Chapter 30: Continuing The Two's Stories
With Jake...
FLASHBACK
Jake had now been over to Simon and Stella's mansion a few times. He and Simon talked plenty, but Stella didn't really talk to him much. She was usually out to the library or looking through books in the family's library.
After three days had passed since the first night he had dinner at the mansion, Jake saw Stella in the mansion's library looking through a large book at a round table. Simon had left them alone in the library. Jake walked up to Stella and inquired, "Whatcha readin'?"
Stella looked up and pressed the book up against her chest. "Nothing that would interest you, sir."
"You can call me Jake instead of 'sir' if you want." Jake sat down beside her at the table. "Sure, I'm interested. Whatever you're interested in, I am, too."
"Oh, quit flirting, lover boy," Stella retorted.
Jake shrugged and glanced at the front cover of the book. It read, 'Worst Criminal Masterminds in History'. He tilted his head and inquired, "Worst criminal masterminds in history? What's that got to do with anything you must be interested in?"
Stella flashed her silver eyes. "I'm reading, no, thank you."
"You were reading that article about the store being robbed, weren't you? Do you know who those hamsters were?"
"Yes, no, thank you," Stella returned sharply as she turned away.
"The Bad Hams've been around for just a while, but they're known in a lot of places. Some of the hamsters in this neighborhood have been robbed and killed by them. They're sorta scary almost. You know?"
"I think they're fascinating," Stella retorted.
Jake shrugged. "You'll think they're fascinating until they rob and kill your father."
"I'd thank them for that."
Jake raised his eye brow while mumbling, "Well, that's ironic." He stood up and paced around as Stella continued reading. After a few more minutes, Jake mumbled, "You like them, don't you?"
"A lot, yes." Stella turned around toward Jake.
Jake sighed. "Trust me, Stella, you do NOT want to get mixed up with them. They'll betray you."
"I'd rather be used by them than be used by you and my father."
"...You're saying we're using you?"
"Yes. Father wants me to marry you, and I won't. I like someone else. I like the Bad Hams' leader."
"Now THAT'S a bit out of reach, is it not?"
"No."
"But, Stella, I love you... Don't you like me?"
"No. I like the Bad Hams' leader. I can't waste my time with nothings like you."
"But..."
Stella turned around. "Nope. I don't like you."
Jake looked down at the ground and whispered, "Stella... I can't believe this..." He looked back up at her. "Your father won't listen to you anyway. He listens to me, and he's already said that he might marry you off. He's going to make you marry me anyway. That's why your little crush is just a bit out of reach."
Stella stood up. "I can force him to listen to me. It works. Or I can get my maid to force him to listen to me."
"It won't work, and you know it, Stella."
"Oh, it WILL work if I MAKE it work."
"It still won't work if I make it not work. He likes me. He doesn't like the Bad Hams. Which one will he choose? Me. Me, Stella, ME. M-E. ME."
Stella rolled her eyes and retorted, "Which one will I choose? You or the Bad Hams? Hmm... Not hard to make that choice. The Bad Hams. Don't cry over me, Jake, 'cuz you can't cry over anything you never had."
Jake's heart swelled large. "Stella... I can't believe you... You're lying to me. You don't like the Bad Hams. You don't like me. You don't like anyone because no one can fit in your world where everything revolves around YOU."
Stella glared straight through Jake. "I COULDN'T fit anyone else into my world until I saw Mike four days ago."
Jake's eyes swelled with tears. "Stella... You can't like him. You HAVE to like me. What have I done to you?"
Stella glared at him with a fire in her eyes. "Everything," she returned sharply as she walked out of the library with the book in her paws.
Jake continued standing in the place he was standing in for a few minutes. After a few minutes, he screamed, "STELLA! YOU CAN'T DO OR SAY THAT! STELLA!!!!!" Tears streamed down his face as he ran out the library's door and ran toward the front door. Jake burst out the front door and into the front yard of the mansion. He ran down the road as he screamed, "THE BAD HAMS HAVE RUINED MY LIFE WITHOUT EVER SEEING OR HEARING OF ME BEFORE!!! WHY?!?!?!?!?!"
Once he got to Brach Street, Jake stopped running and leaned up against the payphone. He started walking toward his house with the tears still rolling down his face. Once he got to his house, Jake walked inside and collapsed on the couch in his living room. "Why...why...WHY?!?!?!?!?!" he screamed into a pillow. "WHY DO THOSE DAMNED BAD HAMS HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING FOR ME?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!?!?!"
The voiceless hamster ran into the living room to see what was wrong. He sat down on the couch next to Jake. Jake whispered, "Why does Stella like the Bad Hams more than me? Doesn't she know she'll never get to talk to the leader? If she does, he'll hurt her... I can't let her go... Hopefully Stella doesn't tell Simon that she doesn't like me... Besides, he already said I would probably be the one to marry her."
The voiceless hamster looked confused as Jake stood up and paced around. "I can't let her like that guy...," he mumbled. "I can't let her heart be won by him... He'll hurt her... He'll betray her... He'll use her... He'll scare her... He'll rape her... He'll beat her... He'll rob her... He...he'll kill her... No... I can't let her like him. I won't let her like him."
END OF FLASHBACK
Jake lied back on the couch. He heard the voiceless hamster rummage through the closet in the living room with Stella. Stella was on top of the nameless hamster's back as she looked over his shoulder into the closet. The voiceless hamster shrugged as he looked up at Stella and shook his head. Stella shrugged, too, as she got off of his back, and they walked into the kitchen.
With the Bad Hams...
Caitlin contently leaned back in her chair. She had just finished her dessert, a chocolate moose. Megan had had a cheesecake, and Natsu had had a chocolate brownie. Caitlin smiled as she told Megan, "Megs, I remember once when you went to the cheesecake factory when you were in intermediate school with your parents and your parents wouldn't let you have any cheesecake since you had a big salad."
Mike laughed. "Oh! That's pitiful not to have cheesecake at the cheesecake factory!"
Natsu laughed also. So did Becky and Roger.
Megan blushed and muttered, "Shut up... You sing in the shower and talk in your sleep."
Mike, Becky, Roger, and Natsu then laughed at Caitlin. Caitlin shrugged and mumbled, "So?"
Everyone just kept laughing. Caitlin blushed violently and mumbled, "I don't get what's so funny about shower singing and sleep talking..."
With Stella...
FLASHBACK
It had been three days since the first time Jake had had dinner at the mansion Stella lived at. Stella had been searching the mansion's library over for a recent book about the Bad Hams. She looked until that one day she had found the perfect book, 'Worst Criminal Masterminds in History'. She was looking through it and had just found the Bad Hams when Jake walked over to the table she was sitting at and asked, "Whatcha readin'?"
Stella immediately looked up at him and pressed the book against her chest. "Nothing that would interest you, sir."
"You can call me Jake instead of 'sir' if you want," Jake said as he sat down at the table beside her. "Sure, I'm interested. Whatever you're interested in, I am, too."
"Oh, quit flirting, lover boy," Stella retorted as she shut her book.
Jake shrugged and looked at the book's front cover. He looked rather confused as he muttered, "Worst criminal masterminds in history? What's that got to do with anything you're interested in?"
Stella flashed her silver eyes sharply. "I'm reading, no, thank you."
"You were reading that article about the store being robbed, weren't you? Do you know who those hamsters were?"
"Yes, no, thank you," Stella returned sharply as she turned away from Jake. She really wasn't interested in talking to him about anything.
"The Bad Hams've been around for just a while, but they're known in a lot of places. Some of the hamsters in this neighborhood have been robbed and killed by them. They're sorta scary almost. You know?"
"I think they're fascinating," Stella retorted as she rubbed the book's front cover.
Jake shrugged. "You'll think they're fascinating until they rob and kill your father."
"I'd thank them for that." Stella's voice was very frank and truthful.
Jake raised his eye brow while mumbling, "Well, that's ironic." He stood up and walked around as Stella opened the book again. After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Jake mumbled, "You like them, don't you?"
"A lot, yes." Stella turned around toward Jake again.
Jake sighed. "Trust me, Stella, you do NOT want to get mixed up with them. They'll betray you."
"I'd rather be used by them than be used by you and my father."
"...You're saying we're using you?"
"Yes. Father wants me to marry you, and I won't. I like someone else. I like the Bad Hams' leader."
"Now THAT'S a bit out of reach, is it not?"
"No."
"But, Stella, I love you... Don't you like me?"
"No. I like the Bad Hams' leader. I can't waste my time with nothings like you."
"But..."
Stella turned around. "Nope. I don't like you."
Jake looked down at the ground and whispered, "Stella... I can't believe this..." He looked back up at her. "Your father won't listen to you anyway. He listens to me, and he's already said that he might marry you off. He's going to make you marry me anyway. That's why your little crush is just a bit out of reach."
Stella stood up with the book in her paws. She looked rather offended. "I can force him to listen to me. It works. Or I can get my maid to force him to listen to me."
"It won't work, and you know it, Stella."
"Oh, it WILL work if I MAKE it work."
"It still won't work if I make it not work. He likes me. He doesn't like the Bad Hams. Which one will he choose? Me. Me, Stella, ME. M-E. ME."
Stella crossed her arms while still holding the book, rolled her eyes, and retorted, "Which one will I choose? You or the Bad Hams? Hmm... Not hard to make that choice. The Bad Hams. Don't cry over me, Jake, 'cuz you can't cry over anything you never had."
"Stella... I can't believe you... You're lying to me. You don't like the Bad Hams. You don't like me. You don't like anyone because no one can fit in your world where everything revolves around YOU."
Stella glared straight through Jake with her silver eyes. "I COULDN'T fit anyone else into my world until I saw Mike four days ago."
Jake's eyes swelled with tears. "Stella... You can't like him. You HAVE to like me. What have I done to you?"
Stella glared at him with a fire in her eyes. "Everything," she returned sharply as she walked out of the library with the book still in her paws. Stella walked down the corridors as she walked up a set of stairs to her room. While she was walking, she heard Jake screaming as he ran through the house. Stella just rolled her eyes as she paced into her room with the book. She sat down on her bed and muttered, "God, that ham! He's really about to get on MY nerves!"
The maid that had talked to Stella the night of the dinner rushed in. "I heard Jake screaming something about you, and I think Simon did, too. If he did, he's going to be up here in a few minutes asking for an excuse. What happened?"
Stella looked up with her eyes still flaming. "I told him I didn't like him and that I liked the Bad Hams' leader."
"Oh, no, dear...," the maid whispered. "You shouldn't have told him that! He's going to go off and tell your father... You've gotta think up an excuse before Simon comes up here asking for one. Tell him that you were looking through a book and was concentrating really hard and you accidentally yelled at him and hurt his feelings."
"NO." Stella's voice was flamed and angered. "I'm going to tell Father straight out that I don't like Jake but I like the Bad Hams' leader."
"...Don't tell him the last part, dear. You'll regret it. Just tell him he doesn't have what you're looking for."
Stella sighed angrily. At that moment, Simon came bursting into Stella's room shouting, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, STELLA??? TELL ME!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE HIM RUN OUT CRYING AND SCREAMING, YOU IMMORTAL, MURDEROUS, HEARTLESS BITCH??? WHAT DID YOU DO???"
"I didn't do anything." Stella glared at her father right in the eye. "I just told him that I didn't like him. I told him what it was going to be like. I told him I had no heart for him in the plainest matter I could. He doesn't have what I'm looking for."
Simon breathed profoundly as he grabbed Stella by the shoulders and shook her. "HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND!!! DON'T RUIN MY CHANCE TO GET YOU A PROPER MAN NOW!!! HE LOVES YOU, STELLA, BUT LOOK AT YOU!!! YOU HAVE NO HEART FOR ANYONE! WHO WILL EVER BE ABLE TO LIVE AND FIT IN YOUR COLD WORLD??? HUH??? TELL ME!!!"
"Mike of the Bad Hams." Stella's eyes were burning bright. "That's who I like, and no one can change my mind. He's the only one I want and need. No one else will ever have everything I want. He has it ALL."
Simon let go of Stella's shoulders and backed away. "Stella...you can't love him...," he whispered as his color faded. "He'll hurt you... He'll betray you... He'll beat you... He'll rape you... He'll kill you..."
"It's better than living here!" Stella retorted. "Any life's better than living here! I won't marry Jake. I won't love him. I won't do anything for him AT ALL."
Simon bowed and shook his head. "No... You don't really love the Bad Hams' leader... You're just saying that to hurt Jake's feelings."
"What a coincidence, he told me the same thing."
Simon continued to shake his head. "You don't love anyone. You're just finding a reason to get attention. You just want everyone to notice you. That's it." Simon's color was still faded as he walked out of the room.
The maid looked at Stella. "This is going to be bad, I can tell you now."
"I don't care. I told him the truth, and I don't care if he believes me or not. It's the truth, and I won't lie about it. If you don't believe me, it's alright, too. I don't care by now what other people think. I only care what I think." Stella's voice was truthful and unlying.
The maid whispered, "May you be able to find the Bad Hams' leader and run away with him."
END OF FLASHBACK
Stella sat in the dining room at the table with the voiceless hamster as he poured Cheerios into three bowls and gave one of the bowls to her. He gave another bowl to Jake, whom was sitting next to Stella at the table, and then kept a bowl for himself.
"I HATE Cheerios...," Jake muttered.
Like I hate you, Jake, Stella thought with a malicious smile.
The nameless hamster glared at Jake as he threw a spoon at him. Jake ducked quickly while shouting, "THAT'S YOUR SPOON!"
The voiceless hamster scowled as he threw the other spoon at Jake, and it hit Jake in the face. Jake howled in pain as he rubbed his face. The voiceless hamster mouthed something while pointing at Jake. Stella looked over and remarked, "Jamie said, 'AND THAT'S YOUR SPOON!'. Haha!"
The nameless hamster bowed while walking over to pick up his spoon. He picked it up off of the ground and walked back over to the table. He handed Stella a spoon as he sat down. "Thank you, Jamie," Stella replied.
Jake muttered curses under his breath as he picked up his spoon. "I still HATE Cheerios..."
Stella turned toward him and retorted, "You're still going to EAT Cheerios for Jamie."
Jake whispered, "And for you."
Stella rolled her eyes as she started eating her Cheerios. Even though she didn't care much for Cheerios either, she still ate them. The voiceless hamster quickly ate three bowls of Cheerios before the other two even got half way done with their first bowl.
Stella shrugged. She was just thankful she nor Jake had blown up yet this time at dinner. Stella watched Jamie mouth something, and she said, "Jamie said, 'I LOVE CHEERIOS!'."
Jake shrugged. "Don't care."
"And do I look like I care if you respond or not? No..."
Jake wrinkled his nose and muttered, "Riiight..."