Here's chapter 9 of Life has Choices! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro

Sandy was lying lazily in bed, staring at her silver ring. She closed her eyes and touched her lips; remembering of what happened last night…

FLASHBACK

Maxwell slowly took out a silver ring out of his pocket and put the ring on Sandy's finger. "This is something to remind you, that I'm always here for you."

"This is also for you…" Maxwell leaned in and softly kissed Sandy on the lips.

END FLASHBACK

Sandy put her bed covers over her head. "That isn't like Maxwell… " Sandy said to herself. "But, I want it to stay like this forever. It's just like a fairy tale."

Sandy rose up from her bed and started to dress. "Fairy tale or not… I have a life that I should take care of. He's only one small chapter of my life."

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Sandy was holding the handle of the cup of her black coffee. She was staring blankly out the café's window.

"Hey." A female's voice called out.

Sandy slowly turned around only to find, "Twinkle!"

"Great way to say, hi." Twinkle said as she sat down in front of Sandy.

"Sorry. So, what are you doing here?" Sandy asked without any expression.

"I was going to just get a cup of hot tea." Twinkle raised her hand. "Can I get some tea, please?" She yelled out.

"Oh…" Sandy didn't know what else to say. "Congrats on winning the shampoo contract thingy." She said trying to change the subject.

"Oh yeah that. Aren't you upset about it?" Twinkle said as she sipped her drink.

"Our company's really upset, since we worked hard but no one's sad as Jon…" Sandy explained.

"I can't believe they won! We usually lose or win by a few hundred votes! But 5,000!" Jon yelled out. "This is going to be a bad, and all the contracts are going to go to Pure Swans now!"

"I see. Aren't you sad?" Twinkle asked as she stared outside the window.

"Not really. It's no big deal."

Twinkle's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem so important to me. So it's okay." Sandy said as she smiled. "You can't win all the time, right?"

Twinkle started to frown. "SHUT UP!" She said as she slammed her hands on the table. "Just shut you're mouth! You still don't get the pain I bared seven years ago! I want you to join this!" Twinkle shoved a sheet of paper in front of Sandy. "This is a competition to rhythmic gymnastics! I'll win this and you'll finally understand how it feels to lose. I want you to fill this out now!"

"Okay." Sandy said simply. She started to write down all the information needed.

"You're too simple. I thought it would take forever to convince you to enter this."

"I'm done! I'll see you at the competition on the 30th!" Sandy said excitedly.

"Why are you doing this without second thoughts?" Twinkle asked with amazement.

"It might be fun! And…"

"…And?"

"If I lose, I can understand what you went through and…" Sandy looked at Twinkle. "We finally might become friends!" She got up and left some coins on the table to pay for her coffee. "I'm still going to do my best! Don't forget that." She added sternly and finally left.

Twinkle slumped down on her chair and giggled a little. "Really, does she think that the world spins because of friendship?" She took a sip of her tea.

"We finally might become friends!"

"She's such a kid. Friends… don't exist." Twinkle gave a small smirk. "I hate her guts more than ever!"

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"Sandy! It's your turn to shoot!" Jon called out.

"Coming!" Sandy yelled out. "Nice shooting out there. You looked great!" Sandy said to Pashmina.

"Thanks, the workers and Jon are having a hard time right now, cause of our job. Don't get stressed when they yell at you." Pashmina warned Sandy.

"Thanks." Sandy said as she got out of her chair.

"We don't have all day!" Jon yelled.

Sandy quickly ran to the set and sat down on the chair. "How do you want me to pose?"

"Pose like there's no tomorrow!" One of the camera men said.

"Look more natural! C'mon you can do this!"

"Can't you do something easy as that!"

"Smile! You can't win an audience without a smile!"

After all the yelling and shouting, Sandy was finally done. "Thanks for everyone's hard work!" She yelled as she ran toward the dressing room. "Phew, I'm so happy that it's over. Modeling never seemed so hard."

"Had a hard time, eh?" Bijou asked.

"Yeah, it's never been so hard." Sandy replied.

"It's usually like this every time we lost to someone. The yelling should be over in a week or so." Pashmina added. "Do you guys want to go out and eat to take out minds off this job?"

"Sure why not?" Sandy said as she walked off with her friends

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"Where did I put it? I know I put it here… Found it!" Sandy slowly reached out for her ribbon that was in a box. "Good to see you my old friend! And there's my clubs, ball, hoop and rope! Everything I need for the competition!"

Sandy headed out to her high school gym and looked around. "This place hasn't changed! It's just like how it was…" Sandy looked around the gym some more. "I better start practicing."

Sandy was struggling for awhile. She got used to her rope and clubs after a few tries. Her ball and hoop took about an hour to master, but then the ribbon… wasn't coming along very well. Her usually best performance was the worst right now.

"I used to be so good at this! I don't get why it's so hard!" Sandy tossed her ribbon into the air.

You still don't get the pain I bared seven years ago!

"Twinkle…oof!" Sandy's ribbon bounced off her head and onto the ground. "This isn't some silly competition; I want to try my best in this! But… it's not that easy." Sandy practicing all day and the most she mastered was twirling and walking at the same time. "I only have about 2 weeks. Why did I join?"

Sandy packed her stuff and started to head out of the gym but then saw someone in the doorway.

"This is where you've been practicing. You're not getting any progress done." A familar female voice said.

"Twinkle!" Sandy said in surprise.

"You're not as talented as you were when we were in high school. You should just quit now." Twinkle said as she took out her gymnastics ribbon.

A burst of rage shot into Sandy's mind. "I doubt you're any better."

"Watch." Twinkle said as she gave a cold look. She first did a leap in the air and twirled her ribbon. Her performance was beautiful and graceful. It was like the wind was carrying Twinkle's light body. Sandy just watched in awe, wondering how Twinkle was so good after all these years.

Sandy couldn't help it but smile. "Your routine was beautiful.."

"Unlike yours. Keep practicing Ribbon-girl." Twinkle said as she walked off.

Sandy just looked at her old, worn-out ribbon. She just shrugged and walked home.

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Sandy got out of her shower and went to her room. "I practiced almost eight hours today. Why haven't I gotten any better?" Sandy sat on her bed and looked at her ceiling. "Maybe I really should just quit.

FLASHBACK

"Next up is Cassandra Remington. Please give her a warm welcome!" The announcer said.

A little girl was in the audience waiting for the gymnast to appear. "Mommy! What's the thing she's holding?"

The woman next to the little girl turned and smiled at her. "It's called a ribbon, Sandy. Isn't it pretty?"

"Yes! I really want to hold one of those." Sandy exclaimed. "I want to twirl it and make circle and perform in a huge crowd!"

"I doubt you'll be any good!" A boy next to Sandy said.

"Yes I can! Stan, you probably don't even know what it's called!"

"It's called a ribbon, blockhead. Everyone knows that." Stan said bored.

"Stan, don't call your sister that." Sandy's mother scolded Stan. "Sandy, do you want to take lesson on twirling the ribbon?"

"Yes!"

END FLASHBACK

"I was so happy then." Sandy sighed. "I don't think I was any good at first."

FLASHBACK

"This is your ribbon sweetie." Sandy's mother said as she handed Sandy a ribbon.

"It's beautiful."

"You'll be starting lessons tomorrow with your new coach. Other little girls will be learning just like you!"

"I can't wait!"

7 years later

"Mom, are you coming to my performance tomorrow? I got the lead part!" A twelve-year-old Sandy asked.

"I'm sorry honey. I have work tomorrow. Stan, take lots of pictures of your sister."

"Kay. I promise I'll be there." Stan said to Sandy.

"Thanks."

END FLASHBACK

"Now that I think of it, mom never came to any of my performances… oh well, she was busy all the time." Sandy said as she hugged her pillow.

FLASHBACK

"Sandy Torahamu wins first place by raising her score with her ribbon routine. Congratulations!" The announcer said.

"Congrats Sandy!" Twinkle said to Sandy. "You won!"

"Thanks." A 17 year-old Sandy said. "Too bad, this is my last competition.

"Awww! But you're the best rhythmic gymnast so I guess it's good for your reputation."

"Yeah, you're awesome!"

"It's your best performance yet!"

All of Sandy's old high school friends were congratulating her. But all Sandy wanted was her mother to be at her last performance, but she knew she couldn't count on that.

"Thanks you guys!"

END FLASHBACK

Sandy smiled for a bit. "I was good back then." Tears started to fall from her eyes. "Then why can't I do it now! After 15 years of training, why can't I do this?" Sandy sobbed. "Why isn't anything been going easy one me? My job's been hard and my routine isn't working…" After all the tears, Sandy finally calmed down and finally fell asleep.

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"I'm such an idiot for crying last night. Life isn't right without any problems. I just hope I don't hit any new walls until the competition." Sandy thought as she brushed her teeth. "I should hurry and get to the bookstore. Mr. Brown must be getting ticked if I'm late again."

Sandy got dressed and combed her hair. She ran out the door and arrived at the bookstore. "I'm here, Mr. Brown."

"Good Sandy, there's not a lot of work today. So all I need for you to do is put these books away for me. That's all for today." Mr. Brown said as he sipped his morning coffee. "Then you can go on home."

"Thank you." Sandy put on her name tag and started to put the books into the shelves. After a couple of minutes, she was done. "That wasn't so hard." Sandy sat behind the counter, looking outside. "It's such a beautiful day." Suddenly she saw someone familiar coming toward the bookstore. "Maxwell! What's he doing here?" Maxwell opened the bookstore door and searched for Sandy. He was holding something in his hand.

"Maxwell, I'm over here if you're looking for me." Sandy said as she waved.

"I need to talk to you!" Maxwell said in a loud stern voice, unlike his usual calm and sweet tone. "Come with me." Maxwell grabbed Sandy's wrist and started to walk away. Maxwell stopped after a couple of minutes.

"Maxwell? What's wrong?" Sandy asked, confused.

Maxwell took a deep breath and then turned around and stared at Sandy. "This is what's wrong!" Maxwell threw down a magazine onto the ground. The wind flipped a few pages and stopped at a page where a girl was in a sunflower field. And that girl was Sandy.

Sandy's secret was figured out by Maxwell. "Maxwell… I meant to tell you… I really did!"

"No you didn't." Maxwell said quietly as he looked at the magazine, that was on the ground. "No you didn't! You were going to hide it from me, didn't you!" Maxwell looked at Sandy.

"I-I…" Sandy was speechless.

"I even told you I didn't like models before I knew your name!" Maxwell yelled.

"I-I'm sorry Maxwell. Yes, I was trying to hide my secret from you… but the only reason why I did that is because…" Sandy looked at Maxwell with teary eyes. "It's because I wanted to be with you!"

Maxwell slowly walked toward Sandy and then pinned her against the wall. "Do you want me to tell you why I dislike… no… hate models?" Maxwell asked quietly.

Sandy nodded slowly.

"When I was younger… my mother was a model." Maxwell explained. "She was beautiful… and young. My mother… gave birth to me when she was sixteen. Since she was young, she was still popular after having a child."

"Maxwell…" Sandy said under her breath.

"My father, mother and I lived together, happily. And I wanted that to last forever, but that didn't happen."

FLASHBACK

"Why can't you be home at a decent hour!" A male voice yelled.

"I can't help it when I have jobs offering to me!" A female voice yelled.

Outside the room was a little young boy, Maxwell, crying to himself. "Mom! Dad! Please don't fight!" He cried.

END FLASHBACK

"They'd fight everyday. And it was mostly because of mother's modeling career." Maxwell hadtears coming from his eye. "And then… it got worse."

FLASHBACK

"Mommy? When are you and daddy going to stop fighting?" Little Maxwell asked as he was tucked into bed.

"Maxwell. Mommy is going to go outside for fresh air. Maxwell, don't come looking for me." Maxwell's mother said as she left the room.

Morning

"Mommy?" Maxwell said quietly as he walked down the stairs.

Don't come looking for me

Those words suddenly hit him. "Mommy!" Maxwell said as he carried his teddy bear outside. It was snowing heaving and little Maxwell couldn't run for a long time. He suddenly tripped and fell. "Mommy… please come home. I miss you."

END FLASHBACK

"I'm afraid that I'm going to lose someone that I care for!" Maxwell yelled. It started to snow. Maxwell looked at the sky. "Great. It's snowing, just like the day my mother left."

"Maxwell, I'm sorry." Sandy said as she hugged Maxwell.

"You're going to leave me too, huh? Cause of your modeling job. Most models give up everything, even their love ones for their jobs. That's why I hate them, including my mother."

Sandy looked at Maxwell.

"I don't want to see you either." Maxwell said with a cold glare. "I don't ever want to see you again. You're going to break my heart, just like she did."

Sandy started at Maxwell. "I'm sorry." She said quietly and then ran off.

"You're running away too. Is it because you're mad? Or is it because… it's true?" Maxwell thought.

Sandy was running as fast as she can. After a couple of minutes she stopped to catch her breath. "Where's your usual smile Maxwell? Do you want me to help mend your heart? You wouldn't let me, would you? I'll tell you why I'm running away. I'm running away because… I'm scared…"

Hope you enjoyed chapter 9! I was in a majoy writer's block and the chapter didn't turn out how I planned. Oh well...

Thanks for the reviews and thanks for supporting me!