Chapter 15: The Second Day
The next morning...
Caitlin awoke to the sound of a Scottish voice talking. She opened her eyes to find a maid shaking her slightly. This maid must have been the one talking.
"Miss Cait, please wake up," the maid said in a Scottish voice.
Caitlin sat up and realized Natsu and Megan weren't in the room. She thought they must have already gone to take their showers.
"What time is it?" Caitlin inquired.
"It is eight o'clock in the morning," the maid replied.
Caitlin nodded and crawled out of the twin-sized bed. "Thank you, ma'am," Caitlin thanked as she walked out of the room and down the hallway. The bathroom wasn't very far, and she quietly walked in. Inside the bathroom, there were only three showers, and because of the sound of running water, she could tell that Natsu and Megan were already taking theirs.
Caitlin took out her pigtails and brushed her hair gingerly. She turned on the water in the shower and hopped in. There were lots of soaps and shampoos that lined the side of it. She quickly washed all of the temporary dye out of her brown hair and groomed herself.
When Caitlin got out of the shower, Megan and Natsu were already putting the temporary dye back into their hair and on their fur. Caitlin brushed her brown hair and dyed it black again. She put her hair up in pigtails with her lime green ribbons again before inquiring, "What time is it?"
Megan looked at a large clock on the wall. "It's about time to go down to the dining hall," she acknowledged.
"I actually like this place," Natsu remarked. "It's really nice around here."
Caitlin nodded. "They just work you to hell and back," she said.
"True," Megan replied.
The three girl hams exited the bathroom after making sure they looked alright. They traveled down the long hallway, back to the stairs, and down the hallway to the dining hall. When Caitlin, Natsu, and Megan finally got to the dining hall, the other Bad Hams were already there.
Mike glanced over at them as they sat down at the table. He smirked and said, "So, you were able to wake yourselves up?"
"Yes, Snot Almighty," Megan retorted.
Caitlin nodded. "I was lucky I could," she mumbled.
Mike nodded and looked over at the clock. "When we finish breakfast, I'll tell you what you're supposed to do," he declared.
"Akay," Natsu murmured.
With Stella...
Stella woke up with her head thrust in a pillow. She blinked sleepily and looked around. Stella was still in the same room, and it was still reality. She groaned sullenly as she sat up.
Stella stood up slowly and brushed off the dress she was wearing. She paced around the room and thought of nothing. Stella couldn't think now. Jake had won this game, but it wasn't a game anymore. She remembered that he told her it was five days last night, four now, until he married her. She flinched at the thought.
Why me?, Stella thought to herself. Why did I do this to myself? I'm so stupid...and I don't care if someone tells that to my face! It's the truth...
Stella continued pacing until there was a soft knock on the door. She frowned as she turned around toward the door. It cracked open slightly, and Jake appeared in the doorway.
"Good morning, Stella," he said in a whispering voice.
She nodded and glanced toward the ground.
"Do you need anything?"
Stella continued looking at the ground.
"Stella?"
Stella wouldn't look up.
Jake frowned. He cracked the door open more and walked in. He walked toward her and gathered her paws in his.
Stella pulled her paws away from him and slapped him across the face. Jake stood frozen for a minute before saying, "Why did you just do that?"
"Why not?" Stella retorted.
Jake snorted and returned, "Stella, why do you do this?"
"Because I can."
Jake glared at her with his green eyes. He cleared his throat and remarked, "Chad wants to meet you sometime. He said so yesterday."
Stella rolled her eyes and riposted, "Why?"
"I don't know."
Stella crossed her arms. "Go away," she mumbled.
Jake shrugged, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
With Caitlin, Natsu, and Megan...
"I wonder what Snob the Great is going to make us do today," Megan said.
"Me, too," Caitlin mumbled.
Caitlin, Natsu, and Megan were standing in the hallway outside the dining room. They were told by Mike to wait here, and this was where he was supposed to give them orders.
Mike came down the long hallway after a few minutes of waiting. He eyed the hallway cautiously before he said, "Alright, ham girls, this is what I want you to do."
"What?" Natsu inquired.
Mike cleared his throat and said, "You three must try to find that Chad guy again and see if he knows anything else. Also force him to find Jake soon. Ask him if he knows any background info about Jake and why he's doing this to the Bad Hams. Ask him everything we need to know..." Mike paused a minute before continuing. "Also see if he has a criminal record if you can."
"Alright," Caitlin responded. "We can try."
"You can't try. You have to." Mike scowled with sternness in his voice.
"Yes, Snot Almighty," Megan retorted.
Mike grunted and walked away.
"Alright, ham gals, AWAY!" Caitlin shouted excitedly.
Natsu nodded slowly. "Riiight, CC, riiight...," she replied.
Once in Hamster City...
Caitlin, Natsu, and Megan walked down the same street on the sidewalk near the alley where they had seen Chad the day before. There was no sign of any of the hamsters in the group, and Chad was nowhere to be found.
"Where could that annoying looking thing have gotten to?" Megan inquired.
"You thought Chad looked annoying, too?" Natsu asked.
"I sure did. At first glance, he looks fine, but if you look at him for a minute, he looks ANNOYING!" Caitlin exclaimed.
"Tootru...," Megan remarked.
After a few minutes of walking back and forth down the street and seeing that Chad wasn't there, Caitlin stopped. "He's got to be somewhere!" she shouted. "Where is that Chad?!"
"Hellooo, Shoxxi gals!" a loud voice shouted from a high place.
Caitlin glanced up onto a top of a tall building. There was Chad with no one around him. He smiled and shouted down to them, "So, beautiful, you were looking for me? Wow, I feel so loved! Come up here!"
"Akay...how?" Caitlin asked.
Chad pointed to the building. "Go up the elevator," he said.
Caitlin nodded as she, Natsu, and Megan walked into the building. They rushed to the elevator and went up in it until they couldn't go up any higher. Once outside the elevator, the three girls had to go up a group of stairs before they came to the top of the building. Chad ran over to them once they emerged from the door.
"Hellooo, Shoxxi gals! Whaddup today?" Chad greeted ecstatically.
"Oh, that's an easy one!" Natsu replied. "The sky and the clouds and the sun and everything else that's not held down by gravity."
"What is gravity?" Chad asked with doubt in his voice.
"The force that holds you down on the ground," Megan remarked.
"Ah. So, how are the Shoxxi gals today?" he inquired.
"Oh, we're fine. We just need to know about Jake," Caitlin declared.
"Oh." Chad looked down at the ground. "He's been very busy, and I have too. I've decided to help him."
"Grand!" Caitlin said with exaggeration in her voice. "Can you help us at the same time?"
Chad got stars in his eyes. "Of course, I can!!!" he said enthusiastically. "I would LOVE to help you!!!"
"Well, can you tell us who Jake is? Like, background and crap?" Megan asked.
"Sure!" Chad replied. "Well, most people say he's a freak, but he's really cool! His number one dream is to get married to this one girl, named Stella, and be very rich. His second dream is to terminate everyone who doesn't like him so he'll be loved and only loved. Jake wants supreme power, and he figures he could get it if he married the girl of his dreams. And that's where the incredible Chad comes in, which is me. Ah, and he plans on marrying in..." Chad paused and counted with his fingers. "...four days."
Caitlin nodded slowly with a feeling of anger. "So, can you tell us anything else, like about the wedding?" she inquired with vexation in her voice.
"Sure, anything, Cait!" Chad exclaimed. "Well, I get to plan it since Jake's busy, and I'm going to have it at this small chapel...uh...it's down in the outskirts of the city, and it's really nice, actually..."
Caitlin nodded and glanced over at Natsu and Megan. She turned back toward Chad and inquired, "Do you want to go to lunch or something so we could talk a little more?"
"SURE!!!" Chad responded enthusiastically. "I WOULD LOVE TO!!!"
"...akay...," Natsu murmured. She leaned over to Caitlin and Megan and whispered, "He's an enthusiastic idiot!"
"True...," Megan mumbled as she popped her knuckles.