Chapter 9: Off-Topic Distraction

In the meantime...

"Boss should have been home by now. It's about lunch time!" Caitlin sighed. She and the three other girls were now sitting at the clubhouse's table in the main room.

Megan nodded. "I think-"

"I wonder what's holding him up?"

Megan glared at her. "I think-"

"Could it be that he doesn't know what time it is?"

Megan stood up from her stool. "I THINK-"

"Or-"

"I THINK... I think something bad happened to him while he was with Mike, which is the clue word." Megan sat back down in her stool.

"...You know, you've a point," Caitlin remarked. "I'm gonna go check it out." She got up from her stool and stood next to the door. "...Anyone coming with me?"

"He'll prob'ly do something to your mind," Kayla said.

"Like everyone else!" Natsu jumped up from her stool and ran over to the door. "I'M COMING! I'M COMING!"

"...Good God, Natsu, you don't have to yell in my ear." Caitlin and Natsu then walked out of the clubhouse. They walked down to the river where it was partly frozen and crossed it. The river had a layer of light blue ice over it. The white snow crystals covered the ground like a blanket as they walked to the Bad Hams Place.

Caitlin rang the doorbell. She could then hear someone running up the stairs to answer the door a few minutes later. The door then opened. In the doorway was Mike.

"Hashaa, CC, Natalie." He looked away with a faraway look. "C'mon in."

The two girls followed Mike down the stairs, through the front room, down the corridors, and into the living room. There was a roaring blaze in the fireplace with a garland decorated with crystals atop of it. The tree was decorated with great crystal and glass ornaments with a large diamond star at the top.

Mike sat back in his leather chair. The two girls took a seat on the couch. There was some of the other Bad Hams in there, and they were talking in low murmurs.

"...So, what's up?" Mike inquired as he directed his attention toward them.

"Wellys," Caitlin started, "I was wondering if you knew where Boss went. He hasn't come back yet..."

Mike shrugged. "I dunno."

"Where was the last you saw him?"

"Let's see... We went out on our walk, and then he was acting sort of weird as if he was thinking about something. Finally around nine, we part, I come back here, enjoy the fireplace..."

"So where were you guys when you parted?"

"H...uh... The woods down there?"

"...Hmm..."

"What?" Mike flashed his brown eyes as he leaned forward.

"I suppose he'd be around there."

Mike sighed and leaned back. "Yes. I'm not sure. It felt like just this morning..."

"It WAS just this morning."

Mike shrugged. "Why don't you girls go Christmas shopping with Stella and Becky?"

Stella and Becky walked into the living room.

Caitlin nodded. "C'mon, let's go! Let's also go get the other gallies."

Later...

"How does this dress look?" Caitlin held up an elegant black dress with a red stripe near the bottom.

"Pretty," Kayla responded.

The girls, Caitlin, Natsu, Kayla, Megan, Stella, and Becky, were in a boutique shop currently. Caitlin went into a dressing room to try on the dress. A few minutes later she came out.

"How does it look?" Caitlin spun in front of the mirror and flopped her long, dark brown hair.

"Pretty," Stella and Becky replied.

After a while, the group went back to the clubhouse except for Stella and Becky who went back to the Bad Hams Place. The other Ham-Hams were sitting around the table waiting for them.

"So what's up, guys?" Kayla inquired as the other girls sat down at the table.

"Well," Maxwell began, "we were thinking of planning another Christmas party this year. What do you think?"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted.

"...Self-explanatory." He brought out the chalk board from its usual place. Maxwell spent a moment marking on it with a piece of chalk. "...Alright. The only Ham-Ham who isn't here at the moment is Boss, right?"

"Yes," Caitlin muttered.

"I guess we'll pick someplace to fit him in since he's not here." Maxwell shrugged. "Anyway..."

Meanwhile...

"Er, I guess it's a good thing I got all my Christmas shopping done and my presents wrapped..." Boss rubbed his paws together. Everytime he breathed, out came a cold ring of air. It was freezing where he was. "It always just has to be me... Everything bad always happens to me. If only, if only..."

Boss glanced around the cold room. It was gray as it could be with gray walls. It also had a busted light bulb as a source of light, but it did not work. The snow was piled next to the high window. It was beginning to become darker since the afternoon was progressing into the evening. One the table was the empty bowl with its metal spoon.

Boss sighed. "CC's not gonna like this. She's gonna think this is something that is my fault... She always blames things on me. Now... Wait, what does that have to do with anything? Peh..." He glanced around wearily. "I have no idea what I'm gonna do about this..."

Boss sighed again as he glanced back toward the window. "Hmm... If only I could think like CC, I would be miles away..."

Later in the night...

Caitlin sighed as she sat in Boss's armchair. He had not returned yet obviously. She held Bossy close to her as she fed him. "Oh, Bossy, I wonder where your father got to..."