused. Hamtaro shrugged and felt his face heat up. "Maybe I do, so what. You have the hots for Nina."
"Because Nina is hot. Have you seen her legs? Even though she small- tiny, actually- her legs go on forever." Stan went into a trance thinking about Nina's legs. Hamtaro made a face. Even though he thought Bijou was attractive, he never thought much about the way Nina looked. "Why would I think Nina's hot?" He said, making a face.
Stan snapped out of his trance to whack Hamtaro in his head. "Watch it; that's my girlfriend your talking about." He warned. "Boys stop the yapping and hurry out to the field!" Coach Connor shouted. Stan and Hamtaro hurried out along with the other guys.
…
"I'm going to tell him!" Bijou announced, standing in the doorway of her sister's room. Nina didn't even look up or ask what Bijou was going to tell whom. "'Bout time." She said, starting to think again.
"Aren't you going to shriek with happiness and wish me luck?" Bijou asked, annoyed because her sister didn't seem to care and knew what she was going to tell Hamtaro. Isn't there anything her sister didn't know? Nina looked at her sister. "Yay, you're finally going to tell him! I'm bursting with happiness! Best of luck to my beloved little twin sister." She said sarcastically.
"What's wrong?" Bijou asked. Nina sighed. "Remember Della Sone?" She asked. Bijou nodded. "She keeps on flirting with Stan… I'm worried that he'll leave me for her… she is prettier than I am." She said, tears filling her eyes. Bijou hated seeing her sister like this, so vulnerable… so weak.
She liked to think of her sister as the strong one, the one who held her tears in, kept her head high through the hard times. Because that's the girl Nina showed on the outside, but on the inside… she was as vulnerable as her sister.
"Nina stop crying." Bijou commanded, with a bit more force than she intended. "Don't give up." She said, uttering the words she had heard so many times in the past twenty-four hours or so. Nina wiped away the tears that had spilled over and stood up.
"You know, your right! I'm going to surprise Stan by waiting for him after practice, the time Della likes to flirt with him the most. I know these things, Bij. I forced Boss, Howdy, and Hamtaro to tell me if Della ever talks to Stan after practice, since she is a cheerleader. You're coming with me. To tell Hamtaro how you fell." She added, much to the shock of her sister.
Soon, because she could say no to her sister, heck, no one could say no to her sister, Bijou was gripping the arm rests as Nina speed towards the school. She kept mumbling things that sounded like "He's mine" and "I'm not going to lose him". Before you could say "Boy-stealer" which is what Nina thought Della was, they were walking towards the bleachers to watch the remainder of practice while Nina's eyes would dart angrily to the cheerleaders practicing on the other side of the field.
Practice ended when the Coach Connor yelled he was going to be late for his daughter's root canal. Nina headed towards Stan, not quite quick enough because Della beat her to it. "Hi, Stan." She said sweetly, batting her eyelashes in a way that would make you roll your eyes. He rolled his eyes. "Hi, Della." He replied, trying to step away from her.
"Why don't you ditch Nina and go out with me?" She asked. "I love her! She's way hotter than you are! She has longer- and hotter- legs than you do!" He exclaimed. Della made a face and turned around to come face-to-face with the one and only Nina Ribbon, who had a smile on her face. "You heard him, Della. Go and try to steal someone else's boyfriend." She said, smirking at Della's angry look.
Nina smiled at Stan, who looked uncomfortable. "Did you hear that?" He asked. She smiled again, bringing her face closer to his. "Every word." She whispered, the warmth of her breath on his face making him shudder. Slowly, she brought her lips to his and kissed him. "You know what? I love you too." She murmured.
"How long do you think they'll stand there, making out?" Hamtaro asked, startling Bijou. She turned and smiled at him. "Oh, hi Hamtaro." She stammered, heart beating wildly. He smiled and sat next to her. It disappeared when he remembered what he wanted to tell her.
"Bijou, I heard the conversation you girls had today." He said quietly. "I know that you love me." Bijou's hope and heart shattered in that instant. She didn't have to give up; Hamtaro already broke her heart. "And you only like me as a friend, I understand." She said, hurrying towards Nina's car.
"Bij, wait!" He called running after here. Don't even dare calling me that! Not after what you did! Bijou thought fiercely, head down, tears falling down her face. "Bij, wait!" He repeated, grabbing her arm. She turned so that her shoulders faced him, but not her head. "Yes?" She said voice choked with tears.
"Bij… are you crying?" Hamtaro asked, turning her head to face him. He wiped her tears and cupped her face with both hands. "You don't need to cry Bij because… because I love you, Bijou. I love you a lot." He said quietly. She thought her heart was beating so loudly and fast it would burst.
She smiled. And slowly, one could say daringly, she leaned forward and kissed him. Kissed him with all she had. All those first kiss clichés really were true. Her knees did wobble, as if they couldn't support her anymore. She felt like everything disappeared, that she and Hamtaro were the only people in the world.
When they pulled away, both had smiles on there face. "I call maid of honor!" Nina called. Even though she was blushing, she replied, "We'll see about that!"
But Nina did end up as Bijou's maid of honor, and Bijou's was Nina's. They became closer, a tight bond of sisterly love and friendship. Their motto? Don't give up, which they would often repeat to each other when one's in need of advice. People often wonder why they always tell each other that.
People just don't understand the significance of those words, the meaning it has for the twin sisters. And, in time to come, their children.
I think this is my best story yet! This introduces the bond Bijou and Nina have, because I never put it in my other stories. I hope you enjoyed it!