§
"Ookwee?"
"No, Penelope, you may not have one. They are for the party," Bijou explained as she continued to warm the almond crepes over a small fire.
"Ookwee?" Penelope asked, the almond smell tempting her. Penelope was, at the moment, standing close to Bijou as Bijou stood watch over the heating crepes. It was a good thing Boss had a small kitchen in the clubhouse, or else Bijou wondered how on earth she would get these delicacies warmed for the party.
Penelope made another plead for a piece, and she tugged on the hem of Bijou's skirt.
"Do you really want one?" Bijou asked softly as she looked down to the child. "They are very hot."
"Ookwee!" Penelope said as she raised her voice a little, telling Bijou that she could handle them.
"Very well then, you may have one," Bijou said. "They were almost done, anyway." Bijou turned off the stove's fire, and used a spatula to pick up the round pancake off the frying pan. She plopped the crepe onto a small plate, and let it sit for a few seconds to blow the heat away. Then, she carefully used her hands to roll the pancake into a tube-like structure. She took a fork and cut off a bit of the roll, and blew on the piece, then gave the fork to Penelope.
"Ookwee!" Which must have meant "Thank You," for Penelope quickly took the fork and went out the kitchen door.
Bijou turned around and smiled to herself. She leaned her arm on the countertop and started to daydream, a small smile playing on her lips.
Today was Valentine's Day—a day of confessions, or so Bijou hoped.
Bijou heard someone walk through the kitchen door, but did not turn around to see who it was.
"Penelope, would you like some more of the crepes?" Bijou asked sweetly, thinking that it was the little girl who had walked in through the door.
"Did you spoil Penelope's appetite before it was time for the party?" Hamtaro asked with a smirk.
Bijou turned around so quickly that she caused some of the spices on the counter to fall down with her arm.
"Hamtaro? I didn't hear you come in." Flustered, she bent down to the floor to pick up the dropped items, trying very hard to hide her embarrassed blush.
"Err…Did I startle you? Here, let me help with those," Hamtaro offered as he came closer to Bijou, but Bijou quickly resurfaced with the bottles of spices in her hands. She placed the spices back onto the countertop, and tried to maintain her pose without her cheeks turning red again.
"I," she started to explain, "did not spoil Penelope's appetite. It just so happens that she was being very persistent, and she's also just a child. She's allowed to have a few extra treats here and there."
"Pashmina will not approve of this," Hamtaro teased as his smirk reappeared. "But, did you say you fed her grapes?"
"No," Bijou said quietly as she smiled. "As nutritious and healthy as I think grapes are, I fed her piece of a crepe."
"A crepe?" Hamtaro asked, confused at the new word.
"They're like rolled up pancakes, kind of…I had them especially delivered from m favorite French restaurant," she enlightened.
"They smell delicious."
"Oh but the smell is not nearly as wonderful as the taste! These are almond crepes, my favorite. Would you like some?" She asked, hoping for a yes.
When he answered with a nod, Bijou quickly cut a piece of the roll for Hamtaro and placed it onto another fork.
"Here," she said as she gave the fork to Hamtaro. "I hope you enjoy."
When he took a bite and smiled Bijou felt wings sprout on her heart.
This would be the perfect chance to ask him.
"Hamtaro," she said his name quietly, "remember when you said you wanted to tell me something today? Well. What was it?"
He knew very well what she was talking about, but in Boss's kitchen with his mouth full of almond crepes was not exactly his ideal place for a confession of such strong content.
Thank goodness that just mere seconds later, Hamtaro heard the voice of Sparkle beckoning him.
"HAMTARO!" Sparkle called from inside the main room.
"Excuse me," Hamtaro asked as he swallowed down the last bit of almond crepe and quickly left the kitchen.
Heartbroken, Bijou was left staring at the swinging kitchen door, her mouth a little open, but too late to say something.
§
Hamtaro walked into the main room, where decorations sprinkled the whole place. Red, white, and pink ribbons adorned the walls while Pashmina and Sandy's beautiful doilies gave elegance to the tabletops. A large net hung in the middle of the ceiling, holding red, white, and pink balloons. Confetti with the shapes little cupids, hearts, and roses complimented the doilies on the table, along with the several paper roses that Bijou had assembled for decorations.
There was a large, rectangular table to one side of the room where the food was supposed to go, but instead, in the very center of the table there was a big (yet very beautiful) ice swan whose wings were spread out in a position making it look like it was ready to take flight.
"Wow," Hamtaro thought out loud as he looked at the sculpture that was probably his height.
"You like?" Sparkle asked, appearing from behind the swan. "I thought that this swan would make a perfect centerpiece for all the food that Bijou bought," she explained. "It was just delivered."
"It's very lovely," Hamtaro told her. "I'm glad you bought this."
Sparkle smiled, and all the other Ham-Humans in the room said something about how pretty it was, except Pashmina, who saw Bijou standing in the kitchen door with a weak smile on her face, staring helplessly at the swan.
"I completely agree with Hamtaro," Bijou said as she walked out of the door and stood behind Hamtaro.
This was the perfect moment for Sparkle.
"I'm so glad!" And Sparkle flung her arms tightly around Hamtaro, and held onto him with a force. "Oh, I wanted to make you happy so much because I know how much you like these parties and want them to go just right!"
Bijou's eyes widened slightly as she saw Hamtaro hug her back and pat her on the back gently. "Thanks, Sparkle," he said soothingly.
Sparkle looked at Bijou while still hugging Hamtaro. She gave Bijou a sinister look that almost said, "Beat that."
§
An hour later, Bijou was sitting by the riverside, her white cloak fluttering like wings in the wind.
"She's perfect for him. She's beautiful; she has adventure in her life with her singing career; she's not me…"
"How can you say that when the perfect girl for him is you?" A voice asked that caused Bijou to jump up.
"Sparkle?" Bijou asked, her cape falling down quickly around her body as she stood up.
"No, I'm the ghost of Christmas Past," she snapped sarcastically.
"Why are you out here?" Bijou asked while she wiped tears from her cold face.
"To tell you that I have lost…" Sparkle said rather slowly.
"Lost? What?"
Sparkle gave Bijou a bitter look. "Are you honestly that dense? I just told Hamtaro about my feelings for him."
For a second it felt as it time stood still.
Bijou had to take in a deep breath.
"What did he say?" Bijou felt her heart race faster.
"What do you think?" Sparkle gave Bijou a vicious look. "He said that he cares for another…And if you have trouble getting that part, then speak to Hamtaro…" Bijou watched as Sparkle quickly left the scene and hastily ran back into the clubhouse.
§
The party had begun, and every Ham-Human was completely excited.
Sandy was busy showing off her new light pink ribbon that she had received from Maxwell. Pashmina was busy looking through the piles of cards and chocolates that Dexter and Howdy had given her, and Penelope was thrilled with the bouquet of roses that Pashmina had ordered for her.
"Alright everybody!" Dexter called as the time for the shower of balloons came closer. "Gather under the net if you want to catch a balloon—"
Bijou was listening to Dexter, but then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Hamtaro holding to her a small, blue velvet box.
"Err…" Bijou was left speechless as she took the box from his hands and opened it up.
The box—and its contents—left her breathless.
Engraved into the lid, in lovely silver letters, was:
To my beautiful and delicate paper rose, happy Valentine's Day
And if this wasn't even enough to make Bijou cry, inside the box was a stunning crystal necklace, with a rose as its pendant.
"May I?" Hamtaro asked.
Bijou felt tears down her face as she nodded.
Hamtaro took the necklace and placed it around her neck. "It was Sparkle's idea to get a necklace," he told her quietly as balloons fell around the two.
Happy Valentine's Day!
§
Sparkle sat by the riverside as she played with a yellow paper rose that Bijou had placed on one of the tables.
She placed it in the river and watched it float on. "Go on," she told it, "the ride up the river may seem lonely now, but you'll eventually find the way."
Sparkle was cold for she did not have her jacket on. Her skin was pale, and goose bumps formed around her soft skin. Yet as the luminous light of the moon shone on her, she had never looked so beautiful.
§
Hey, I know it was lame but I only wrote it because I thought it was unfair to leave "Paper Roses" unfinished.