Transformation

Chapter One: Transform!

- - - - -

Pashmina licked her lips nervously.

"Who's this, Bij?" she inquired, darting her emerald eyes over to Hamtaro. Sandy didn't respond right away, and I was surprised, as she was always outgoing and dove right into introductions. I glanced at Hamtaro, who was smiling at my friends next to me. It's probably because of his hair...yeah. That must be it.

"This is Hamtaro," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. He was a few inches taller than me, so our eyes didn't really meet correctly. "He moved around my area, and he's going to come here...and Hamtaro, the totally gorgeous girl on your left-" Pashmina's face grew pink and she let out an awkward giggle. "-is Pashmina. And on your right is Sandy, who is the best athlete I have ever seen." Sandy grinned.

"Hi," Hamtaro chirped.

"Hey, I like your necklace," Pashmina looked at Hamtaro's neck, which had a lovely jewel shaped like a seed, as its bottoms were rounded until they reached the tip. It was even colored in the right spots to pass off as a sunflower seed.

The bell rang, it's shrill sound piercing our ears as we were right next to it. "Uh-oh. Let's head down to the fields. Hamtaro, you have Sabu, too. We're doing soccer right now." Sandy let out a silent cheer.

"I love soccer. A chance to stretch our legs before Geometry!" she said. Pashmina wasn't so fond of sports, but she also agreed. Hamtaro had a huge smile on his face. It probably meant he loved soccer, also.

We hurried away before the bell screamed again.

- - - - -

"Hamtaro, do you have shorts?" I asked, shading my face from the sun. The concrete felt warm against my tennis shoes. He nodded.

"I got them before I came."

"Hurry and get dressed," I pointed to his left, where the ground stretched to a small building. "That's the boy's locker room. Be sure to bring your schedule. We have to get you checked in." I turned and went inside the girl's locker room.

"Hey, Bijou," my friend, Lapis, greeted me as passed the doorway. I gave her a little wave. I didn't really know her well.

As soon as I reached my locker - 198 - I quickly pulled off my top and pants, but just as I was about to put on my PE clothes, I heard a farmiliar voice. "Um...Bijou! I can't find the room!" I immediately heard shrieks from the rest of the girls. I tilted my head up and my face felt hot.

There stood Hamtaro, shamelessly waving at me.

His face showed no embarrassment, as if he were a girl himself. He just looked at me, paying no attention to the others, quietly crossing his arms. But I saw a bulky arm grab his.

"Excuse me!" the teacher's voice boomed. I looked at the girls around me after I slipped my clothes on. They were shading themselves as if Hamtaro were checking them out like a dirty pervert. "Why the hell are you in here!" Uh-oh.

I darted over to them. Hamtaro looked so confused! "I'm sorry, Ms," I apologized. "He didn't know where to go. Please, it's my fault for not guiding him carefully."

She sniffed. "Well. I'll let him off this time, but please. Don't do it again, sir." She turned and took large steps back to the teachers' room, but not before glaring at Hamtaro suspiciously. She slammed the door behind her.

Just to make the girls feel more private, I covered Hamtaro's eyes (believe me, I was feeling bothered that he saw me in my undergarments, too!) and hurried him out. "Hamtaro, I just told you it was in that building!" Hamtaro shook his head.

"It wouldn't open."

"Ahh...you should have been going to the other side. Too late now. Here, take your PE clothes and change in the big gap between those buildings. I'll stand watch." I pushed him in and waited, trying to make it seem that I was just hanging out there. Great. Now the girls in there are going to spread rumors about Hamtaro being a perve...Great reputation on his first day...oh well...

"Hamtaro, are you done yet? The bell's going to ring for PE in...four minutes!"

"Mmphhmphh!" the answer was muffled. Oh great, what now?

"Hamtaro, I-what happened to you!" I gazed at the pitiful sight of Hamtaro. His head was stuck in his shirt, probably caught in something. He was desperately trying to pry it off. "Jee-zus! This was quite a day, wasn't it." A sarcastic muffling sounded. "Okay, let me get it off," I went down to my knees and worked on getting the necklace unloose.

"Wait! Bijou, no!"

"I'll be done in a second, Hamtaro..."

"NO! WAIT!"

After that shout, I felt the necklace snap and I was thrown back from a small range explosion of smoke. Not very loud, but still enough to shock. "Kyaa!" As the smoke turned into nothing, I opened my eyes, having a fit of coughing. Then I noticed that all that was left of Hamtaro were his baggy clothes, from his shirt to his shoes, with the broken necklace lying limply next to them. They were all thrown over in a big messy pile.

"Hamtaro...? Hamtaro!" I shrieked silently. The bell screeched above me. But I didn't care. "Hamtaro, where are you?" I moaned.

"Keh...keh..." My ears caught the sounds of a small noise. Rats. I shut my eyes. There were rats here. That's where that-

"Bijou!" The voice echoed inside my head. I did a double take. Was I going crazy? That was when I noticed Hamtaro's shirt moving a tiny bit, in the middle. With a shaking hand, I lifted the shirt by the sleeve, revealing a tiny rodent.

"That-that's not a rat..." I muttered silently. I bent down, examining the creature. Orange and a creamy peach...going diagonally down its face...no. It couldn't be...

"KYAAAAAH!"