CFB: Sorry I'm a little late; school is hectic and I wanted to rough draft a few more chapters before I posted this. Here's a new chapter for you, loyal readers! Each chapter, like a new adventure...*is hit in the head with a book*
Thanks: I haven't had time to send out replies, so thank you sandyandmaxwellfanatic and Michaia, for being awesome, as usual! This update's for both of you, for sticking with this story!
This time: Sandy wants to sightsee, but what does Maxwell have in mind, and how does our favorite tiger-striped gymnast feel about that? Hamtaro goes off in search of the others to inform them about the banquet! Plus, depressed, Laura makes an ice-cream stop and finds some interesting company waiting there. And, Hamtaro's heroism has inspired Screech to apologize to Hamorette. More than one nose will be harmed, I assure you...Bear with me this next chapter and a half! The action is on it's way! (I'm editing it as we speak...)
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)
Chapter 9: Rain on my Parade
To Sandy, Dreamland was the perfect place to stroll along the glittering streets, paw-in-paw with her favorite hamboy in all the world, Maxwell. She had never been quite as interested in girly things as Bijou and Pashmina, her hamigos, but even she desired some romantic alone time with Maxwell every now and then. So this extravagant vacation was perfect, in her eyes, for some rest and relaxation before their showdown with Steel.
To Maxwell, Dreamland was an endless stream of possibilities. Ever since they had arrived, his eyes had roved over the buildings and the streets, wondering what inner-workings lay below them, keeping them adrift among the clouds. The ancient technology was astonishing, even if it was somehow aided by the magical Stone of Slumber. Maxwell, ever-hungry for more knowledge, was eager to learn more about this thriving civilization.
Naturally, their opposing viewpoints would bring about a clash of interests. How severe of a clash remained to be seen, as Sandy finally caught up with her bookworm boyham, who was trying to locate a control center of some kind, completely ignoring the other wonders surrounding him as he stood on the walkway just outside the castle. All that mattered to him was learning about Dreamland, rather than looking around at all the sights.
"Isn't Dreamland amazing, Maxwell?" Sandy asked with a bright smile as she sidled up to him.
"Mmhm..." Maxwell agreed with a small smile, not exactly in the mood for chatter. "But it's so big...I just wish I knew where to find out how this place works. Learning about Dreamland's history would be a real treat, and so would knowing more about how those unusual Staffs function! I wonder if they have a library...?"
Maxwell darted across the street to ask a kind looking female ham if she knew where he might find a library, leaving Sandy in the dust. Put-off, the gymnast frowned. "Like, Dreamland is such a romantic place..." She murmured under her breath, both disappointed that he didn't seem to care about anything but books, and determined to try and enjoy her time with Maxwell no matter what she had to do. "I'm sure Maxwell wants to spend some time with me, too. Like, we'll go check out the library now, and do some sightseeing in a little while."
Pleased with the compromise she had invented, Sandy pattered across the pavement to catch up with Maxwell. "Totally cool!" she thought to herself, convinced that, once he had scoured over enough books, Maxwell would be more than willing to do what she wanted to. He could be downright chivalrous sometimes...
"Thank-Q!" Just as Sandy ran up, Maxwell had finished speaking with the local hamgirl and was trekking down the street again, in pursuit of books and learning, without so much as looking over his shoulder to see if Sandy was following him.
Huffing, Sandy caught his elbow and panted, a bit irked, "Slow up for a minute, Max! Like, I know you're excited to go look at those books, but can you just wait up a second? You keep leaving without me!" She kept her tone light and joking, thought it bugged her a little that he had only vaguely noticed her presence.
At that, Maxwell stopped walking, eyes wide, regarding her with a look similar to awe and disbelief. "Heke?" He asked, tilting his head to one side. "But Sandy...I didn't think you'd want to come. I mean..." He trailed off, still surprised, before continuing with a note of incredulity in his voice, but a smile on his face, "Did you really want to come to the library with me?"
Sandy nodded cheerfully, still beaming. Really, the only reason she ever went to libraries or bookstores with Maxwell was that she wanted to spend more time with him...not because she was simply dying to read. And, over time, she had grown to like the more intellectual activities to a higher degree - she could pick out a nice sports book, or a colorful fantasy story, while Maxwell spent his time reading big, dusty reference books with words she didn't understand. So long as they sat at the same little table, their different stacks of books side by side, Sandy didn't really mind, even if her tail got numb after sitting for hours on end, in the pure, content silence.
Maxwell seemed a little puzzled, but pleased nonetheless. "I figured you'd want to go sightseeing with the other hams," He told her, as they started walking, side by side, down the bright blue streets.
Sandy shrugged. "There's like, time for that stuff later." "Now, it's just time for Maxy and me!"
Maxwell didn't push the conversation further, and Sandy was content to just walk together down the street with him, even in silence. Nonchalantly, she took hold of his paw, and he didn't complain - though his cheeks turned slightly pink, and Sandy blushed in return. This was hamtast. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a quaint little cafe, with bright yellow curtains in the windows and the scent of strawberries wafting out of a tiny brick chimney. The door was decorated with hearts, and Sandy could see a few happy looking couples enjoying themselves at tables both inside and outside. She made a mental note of it's location; once they were through in the library, she and Maxwell could come here for a snack, and they could passchat in peace.
The library was immense; easily the largest building in Dreamland, minus the castle. It was crafted from stone, varying in colors, ranging from pale yellow, to pastel purple, to soft pink. The huge oak doors were open, welcoming all visitors, young and old. Maxwell was so excited as they climbed the stone stairs, he gripped Sandy's paw even tighter and began to breathe oddly, almost hyperventilating, and she thought he was going to faint from the overwhelming excitement. "Easy, Max..." She joked once she saw his awestruck expression, giving his paw a reassuring squeeze. "Your eyes are like, almost bugging out of your head!"
Maxwell shook his head, regaining some of his composure. "I can't help it! This has to be the largest library I've ever seen! Think of the volumes they must have stored here...pages and pages of a history no earthly ham has ever seen!" His grey eyes glowed. "So much reading to do, so little time! Oh, I wonder if they'll let me take an extra copy of a book or two, for my collection! I'll be the envy of book collectors all over the hamster world!"
Letting Sandy's paw drop, Maxwell raced eagerly inside. Sandy was impressed by how fast he ran; normally, when it came to running, the bookish Maxwell was toward the bottom in skill level. However, the paw he had dropped felt unnaturally cold now, and something in her chest gave a small, painful twist. He had left her side so quickly, leaving her alone here....
"Like, Maxwell! Wait up!"
Determined to enjoy their time together in Dreamland, even if it meant she had to spend a chunk of time in a stuffy library, Sandy bolted in after him, but he was already gone from sight. She was greeted by a smartly dressed, elderly ham whom she ventured was the librarian, and he told her that Maxwell (or 'that sharp-looking speed-demon' as the librarian called him) had headed straight for the history section. After thanking him, Sandy wandered into the shelves to try and locate said section. Even she had to admit, the floor-to-ceiling shelves, stacked with thousands of books of all colors and genres, was an amazing sight to behold. And, naturally, she found Maxwell toward the back of the library a few minutes later, his nose already in a large, fraying book, a tall, tilted stack of books on the table in front of him, almost shielding him from view as he hunched over the pages, eyes flitting to and fro.
"He works fast..." Sandy murmured under her breath, as she padded across the marble floor and took the vacant seat next to him. She was silent for a moment, watching him read, and smiling at a few other hamsters who drifted past. Occasionally, Maxwell would mutter something like, "Astonishing!" or "Using doves makes perfect sense..." as he rapidly turned the pages of his book, in his own little personal heaven. Each book was like a new world, waiting to be explored by his knowledge-yearning eyes.
The silence of the library was eery to Sandy, even though Maxwell found it comfortable and cozy. Realizing that Maxwell was too absorbed to chat with her, Sandy picked up a book from the pile before her and began to gingerly turn the pages. She would have gone off to find the sports section, but feared that she would get lost among the endless rows of books.
The book she had selected held her interest for several minutes, to her surprise. She had found an entire chapter dedicated to the sports and competitions of Dreamland, and learned about the dove-races they held annually, the sword fights between knights, and the old competitions that would have earned one brave Dreamlander the title of Grand Hero. She was so engrossed, she didn't even notice the time passing so fast, but she did notice that her book also alluded to free dove-rides; while also used for races, ham-hams were invited to take the infamous Dreamland doves on leisurely, fun rides around the clouds. If that wasn't the perfect activity for her and Maxwell to do together, she didn't know what was!
Finally looking up, Sandy was startled to see that Maxwell had already sifted through half of his books, and had sorted them by interest level. She rolled her eyes in a good-natured fashion. That was Maxwell....ever the over-achiever. Yawning slightly, she turned her eyes to the clock on the wall, and realized with a start that they had been reading here for an entire hour! Fading sunlight was already filtering in through the tall windows, meaning that the day was slowly ending; street lamps were already being lit by young Dreamland hamsters with long torches. If they didn't leave the library soon, they wouldn't have enough time to do anything else before nightfall! And who knew how much time they'd have after that, since Maxwell had agreed to help with the planning of the attack on Steel....
"Well, that was like, a real good book!" Sandy commented, plopping her book, still open to the page about the free dove-rides, back up on the table. Maxwell didn't appear to hear her, though, after a pause, he muttered, "Hm," as if that were a sufficient response.
Sandy looked toward the window again. "It's like, getting a bit late, don'tcha think, Maxy?"
He didn't look up, choosing to keep his nose buried in another large volume with small print. No response came; he was far too engrossed in what he was reading. Choosing to chuckle with amusement rather than grow blash-T with him for ignoring her, Sandy waved a paw in front of Maxwell's keen eyes, and he sat bolt upright, taken aback. "Like, you were a little bit too absorbed there, Maxy!" Sandy remarked.
Maxwell smiled faintly, returning to the text. "I don't think there's such a thing as getting too involved in a book. This one here is simply astounding! Did you know that Dreamland was founded by three prophets who used magic to raise a small island into the air? Dreamland was originally on water! And, the Staff of Dreams and the Staff of Nightmares were created countless years ago to tame the sleep of hamsters! I mean, all of this may be legends and myths - practically conjecture - but it's all so interesting!"
Sandy beamed at him. "Sure sounds cool, Maxy...but don't you think it's about time we head out of here? I want to get some sightseeing in before it gets like, too dark to enjoy all the radical scenery! You can borrow a couple of books to read later, right?"
Maxwell looked up again, not startled this time. "Hm..." He tapped his chin with thought, Sandy waiting eagerly for his response, so sure that they were ready to go walking off into the beautiful sunset, paw in paw, to enjoy Dreamland together...
"I think I'm going to just stay here. There are still so many books to read!"
Time seemed to freeze for Sandy. Stunned, she remained upright in her chair, but it took a full effort not to topple over onto the ground. She had been so sure Maxwell would be willing to leave his books for just a couple of hours...they were in Dreamland, after all! Books could take the backseat just this once, couldn't they? Didn't Maxwell want to spend any time with her while they were here, during this once in a lifetime adventure?
"B-but Maxy..." Sandy stammered, her voice soft and low. "Don't you...like...want to look around Dreamland with me? Like, it's going to be so cool...I kinda thought we could..." Reverting back to shyness, and sure Maxwell hadn't caught the hint the first time she had suggested it, Sandy fiddled absently with her paws. "You know, like....go together?" She placed extra emphasis on that last word.
Maxwell pondered that thought briefly, but merely shook his head. "No, I'd rather stay here for a little while longer," He chuckled, not noticing the pained expression now crossing Sandy's face, or the disappointment glowing strong in her eyes. "Gosh, there's so many books here that I want to look at, I think I'll be here for the rest of our time in Dreamland! When I'm not helping the knights plan, anyway. I'm learning things no other hamster on earth has ever known! What could be better than that?"
Sandy was crushed, her spirits drooping lower than her stooped shoulders. His words stung her like physical blows, and she could feel tears already forming in the corners of her eyes. Still invested wholly into his book, Maxwell failed to notice Sandy as she stepped down off the chair and turned to face him. Her eyes burned with dejection. If Maxwell thought this was just some big joke, she didn't find it very hardihar.
"Well, like, I'm gonna go then, okay?" Sandy's voice broke a little in the middle, but nothing could tear Maxwell from his quest for knowledge.
Not even looking up from his page, Maxwell picked up a book from his 'already read' stack and tossed it to Sandy, who caught it, confused. "Since you're on your way out, could you put that book back where it belongs? Thank-Q..." He didn't even wait for her to respond, and she stared at the book, openmouthed with shock, while he continued to rapidly scan the text before him with zealous eyes; eyes that only cared for the knowledge they craved, and nothing more.
That was the last straw for Sandy. Her tears of rejection swiftly turned to tears of anger, and puffing out her chest, she reared back and let Maxwell have a piece of her mind, unable to control the fury boiling deep inside of her,
"You are like, the most insensitive hamdude ever, Maxwell!" She hollered at him, her voice echoing thunderously in the quiet of the library, and, at last, his head snapped up and he focused his attention on the enraged tiger-striped ham, bewildered by her sudden outburst.
"Sandy, what's wrong?" He asked, horrified by the furious gleam in her eye, adding in a low whisper, looking around nervously, "You have to keep your voice down, this is a library..."
"I don't care, Maxwell!" Sandy continued on her tirade, tears now coursing down her cheeks, making Maxwell even more baffled. "All I wanted to like, do here was spend some time with you, but I can see that your books are like, more important to you than I am, and you can't even like, take an hour or two to spend some time with me for a change! So here's your dumb book back! Have fun!"
Her rage climaxing, she wound up and threw the book in her paws at Maxwell, full-force, with perfect precision. The book flew so fast Maxwell had no time to duck, and it struck him square in the face, knocking the wind from him. His chair toppled over with a clatter, and Maxwell lay sprawled on the floor, a small trickle of blood spurting from his nose, where the book had hit him with all it's might. Sandy wasn't prone to violence, but she had really had enough this time; her anger and sadness combined to make torturous turmoil in her breaking heart.
Groggily, Maxwell sat up with a hurt groan, just as Sandy stormed off, disappearing from sight as she rounded a bookshelf. Maxwell extended a shaking paw toward the direction she had went, calling weakly, "Sandy, wait...! Why....?" but he collapsed back onto the floor with an injured sigh, the throbbing in his nose overwhelming, and he fell into a dazed stupor, not quite sure what had just happened.
Half-blinded by her tears, Sandy marched through the aisles of books until she reached the exit. The librarian, who had overheard the ruckus, was about to chastize her on the importance of being quiet in a library, but, one look at Sandy's murderous expression as she passed him was enough to send him skittering back behind his desk, where he busied himself with some paperwork, paws shaking.
"Like, how could Maxy be so cruel?"
As she stomped back out into the fading day, Sandy continued to fume, though her heart had broken bitterly in two; half-angry, half-depressed. She and Maxwell had gone through arguments like this before, and always worked things out, but now, under these circumstances, Sandy felt like she had endured enough; this really was her breaking point. How could Maxwell be so heartless...or, had he become so interested in learning and knowledge that he had completely lost his interest in spending time with her? That possibility tore at her heart, and she wiped away the tears streaming from her eyes with furious paws.
"I'm learning things no other hamster on earth has ever known! What could be better than that?"
As Maxwell's words circled in her mind, she shook her head, desperate to rid herself of them, and she quickened her pace, eager to get as far away from the library as possible. In her haste, just as she stepped down from the last of the stairs, she bumped right into another hamster, who gave a familiar sounding, startled, "Oof!"
Sandy blinked away a few of her tears, coming face to face with a worried looking Hamtaro. "Hamha, Sandy!" He greeted cheerfully, though his brown eyes were concerned. "What's wrong? Why so...bluhoo?"
Sandy offered him a watery smile, though she wasn't quite in the mood for dumping all of her troubles on Hamtaro, who would probably offer her a consoling shoulder anyway, even if he didn't always understand the concept of being in smoochie and the tribulations it could bring. "Don't worry about it Hamtaro..." Sandy murmured, and, seeking a change in subject, asked him, trying to sound a little happier, "Are you like, out here by yourself? I would have thought, like, you'd go sightseeing with the rest of the ham-hams."
She bit her tongue. Maxwell had said something similar to her earlier...
Hamtaro shook his head. "Nope! Joy sent me out to deliver an important message to all of the ham-hams!" He explained. "I've been looking all over for everyone! I ran into Siren outside the castle, so she's going to help me look, and now I found you too!" Hamtaro clapped his paws together, as if Sandy had just won some glorious prize. "And the message is..." He paused for dramatic effect, before announcing, throwing his arms out wide, "Princess Hamorette is throwing a banquet for us tonight at the castle! Isn't that greatchu?"
Sandy couldn't help but smile faintly at his enthusiasm, but her sadness and anger over her confrontation with Maxwell was nearly all-consuming. "Yeah...totally bestest, Hamtaro..." Somehow, she couldn't manage to be convincing, but it fooled Hamtaro for the time being. He was too wrapped up in his mission to be completely observant, so her mildly furious expression and teary eyes went way over his head.
Hamtaro looked around curiously, and, figuring that Sandy would know, asked, "Hey, do you know where Maxwell is? I haven't found him yet."
Blood boiling, Sandy pointed a defiant paw toward the library doors. "He's like, in there!" She huffed, narrowing her eyes, before deciding she had lost interest in sightseeing and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her room with a nice, fluffy pillow and a few scrumptious sunflower seeds. "Good luck getting him to like, listen to you while his nose is crammed in his lovedove books!"
With that bitter remark, Sandy was gone down the street, and Hamtaro stared after her, puzzled by her actions. After a moment, he gave a small shrug and pattered up the steps of the library, meandering in while humming a chipper tune under his breath. "Sandy sure looked blash-T about something..." He thought to himself, as he wandered through the massive shelves of books, until he finally caught sight of Maxwell, laying sprawled on the ground exactly where Sandy had left him, groaning in pain.
Thinking Maxwell had merely taken a minor tumble, Hamtaro chuckled lightly and scampered up beside his bookish friend.
"Hamha, Maxwell! Sandy said I would find you - Wow, your nose is the size of an acorn! What in heke happened to you?"
After her uncomfortable, tense conversation with Roberto, and with her friendship woes still whirling around in a tizzy in her heart, Laura was in need of some major comfort.
And only one thing came to mind when she thought of comfort....ice cream.
Kana was busy with chores and homework, so she made the trip alone into town, leaving a note for her parents in case they came home early. Her dad would be out late at a business meeting, and her mom had a late flower-arranging class, so Laura had already eaten an early dinner alone after Roberto had left and was eager to drown her sorrows in a huge bowl of rocky road at the local ice cream parlor.
"After everything that's happened the past couple of days, I think I need a break..." She murmured as she neared Super Scooper Sundaes, enjoying the gentle breeze as it caressed her hair, the sunset hauntingly beautiful over the buildings in the distance. "No holding back...I'm talking triple scoop!"
She could see the glowing neon ice cream cone just a few meters away now, calling to her. It wasn't very busy at the parlor, she could tell...there were only a few people in line. Her frozen heaven awaited, where she could forget her troubles with just a spoon and a savory, flavorful treat! But, of course, just when she thought she was about to enter a sweet escape, she found herself smack dab in the middle of reality once again.
"Laura! Hey, over here!"
Laura's brown eyes flitted to a table just outside the parlor, where two girls were sitting, already enjoying their ice cream. Her stomach twisted into knots; Gina was waving her hand in a friendly manner toward Laura, beckoning for her to come and join their table. Next to her, placid and calm, sat a shyly smiling Mika, whom Laura hadn't had a proper conversation with since all of the issues between her friends had popped up. She just couldn't picture tentative Mika the way June now did...she didn't look like some vicious heartbreaker, intent on destroying lives.
"Just when I think I'm going to get some time to myself..." Laura sighed, but headed over toward their table with a smile on her face, determined to still enjoy this time, even if she was no longer alone to delve into her personal thoughts."Besides, maybe now I can get some of the 'other side of the story' Roberto was talking about..."
"Hi guys!" Laura greeted them as happily as she could muster. Mika waved meekly back, unable to meet Laura's eye.
"Have a seat, Laura!" Gina offered cordially, motioning to the vacant seat across from her. Graciously, Laura took it, setting the bag with her phone and wallet on the ground beneath her feet. A jumpy looking waiter came out of the restaurant and took Laura's order, before hurrying back inside, leaving the girls to have their own conversation in private, which, Laura realized later, would have been inevitable regardless, because certain things just needed to be cleared up between them.
"How are you, Laura?" Gina asked politely, idly stirring some of her strawberry smoothie with a plastic spoon. "Enjoying school so far?"
Laura shrugged, recalling the math test she thought she had bombed - among other things. She chose to keep the topic of conversation light at first, even though she knew she needed answers, and now, with Mika and Gina alone here, without Reese, Travis, Josh, June, or anyone else, was the perfect time to finally get them. "I had a really hard Algebra pop quiz today, and I'm pretty sure I failed. I didn't remember anything at all!"
"It was pretty difficult..." Mika agreed, her voice feathery, as if she was scared to speak. Her smile was small, almost intimidated. "I hope I scraped a C out of it..." She looked concerned for a moment. "Did you find your hamster?"
Laura's heart gave a pained twinge. "Not yet." But she would. She would find Hamtaro no matter what!
Gina's keen green eyes flitted between the shy Mika and a struggling-to-remain-normal Laura, and she could feel the tension there, the burning questions waiting to be asked. Coolness overtaking her demeanor, Gina folded her arms over her chest, leaned back in the chair, and spoke up in her no-nonsense, yet airy voice, as if trying to sound casual and businesslike all at once, "I have a feeling there are more important things to be discussed here, don't you? Something a little more important than a math quiz."
Laura was always impressed by how down-to-business Gina could be sometimes. However, sometimes, it was also a little irritating. This time, she was glad someone had spoken up about it....she wanted the conversation to be held, but she would have had no idea how to start it.
"You're right..." Laura sighed, propping her chin up with her palm. "These past two days have been a little on the crazy side! June is saying one thing, and you're saying another..." She bit her lip, looking from Mika to Gina with attentive brown eyes. "All I want to know is what really happened with this whole...love triangle thing. I don't want to take sides, I just...want to know what caused all of this fighting. I don't want to judge a situation I only know half of."
As soon as she got the words out, it felt as if an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but a lot of weight still remained there. She still had to receive an answer...and hopefully it would be one that would shed a bit of light on Roberto's earlier comments.
"It's one of those situations that you can't judge until you know the whole story, Haruna..."
But...once she knew, would it make things better, or worse?
Mika, after enjoying a bite of her banana split, sighed, a weary look coming into her dark blue eyes. Gina, sensing her friend's apprehension, remarked, "I can tell the story if you want, Mika...just cut in anywhere you feel you need to, okay? There are some parts that...well, only you can tell." Mika nodded, signaling Gina to go on ahead, before she cast a furtive glance at Laura, as if trying to read the brunette's unclear expression.
Gina cleared her throat, took another sip of her strawberry smoothie, and began.
"It was about a week ago, before school started. Josh called me and invited me to go out to ice cream with him after soccer practice...so I met him here, at this very table, actually, and he brought along a couple of the guys from the team. Reese came...and Roberto tagged along too, for some odd reason. He never struck me as the overly-social type, but he was here."
Laura was startled, and her thoughts began to race wildly. Roberto...? What reason would he have had to go along?
Gina went on, choosing to direct her piercing green gaze on the distant sunset as she spoke. "We were having a really good time, just talking and laughing, joking around. But then the conversation turned kind of serious. Mika - " Gina glanced briefly at her friend, before turning back to the orange-red sky. " - called me and told me that Travis was almost an hour late for their date at the movies, and she was getting nervous by herself. Of course, we began to talk about Mika and Travis after I had hung up. Reese..." Gina paused for a moment, thinking about how to articulate something. "Reese is a pretty strange guy, but he's sincere. And Laura, if you could have seen the look in his eyes when he talked about his feelings for her..." Even Gina looked moved as she remembered that past conversation, and Mika blushed harder.
"...It's more his story. You'd have to ask him about that. Besides, I don't think I'd do it any justice."
Laura doubted she would get an opportunity like that....enigmatic Reese was not exactly the type to have small talk with, especially when she knew so little about him. However, she was intrigued...what could he have possibly said to convince Gina and the others that his desire to date Mika, who had been taken at the time, was with solely good intentions?
"Anyway, Roberto brought up a good point a few minutes later - after soccer practice, Travis had stayed behind to work on some strategies with Coach Kaz, and he hadn't mentioned his plans with Mika. Apparently, he forgot all about his date..." Gina looked a little miffed as she remembered. "I was about to call her, but she called me instead. Travis had contacted her, and apologized, but he had to cancel...it had totally slipped his mind." Her last words were biting.
"He was really sorry..." Mika muttered, in defense of her ex. "But I didn't have a way to get home, and it was getting kind of late. I didn't want to walk home by myself in the dark..."
Gina picked it up again. "I told her someone would come to walk with her, but I had curfew to meet, and Mika's house is practically across town from mine. Josh had to be home because his grandparents were visiting, and Roberto...well, he's Roberto, he didn't want to drag his lazy butt all the way over to the movie theater just to walk, ahem... 'some random chick' home..."
Laura couldn't help but give a stifled giggle, despite her current predicament with the orange-haired boy.
"...so that left only one option. He was a little reluctant, because he wasn't sure how she'd react, but he really wanted to go. He wanted his chance at the walk he hadn't gotten all those weeks before."
Laura felt a chill slither up her spine. Now, Reese was starting to look like the catalyst of this whole affair...the bad guy in the unfurling plot-line.
Gina's emerald eyes settled on Laura's face, and her cool, complacent expression seemed almost out of place for the subject matter. In that same, dry, matter-of-fact tone she always had, she told Laura, "...Of course, I convinced him to go."
A silence, tense, but not too uncomfortable, had settled. Laura realized that her bowl of rocky road was sitting out in front of her, already slightly melted. The waiter had brought it, but she had been so involved in the tale Gina was weaving that she hadn't even noticed. Idly, she took a cold, sweet bite with her plastic spoon. The icy sensation helped to soothe some of her raging nerves.
Gina smiled faintly. "Hear me out. Josh and Roberto were there too, and they didn't object because they knew Reese's side. What Reese didn't know was that Little Miss Shy over here - " She tilted her head to Mika, " - hadn't exactly been blind to his feelings, as he had thought."
Laura instantly recalled the conversation that she and Mika had back at Mika's pool party, all those weeks ago. She had informed Laura that she kissed both Reese and Travis at a party, which had sparked the entire bitter feud between the two boys over her affections. Travis got to her first, and she had accepted his offer, and Mika had just figured Reese was upset over the whole deal...he had gotten the short end of the stick, after all, but Mika had guessed that he would get over it; a guess that had been proven completely untrue, now.
Gina shrugged her shoulders. Laura was about to prompt her to continue, now eager to hear the rest, but it was Mika who went on.
"This whole thing is pretty much my fault..." she tucked a strand of her shortened hair behind her ear. "After that first party, I thought Travis was a really nice guy. He kind of...blind-sided me by asking me out. I was so flustered the 'yes' came out before I even had a chance to think about it. I - I didn't want to hurt his feelings..." She bit her lip, and squeezed her eyes shut, as if recalling something painful. "...but it was stupid of me to go out with a guy without any deeper feelings for him."
Laura remained stonily silent, and still as a statue. This news fell on her like a thick blanket, but, in the aftermath, she couldn't say she was surprised.
Mika's voice fell to a whisper, and she stared hard at the wilting remainder of the banana in her mostly-eaten sundae. "...I liked Reese the entire time, but I was scared to admit it, because I knew it would hurt Travis. I tried to give Travis a chance, but...after awhile, I knew that it was just friendship I felt for him. He was so great to me, but every time I saw Reese..."
To Laura's surprise, she let out a small, airy giggle. Looking up to Laura with melancholy, but genuine blue eyes, she asked, "You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach around the guy you like? All those butterflies, or a sensation like you're flying? Whenever I saw Reese then, and even now when I see him, that's what I get. It's sappy, but it's true."
Laura remembered it well. Only now, recalling that made her stomach twist with pain.
Gina took another turn. "Naturally, as her closest friend here, I knew all of this before that night at the ice cream parlor. I knew that Mika liked him the way he liked her, so I had to convince Reese to go and walk her home from the movies. And well..." She cringed a little. "Travis and I have never gotten along too well, but I feel bad for what happened to him. I didn't think he'd show up at the movies and see them there..."
Mika piped up, blushing, "That was a horrible mistake. When Reese came to walk me home I was really happy, because I'd wanted to talk to him about our 'situation' for a while. We kind of wound up talking about it right in the theater lobby, and...Reese was just so honest with me I had to be honest with him too, and well...I don't know how long Travis had been standing there, or what he heard before he came over and confronted us..." She buried her face in her hands, her voice coming out muffled behind her fingers. "I should have been more considerate of Travis. He ended things right there, and I deserved that, because I should have told Travis the truth from the start."
Laura digested that slowly as she took a few more bites of ice cream, thoughtfully silent. Mika sounded genuinely apologetic about hurting Travis's feelings, her biggest folly, which was a good thing...but it remained that his feelings were still hurt. And, from what Laura knew, no apology had been made yet from either Mika or Reese. She understood what it was like to like somebody so much, only to realize that it was a hopeless dream...and she didn't know what it was like to realize that dream was possible, after all, but she imagined Reese and Mika had jumped at the chance and hadn't really taken time to calculate the backlash.
Gina sensed Laura's thoughts, and remarked, "The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. And it wouldn't have been, but June - " she sneered the name, " - had to rant and rave about it. Reese didn't have feelings for her, and she couldn't accept that, so she blackened both his and Mika's name even further, which got Travis even more riled up about it, because June had found out I was involved and word got back to him that there had been some kind of conspiracy or something, which there hadn't been, really...it was all a spur of the moment thing..."
Mika nodded sadly. "I was going to apologize to everyone who got hurt, Travis especially, once things had died down some. But June convinced him that Reese and I had been seeing each other behind his back the whole time, and it hadn't been like that at all..." She fiddled absently with her spoon. "Now, he won't even look at us, and everyone's divided. All I want to do is apologize to him, and ask his forgiveness. I never meant for things to get this out of control."
That sincerity was the last thing Laura had needed to hear. It comforted her to know that Mika hadn't intentionally hurt Travis, and meant to apologize for the harm she had inflicted. Reese's shady intentions were still a little bit of a mystery, but now, Laura was sure of one thing...she couldn't hate Mika for all that had transpired, though she also couldn't say she agreed with how it all happened. At least the girl admitted her wrongdoing, and wanted to amend it. But could she get that chance, with June and Travis still so angry?
Mika wasn't taking Laura's silence well. Peering into the brunette's face with worried blue eyes, Mika asked, a bit pained, "Do you hate me now too, Laura? I - I understand if you do..."
Laura snapped back to reality with a start. "Of course not!" she assured Mika, placing a comforting hand on the girl's arm, which brought a relieved smile to Mika's face. "I can tell you didn't want to hurt Travis. And at least you admitted your wrongs."
"Good! I mean, I don't want you to have to take sides either. I'm just glad that you could hear the other side of the story..."
"The side other than June's poison!" Gina spat bitterly, slurping her milkshake with extra zeal, her eyebrows knitted together.
Laura was also very relieved that part of the story had been cleared up now, but was still troubled by the fragmented state of her friendships. Stirring the last few bites of her ice cream in the bowl, Laura commented sadly, "I like to think that all of this could be resolved. I mean, if you're really sorry, and June and Travis are willing to hear you out..."
Gina snorted. "June won't listen to reason. And Travis has been stomping around school like some kind of infuriated bull. I'm sure he wouldn't listen either...any guy would be really frustrated with his very first relationship not working out, but Travis is taking mad to the extreme."
Laura considered that, but said, noticing that the mention of his name sent no butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach this time, "Still...I think you should give it a shot. He may be really mad now, but I think what he probably needs to hear is an apology, firsthand, from you. And probably Reese, but I still haven't heard his story.. ."
Mika pondered that, and, slowly a smile spread across her face. "You're right, Laura...." She said, appreciation gleaming in her eyes. "I've been so scared to approach him, but...it needs to be done. And I really want him to know that I didn't mean to hurt him...and I hope we can be friends after this..." As she spoke, she seemed to grow more assured of herself. Enthusiastically, she grasped one of Laura's hands and pumped it eccentrically up and down. "Thank you, Laura! I'll try and talk to him tomorrow!"
Laura grinned, pleased by Mika's resolve. Maybe, if Travis forgave her, eventually June would also, and they could put this entire tiff behind them, like some horrible nightmare, and all would resume happily...
All of a sudden, a ringtone began to blare loudly from Mika's shorts. Startled, the girl reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, looking at the ID on the front, a brilliant grin spreading across her face. "It's Reese..." She muttered under her breath to the other two, before flipping open the phone and putting it to her ear with a cheerful, "Hey!"
Laura couldn't help but smile. She hadn't ever seen Mika so happy...but it pained her to know that most of it was at Travis's expense. And even though his name no longer sent ribbons of excitement through her heart, she still considered Travis a dear friend, and she was glad that Mika was willing to give him the apology he deserved...
"What?!?!"
Mika's startled yelp brought Laura crashing back to reality. She turned her gaze to the tan-haired girl, whose eyes were now wide, the phone pressed tightly to her ear as she listened to whatever Reese had to say. Her face had been drained of all color, and the hair on the back of Laura's neck was standing up, and even unshakeable Gina looked moderately worried by the tone of Mika's voice. Something was definitely wrong....
"Okay...yeah. I'm so sorry, Reese....No, I'm coming right there. Just stay where you are, I'll find you. Are you sure you're okay?...Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes. Bye."
As she flipped her phone closed and crammed it into her pocket, she stood up from her chair, face chalk-white and blue eyes frantic. "What's wrong, Mika?" Gina asked.
Mika was fumbling with some bills in her pocket, trying to find the right amount of money to leave for her ice cream, dropping several coins on the pavement that she completely ignored. In a shaky, but swift voice, she replied, "Reese and Travis got into it down at the park soccer fields. Travis punched Reese in the nose...I have to go help him out; he thinks it's broken. I'll see you later, Gina. Thanks again for your advice, Laura..." She quickly smiled at Laura, before scurrying off, worry painted into every crevice of her face. As soon as she was past the cluster of people waiting for ice cream, she broke into a dead sprint down the sidewalk, disappearing from sight shortly thereafter as she ducked around a corner.
Gina's mouth was agape with shock, and Laura imagined that she wore a similar expression. For a moment, they sat in stunned silence, Laura hating how things had begun to look up, only to have them suddenly shoot down again, and Gina looking like she had just been punched in the gut. After the pause, Gina stared hard at the table, her face so pale her freckles even looked lighter. In a small voice, she said,
"Things didn't have to be this way. All they wanted to do was be together. They may not have gone about it the right way, but..." She sighed deeply, as if finally realizing just how horribly twisted things had become. "...I never imagined it would bring about the end of so many friendships. I wonder...if just one apology can fix this mess."
Laura, disturbed by the resolute tone to Gina's voice, quickly paid for her ice cream and bade the redhead goodbye, eager to go back home, and get away from the continuous saga of despair that was crushing her friends.
"Just when things were starting to look like they could get better..."
Suddenly, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She couldn't let so many friendships end this way...there had to be something she could do, or something someone could do, that would amend everything, and mend the broken relationships that had been destroyed because of just one little mistake. Even if it took a thousand apologies...somehow, there had to be a way to make everyone happy again, or, at least, give everyone a better understanding of what had happened. But if Travis had reverted to throwing punches...
She squeezed her eyes shut, walking faster. "There has to be some way...some way that this can all be put behind us..."
And, inexplicably, she had a feeling that the answer would come to her. Somehow. Because she knew that even when things looked to be at their bleakest, there would always be a faint glimmer of light there. Hamtaro, the ever-cheerful hamster she missed dearly, had taught her that much. And there was still a glimmer of hope that the friendships that had been broken during this ordeal would be stitched back into unity. All she needed was some time to figure out how to reach that distant point of light...
A soft knock came at Hamorette's door as the sun was making way for the moon to rise. Hamorette, fluffing her golden curls before the banquet, assumed that it was Sprint, wondering if she was ready to begin the festivities. Gazing at herself intensely in the mirror, she called out a preoccupied "Come in!" without even bothering to make the unknown knocker identify themselves.
So, naturally, when Screech waltzed in she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror, dropped her fur brush, and whirled around wide-eyed.
"Screech!" She exclaimed, a paw flying over her heart, absolutely stunned to see him return after their heated argument that afternoon. "W-what are you....you've come back!" She had thought that her forbidding him to marry Fury would have chased him off for certain...and yet, here he was, standing here again. What had caused his change of heart?
Screech nodded, expression one of somber severity. "I have, my lady. And I returned to apologize to you." His voice was cool, but collected, and retained it's proper formality. She noticed, with a twinge of pain, that much of his friendliness had faded away. Had something happened in the hour or two since he had disappeared?
Hamorette's eyes widened further, though she would not allow her hopes to fly again. Screech had made it painfully clear that he felt smoochie for no one but Fury, so she didn't expect him to reverse his prior rejection. But still, the mention of an apology eased her troubled mind somewhat, and relieved a part of her cloudy mood. Even if her affections had been jilted, she still wished to have Screech at her side...he had always been a comforting presence, so like that ham she had once known...
"Yes?" She asked him lightly.
Screech bowed his head. Though his voice remained a bit chilly, there was a strong wave of sincerity in it as well, as he said, "Oopsie, my lady. I should have never lost my temper with you like that. I...I've just never been so frustrated before in my life. However, I should not have reacted the way I did, and I offer you an apology from the bottom of my heart. If you will be so kind as to accept my apology, I would like to request my position as head knight back. But only if you see fit, my lady."
Hamorette smiled faintly, though she felt another twang of pain as she recognized the fact that the apologetic heart Screech spoke of belonged to Fury, and only Fury. Perhaps that was simply a fact she would grow to accept...key word being perhaps. The idea of the pair marrying still made her stomach turn...Especially with Fury's predicament....
"Still, it was better to have Screech back than not, even if he had spurned her. "Very well, Screech..." She smiled wider, hoping to alleviate some of his burden, while her own heart mended slightly. "I accept your apology, and I expect you back at your position for the banquet tonight. Is that all right?" She purposely avoided mentioning the argument that had started their entire feud, not eager to fight with him anymore, when his emotions were teetering on the edge of danger and she herself was a bit of an emotional wreck, in these rough, high-tension times.
Screech smiled, a dulled smile that had lost much of it's usual energy. "I appreciate that, my lady. And I am thankful you have welcomed me back to my station. I promise, I will not get so blash-T with you again."
There was much left unsaid between the two. Screech still wished to be part of the group that would be fighting Steel in the drawing battle, and he still desired to be allowed to marry the smoochie of his life. Hamorette clung gently to the faint hope that Screech would forget his treasured wishes that she had so adamantly rejected. But, she admired that he had come to apologize, and that he had seen her hurt feelings as something he wanted to set right. At least she belonged in his heart somewhere.
And his apology reminded her so much of that time, so long ago, in the gardens of that fallen castle, where she and that old friend - the old friend that existed only in cherished memories, now - had played for hours, and he had apologized frantically for accidentally tripping her and ruining the new party dress her father had bought her. How his father had scolded him afterward! She would always remember that day...the look on that old friend's face had been remarkably similar to Screech's expression...such cold, but burning blue eyes, almost exactly like his....one of the main reasons she had admired the knight for so long. He was so like that young hamster of her childhood years...
"I must get ready for the banquet, my lady," Screech bowed again, keeping his strict formality, ice blue eyes frosted. "Thank-Q again, for allowing me another chance."
Princess Hamorette watched him leave with a mixture of emotions swirling in her confused heart. As soon as the door closed behind him, and she was sue he was gone, she turned back to the mirror with a deep, heavy sigh. She tried to smile, but the result was melancholy, and her eyes remained troubled and hazy, as she spoke aloud to herself in a voice tinged with both sorrow and nostalgia,
"...and things shall never be the same, shall they?"
CFB: A little hamster told me that CFB turned seventeen today...and the perfect birthday present would be...REVIEWS! She didn't have a good B-day, so some reviews may cheer her up...
Next time: Steel makes his return with a bang! What has our favorite villain concocted for Dreamland? At the banquet, problems and worries afflict the ham-hams amidst the fun. Will Hamtaro get his chance to apologize to Bijou? Will Maxwell figure out why Sandy is angry with him? Why is Sprint suddenly nervous to speak with Siren? Why is Panda so worried? Why do I cinstantly write these things with lots of questions? Are those some unexpected guests? I have the answers, so find out next time! Update may not be for a week....I'm doing a mass edit, but I'm working as hard as I can.