CFB: Hello again! With the snow/ice days my school has had this week, (thank you, Snow Gods!) and the weekend, I had plenty of time to edit this chapter. So now, it's time for Chapter 3!
Here's what's in store: Siren actually returns to the Clubhouse, but gets a rather unpleasant welcome when she arrives. Can she somehow divert the ham-ham's attention off of Hamwall and the mysterious Guardian? And when two ham-hams receive a scare from a strange hamster with cat-like fangs and glowing red eyes, things are going to get more and more complicated for our dear ham-hams! Plus, what happens when Laura runs into Travis in town, but he's not alone?
Now I would like to thank my awesome reviewer for the past chapter.
CN: 00...Oh...my...goodness! I read your review like, ten times just to see if I was dreaming! Thank you so so so much for your great review, and I'm super glad you like this story. Getting a review like that from a truly great writer is such a confidence boost, I ran upstairs and began editing this chapter right after I read it. And I'm extremely honored you favorited this story, especially since it's the first one you've ever favorited! That makes me so happy, and I'm very grateful. I can only hope the rest of the fic is up to your expectations. I can feel the pressure now, lol! This update's for you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. I own Siren and all other characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro show.
I hope you enjoy! I think this chapter's a wee bit longer than usual. Hopefully, long chapters aren't a problem for anyone...
Chapter 3: A Day to Remember, a Day to Forget
Siren awoke the next morning, a strange, fuzzy feeling sparking in her heart that was unfamiliar, but so heartwarming she didn't want it to stop.
The accounts of yesterday flooded back into her mind, as she yawned, remembering with a smile the promise she had made to return to the Clubhouse for the third time in as many days. The sun was fairly high in the sky already, Siren noted, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, inwardly cursing her late-sleeping habit. Now that she had places to be and people to see, she could not afford to doze into the afternoon, lest she miss any fun.
Hoping she wasn't missing anything too exciting, Siren scampered down the sturdy bark of the tree she now called her home, and bolted off in the direction of the Clubhouse she was already so attached to. Three days...and she already felt like she was beginning to belong in this wonderful, beautiful place.
"Hope I'm not late! Or too late, anyway..." She smiled eagerly, hurling herself down the tunnel into dimness, and running as fast as she could, before finally skidding to a stop in front of the quaint green door. Brushing the dust from her fur, Siren pulled the handle and stepped without hesitance into the brightness of the warm little den.
"Hamha, Siren!"
The chorus of greetings that rained down upon her let her know that everyone was already there. She had figured as much; she had slept until nearly noon, when the ham-hams seemed to gather in the midmorning. But they didn't seem to notice or care about her tardiness, which was a good sign. She had been worried they would be angry with her for making them wait. These ham-hams really were nicer than she ever imagined hamsters being.
"Sorry I'm late!" She said softly, several items sitting on the table catching her interest.
Her clouded eyes swept across the many dusty books littered across the sunflower colored surface. She hadn't seen any books other than picture books in the Clubhouse as of yet, though she had heard that Maxwell had his own library somewhere. Each volume appeared extremely old, some even tattered and frayed in places, but nearly all of the hams held one in their paws and were reading with zealous interest. These were definitely not picture books, Siren noted, judging by their weight and length. More like reference material.
"What are those?" She inquired. Some of them looked awfully familiar to her...
"The legends of Hamwall!" Pashmina replied happily, Penelope, beside her, leafing through a picture book, as she was too small to read the larger ones. "Maxwell brought them in so we could do some research. He lives in a bookstore and has a huge ham-ham library there!"
Sandy added, "Like, Maxy also thinks that the thing we saw yesterday is tied with the legends! Wouldn't it be bestest if it was?"
"Oui!" Bijou agreed with an eccentric bob of her head, pigails swinging with her motion. Having had an actual experience with the mystical, dreamlike beast, and seeing as she was the only one who had actually touched it, she felt closest to it. The memory soared through her mind and she sighed dreamily, recalling it vividly.
Siren felt as if she had been splashed with a bucket of ice-cold water and there wasn't a dry towel in sight. Not wanting the hams to see her shocked and disappointed face, she put on a false, cheery smile, fuzzy feeling gone as quick as it had come. "...I'll, erm...help!" She offered in as bright a voice she could muster.
After all, what other choice did she have? If she refused to help, the ham-hams would suspect her for sure, and she didn't want to disappoint them in any way after all the kindness they had shown her. Her only option was to pretend to be enjoying herself, and hope they gave up their search. It was a lng, rigorous search that had frustrated many a powerful ham-scientist and historian, and befuddled even the smartest ham-ham's brains. Certainly this plucky little band of ordinary ham-hams would be no different...They would surely give up as well, once the search proved fruitless.
Siren pulled up a stool next to Panda and Cappy and picked up a book she knew all too well. She ran her paw over the familiar, worn covering and opened it, the scent of must and yellowed pages reaching her nostrils. There, staring back at her with it's glacial, yet gentle eyes, was the creature the others had seen the day before, the Guardian, looking just as menacingly beautiful as it had in actuality. The ancient text of the Legend of Fate ran along the opposite page in swirling, cursive print.
Siren, glancing at the others quickly, held the book close to her face, hoping that she did not look suspicious. The ham-hams seemed to be too engrossed in their own text to notice her. If she could do this for a while, perhaps they would give up, and not take a look at the book she held.
"I wish we could find something, anything, to give us a lead..." Maxwell muttered after a few silent minutes, clearly frustrated already. He had scanned many of the books the night before to get a head start, but had found few items of interest. The book Siren currently held had, apparently, somehow evaded him, and she was relieved. It was one of few books in existence that actually contained information relevant to their search, and she was surprised he even had a copy.
"All I found was that old legend we...erm...heard a couple days ago..." Boss said, hoping not to incite another episode from Siren. "Nothing real helpful, huh?"
"I got it too..." Howdy said, tossing a book back onto the pile and picking up another. "Gashdarnit, this is starting to get mighty frustratin'!"
Bijou sighed, a distant look on her snowy face. "I wish we could find more cluez. Eet was zuch an amazing zing to zee..." She returned to her research, eyes narrowed in concentration. She had felt the beast's incredible power, and she just knew that they would find something that would provide them with information about it. They had to!
Oxnard, munching on a sunflower seed, absently flipped the pages of a book Siren had failed to notice. Suddenly, the pudgy ham-ham fell off his stool, clearly frazzled, and exclaimed in a loud shout, never once losing grip on his beloved seed, "I FOUND IT!!!"
Everyone, faces lighting up like bright neon, huddled excitedly around him, struggling to catch a glimpse of the page his book was opened to. Excited chatter rang out from each of them as they craned their necks and strained to get the best view of the open book. Siren, both perturbed and a little disturbed, joined them, stashing a bright red bookmark Maxwell had brought in her book before placing it carefully on the top of the pile.
The same, wolf-like face and graceful, mystical features that had been in her book were printed in this book too, but she had not read a copy of this volume before, and she could see it contained a great amount of information she had always known, but never read. She had no idea anybody knew enough about the Hamwallian Empire and it's old legends to write this much! Maxwell, excited about gaining more knowledge, snatched up the book and began reading aloud, eyes like blurs across the faded pages.
"The Guardian of ancient Hamwall was a legendary creature who saved the Hamwallian hamsters from being wiped out by the corrupt Emperor Spikuro several years in the past. It's body was supposedly reduced to spirit-form in the aftermath of it's battle with Spikuro, and was said to be sealed away in a land beyond earth in the Waters of Eternity, to wait and regain its strength until it was needed again."
"One year after Spikuro was defeated, the entire race of Hamwallian hamsters was wiped out by a disease, known today as treatable Hampox, but the last remaining hamster, a male prophet named Wizenhart, prophesized the fabled Legend of Fate shortly before his death (see page sixty two) that we know and tell today. Wizenhart was highly regarded in the Hamwallian Empire, and is rumored to have predicted many otherwise unexplainable events. Experts and historians say he was not in the right state of mind when he wrote the Legend of Fate, however, as he was severely ill and quite possibly delusional. This is mainly why much of the legend is doubted."
"The Legend of Fate depicts the rising again of the Guardian, this time in a hamster, called the Chosen One, to save hamsterkind from the reincarnation of Emperor Spikuro, with the help of an 'unlikely hero.' This hero would wield the legendary Sword of Conquest, which the Hamwallian silversmith and blacksmith, Genforth, made in honor of the Guardian's sacrifice a month after it brought the Empire back to peace. Genforth was the best friend of Wizenhart, and he was the second to last Hamwallian hamster to die, right before his friend. He was an avid supporter of the prophet, and forged many great items that are still able to be used today. The Sword of Conquest, his most famous work, was never located, much like it's brother, the Sword of Havoc, even when many architects scoured the ruins of Hamwall in search of them. Genforth is said to have sealed it away someplace secret until it was needed by the 'unlikely hero.' (see page eighty.)"
"A painting of the Guardian (see next page) by Hamwallian artist Michahamgelo was all that was ever found of it's appearance, It is supposedly is built like a canine, a friend of the hamsters and a destroyer of cats, with raven wings, white fur, and black markings on it's face. It's fabled roar was described as silent, but earth-shaking. No clues were ever given as to who the 'unlikely hero' will be. However, much of the legend, although still constantly debated, is doubted and is percieved as mere speculation, as is the entire existence of the Guardian."
"It's exactly like the thing we saw yesterday!" Dexter assessed, nodding knowingly as he peered curiously at the picture in the book. "I just know it's the same. Why, we've stumbled on something truly wondachu, here!"
"Guess it's not 'mere speculation' then, is it now?" Howdy added, taking a much-needed break from his joking ways. "Yeehaw!"
There were many cheers at this, but a certain flirt was not so conviced. "The only way we can know for sure is if we see it again!" Stan, standing up on his stool and sending a sweeping gaze over his companions, announced proudly, crossing his arms across his chest with a haughty flair. "And we know it comes if a hamster is in danger, right? Bijou was in danger and we were yelling for help, and then it came to the rescue! Am I right hams and hamettes?"
"Yeah, so...?" His sister queried, looking skeptical.
"So..."
"Hamtaro!"
Stan wailed in exasperation and rolled his eyes aggravatedly in the direction of said orange and white hamster. He, and the rest of the ham-hams were spread out in the tall grass surrounding a quiet clearing, eyes alert and ears perked forward. In the middle of the clearing, Hamtaro sat piteously, occasionally shouting as loud as he could for help, pretending he was in danger by holding tightly to one of his feet and hollering like a newborn spider monkey.
"You're not being convincing enough!" Stan chastised him harshly from where he stood concealed behind a clump of bushes.
Hamtaro let out another wail, and then sighed deeply, voice already wearing down within the first few minutes. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Stan?" Hamtaro hollered back at the plan's mastermind, a look of uncertainty playing across his befuddled, tiring face.
"Of course it is! It was my idea, after all! Now, hold your foot in pain and start wailing in agony!" Stan demanded, clapping his paws together crisply, like a director in command of an actor. "Remember, it's for science!"
A little ways off, Maxwell snorted. Stan ignored this.
It didn't appear as if the res of the ham-hams shared his viewpoint either. "I wonder if this is like, a good idea," Sandy stated with a shake of her head, sitting perched on a rock with Pashmina and Penelope. "Stan has never exactly been like, the smartest of hams, and I'm not sure faking a foot injury will get the Guardian to show. I mean, like, a foot injury isn't exactly all that severe...We could totally fix that ourselves."
Pashmina nodded reluctantly in agreement, while Penelope squeaked, "Ookyoo..."
Bijou trotted over and joined them, a brilliant smile lighting up her snow white face. "Bonjour!" She said cheerfully, sitting down next to Pashmina on the stone. "What are you talking about, girlz?"
"About what an idiot my brother is..." Sandy replied truthfully, and the rest of the girls giggled. Sandy remained annoyed, shaking her head now and then. Bijou smiled faintly and remarked, "I suppoze you are right, 'iz idea does not zeem to be working very well, non? Perhaps seeing zat zing yesterday was a once in a lifetime experience..."
"Or maybe, Stan is dumb."
Stan huffily yelled to them in disgust, "I heard that!"
Sandy laughed with her three friends this time. Hamtaro, still trying hard to act as if he were in serious need of help, was losing his voice, and his back hurt from rolling on the ground so much, and his arms were sore from clasping his 'broken' foot in pretend agony. His tail had also gone numb from rolling on it. Ears drooped and spirits fallen, he said weakly, "Stan, this isn't working!"
Siren, peeking at the scene from behind a dandelion patch, sighed. "Obviously..."
"Obviously, what?"
She whipped around and saw Panda standing there, a quizzical expression on his face. Siren, hoping he could not see her flushed expression in the dimness of the high grasses, stuttered, "Erm...obviously the plan hasn't worked so far. Maybe it will only come if someone's in genuine danger. It probably has hightened sensory powers or...you know...something like that."
Panda accepted her answer, no matter how lame she thought it was, and plopped down next to her, fiddling with a dandelion bud. Hamtaro looked about ready to throw in the towel at this point, but Stan kept on yelling instructions at him, instructions that everybody felt were getting more and more ridiculous.
"I see what you mean. I thought it would work, but we've been at it a long time, and if we're not careful, we could attract some other kinds of danger, like cats or hawks." He shuddered. Siren, never really having bad experiences with either, merely murmured, "...Ah. And that's bad, right?"
"Ooooh, yeah. Real bad!"
They sat in silence for a moment. "I wish it would come..." Panda finally sighed, leaning back, paws behind his head and eyes staring up at the brilliant blue sky. A few puffy clouds meandered lazily by above them, fueled by the slightest of summer breezes. The scent of flowes tickled their noses and made them twitch, as the sun cast a delightfully warm shroud of light across their faces.
"What?" She asked, gently poking the stem of the dandelion.
"The Guardian."
"Oh..." Her face fell visibly, and she was glad he was leaning back and could not see it. That had not been the answer she had hoped for. She had actually been hoping he'd say anything but that; anything but that dreadful topic she hated to even think about. Why couldn't they just let the whole thing drop and go on with their lives? So many others had given up within days of researching the mysterious legends. Why couldn't the ham-hams, who weren't even pros at these kinds of things, just give in?
"Sounds pretty exciting. Wish I had been there to see it..." Her voice dripped with a lack of enthusiasm, but Panda didn't seem to notice. He dismissed her droll tone as a result of fatigue rather than unhappiness.
He instead sighed again, content as he watched a particularly large cloud drift in and out of view, partially obscuring the sun. "Yeah. It was really great. But it's kinda weird, too, in a good way."
"Heke? What do you mean?"
Panda elaborated, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth and quiet of the summer, trying to find the right words to use that would describe exactly what he meant, "I mean, who would have ever thought that there could be this amazing creature out there, watching over the entire hamster world? It's so...incredible! We have something that will save us from evil, if it was ever necessary. How great is that?"
Siren took a moment and absorbed this, shrugged slightly, and said, voice brightening a tad, "...I never thought of it that way before..." When Panda said it like that, she felt almost guilty about being so quick to desire a change of topic and feel disheartened by the mention of the legends. Maybe having the Guardian hanging around was kinda cool...
Of course, that was much easier for them to say than for her to admit.
Hamtaro, fed up and exhausted at this point, had switched feet. Now they knew they weren't being convincing enough. Any hopes the hams had of seeing the Guardian were swept away, and their spirits were lowered greatly, so nearly every pair of ears and tiny shoulders were drooping. But Hamtaro, who still had that ever-present glimmer of hope in his eyes, continued to pretend, yelling even as his voice cracked and his back threatened to give out.
Oxnard joined the dozing pair Panda and Siren, who were lounging tranquilly next to the dandelions, with a frown dressing his face. "It's really boring, doing this. Why don't we give up and go to the Ham-ham Funpark? Siren has never been there, and we could use a break! Plus, I could go for some sweet popcorn right about now..." His stomach rumbled, and he grinned sheepishly.
"Great idea!" Panda cheered, hopping to his feet, Siren following. "Let's go tell the others!"
Siren, pleased they had decided to at last discontinue their futile attempts, dashed over to Bijou, Pashmina, Penelope, and Sandy to give them the wonderful news. "Panda and Oxnard suggested we stop trying to attract the Guardian and go to the...what was it now...Ham-ham Funpark? For a change of pace."
"Radical!" Sandy leapt off the rock in agile fashion, Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope elegantly sliding off the rock after her. "Oui!" Bijou stated, "We 'ave not been to ze Funpark in ages!"
"Ookwee!"
Everybody was onboard for the Funpark idea, although Stan appeared visibly upset that his plan had not worked, and his friends were abandoning it so quickly. But, once Pashmina offered to ride the roller coaster with him, much to the despair of Howdy and Dexter, he perked up and immediately set about his usual flirting ways. Pashmina seemed to slightly regret her decision as the flirtacious tiger-ham walked too close to her for comfort, under the hateful, fiery glares of his rivals, who were not too far behind, watching his every move.
Boss, after seeing Pashmina offer to ride with Stan, decided that he had to muster up enough courage to ask Bijou to ride the rollercoaster with him. Ever since she had almost drowned yesterday, and he had failed to be the one to save her, he had wanted to find some way to make it up to her, make her direct that luminous smile onto him. Shyness and his constant fear of rejection had intervened many times, of course, but now he was finally ready to make his move.
"Erm...B-Bijou?" He stuttered, after falling into step with the French ham.
"Oui, Boss? What eez eet?" She asked, smiling broadly at the older field hamster. Boss turned several different shades of bright red, almost fainting at the sight of her luminous smile, and asked in a rushed voice,
"Would you like to ride the roller coaster with me?"
"I would love to, Boss!" Bijou answered sweetly, but before Boss could swoon, overjoyed, she called over to Hamtaro, who was toddling along with Oxnard only a few paces away, "'Amtaro! Would you like to ride ze rollercoaster wiz Boss and moi?"
"Sure, Bijou!" Both of the younger hamsters were oblivious to Boss's original intentions.
Boss sighed dejectedly as Hamtaro joined Bijou and himself, chatting amiably about seeds or squirrlels, or some other random topic Hamtaro had brought up. Boss tuned out of the conversation and fumed silently to himself. "So much for my alone time with Bijou..." He muttered darkly, sending a death glare toward Hamtaro, who seemed not to notice.
"We're here!"
The first thought that entered Siren's head when she saw the Funpark was "wow". Wonder filled her eyes as she saw the twisty, turny rollercoaster, curved slide, swings, teacup ride, concession stands, and the merry-go-round. She had never laid eyes on something so colorful and intriguing before! It looked so fun, she wanted to run inside and start doing everything she could while time allowed. "It's amazing!" She cooed, inspecting every inch of the park she could see with eyes wide and mouth agape.
Panda, walking behind her, piped up, "We built it ourselves a while ago. It took a pretty long time." Panda was proud of his work, as he scanned it with satisfaction and insurmountable pride, chest puffed out.
"I've never seen anything like it!"
After the rides had been started up and the ham-hams scattered about to find something to do, Siren decided to try out the swings, as the idea of the speed of the rollercoaster gave her chills, and the mildness of the slide seemed unexciting. Panda and Cappy joined her, not wanting her to have to ride alone on a strange contraption. The ride started slow at first, Siren gripping her seat so tight her paws turned bone white. But as it grew faster and faster and flew higher and higher, Siren was filled with a feeling of pure exhilaration. The wind ruffled her fur and caused her eyes to sting with tears, but she did not mind. She was having too much fun to pay attention to the negative.
Meanwhile, over on the roller coaster, Maxwell and Sandy took up one car, Maxwell looking as if he were about to throw up before the ride even started, Pashmina and Stan sat in the next car, followed by the bickering and jealous pair of Howdy and Dexter, and then Bijou and a clearly thrilled Boss. Hamtaro, who had, in fact, seen Boss's visible disappointment about not riding alone with Bijou, sat by himself, still happy as a ham-clam. Though, even as the ride lurched to life, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointement in his heart as he saw all of the happy couples preparing for the ride. One in particular captured his attention, but, like the day before, his now bubbling-to-the-surface feelings were confusing him and he hadn't a clue why.
Penelope and Oxnard took some twirls on the teacups, and then Oxnard ran over to the concession stands and got himself some popcorn. He enjoyed the food much more than the rides, unlike the rest of the ham-hams, and therefore spent the rest of the afternoon chowing down on delectable hamster treats. "YEEEEHAW!!!" Howdy's joyful bellow echoed throughout the park as the roller coaster twisted and looped along it's wild path. Dexter, a little green, slumped as low as he could in his seat.
"Zis eez so fast!" Bijou yelled cheerfully to Boss over the roar of the ride and the wind lashing at their faces, causing the older ham to grin and blush, and then scream as the ride went upside down.
The swing ride slowed, and finally came to a halt. Siren hopped off carefully, bright smile plastered on her face. "Did you enjoy it?" Cappy asked her, after he and Panda joined Siren.
"It was great! You guys did a great job building this place, it's bestest!" Siren was a tad upset the ride was over. She decided to throw caution to the wind and go wait in line at the rollercoaster with Penelope, who was already anxiously waiting for her turn. Cappy joined them, so the three youngest of the group could spend some quality time together, but Panda went to the concession stands to join Oxnard in his feasting.
After the roller coaster had finished and the first hams had filed off, Siren took a seat in the second car, after an excited Penelope and giddy Cappy. She was a bit apprehensive about riding alone, but shoved her fears to the back of her mind. She could face anything now. The ride creaked to a slow start, and, as it built up speed and was soon plowing across the tracks like an unstoppable hurricane, the excitement grew within Siren and she cheered aloud. This ride was even better than the last one!
Every ham-ham was having so much fun, they hardly noticed the pair of ruby red eyes watching their every move from a thick clump of bushes, a look of greed and malice glinting in them. That is, until the keen young eyes of Penelope flashed their way.
Penelope was startled by the sight, as it was not everyday she looked into bushes and saw a pair of frightening, blood-colored eyes staring at her, agleam with profound evil. "OOKWEE! OOKWEE!" She screamed, terrified and frozen to the spot, causing the owner of the eyes to scurry away frantically to avoid discovery.
All ears perked up at the sound of Penelope's shriek, and each pair of hindpaws came running. Pashmina was the first to reach the scared little ham, asking concernedly, "Penelope, what is it? What's wrong?"
"Ookwee! Ookwee! Ookwee!"
"You saw a pair of evil red eyes? Gasp-P! Where?"
Penelope pointed one yellow clad arm shakily towards the clump of bushes. Boss bravely charged into the bushes to investigate, but returned shortly after, empty pawed and shrugging his shoulders. Pashmina put her arm around Penelope, who was still shaking in fright, and tried to calm the young ham-ham down.
"It was probably just a rat or something. Don't worry. Whatever it was was is gone now. You don't have anything to be afraid of, Penelope..." Pashmina soothed, and soon, the little ham had quieted down, regained her cheeriness, and her bright smile had returned, much to the relief of the others.
"Oh...I'm far from gone..." Spyke said to himself from his new vantage spot, up in a tall maple tree, safely away from the watching, wary eyes of the ham-hams. "I'm much closer than you think..."
The afternoon went on like a blissful dream, each ham-ham trying out every ride and eating delicious snacks at the stands, thinking less and less about the strange incident with the eyes in the bushes. Soon, even Penelope, who had been jarred by the event, had forgotten all about it in the midst of their afternoon of fun. But all too soon, Panda announced, Boss at his side, "Okay everyone! We'd better head back to the Clubhouse. Your owners are due back soon, and we don't want them to worry."
This was met by groans and protests by the rest of the ham-hams, but sure enough, a few moments later everyone was walking and chatting happily together in the fading light of day as they headed back to the Clubhouse. A gentle breeze rustled the green, lush grass as they walked through it, a positive air surrounding the group. Siren could not remember a time in her life where she had been happier, nor a time where she had felt so welcome. Maybe she had found a place where she could belong...even if she had to hide things from the hamsters she already likes.
She had been fearing other hamsters for so long, it made her wonder, if she had befriended some sooner, she could have led a much happier life. She would never know, and inwardly cursed herself for her horrible cowardice. Even if it was just for a little while, she would savor every moment she had with these ham-hams, as it was the best time she could remember.
Once they were back in the Clubhouse, everyone said their goodbyes. Siren was the first to leave this time, as Maxwell and Boss were piling up the books from earlier that morning while the rest conversed, and she didn't want to get caught up in that conversation again. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, around the same time as today, or, maybe earlier..." She promised, shutting the door with a gentle thunk behind her.
Everyone else was about to say their goodbyes and depart when Maxwell said, in a hesitant, yet strong voice, "Guys, I think you should take a look at this."
The cheerful chatter immediately died, and the same haunting cloud that had loomed over them two days previous returned with solemn vengeance. "Heke?" Hamtaro asked confusedly as the entire group curiously walked over to Maxwell, where he stood holding one of the old books. "What is it, Maxwell?"
The booksmart ham-ham had noticed it that morning, and had made a mental note to check it out when Siren departed or whenever he had an open opportunity. While stacking the books with Boss, he had thumbed through it and, upon seeing the marked page, his surprise and suspicion had both skyrocketed. "This is the book Siren was looking at earlier. I remember, because I took notice of which book everyone had, so I'd know what to do if one of them went missing," Maxwell started, turning the book over nervously in his paws.
"Yeah...and..?" Oxnard asked, tilting his head to one side, confused.
"Well, she used a bookmark on this page..." He opened it and turned it so the rest could see the ancient page, showing off the brilliant depiction of the Guardian, with the Legend of Fate emblazoned on the other page in loopy, curved writing. "...Which means she had been looking on this page. I noticed she never flipped the pages of the book as she looked, she just looked at this one page the whole time."
"So, you're wondering why she didn't show the picture to us?" Dexter concluded, paw nervously adjusting his ruby-colored bowtie.
"Exactly!" Maxwell said with a grim nod.
A terrible, somber silence fell and the ham-hams exchanged worried glances. They hated to think that any hamster, especially one they now considered a friend, would be dishonest with them. But now, it appeared as if Siren had two strikes against her name, and they had only known her for a brief amount of time. What if she was keeping things from them, and important things at that? Some of the hams began to feel angered, others sad, and still others concerned. Siren knew how much they wanted to learn about the Guardian...and yet, she had not shown them this very interesting page. If she had not told them this...what else could she be hiding?
"Well, she wasn't there when it rescued Bijou yesterday..." Howdy protested. "Might not even know what the darn thing even looks like."
"But Bijou told her all about it!" Boss countered angrily, his own suspicions rising. "And she's read about it, hasn't she?"
To avoid arguments, which were rapidly beginning to sprout up all over the place, Maxwell raised a paw to silence everyone. The din quieted, and all eyes returned to him. "We're not going to solve anything like this! Why don't we just ask her about it when she comes in tomorrow? That way, we can get everything all straightened out!" Maxwell offered, looking expectantly around at everyone.
"Sounds good," Sandy chipped in. "We can like, set things straight."
Maxwell selected the few books he needed to take home, and the Clubhouse cleared out, Sandy helping Maxwell with his books, and Oxnard and Hamtaro chatting happily as they walked towards their neighboring houses. Bijou and Pashmina were giggling and chatting in hushed voices with Penelope as they left, Howdy and Dexter bickering like there was no tomorrow, and Cappy wondering to himself about different types of hats, Panda with him. Stan was the last to leave, running to catch up with Maxwell and his twin sister. Boss went to grab himself some walnuts for dinner, humming a field-hamster folk tune contentedly to himself.
And yet, even as they all tried to mask it in their own unique way, the ham-ham's conflicting feelings about Siren remained, harbored in the backs of their minds to fester until the next day.
Panda, after parting from Cappy, began his solitary walk home, back to his young owner, Mimi's, house. He usually enjoyed this walk home, all by himself to contemplate. He could walk leisurely and not worry about hurrying to get in his cage, because Mimi knew he went out during the day and as long as he showed up before she went to bed she didn't mind if he stayed out. However, it was best to return before dark so he wouldn't be at the mercy of cats or owls.
However, today's trek was different, for some reason. He found that he could not drift into his usual routine of pondering. Something was nagging him, like a bad itch he couldn't quite scratch. He had the odd feeling that something, or someone, was following him as he walked, watching his every move, and analyzing him. It made the fur on the back of his neck stand up, and he constantly threw glances over his shoulder, watching for mysterious shadows and suspicious figures.
After the feeling persisted for a good minute or two, Panda came to an abrupt halt, and the sound of rustling leaves and twigs met his ears. Fear and worry flooded across his mind as he called out hesitantly, turning round and rount to try and spot whatever was making the noise, "Who's t-there?"
He twirled around desperately, looking for the source of the noise, but it soon stopped, and he faced a patch of rough grass. A pair of shockingly ruby red eyes met his stunned green gaze through the thick blades. Panda, startled, but not wanting to show fear, spoke up and challenged the owner of the eyes, "Who are you? Show yourself!" He tried not to waver underneath the intense gaze of those startlingly colored eyes, which had made his heart skip several beats at first glance.
As requested, a hamster stepped out from the cover of his hiding place. Despite his average stature and similar age, Panda couldn't help but be intimidated by the other ham, who gave off a very imposing air. His ears were a dark brown color, arms a fiery shade of mahogany, and his teeth were perfectly chiseled fangs, very similar to a cat. A velvety black cape adorned his shoulders, giving him a look of ominous mystery. Those crimson eyes set into his furry, sneering face were unnerving, and made Panda take a huge step back to separate himself from this odd hamster further.
"Hello...Panda," The hamster said in a rumbling voice that made the aforementioned shudder.
Panda was shocked, but tried not to show it on his face. "How...how do you know my name?" He demanded swiftly, not letting his guard down. He had never encountered this hamster before, as he would have surely remembered that ruby glare...so how could this ham possibly know what his name was? The very idea sent shivers up Panda's spine, but he remained rooted to the spot.
"I have come to warn you of something I think you should be aware of," The hamster, avoiding Panda's question, continued, in a nonchalant sort of voice, talking as if he was describing something as simple as the weather.
A tense silence enveloped them, and Panda took another step back, though his muscles relaxed slightly and his eyes widened further. The other hamster stood perfectly calm and still, feet planted on the ground, and the slight, sly grin remaining plastered on his face. "...Warn me?" Panda asked quietly, a confused look crossing his features. What did he have to be warned about, especially by a hamster he didn't even know?
"Yes," The hamster closed his haunting eyes, smirking faintly and chortling to himself, as if he had just been reminded of something funny. But what he said next, Panda did not find funny at all, especially after the conversation they had just had back at the Clubhouse.
"Your friend, Siren, is not who she claims she is. She hides a sinsiter, deadly secret that could endanger you and all of your friends. To be quite frank, dear Panda, Siren is a liar and should not be trusted."
Something clicked in Panda's head, and his guard came up once more, fur bristling. "Were you the one Penelope saw today at the Funpark?" He asked sharply.
The hamster grinned and laughed, a shrill laugh that did not match his deep voice at all, but succeeded in frightening Panda even more. He responded, voice still light, casual and airy, "That was me. good detective skills. However, I doubt you know that I have been watching Siren for quite some time, you see, and I know that she is lying to you all."
"How do you know she's been lying?" Panda questioned, feeling the need to defend his new friend. He had difficulty believing that Siren knew this hamster. she was way too innocent and naive to be associated with a hamster like this...he was already starting to think of her as a younger sibling, much like he viewed his best friend Cappy.
Again, the caped hamster ignored Panda's query, and went on in a serious, sharp voice, that sounded very much like a command, "Break your friendship with her before it is too late. She should be alone, she is a dangerous ham. Heed my words, Panda. Heed them, and destroy the ties you and your friends hold with the liar, Siren. Otherwise...you will regret it."
His low words gave Panda even more chills. "What has she lied about?"
The hamster spat a hot retort, losing the nonchalance in his tone, "Everything! Her past, who she is, and most especially, about the Guardian. She knows more about it than you and your little friends think. She also knows about Hamwall and everything, every little detail, associated with the ancient civilization. Be very careful, Panda. You and your friends are straying into dangerous, risky territory. What she knows can cause you great harm, and i doubt you want to see your friends hurt."
"How do you know this?" Panda demanded, overwhelmed.
The hamster chuckled, that shrill, airy chuckle that was far fiercer than his rumbling baritone. He replied darkly, "Let's just say I met Siren a year ago, and know far more about her than you. In a sense, anyway. Now, tell your little ham-hams what I have shared with you. I bring the truth. Watch your back, young ham. Siren is a hamster worthy of nothing but mistrust. Spread the word, and never speak to that liar again."
And just like that, the hamster was gone, bolting under the orange-gold cover of fading day, before Panda could open his mouth to say more. The mysterious ham was leaving a very confused ham-ham in his wake. It took a while for Panda to fully grasp what he had just seen and heard, and even after he had calmed down somewhat, he was still a bit in shock. He scratched the back of his head and shivered, recalling the fire in the strange hamster's crimson eyes.
"That was strange..." He said to himself uneasily, breaking the uneasy silence he had found himself in, worry flitting across his face. It was almost humorous, something so odd happening to him, a pretty laid-back hamster all things considered, but he could only manage a weak chortle before his ears drooped. "But...is what he said true? Sure, everything with the Guardian and the books and everything was a little strange, but I'm sure Siren'd tell us if we asked her about it..."
Panda couldn't shake the unnerving feeling his encounter with the unusual hamster had left him with, and ran the rest of the way to Mimi's without looking back. Maybe he would get definitive answers when they interrogated Siren the next morning.
He certainly hoped so, far all their sakes.
"Hamtaro!" Laura Haruna's short brown hair fell into her eyes as she bent over her beloved hamsters cage. Hamtaro sat panting in the middle of his wood chips, as he had barely gotten into his cage before Laura had burst into her room, home after a busy day of spending time with her parents, Forrest and Marian. "Guess what, little guy? We're leaving for vacation tomorrow! I'm really sorry we can't take you with us, but we'll be back on Monday, before you know it!"
"I'll really miss you Laura!" Hamtaro squeaked, but he knew his human could not understand his words. He didn't like it when she went away for so long, as it only made him miss her, but at least it gave him unrestricted freedom to roam about town with his friends for a couple of days, without having to return home before his young owner.
"Since Kana, Kylie, June, and Maria are all either leaving for camp or vacation, I can't leave you with anyone. So I'll just give you two bowls of food, because we'll only be gone for the weekend. Eat it sparingly Hamtaro, I don't want you to run out!"
"I'll be careful, Laura! Count on it!"
Laura sighed, a look of sorrow filling her brown eyes. "I really wish we could take you with us. It's too bad the beach house won't allow pets to come; we had to leave Brandy with the neighbors. But you'll be okay, right?"
"You bet!"
She smiled warmly at the little creature she had grown accustomed to having around all the time, and reached her hand through the door to pat him on the head. "Kana and I are going to go shopping a little bit before dinner. There's a book I want to pick up at the store. I'll read it to you later, okay? But before that, I have to pack for the trip."
"Okay Laura! Have fun!"
Laura glanced out the window, to see if she could spot her brunette, bespectacled friend coming up the front walk. "She's bringing Oxnard over, so you won't be lonely, little guy. She should be here any time now...Ah! Here she is!" Laura exclaimed, dashing out her bedroom door and thumping down the stairs.
Soon, she returned with Kana, who was holding Oxnard's cage in her arms. She set him down next to Hamtaro's cage, where the two hamsters began to chat animatedly through the bars of their cage in a language incomprehensible to humans. "Bye guys!" Kana called to them as she and Laura left the room, closing the door behind them, and pounding down the stairs and straight out the front door, hollwering a farewell to Laura's parents as well.
Laura felt the gentle breeze caress her face as they walked down the empty street toward town. The sun wouldn't go down for about another half an hour, plenty of time for them to reach the local book store to buy a book and make it back before night fully came. "So, are you excited about sleepaway camp?" She asked Kana, who nodded thoughtfully.
"I suppose. Kylie and June are going too, so at least I'll know someone there. I'm coming back late Monday night. Are you ready for your trip down to the shore, staying in an awesome beach house?"
Laura grinned happily, excitement rising within her. She had been thinking about the trip all week, and was ready to have the most fun she possibly could. "You bet! This is my first time going on vacation without Hamtaro though. I'm sure he'll have some fun adventures by himself while I'm gone, but still, I'm going to really miss him."
"I know what you mean. Poor Oxnard can't come to camp with me either. I hope my parents remember to feed him properly."
The scenery quickly changed from their nice, quaint neighborhood to the hustle and bustle of town, and Kana and Laura, chatter dying down, glanced into some of the shops. Ice cream vendors tempted them from the sides of the road, and air conditioned stores beckoned to them, but they remained on course, focused on their mission. "I bet Hamtaro's not the only guy you'll miss! You're going to miss Travis too, aren't you?" Kana teased a few moments later, breaking the comfortable silence, and upon seeing the blush on her best friend's face, she knew her ruse had worked.
Huffily, but red as a cherry, Laura protested, "No! I haven't seen him all summer anyway, except at soccer practice when I happened to walk by there with you, June, and Kylie to watch."
"Right. You just happened to walk by there with us, and stayed to watch the whole practice."
The two girls giggled together, as they steadily approached the bookstore. A wave of cool air met them as they entered, the air conditioner on full blast behind the counter, where the high-school storekeeper was reading a fashion magazine and chomping noisilyon a piece of gum. Laura's brown eyes swept over the many shelves, hoping to find what she was looking for. She reached the New Releases section, where the item she wanted was supposed to be located.
Her eyes soon fell upon a girl about her age, the only other person in the section, wearing a red tanktop and jean shorts. Laura had never seen the girl before, either at school or around town. She had long, tan colored hair that fell to her waist, tied tightly in a high ponytail with a dark red ribbon. Her cobalt blue eyes were grazing lazily across the pages of a copy of the book Laura had wanted to buy, A Day in the Life.
"Did you find it?" Kana asked from Laura's side, thinking she had spotted the wanted book.
"That girl over there has one. But I can't see it anywhere around her..." Laura whispered back, still scanning the shelves for any sign of another copy.
Kana suggested, "Why don't we ask her? I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping us."
"Okay."
Laura and Kana approached the girl, but just before Laura could tap her on the shoulder and ask for a moment of her time, a familiar raven-haired boy came out from behind a shelf to stand beside the unknown girl. "Laura!" He exclaimed cheerfully once he caught sight of her and her best friend, a bright smile on his handsome face. "Kana! Fancy meeting you two here!"
"Travis!" Laura, taken aback, instantly felt her face grow hot. He had totally surprised her. Not that she minded seeing him, of course...She just didn't want him to see her all flustered.
Laura could feel the cool eyes of the girl fall on her, and she felt uncomfortable under her gaze. "Hi Travis!" Kana greeted warmly, waving at the attractive boy in a friendly fashion, as she could tell Laura would be too tongue-tied to start a conversation. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was just taking Mika here around town, and we decided to stop in here. She moved here from America recently; I ran into her at the soccer field the day after school let out. Oh, Kana, Laura, this is Mika Asakura. Mika, this is Laura Haruna and Kana Iwata. They go to my school."
"Nice to meet you..." The girl, apparently named Mika, extended her hand to shake Laura's, rather shyly. Laura, surprised by her foreign gesture, shook it, and then Mika shook Kana's hand in the same fashion. She smiled faintly, almost mysteriously, at the girls, a friendly glint reaching her deep blue eyes, replacing the one of mistrust that had filled them only moments before. Laura figured she was just shy about meeting new people.
"So, what are you two doing here?" Travis inquired. "It's such a nice day, I thought everyone would be outside. We actually just finished up a game of frisbee earlier this afternoon. It was fun, but Lance made a fool of himself, as usual!" Travis chuckled, and Mika smiled, remembering something beyond Laura and Kana.
Laura noticed that Travis was being uncharacteristically cheerful. He had always been nice and a kind person, popular with everyone in their class, but never had she seen him this truly happy, smiling broadly and laughing heartily. He had come out of his shell more. Normally, he was a bit subdued, kind of detached from everything else, in a dreamy sort of way. What had brought about this change? It was certainly a nice one, and almost made her like the boy even more than she already did.
"Well, Laura was looking for a book that just came out, we thought we could probably find it here somewhere. Mika, can you tell us where you found that book you have? We can't seem to find it anywhere," Kana supplied, pointing to the book in Mika's hand.
"Uh...This was the last copy, I think. But I wasn't planning on buying it anyway, I don't have any money with me at the moment, so you can take it if you want..." She thrust it into Laura's arms, which Laura willingly accepted with a slight smile at the shy new girl.
"Thanks, Mika!"
"No problem."
Travis glanced at his watch and said, "Well, we really ought to get going. Mika's parents are expecting us back at her house in fifteen minutes. You guys should come over there sometime! She has a pool and everything, it's great."
Laura wondered what Travis could possibly be doing at Mika's house so close to dinnertime, when kids normally headed back to their own houses. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts she barely heard Mika say, in a stronger, less shy voice than before, "Yeah, I would like that. I haven't met many people around here yet, so it would be a great opportunity to get to know you better."
"Sounds good. We're actually both going away this weekend, but feel free to give us a call any time after Monday. Travis has our numbers, I think..." Kana suggested, taking the initiative, as she noticed Laura drifting off into la-la land. Travis nodded in confirmation.
"See you two later!" He said, smiling widely, a cheery glint in his azure eyes. Laura blushed again at the sight of his smile, a grin that always succeeded in making her knees knock together and heart beat faster, but she managed to choke out, "Bye! Nice seeing you!" before she totally embarrassed herself in front of the boy she adored.
Laura and Kana watched the pair leave, still waving and grinning. Travis, smiling brightly, opened the glass door for Mika, to which she nodded in thanks, and then with his free hand, he took her hand in his.
Mika did not seem surprised by this gesture, like Laura had been when she had shaken the very hand that her crush, Travis, was now holding. Instead, the new girl grinned even wider at Travis as the two entered the golden light of the sunset, and headed off in the direction that both girls assumed Mika's house was located, contentedly side by side, interlocked hands swinging between them. It was like their holding hands was an average-every-day occurrence, though in sent a shockwave through Laura and made her heart skip a beat, and not in a positive manner.
Realization settled on Laura like a misty, opaque blanket, and the smile was wiped from her stricken face. Kana, grasping quickly what they had just seen, uneasily looked into the semi-baffled face of her best friend. Laura felt a strange mix of emotions flooding over her. Jealousy, anger, sorrow, hate, all swirling together and creating very complex confusion. She almost felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and all the air had fled her.
"Laura...I-I'm sorry..." Kana struggled to find the right words to console her friend. "That doesn't necessarily mean they're together..." Her attempt at comforting words trailed off, as she sensed how stupid they sounded once she voiced them. It was painstakingly obvious to both of them what those intertwined fingers meant.
The happy grin on Mika's face. The uncharacteristic cheerfulness of Travis. The hand holdage. It all seemed to fall into place like a puzzle, and a heart-breakingly devastating puzzle at that.
Laura felt a small, humorless smile grace her lips. "I know what it means, Kana. Don't worry, I'm okay," Laura assured her, though she wasn't even entirely sure herself.
In actuality, she couldn't help but feel a little bit foolish. Of course he'd have a girlfriend! She couldn't believe that she had never even imagined what it would be like if Travis all of a sudden started to date another girl. They were all getting ready to embark into Junior High, it was expected that Travis would want to go out with someone. Lots of boys their age were starting to chase after girls, and vice cersa. But still, the whole thing had taken her quite off guard, even though she knew she should have been prepared for it.
"Are you sure?" Kana asked her hesitantly, as she handed the gum-chewing clerk the book she wished to buy, with the exact change that flashed on the cash register. Laura just replied, "I'm okay," over and over as Kana pestered her with concerned questions, even though she knew she wasn't 'okay.' How could she be fine with it? She had liked Travis for so long now...and now, he was gone, and his charming smile was now only directed at one girl, and it wasn't her, like she had always hoped.
Travis...was taken.
Taken.
The word echoed round and round in her head.
The normally talkative friends were silent as they exited the store. Kana, eager to change the subject and take Laura's mind off her woe, suggested in as bright a voice she could manage, "Hey, I need to pick up some hamster treats for Oxnard. Do you mind if we head to the pet store before we head back home?"
Laura shook her head dispiritedly, clarifying that she didn't mind. She just stared at the hot sidewalk as they walked towards the pet store, almost completely unaware of the people around her. Her mind was elsewhere, and not somewhere that was making her feel any better. Kana knew that if Laura dwelled on it, she would only feel worse and worse, and she couldn't let that happen to her best friend.
"Laura, she could just be his cousin or something. He was just showing her around town. Maybe he wanted to make sure she wouldn't get lost..." Kana theorized, hoping to cheer Laura.
Laura chuckled mirthlessly. "Maybe..." She muttered weakly.
Her spirits lifted a little, even if that possibility seemed very unlikely to her. She knew that even if Travis was no longer available and her heart had just taken a considerable blow, Kana, her constant companion, would always be there for her, through the thick and the thin, and that always made her feel somewhat better, no matter the situation she was in. It wasn't much of a spirit-raiser, but it was something, and all of a sudden, her heavy heart felt a tad lighter.
"Thanks for trying to make me feel better. You're the best, Kana."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah...I think so. I mean, she seemed nice enough. Why wouldn't he like her?" Laura pondered, though her voice was dull and she wasn't even able to fully convince herself of what she was saying.
Trying hard to focus on something else, Laura followed Kana into the slightly musty, rodent-scented pet store. Just moments after the glass doors shut behind them, Laura spotted a familiar orange-haired tan-skinned boy standing by the dog food, deciding which brand to buy his dog Samba. And just like that, her spirits wilted even further and her shoulders drooped like a great weight had been dumped upon them.
"Oh no..." Laura moaned, slapping one hand to her forehead. "I'm really not in the mood for this right now..."
"What?" Kana asked curiously, glancing around with wide eyes. "Oh...Roberto..."
She too spotted the tall boy, whom Laura had never especially been fond of. He had never exactly been the nicest of people to Laura, or to anyone else, for that matter, always getting under people's skin and aggravating them for the sheer fun of it. That was how he came off, anyway, although Kana was starting to see that he had finer points, and he was beginning to make more friends. Unfortunately, those points went largely unnoticed by many other people, Laura and Travis included.
"Let's just get the treats and get out of here before he sees us," Laura said with a deep, drawn out sigh.
"Uh...but we have to go by the dog stuff to get to the hamster stuff..." Kana said quietly, cringing, as she hated to be the bearer of still more bad news.
Laura grunted dejectedly, but she and Kana silently plodded across the tiled floor, hoping to slip past Roberto unnoticed. Kana severely hoped he would not turn around and see them, for Laura's sake. Roberto had a knack for making bad things worse, and after the incident with Travis earlier, Laura didn't need any grief from anybody, Roberto in particular. And Laura knew this as well. If they could get by Roberto without any of his snooty comments, perhaps her day wouldn't wind up being a total disaster...
Unfortunately, neither girl got their wish.
"Well, look who it is!"
Laura groaned as soon as the snide, self-assured voice wafted to her ears. They had managed to get a few feet past Roberto before he had noticed them, which, she supposed, was an accomplishment, but not their ultimate goal. Therefore, they would have to suffer. "Hi, Roberto," She said, forcing a fake smile. Kana did the same, with a bit more sincerity.
"You look so happy to see me," He said sarcastically, a bag of dog treats resting firmly in his arms. He was staring at the girls coldly, though an almost amused expression lighted up on his tanned face, haughty disposition prominent, as always. "And trust me, the feeling is mutual!" He couldn't resist adding that last bit, and his dig was rewarded when he saw Laura's fake-happy smile fade into a pursed, thin line.
Laura's eyes narrowed dangerously into two serpentine slits. "Well, if you don't want to see us, why don't you leave?" She crossed her arms over her chest, not daring to back down from the boy who was making her already bad day even worse with his unessesary remarks.
A cool smirk played across Roberto's face, unfazed by the venom in Laura's voice. "Hey, last I checked anyone can come into this store if they want. And I'm somebody!" Both Kana and Laura noticed his trademark smirk was somewhat half-hearted, but the brittle tone of his voice remained as irritating as ever.
"I doubt that," Laura said cooly. Kana had never heard her be this mean to Roberto, but, considering the circumstances, it was sort of expected. After the episode with Travis and Mika earlier, Laura was not one to be crossed.
"Why, aren't we mean today?" Roberto almost sounded surprised, and Kana half-agreed with the statement. Neither had ever seen Laura, who was normally so kind-hearted, even to those who bothered her, so seriously angry before. It was a strange thing for both of them to witness, and Roberto's brow furrowed slightly with confusion.
"At least leave us alone! We didn't do anything to bother you, so just let us get our stuff, and you can go back to doing...whatever it is you were doing before we got in here!"
Laura knew she had finished lamely, but nonetheless, she turned up her nose with a proud sniff, grabbed Kana by the arm, and dragged her towards the hamster supplies. Kana quickly gathered up what she needed to get and they paid with warp speed, not wanting to get involved in a verbal tussle with Roberto any longer. Just as Roberto got in line, the girls were sprinting out the door and into the fading sunlight, leaving a certain orange-haired nuisance behind them.
Once the coast was clear, Laura stretched her arms above her head and they began the trek back to their houses. "He's such a pain!" She huffed, eyes narrowed in disgust. "That sarcastic tone of his voice...It just makes me so mad!"
Kana was secretly relieved they had run into Roberto. He had inadvertently got Laura's mind off of Travis and Mika, at least for a little while, even if he hadn't meant to. She let Laura continue to rant about the arrogance of the orange-haired boy, and then bade her farewell once she had picked Oxnard up at Laura's house and returned to her own for dinner, praying that Laura would be alright. Hopefully, her vacation would help lift her spirits back to their normal, elevated level.
And hopefully, with that, things would go back to normal. But Kana, always sensible, knew that things were changing fast for their entire circle of friends, and normal would never be the same for them again. All they could do was adapt, and she hoped that everyone, including Laura, would be able to slip into her teenage years with little strife.
Laura was unusually subdued during her dinner. After the Roberto fiasco had worn off, she had returned to brooding over Travis's apparent relationship with Mika. Her parents had questioned her about how she was, noticing that she seemed down, but she had put a smile on her face to please them and profusely insisted that she was okay. She retired early to bed, adding to their suspicions, but they did not interrogate her further, as she told them she was going to pack and needed her rest for the next day.
"Oh Hamtaro..." Laura sighed sadly, once she had dressed for bed, and after she had spent a silent hour packing for the trip. The book she had bought lay forgotten on a chair in the bag she had bought it in. Hamtaro noticed that she was writing rather slowly in her journal, and she didn't appear as happy and bubbly as she normally was. The air of cheer normally surrounding her had dissipated, and it alarmed him a good deal.
"What's wrong, Laura?" He asked with a furrowed brow, even though he knew she could not comprehend his words.
Her eyes misted over, emotions coming to the forefront as she elaborated, "Travis has a girlfriend, Hamtaro! She's this new girl, Mika Asakura or something, and they were holding hands in the bookstore today, and he was going to her house! They didn't say outright that they were together, but they seemed quite close..." She said the word with a bitter edge to her voice and a glare of contempt in her eyes.
"Oh, no!" Hamtaro immediately expressed sympathy for the young girl.
Anger fading back to sorrow, she sighed grievously and held her face in her hands, distressed. "Oh, Hamtaro! I don't know what to do! I've liked Travis for so long now, it's hard to imagine him being with another girl."
Hamtaro placed his paws on the edge of his barred home, frowning. "Laura...I don't like to see you sad! Now I feel bad about the wonderful day I had, since you didn't enjoy yours...Ooh! Cheer up Laura!" He stared up at his depressed owner through the bars of his cage, the sadness in his eyes reflecting her own. His ears drooped slightly as Laura wiped her eyes with her pajama sleeve, wishing for all his might for her to cheer up.
Laura then went on with a cynical chortle, "And to make matters worse, when we went to the petstore, we just happened to meet up with Roberto, of all people. He always makes me mad, and today was no different. Everything just kept piling on and on..." She sighed again, brown eyes morose. Hamtaro's ears drooped even further. He had a strong connection with his young owner, and whenever she felt sad, it tugged on his heartstrings relentlessly.
"At least we're going on vacation tomorrow, and it should be a ton of fun to go to the shore. That will give me some time to get my mind off today, at least."
Hamtaro pumped his paw victoriously. "That's the spirit Laura! I'll miss you, and I wish I could come along, but I can understand if you need to be alone!"
Laura closed her journal and placed the flower pen down on the desk. She spared one genuine smile for her lovable pet, which relieved him slightly of his worries for her. Hopefully, she was recovering from the situation well, and he hoped she would return to her normal smiling self as soon as possible. "I hope tomorrow is ten times better than today was!" That was the only positive remark the young girl could make.
Hamtaro nodded in agreement. "I'm sure it will be, Laura! Try not to worry! Tell you what...next time I see this Mika girl, I'll scratch her eyes out!" He made the fiercest face he could muster and wildly scratched at an invisible target as he tumbled about his cage, hoping to get a laugh out of Laura.
His efforts were rewarded, as Laura chuckled and stuck a hamster treat through the bars of his cage. She could always count on Hamtaro to lift her spirits too, just like Kana had earlier. The orange-furred ham-ham leapt on the treat joyfully, like a predator to prey.
"Krmp-krmp...sweet victory!"
"Goodnight, Hamtaro!"
"Heke? Oh, goodnight Laura!"
As Hamtaro snuggled comfortably down into his wood chips, falling fast asleep within seconds, Laura turned off the light and crawled into bed, closing her eyes and drifting into a calm, quiet sleep, though she was not quite able to get the picture of Travis's fingers laced through Mika's out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried.
There you have it! Chapter three! Was it up to par? I would appreciate any feedback!
What's up next?: For the second time, Siren comes back to the Clubhouse only to be greeted by a verbal firing squad. Can she weasel her way out of this predicament too? Plus, with the humans mostly gone, the ham-hams decide it's prime time for a ham-ham slumber party at the Clubhouse! Ghost stories, a seed-eating contest, and truth or dare ensue, with various, and sometimes frightening, results. But what happens when a certain red-eyed hamster shows up late at night while the ham-hams are asleep to spoil the fun, and our favorite ham-ham leader sees something that he isn't meant to? Find out next chapter!
Read and review please!