Chapter 2, for all of you! Hey, that rhymes! I certainly hope you like my story! J

Oh, some time has passed…about a week or so!

            Stan was in his prime.  There were six girls instead of two, more than double the flirting.  He sidled over to Blossom.

            "Hello, gorgeous!  How are you this fine evening?" he said.  Blossom gave a half sigh, half giggle.

            "Fine, Stan, just fine!  Thank you."

            Stan bowed low.  "Oh, it's my pleasure to talk to such a fine jewel.  Your beauty out does the flower behind your gorgeous ear.  How about watching the sunset with me, O beauteous one?"

           Blossom was taken aback.  "Um, thanks but no thanks, Stan.  I'm gonna go, um, talk to Sandy."  Stan bowed again.

            "OK, dazzling flower.  But if you change your mind," he stopped and winked at her.  He then strutted off.

            Blossom stared.  She had never seen one so bold.  Shaking her head, she turned and walked over to Sandy. 

            Stan's next stop was to Ice.  He twirled in front of her, a daisy between his teeth. 

            "Hello, Queen of the snow!" he said, kissing the back of her hand.  Ice raised her eyebrows. 

            "Hello Stan.  I take it your having a good time, this evening?"

            Stan bowed fawningly.  "I am, now that I'm talking to you!"

            Ice shook her head disbelievingly.  "Great!  Well, I'm gonna go play with Penelope!  Tootles!"

            Stan waved to her and marched off in the opposite direction.  He murmured happily to himself, "They all like me!"

            Dandelion gazed coolly as Stan walked toward her. 

            "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Flirt Master!" she muttered to herself.  She chewed a sunflower seed lazily as Stan approached.

            "Good evening, bright yellow beauty!" he said dramatically.  Dandelion raised an eyebrow.

            "Hello, striped menace!"

            Stan was slightly surprised.  No one had ever been this bold when he was flirting with them.  He regained his composure and continued flirting.

            "A striped menace I may be, but my heart is not evil!  It is truly in love!"

            Dandelion pulled a fan out from behind her back and whacked Stan over the head.  She glared at him.

            "Listen, O' flirtatious one, don't you dare try and flirt with me!  I hate hamsters who pretend to like someone, but they really just like flirting!  I won't speak for my sisters, they're old enough to tell you to stop, but don't you dare try flirting with me, Stanley!" she snarled.

            Stan was shaken.  No one had ever resisted his flirting.  He was Dr. Cool, the one and only Stan Man!

            "Ok, fine!" he sneered back.  "I was just having some fun!"

            "AT OTHER HAM-HAMS EXPENSE!" she shouted back.  Stan sweat-dropped and stalked off.

            Sandy shook her head as she viewed the event from afar.  "I, like, told him his flirting would get him in trouble one day!"

            Blossom nodded.  "I could've warned him not to flirt with Dandy!  People are always flirting with her and she hates it.  I don't mind, but Dandy does!"

            Sandy nodded knowingly and hailed her brother.  "Hey, bro!  C'mere!"

            Stan turned toward his sister.  "Don't say anything, Sandy!  I know, I know, my flirting got me in trouble, but what is her problem?"

            "She hates being flirted with.  I think she once met a hamster who flirted with her and she thought he liked her, but he didn't!" Blossom said.  Stan turned to her and his embarrassment was forgotten.

            "Oh, of course!  I would hate to be flirted with, too, if that happened to me!"

            Sandy snorted.

            "But at least there's you, flower girl, blossom of my heart!"

            Blossom flushed furiously and Stan winked before scurrying off to go flirt with Bijou. 

            Sandy then popped the question.  "Do you like him?"

            Blossom looked astounded.  "Who, Stan?  No! Of course not!  He just made me blush.  He's a good flatterer."

            Sandy nodded, knowing that Blossom was not lying.  The two stared at the clouds for a bit and then the striped hamster asked, "Who do you like?"

            The flower-ham turned away and did not answer.  Sandy asked again and, again, she got no answer.

            Blossom got up and said, "I'm going to get some more seeds, OK?"  Sandy nodded and the pink ham-ham walked off.

            Leaning back, Sandy sighed.  She stared around.  Everyone was playing in the grass.  Her gaze rested on Maxwell and she grinned. 

            "Maxwell!  C'mere!" she called.  Maxwell held up one finger in the "one-minute" sign.  Sandy frowned.

            "You can finish that, like, later, Maxy!  Come sit with me!"

            "I'm on a good chapter Sandy!  In a little bit, OK?"

            Sandy's anger flared.  "Maxy…"

            Yami sat down next to her.  "I see Maxwell is too busy with his book," he said.

            Sandy sighed.  "Yeah.  Well, he normally does sit with me.  I guess this must be a really good book!"

            Yami shrugged.  The two started chatting and laughing.  Bijou and Pashmina were watching from a distance and they were surprised.

            "Do you think she likes him?" asked Bijou.

            "Maybe, Bijou, but I dunno!" Pashmina replied.

            "I'm just vorried about Maxwell!  Vhat if he sees zem?"

            "They're just talking, Bijou, I don't think he can get too mad.  I mean, he's really absorbed in that book," said the pink-loving ham-ham.  Bijou nodded. 

            Maxwell had noticed, however, and he did not like Yami.  He closed his book and walked over to Sandy.

            "Sorry, Sandy, I just had to finish that chapter," he apologized.  Yami's eyes burned envy at Maxwell. 

            Sandy forgot her anger.  "Oh, that's OK, Maxy!  I know that you just wanted to finish that part."

            "Yes."

            Yami got up.  "Well, it was nice talkin' to you Sandy. Bye!"

            "Bye!" Sandy called.  She did not see the look that passed between Maxwell and Yami. 

            That evening, everyone was having sunflower seed soup and talking.  Maxwell was buried in his book again and he kept claiming he had to finish this chapter.  Sandy was angry, again, and , again, Yami came and talked to her. 

            "Yami," Maxwell said firmly, "do you like Sandy?"

            Yami shrugged.  "Yeah, so?"

            "She's my girlfriend!"

            Yami shrugged again.  "I know, but I like her, too, and we'll see whoever she likes better.  I'm not gonna flirt with her every moment, but I'll talk with her!"

            Maxwell ground his teeth together as Yami walked off.  This hamster was very brave.  He was obviously well taught, too, for he had used the same promise Noah had.

            Deciding to forget all his problems, Maxwell picked up his book again.  Sandy stared at him from across the room.  He was always reading his book-or that's what it seemed like.  She remembered how he had had to finish that chapter of his book instead f sitting with her and she sighed moodily. 

            Yami saw Sandy sitting sulkily on the couch and he immediately knew what was wrong.  He glanced over to Maxwell, who was busy reading his book, and then he looked at Sandy.

            She was a very beautiful hamster, he thought.  No wonder Maxwell liked her.  She was sporty and not prissy.  She liked to rough-house, but could be sensitive, too.  She had a sense of humor, but she could be serious.  Yami's eyes shone.

            He plunked down next to his crush and asked her what was wrong.  Sandy looked at him and she told him all, knowing she could trust him.

            "It's Maxwell!  He's always reading!  He won't, like, come sit with me or anything!  It seems like he doesn't care!" she exclaimed.  The black hamster nodded knowingly.

            "I see.  Well, maybe it's a stage.  You know, like a lull in your relationship or something!"

            Sandy nodded glumly.  "Maybe, but he's been doing this for a while!  In fact, now that I think about it, he does this, like, A LOT!  I think last week, he forgot to pick me up to go to the Clubhouse.  I found him in his cage, reading!  Sometimes, I just don't know!"

            Yami patted her back.  "Really?  Well, that's too bad!  I'm sorry to hear that.  Well, hang in there, striped cutie!"

            Sandy flushed and stared at Yami's black back as he went off to chat with Hamtaro and Noah.  She called Bijou and Pashmina over

            "Girlfriends, I think I have a problem!  I don't think I like Maxwell anymore!"

            Pashmina raised her eyebrows.  "Really?  Who do you like now?"

            "Y-Yami.  I think."

            Bijou giggled.  "Vell, zat makes zense!  He seems to like you, Sandy!"

            Sandy nodded.  "Yeah, I know!  He called me striped cutie!"  Her eyes glimmered as she thought of Yami's comment.

            "Well, you should tell Maxwell soon," Sandy's two friends said.  Sandy nodded.

            "It's, like, weird though.  This is, like, love at first sight or something!  They've only been here a week or something and I already like him!"

            Pashmina and Bijou nodded.  "Love at first sight is just as powerful as any other type of love!" they said.  Sandy giggled and soon the three were in peals of laughter.

            "OK, girlfriends, I gotta go tell Maxwell!"  She got up and walked over to Maxwell.

            "Maxy, I gotta talk to you, like, right now!  It's really important!"

            Maxwell noted the urgency in her voice and marked the place in his book before putting it down.  "Yes?"

            "Maxwell, I'm breaking up with you," she said gently.  Maxwell stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief.

            "Why?" he said softly.

            "I just feel like you like your books more than me!  I'm sorry, Maxy, but if I stayed with you, it wouldn't be genuine love!"

            Maxwell nodded dumbly.  "OK, Sandy.  I had a feeling this was going to happen.  Actually, I was beginning to notice a pause in out affection.  I'm sorry I ever spent too much time with my books."

            Sandy patted him on the back.  Maxwell looked up at her.  "Remember I'll always love you," he said.  Sandy nodded and hugged him.

            "We'll be friends, though, right?"

            "Of course!" Maxwell laughed.  "You'll be like my sister!"

            "There ya go, Maxy!  The bright side!  We'll always be there for each other!"

            Maxwell's spirits lifted.  He had never had a sister before.  "OK, Sandy…sis!"

            The two broke out laughing and Pashmina and Bijou high-fived. 

            "Looks like everything is going to be OK after all!  That's great, huh Bijou?"
            "Oui!  I'm happy for both of zem!"

            The two watched as Sandy talked to Yami in a corner.  The two knew that a new couple was born.

            "Yami, um, well, you see, I kinda…kinda like you…a lot!" Sandy said and Yami looked at her as though she had three heads.

            "I like you too Sandy!  I think I even love you."  He stopped.  "No, I definitely know I love you!"

            Sandy kissed Yami and hugged him.  "Like, ditto!"

            Maxwell saw the two and he could not help feeling a little jealous.  He knew, though, that if this was what Sandy wanted, it was best.  Yami broke away from Sandy and sat down next to his would-be rival.

            "I know it's hard, Max," he said and Maxwell shrugged.

            "Yes, but if this is what she wanted then so be it.  Maybe she'll change her mind and be my girl-ham again.  I hope you two are happy," he said and Yami smiled.

            "Thanks!"

            A new couple had come.  Everyone was surprised that Maxwell had taken it so well.  Noah clapped his brother on the back.

            "Nice one, bro, she's definitely a cool gal!"

            Yami cocked his head and smirked.  "Yeah, she is!  But she's mine, Noah!"

            "Hey, no rivalry, bro!  I like Bijou!  Actually, I think all our siblings have someone they like!"

            Yami continued smirking.  "And I'm the first one with a girl-ham!"

            Sandy cuffed Yami's ears playfully.  "Love isn't, like, a competition, Yami-kun!"

            Noah frowned mockingly.  "Oh, of course!  See, Yami, your girl-ham can teach you something!"

            Yami's lower lip quivered and he put on a ridiculous sad face.  "Oh, whoa is me!  I have a tyrant who's going to try and teach me everything!"

            Sandy giggled and pushed her boy-ham lightly.  "That's right!" she said and the two laughed.

            Maxwell smiled from behind his book.  "You tell 'em, Sandy!  Tell him all he needs to know!"

            All four burst out laughing.  The rivalry between Yami and Maxwell ended as quickly as it had started!

I hope you liked it! This may not be entirely truthful, but Maxwell does spend a lot of time with his books!  Please don't flame!

Ciao,

Haily Comet, leader of the Comet Crew