An hour later, the hams were full to bursting. Even Oxnard had stopped shovelling food into his mouth.
"Now that was good picnic." he said, stretching slightly and shifting into a more comfortable position. "If only we ate like this every day…" He continued, a far-away look in his eye. Hamtaro looked over and laughed.
"If you ate like that all the time you'd be fat!" The group all laughed, and Oxnard joined in.
"Fat or not," he said, "It would still be really tasty." He laughed some more. "Anyway, at least it's a perfect afternoon for dozing under a tree, I'm too stuffed to move." He added, patting his stomach.
"Well the rest of us can do something at least." Stan said. "Let's play football or something."
"Football?" Asked Sandy. "After all that lot? You'll be sick!"
"Fine." Replied Stan. "I'm going to do a bit of skateboarding." He grabbed his board and threw it down, leaping on it as it moved off.
"What is with him?" Sandy shook her head. "Is it the time of year for everyone to go totally mad, or something?" Pashmina watched as Stan shot round the park on his board, leaping over cracks in the path.
"I guess boys will be boys." She said. Bijou laughed.
"Oui, they can be very silly at times, right Hamtaro?" Hamtaro wasn't listening though. He pointed to the far side of the lake.
"Isn't that Sparkle over there?" He asked. Bijou looked out to where he was pointing.
"I think you are right, Hamtaro." She replied. Sandy's face broke into a grin.
"That explains it!" She told them. "He's obviously trying to impress her!" Sandy laughed. "Oh dear, he mush have a crush on her."
"That might explain why he was so interested in the Ball in the first place." Added Panda. "It didn't sound much like his sort of thing, but if he's after one of the lead singers, it makes more sense."
"He hasn't got a hope in the world though." Pointed out Maxwell. "She certainly doesn't seem impressed so far." Sparkle was adjusting her ponytails, completely ignoring Stan's show-off antics on his board. She stood up and began to walk along the path, towards the group. "She seems to be heading this way." He added. Stan had obviously noticed this too, and had turned around, catching up to her on his board. As he got closer, he slowed down, until he was alongside Sparkle. Although still out of earshot, the hams could see him trying desperately to strike up a conversation, although it appeared to be rather one sided. As the pair got closer, the hams were able to pick out Stan's voice.
"So anyway," he was saying, "I hear you're playing at the Ball on Sunday. Just so happens I'm gonna be there too. Maybe we should…" He never finished the sentence, as at that moment he went over a deep crack in the pavement. One of the wheels of his board got stuck, catapulting him upwards. Stan yelled out, before landing in the water with a splash. He managed to drag himself to shore, coughing and spluttering.
"Your friend seems to have gone for a swim." Said Sparkle smugly, as she walked past the hams. Sandy dashed over to help her brother.
"You stupid ham." She said sternly, once he'd stopped spitting up water. She helped him over to the group, and draped a corner of the picnic blanket over him. "What was all that about?"
"I was just trying to, you know, be nice." He said, trying to shrug the whole incident off.
"Well, it was incredibly smooth, whatever it was." Said Dexter sarcastically. "If only we were all so cool with the female of the species."
"Heh," Laughed Howdy. "You said it. No way any of us'd leave that sort of lasting impression on a young lass." the others laughed. Pashmina smiled at him.
"Looks like she might be a bit out of your league." She said to Stan. "Oh, and try not to get the blanket too wet," she added. "It's mine." The others laughed again, and even Stan joined in.
"Thanks guys." He said, shivering.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Replied Hamtaro, and the group laughed again.