Thursday, July 28, 2005

My updates are getting faster and faster! Technically I would have updated yesterday if was typing this story on the computer, but I hand-wrote it this time. Surprisingly it was really effective, but I added A LOT to it when I typed it up. It's my second-longest chapter so far, so I really hope you enjoy it! But first off, a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter…

InspiredByMiyazaki – Thanks soooo much! Your comments reallllllyyyy inspired me to write more! And believe me, your writing is definitely NOT kindergarten level!

JMS-Hamham – Hey I just realized that too! I didn't even think of that before! Glad you liked it!

Yayfulness – Thanks! And voila, an update!

Lil'PieceOfCrap – Here's chapter 5! It would be funny to see a hamster to this stuff!

hockeygirlrain – I'm updating!

crystalgurl101 – Yes, Stan's verrrryy sneaky. He kind of has another plan in this chapter… But it's not as drastic and you'll see the outcome of it before the end!

AprilChikatow – Thanks! I work hard to keep my spelling and grammar mistakes to a minimum. I do let some slip though… And my word-processing program found TONS of grammar mistakes in this chapter, all of which I clicked "ignore" for, since I really can't change them without making it sound all formal and stuff. I don't think they're noticeable though! And congrats, you're right about the episode from chapter one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. This chapter only has hamsters in it (finally!) There's a teeny bit of violence in this chapter (well, the title kind of implies that…) so be prepared. That was a warning, but really, it's not that bad, trust me. Anyways, on with the chapter!

Chapter 5: Confrontation at the Clubhouse

Stan woke up the next day feeling especially groggy; he had been up half the night wondering what on Earth he was going to do about the pickle he had gotten himself into. At first, he thought the best thing to do would be to go to the clubhouse, ready to beg Sandy for forgiveness. However, in the back of his mind he heard her words echoing over and over, "You are like sooo dead Stan!" Once again, he saw Sandy glaring at him, as if she was ashamed to be related to him. Stan definitely did not want to come face-to-face with an angry Sandy; he didn't even want to think about what would happen to him if he did. This led him to think of another possibility: he could avoid the clubhouse for a few days, which would give Sandy some time to cool off, and perhaps become more forgiving. Though it seemed like a good idea in theory, Stan figured that his twin sister might only become angrier by the minute, and even if he stayed home, she would know exactly where to find him. Stan shuddered at this thought.

"Maybe it'd be best to just get this over with," Stan thought, knowing that no matter what he did, he couldn't run from his problems forever, and sooner or later he'd have to face the consequences. "At least all the Ham-hams will be there, and they would never let me get too hurt… I hope." Inspiration suddenly came to him. "That's it! The others can help me!" Stan said aloud, delighted by his new idea. This plan would definitely be foolproof. There was still time for him to get to the clubhouse early enough to tell everyone his side of the story. He was hoping that they would all understand that his intentions were good, and that they would help him convince Sandy of this.

Stan sprinted towards the clubhouse; though he knew for a fact that Sandy never made it to the clubhouse early in the morning, he needed all the time he could get. After all, he had quite a story to tell, not to mention a tough crowd to persuade. He could just picture it: Boss, the leader of the group, would be laughing his head off, while the girls would be shaking their heads disapprovingly at Stan. Stan shook this thought out of his head. "I just have to calm down andthink positive; it'll all be okay… they'll understand…"

Stan was not too sure of himself, but he continued running. When he arrived at the clubhouse, he looked around for a familiar face. He spotted Maxwell reading a book underneath a nearby tree and quickly hurried over to him. "Max, you gotta come inside right now," Stan said nearly out of breath. "Come on dude, quickly!" He added, noticing that Maxwell was clearly not in any rush at all.

Maxwell looked up from his book. "What's the rush… err… dude?" he asked Stan, a bemused expression on his face.

"Gotta… explain… before…" Stan was still trying to catch his breath. "Man I really gotta start working out," he thought.

"Look Stan, I'm not mad at you," Maxwell began.

"You… you're not?" Stan asked. He was a little surprised, but at least someone was on his side.

"Well, normally I would be, but you didn't really cause any harm, Jake and Hillary are happy as ever thanks to your antics." Stan let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't exactly thrilled to hear about the 'happy couple,' but he knew that no one could really be too mad at him now. However, Maxwell continued. "Sandy, on the other hand, doesn't exactly feel the same way."

Stan's fears suddenly came back to him. "She… doesn't?" He asked nervously, hoping that he might have heard wrong. Maxwell shook his head, but gave Stan a slightly sympathetic look. "Come on Max, can't you help me out here?" Maxwell glanced to the side uncomfortably. "There's gotta be something you can do…" Stan was practically begging now, failing to notice that Maxwell was inching away slowly. "You know, put in a good word for me so she won't think that I'm…"

"…A total moron?" A voice from behind Stan asked.

"Exactly... wait!" Stan spun around slowly, afraid to find out who was standing there. Lo and behold, his sister was standing right in front of him; arms crossed and a fierce look in her eyes. Stan jumped slightly; even though he recognized her voice, he hadn't expected her to look so... angry.

"We need to have a little talk," Sandy said in a vindictive voice, glaring at her brother. This was quite a contrast compared to her usual cheerful personality, and Stan immediately took notice. It was clear that Stan knew not to mess with Sandy when she was this upset.

"I… um…" Stan trailed off; going through every excuse he could think of in his head. "You know, I'd love to havethis little chat, but I think we'll have to postpone it, 'cause I'm kinda in the middle of a conversation with Max here…" Stan indicated the spot where Maxwell was sitting. Well, "was" is the key word here, given that Maxwell was no longer sitting there anymore.

"Well that's just too bad for you now, isn't it?" Sandy said bitterly. "We're gonna talk now, and don't even think about running off again!"

Stan decided that it was time to face the facts; there was no way he'd be able to get out of this now. He sat down and opened his mouth to speak, but Sandy interrupted him. "Look, everyone knows that you always come up with stupid schemes, but even I wouldn't have thought that you would do something like this! And I like know that you technically didn't ruin Jake and Hillary's relationship or anything, but you totally invaded their privacy, and mine and Max's too! That was so inconsiderate; I can't believe my brother, of all Ham-hams, would do this!"

At this point, Stan had stopped paying attention; he was distracted by the fact that Sandy could pronounce "inconsiderate," let alone know what it means.

"Are you even listening to me? Pay attention!" Sandy yelled harshly, hitting Stan on the arm.

"Hey!" Stan shouted, pushing Sandy backwards, knocking her to the ground. Stan stood there in shock for a moment; he hadn't intended on pushing his sister so hard, but instinct had suddenly taken over.By the time Stan had gone over to offer help to his sister, Sandy had already gotten to her feet and charged full-speed at Stan, tackling him to the ground. As she proceeded to punch her brother repeatedly in the arm, the anger flashed in her eyes. There was a fire burning inside her, and nothing could stop her now. Stan tried his best to stay strong, but couldn't take it any longer. "Ow, ow, OW!" he cried, trying to move away from the punches that were still flying through the air and leaving bruises on his arm. Sandy suddenly came to a realization of what she was doing, and stopped immediately.

"I… I didn't want to hurt you… I didn't mean it…" Sandy was staring wide-eyed at her brother now; having difficulty processing what had just happened. Stan was lying on the ground – dirty, bruised, and bleeding slightly – and it was all her fault. Tears were forming in Sandy's eyes as she hurried over to her brother, helping him up. She brushed some of the dirt off him, and the twins sat down together, leaning against a nearby tree. Neither twin said anything for several minutes; the two of them just sat in silence. Sandy finally spoke. "I'm really sorry, I like, don't know what came over me… it's just that, I kind of expected you to act more mature, like an older brother is supposed to!" Sandy's voice was calmer now, but it was shaky; she was trying to hold back tears.

For a moment, Stan did not know how to respond. His sister's words had really gotten to him, and everything suddenly just cameout. "I…I…I'm really sorry Sandy! I wasn't thinking! I never meant for things to turn out like this; I should have just left everything alone! I just wanted…" Sandy looked at her brother inquisitively. "…I wanted to make Noel happy." Stan braced himself, preparing for the worst (although he couldn't imagine what could possibly be worse than what he had just been through).

To Stan's surprise, Sandy stayed calm. "What are you talking about? What's Noel got to do with this?"

"You haven't noticed?"

Sandy rolled her eyes impatiently. "Do I honestly look like I noticed? If I noticed I obviously wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

Sandy was obviously still annoyed, and Stan definitely did not want to anger his sister again, so he decided to just get to the point. He took a deep breath, and began to explain everything. "Okay, Noel has had this huge crush on Hillary for like, forever, but since he's not as smooth with the ladies as I am –"

"Stan –"

"Alright, alright… Ok, basically he was too shy to do anything about it... maybe he was scared she wouldn't feel the same way and it would ruin their friendship or something like that. Anyways, he missed his chance, and now every time he even thinks of Hillary and Jake – together – he gets totally depressed."

Sandy gently put her paw on her brother's shoulder. "Oh bro, I'm like so sorry… I didn't know…"

"Don't feel bad, it's not your fault. And I don't blame you for being mad, if I were you, I would have pummeled me ages ago… but don't go getting any ideas."

At this comment, Sandy finally smiled. She pulled Stan to his feet and hugged him tightly, making sure to release him before he stopped breathing. "I feel so bad for Noel though…I never thought that he… and Hillary is still totally oblivious…and…oh, I just wish there was something we could do…" Sandy eyed her brother, noticing that he was looking especially enthusiastic at this statement. "But we can't," she added quickly. Stan was slightly disappointed, but knew that it was really for the best. Besides, Hillary used to be his owner, and Stan wanted her to be happy too.

"Promise you won't do anything stupid?" Sandy asked, holding out her pinky.

Stan hesitated for a moment, but finally linked his pinky with Sandy's. "I promise." The twins smiled at each other, then headed towards the clubhouse to join the others.

I think I write way too much in my author's notes… But it's fun and adds a bit of my personality to the story. This chapter was by far the most fun to write, maybe because I was relaxing and watching TV while writing it, as opposed to sitting at the computer, stressing over ideas. Also, I knew that the twins were gonna have a fight right from the start, when I thought of the idea for the story, so the ideas just kind of flowed from there.

This chapter was a 5.6 grade level this time… it's gotta be because of all the dialogue! Well, the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it up, but until then, sparkleshine101, over and out!