A/N: Thanks sooooooo much you guys! Your reviews for this story AND my one/shots really helped bring my spirits up--on account I'm reallyreallyreally sick today. Which means I couldn't see my friends and my teachers... andtheboyIsecretlyhaveacrushon... today!
(Reviewers: O.O)
Okay, forget I said that last part. Wh-Why are ya'll giving me those looks? Stop...stop looking a-at me like that! No...wa-w-wait...ummm...I'LL NEVER TELL 'IM! NOW ON WITH THE REVIEW REPLIES! XO
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Krispified: OMG! You were the first reviwer? OMG! I...I love your work! This is such an honor! OMG!(I should stop)
Ringa Ham: It kinda made me cry a bit too while I was writing...mainly cause I was listening to sad songs...or was it the onions in the kitchen..?
Sparkleshine101: How many times do I have to tell you, woman? YOU ARE THE SWEETEST PERSON EVER! Have you even flamed anyone before?
Yayfulness(is a lazy bum): (:P) Yes! It's THAT story! It's THAT story! Hold your guns PLZ! Or I'll get scared...
Moonshine101: A movie? OMG! And I thought following my dreams of being an actress was good enough for me!(BTW, did you mean "This is gonna be GOOD?" not "god?")THANX FOR REVIEWING!
Wolfenheim: Yes, but all that work was worth it thanks to you guys! Thanks BTW! You've been such a sweetheart to me for the past year.
Mel-Girl: Hey girl! Here's the "more!" you wanted! And Penny'll be FAR from obsessed with helping Pashy(Flames suck).
Tsubaki Munegawa: It's okay if you review late. My life hasn't been any easier either.
Angel73: Awwww! Don't worry. Things'll get better for Penny!
Cappyandpashy4ever: LOL. Okay. I'll blame the vacation! Thanx for the review. And BTW, did you have fun on your vacation?
Muchas gracias, everyone! The reviews meant alot to me! Now, for your prize: CHAPTER 1!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW!
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Chapter 1: Fed Up!
"Hey Penny?"
"Yeah Caps?"
"Why are you so quiet today?" thirteen year old Cappy turned his head towards my direction. We were both laying on the grass in the school lawn, staring at the puffy white clouds in the baby blue sky.
It was early in the morning and school had not started yet. Which meant we had some alone thinking time before the whole learning-thing began. Very few kids were spread out, either awaiting their friends or finishing last night's science homework.
"You didn't answer my question." Cappy told me silently. Cappy was my best friend in the whole wide world. He completely understood me and knew everything about me. I looked over at him blankly.
His bushy milk-chocolate brown hair was once again hanging freely from underneath the green baseball cap he always wore. As usual, the tip was pointed backwards to show his face. He had matching brown eyes that shone in the sunlight and his face was a medium beige. He was a very kind and understanding person and I always loved having him around me.
"I dunno, Cappy. I've just been...thinking." I sighed and told him qiuetly. "You wanna talk it over?" he offered, leaning on one elbow. "Nah. Maybe at lunchtime, kay?" I asked sweetly. "Sure!" Cappy smiled and nodded. He threw himself onto his back once more and stared at the clouds. I smiled as well and looked up at the clouds.
After a few moments of silence, I felt something poking at me. Mentally that is. Like...like something was staring at me. My eyes glanced to the side and met straight on into Cappy's two brown eyeballs. He quickly looked away, shocked. "Cappy, was there something on my face?" I asked worriedly, stroking my cheek.
"No no! You're perfect..." Cappy shook his head and stared straight up at the sky. "Oh. Okay!" I smiled thankfully and stood up as I heard the warning bell.
§ That afternoon... §
I cringed once again in embarassment as I replayed this morning over and over again. Ugh! Why did I just stare at Penny like that? She could've totally busted me! I scolded myself.
It was lunchtime and I was waiting patiently for Penelope to come from math class. I was still sort of embarassed from this morning's events and a bit nervous to face her after what had had happened.
Maybe she forgot about it! After all, she's forgetful AND she was worried about her face! I reassured myself. This calmed me down. A bit. I stared up at the ceiling and thought of Penelope and my friendship with her.
Ever since we were little enough to watch Barney--with pride--me and Penelope had leaned on each other whenever we needed the support and help. She always knew what I was feeling from just looking at me and she knew what I liked, disliked, hated and just plain scared of! CoughBarneycough.
But what confused me was why I had just stared at her like that this morning. After all, nothing had really changed about her. She still had those big pink eyes of her's. The same long honey-blonde hair.(A/N: I know she has brown hair, but you'll see why I changed it later during the story.)The same giggle. The same smile. No recent tans. The same little growl whenever she was angry. I believe it went like...
"Ooooooooooh!"
Yeah, like that!
"THIS SUCKS!"
BAM!
Suddenly, Penelope slammed her backpack onto the table and sat herself down across from me. I jumped out of my skin and looked at her, surprised. "What? Did I scare you?" she cocked her eyebrow, obviously aggravated about something. "N-No! I was just...waiting, is all!" I lied. Of course the woman scared me! What is in that backpack of her's?
"Sooo, what are you so pissed about?" I leaned my elbows on the table and looked at her carefully. She was definetaly not as happy as she was a few hours ago. Well, that's what school does to you. It screws up your day and your good mood.
"This." Penelope dug into her binder and pulled out a sheet of paper. My eyes almost exploded out of my head. "WHOA! You got a D?" I exclaimed. "A D plus!" Penelope hissed and removed her thumb from the plus sign. "Oh...right." I blushed and shrank in my seat. How embarassing! I'm trying to forget what happened this morning with me and my best friend, and here I am, making this worse!
"Aren't you gonna ask how I got that D?" Penelope raised an eyebrow. "U-Uh, that's what I was gonna ask you in a few seconds!" I lied. Jeez! Was I off today! I thought. Obviously, it would've occurred to me that a D(plus)was rare for Penelope. She was a very smart person and things like those rarely happened to her.
"Okay, for some wacko reason, I just couldn't concentrate on my test the other day. I had every answer stuck in my head, and then I blanked out and ended up with this...this...this CRAP! Ooooooh, I'm so pissed right now!" Penelope grabbed the paper, crumpled it up into a ball and threw it across the table. It landed by my feet.
I frowned sympathetically and picked it up. "Well, can't you take it over?" I asked her, looking at the tight ball in my hand. "Pfft! Yeah right!" she glared. "That no-good, evil, superficial, stuck-up, pointy-nosed, fat-hipped old bi--"
"Peneloepeeeeee? Remember the incident with the principal?" I warned.
"Right." Penelope nodded cautiously. "The old witch will probably let me retake the test when hell freezes over!" Penelope rephrased. I probably shouldn't tell you what happened with Penelope, the principal and her foul language issues. It'd be too much for you younger kids to hear.
"But I thought you weren't gonna do this anymore, Pen!" I sighed. "Do what?" Penelope asked. "I thought you said you weren't gonna stress yourself to be just like your sister anymore! You told me you didn't want to try to be 'The perfect little sister' anymore. Remember?" I simplified things for her. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that slipping my grades down to a Z minus will seperate me from Pashmina!" she whined.
Penelope wasn't the only Mafura child the school had had. Her older sister, Pashmina, had once gone to our school before graduating two years ago and moving on to high school. And not only was she a big impact on little sis, Penelope's life, she had also left a big mark on this school's history.
Pashmina had been a straight A student, a total organizing machine, respectful, respected, kind and one of the prettiest and most popular girls in school(for the good reasons, not the superficial, bad-girl, Sparkle ones). It wasn't that Penelope was jealous, but what bothered her was what people thought they saw in her from just looking at Pashmina.
Since I can remember, Penelope has tried to make people believe she really was Pashmina's "also perfect little sister." But it just put more pressure on her. So, she decided that pretending to be someone she wasn't from birth, wasn't exactly the best idea. She's been trying to prove those rumors(of her wanting to be just like Pashmina)wrong ever since.
"Okay, you have a point there." I agreed eventually. "Right." Suddenly, Penelope got very quiet. "Penny? Are...are you okay?" I had a very bad feeling that I had just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. "Huh? Umm, yeah. I'm fine." Penelope nodded absent-mindedly. I smiled, amused. "Then, why are you twirling your hair around with a fork?"
"Heke? What are you--EWWWW!" Penelope screamed as she let her hair go and dropped the fork. "Ohhh, groooooooooossssss!" Penelope scrunched up her nose and ran her fingers through the strand of hair, checking for anything not supposedly allowed to be in it. She saw me smirk and blushed furiously. "Okay, so maybe there is something on my mind!" she snapped. "So, spit it out!" I said.
"Okaaaay..." Penelope looked down sadly. "It's just...I-I...I'm worried." she confessed. "Worried? About what?" I asked. "About me and Pashmina! What if I can't prove to everyone that I'm not Pashmina? What if people think I'm just being rebellious and laugh, like I'm still some kind of child? What if I can't be another type of Mafura?" Penelope let out a little moan and slammed her head on the table.
"Oh come on Pen! You're just overreacting!" I poked at her shoulder. "Am I? Or am I doing myself a favor by speaking the truth?" she mumbled. "No. You're not doing yourself a favor by doubting yourself!" I said. "Penelope, you're one of the strongest people I've ever known! How can you give up so easily? People like you don't give up. Ever!"
"Ever?" Penelope picked up her head slightly.
"Ever!" I repeated.
"I dunno." Penelope slanted her lips to the side and the crease on her forehead grew. "I don't think I can pull it off." she lay her head on the table again. "And why not?" I cocked an eyebrow. "Cause..." Penelope trailed off. "Cause?" I copied her. "Cause..." Penelope tried again. "Cause?" I did the same.
"Cause Pashy's just so...so good at everything!" she eventually finished. "Oh is she?" I asked sarcastically. "Yeah! She is!" Penelope looked up and nodded her head sharply. "Pfft! Please! Penny, you're her sister. There's gotta be something she's not so good at! Anything!" I rolled her eyes.
"Afraid not, boy! She's been involved in everything! She was head of the Dance Commitee, president of Student Council, she was in the Yearbook Club, manager of the Student Store, had an advice column in the school newspaper called 'Dear Miss Pashmina,' and had the best designs for the dances, yearbooks, and for accessories in the Student Store! Not to mention she was in the Ham-Ham Gang, making her one of the most popular girls in school! Shall I stop or keep going? Cause I have a whole novel called 'What My Sister Is Good At That I'm Not' with lists and everything you know!" Penelope stopped for a breather.
I smiled. "Hey! We're in the Ham-Ham Gang too, you know!" I told her dramatically. "Okay, how is this supposed to make me feel better again?" Penelope folded her arms across her chest. "Okay, you know just about everything Pashmina's ever done.." I began. "And succeeded in!" she interrupted bitterly.
"..and succeeded in," I rolled my eyes amusedly. "but you can't think of one thing she's never been able to do? Ever?" I finished.
"Well...no! Like I said, she's done everything the perfect teenager could've ever done!" Penelope told me. She has a point, you know! my conscience whispered to me. I told it to shut up. I wasn't gonna let Penny give up oh-so-easily.
"Are you sure, Penny? Cause there's no such thing as a human ham with zero flaws. Everybody has a weakness. Everybody has fears. Everybody has their tramautizing moments. Nobody in this world is 'perfect.' Nobody! Not even Pashmina Samantha Mafura!"
§ Later that night... §
That same evening, even after dinner, Cappy's last words from this morning wouldn't leave my head. I closed my eyes and thought them over once more...
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...Nobody in this world is "perfect." Nobody! Not even Pashmina Samantha Mafura!
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I sighed loudly and threw myself back. My head landed safely on the soft support of the sofa. The ceiling of the living room was all I could see. My hand hung lazily over the cushion and my feet were laying over the edge of the sofa. I was practically dead on the couch, but my mind was swimming over my thoughts faster than any hamster could ever run in her whiz wheel.
Maybe Cappy had a point. Maybe what he was saying was true. Maybe nobody in this world was perfect. Maybe there was something everybody wasn't so good at. I knew I had some imperfections. And after all, Pashmina was only human ham! She just had to have something that stressed her off. I just had to think.
Think, Penelope Alyson. Think! You're Pashmina's sister. You just have to know something about her. It can be anything!
While I lay there thinking, Pashmina just then came downstairs. I didn't even realize it until she said hi. I jumped up and said hi back. Then I noticed something was a wee bit different about her.
"Hey! Whatcha doing wearing a different outfit for?" I asked. Sure enough, Pashmina was wearing a white spaghetti-strap shirt, a pink blazer, blue denim capris with a sparkly pink belt, white(not that high)high-heeled sandals and her trademark pink scarf. I was still in the same clothes from school today: A white tee with a yellow swirly sun on it, my favorite yellow cotton T-vest, matching pants and white sneakers.
Pashmina looked away from the mirror and smiled warmly. Sometimes, when people hear that I have a "perfect" older sister, they immedietaly claim that deep down, there's an evil, bitchy little monster underneath all the make-up. But Pashmina's not a stuck-up bitch at all. She's a real sweetheart and has a heart as big as Hamtaro's bushy orange/white hair.
Pashmina treated everyone with respect, which was why she recieved alot of respect and admiration from many girls in my school. She was also loved by Bijou, Sandy, Pepper and Crystal. All four of them, me and Pashmina are the girls of the Ham-Ham Gang. The boys were made up by Hamtaro, Oxnard, Boss, Stan, Howdy, Dexter, Maxwell, Snoozer, Jingle, Panda and of course, Cappy.
We were all the best of friends who did almost everything together and were very known throughout me and Pashmina's schools. Me and Cappy, being the two youngest members, were very close to one another and looked up to the other older ones. Cappy especially looked up to Boss, who was a year older than everyone else and the leader of the Ham-Hams.
A couple of other Ham-Hams were also best buds like me and Cappy. Two Ham-Hams that were very close are Stan and Crystal. They met when they were still toddlers and have been inseperable ever since. You can usually see them always goofing off together because they were such troublemakers as kids.
I've even heard rumors from the girls that they might be feeling a little more than just friendship for each other! But I totally don't believe that. How can two best friends fall in love with each other anyways? It's impossible. After all, look at me and Cappy!
Another pair of BFF's are Hamtaro and Bijou. Unlike Stan and Crystal, these two are actually dating. They were very good friends before they started dating and their friendship grew even stronger when they began going out. They love to goof off and they talk about alot of things too. They talk alot. Not to mention they're so cute together!
However, being the youngest of such a huge group of teenagers had it's crappy downsides as well. For one, I could never understand their teenage dramas and their attractions towards one another. But the girls recently told me that, because I was now thirteen, I would soon learn what they were they still going through.
"I'm going out with the girls tonight. Sandy actually aced her Italian test and we're off to celebrate." Pashmina told me. It occurred to me that I did overhear that Sandy had been studying for an Italian test all week. Guess it was worth it. After running her fingers through her long straight hair, which was now in a side ponytail, she looked at me curiously.
"So what are you doing tonight?" she asked me. "Oh nothing! I'm just gonna watch endless marathons of dull, play a couple of games of Snore-opoly and then bore myself to sleep!" I chirped sarcastically. Pashmina laughed and sat beside me. "You know, you can always come with us!" she advised. I gave her a look of shock and confusion.
"I can? But I thought you said I was too young to come along with you guys!" I pointed out. "True. I did say things like that." Pashmina nodded. "But come on! Things have changed. You're thirteen years old. I think it's time we invited you to our little night-outs together!" Pashmina told me.
"Are you sure, Pash?" I cocked my eyebrow doubtfully. "Of course! Tell you what." Pashmina scooted closer to me. "How about you go out with us tomorrow night for a girl's night-out? We can talk and shop and do everything. Woman-to-woman. It'll be fun and the girls will be thrilled!" Pashmina offered. "Really?" I perked up. "Sure! After all, you're now an adolescent. Practically one of us!" Pashmina nodded.
Just hearing those words come out of Pashy's mouth made my heart go on overdrive. I couldn't believe that I could finally join Pashmina in her teens-only nights. It was like she just unlocked a door and I was stepping out into a whole new world. Suddenly, my old preteen world seemed very, very small compared to my sister's big offer.
"Well...it is Friday tomorrow. And I don't have homework on Fridays." I pretended to think it over, trying my best to contain my excitement. "Okay! Let's go!" I smiled and nodded. "Yes! The girls'll be so excited when I tell them!" she squealed.
Beep beep!
"Ooh! That's them!" Pashmina stood up quickly. She straightened up her outfit and checked her ponytail one last time. "Okay, Penny. I'll be sure to tell them okay?" she told me. "Yeah yeah. Okay, just go already!" I waved her away teasingly. She laughed, grabbed the keys to our house, her purse, her cell and ran for the door.
Then, it hit me.
If I'm hanging out with Pashmina more and more often than I usually am, then not only am I gonna feel more mature and grown-up, I might actually learn some things about her that I haven't bothered to find out--including things she isn't good at!
This is genius! I thought to myself. That way, when I find out that Pashy's not at all perfect, I can feel more confident about myself. Maybe she's not good at something that I am good at!
"Oh yeah," I smiled and leaned back on the couch. "this is perfect!"
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A/N: Okay. Longer than the prologue, but not as juicy as Chapter 2 is gonna be! Just you wait. But first, plz review! Thanks you guys for the support last time and take care!
Muah! ♥
Crystalgurl101
