Speedy we hardly knew ya
"Man, he sure is cute." Said Gus, as he, Mikey, TJ and Gretchen watched the class hamster run around on his wheel.
"Cute but fast. Look how quick he runs when I squeeze his rubber carrot." Mikey picked up said carrot and squeezed it next to the cage.
"Go speedy go." Said TJ as Vince ran up to them.
"Water break." Vince put the water bottle in the cage with speedy. "distilled water, straight from Mr Jermaine's lab."
"And let's not forget his Friday treat, scientifically tested, vitamin full hamster croutons." Said Gretchen holding the box up in the air while Gus got the bowl out of the cage.
"Garlic flavour is his favourite." As soon as Gus put the bowl back into the cage speedy ran over to it and started to eat.
"Hey, slow down speedy, you've gotta pace yourself with them or they won't last the weekend." Said Gretchen just before the bell rang, signaling the end of the day.
"Okay people, have a good weekend." Ms Grotke dismissed the class. "Remember Monday is positive energy day."
"You know, the other grades may have their own class pets, but nothing can beat speedy." Said Dede now standing by the cage after grabbing her bag from her desk.
"Would you guys hurry it up, we got some mager playing to do." Spinelli said by the door, bouncing a basketball.
"Right, right we're coming." Dede said before they all followed Spinelli out of the classroom.
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On Monday morning, at 8am, all the students made their way into their respective classes, took their chairs down from their desks and proceeded to sit down as ms grotke walked in.
"Good morning people." Ms grotke walked to the front of the classroom as all students replied to her, except Mikey who walked over to speedy's cage.
"Rise and shine speedy, it's Monday." Mikey tapped lightly on speedy's cage but got no response as speedy just lay there. "Speedy?" He picked up the cage and slightly shook it.
"Mikey, that's not a good thing to do, what's wrong?" Dede said, running to Mikey to get him to stop shaking the cage.
"I don't know, speedy's just laying there." TJ and Gretchen joined them both at the cage.
"Perhaps he's sick?" Gretchen suggested.
"Speedy?" Mikey was still trying to get the hamster to wake up.
"Nah, he's just tired, that's all, he's had a long weekend." Said Vince, as the rest of the class surrounds the cage.
"Yeah, he's had a long weekend." Said TJ. "Sitting around, sleeping, eating croutons."
"But TJ, he didn't eat his croutons." Said Gus looking at the full bowl of croutons in the cage.
"Don't worry people, I'm sure speedy is fine. He's probably just in some hamster hibernation." Said ms grotke.
"Hamsters hibernate?" Asked Dede, never hearing that before.
"No, hamsters don't hibernate." Said Gretchen.
"Oh…well then um..perhaps he's meditating. A little meditation is a great way to start your day." Ms grotke led all the students away, not seeing Gretchen still standing by the cage. "So why don't we-"
"Oh no." The whole class looked back at Gretchen to see she was holding speedy. "Speedy's not meditating ms grotke, he's…he's-"
"SPEEDY'S DEAD!" Mikey screams so loud that almost the whole school hears him.
With this now being known to the whole classroom most students were understandably upset and it was like this even when they were released for recess. While at recess the gang were all at the kickball field trying to play but it seemed that Spinelli was the only one really in the mood to play. "Two out, nobody on, plays to first." Spinelli pitched the ball to Mikey who just stood there and let the ball bounce off of his shin. "Hey, am I the only one playing here?"
"Sorry Spinelli, I just can't keep my mind off speedy." Said TJ from his base as he sat down on the floor.
"Yeah, me either. I just keep thinking about how he would run around in his little wheel all day." Said Vince as the other sad five joined him.
"Or how he'd tickle our faces with his whiskers." Said Dede.
"Or how he'd zip through my maze without getting lost." Gretchen sighs. "I kept trying to tell myself that's he's just a hunk of dna, but who am I kidding, speedy was special."
"Special? He was a hamster." Said Spinelli standing in front of her sitting friends. "Go down to the pet store, they've got a million of them and their all the same."
"Maybe to you Spinelli, but to me he was special." Mikey fought back, before crying. "He was my friend and I-I I killed him. I pushed him too hard with that squeaky carrot."
"Oh come on Mikey, it wasn't your fault." Vince walked over to Mikey to comfort him. "I was the one who gave him that stupid distilled water."
"No, it was those croutons. Those garlic croutons. His little heart couldn't take so much seasoning." Cried Gus.
"Listen, if it makes you feel better, you all killed him, okay. Now can we play?" Said Spinelli.
"Come on you guys, it was nobody's fault." Said TJ. "It was just his time to go."
"I know, I just wish I could've said goodbye to the little guy, that's all." Said Mikey.
"Too late now." Said Gus.
"Oh yeah, says who?" Asked TJ.
"I think the answer is pretty obvious, TJ." Said Dede.
"Hey, it's never too late to say goodbye." Said TJ standing up. "Speedy was our friend, our good friend and I say we give him a funeral."
"A funeral? For a hamster?" Asked Spinelli dropping the ball she was holding.
"Hey yeah, give the little guy a send off." Said Vince standing up with TJ.
"A memorial service to share our heartfelt sentiments." Gretchen joined in as the rest all stood up, on board with this whole funeral idea.
"I'm pretty sure a lot of the other kids would like to help us as well." Said Dede already thinking of who can help with what.
"Let's do it." Said Vince before the six ran off.
"Why do I have a feeling my whole recess just got wrecked." Spinelli signed before following her friends.
"Okay, let's go and talk to the diggers first." Said Dede, leading her friends over to Sam and Dave, who were digging like crazy. "Hey guys, you got a minute, we need you to dig a hole for us."
"Sorry Dede, but we're booked solid." Said Sam.
"First we gotta dig a moat for king Bob." Dave pulled out a calendar.
"Then we got a bomb shelter for that weird new science teacher and then-"
"But this is for speedy." Mikey interrupted the boys.
"Speedy the hamster? Why didn't you say so?"
"Yeah, speedy was a great digger."
"We'd be honoured to help."
"Thanks guys, it means a lot." Said Dede happy that they agreed to help. "We'll come and get you when we've found the perfect burial ground for speedy."
"Got it." With that the group of seven left. The next thing to do on their list was make sure more people would come to the funeral, which led them to asking the Ashley's, who were on board given the fact it'll give them a chance to buy a new outfit.
"Now we need a good spot to bury speedy." Said TJ.
"The hustler kid knows the ins and outs of the playground, maybe he'll know a good spot." Said Vince.
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"Now this here's the best spot in the playground." Hustler kid said, leading the group to a spot under a tree. "Normally something like this would set you back a pretty penny, but because it's for speedy you can have my all in one burial package, which includes a foam padded shoes box…..uhhh…coffin at a mere two bucks over cost."
"You've got yourself a deal." TJ said, shaking hustler kids hand.
"Hey wait a minute." Spinelli interrupted. "I'm not coughing up my milk money to bury a hair ball."
"Oh come on Spinelli, it's for speedy." Mikey tried to reason with her to which she just shrugs in defeat. The diggers were just about to start their job before a voice behind them all stopped them right in their tracks.
"Hey." They all looked over to see it was king Bob who had stopped them. "What do you kids think you're doing over there?"
"Whoops. Gotta go." Hustler kid said before running away.
"Oh, hey there king Bob, your highness sir..we were just…er….um…" Stuttered TJ.
"Digging a hole." Said one of the diggers.
"Digging a hole? In sixth grade territory? How dare you! Take them to the dodge ball wall."
"We swear it's for a very good reason king Bob." Dede pleaded as she dodged on of the guards that tried to grab her and ran up to king Bob. "We're having a funeral for speedy." Once this was said all the guards let the others go and even king Bob lost his angry look.
"For speedy? The hamster? I didn't even know it was sick. Why when I was a mere fourth grader like yourselves, I used to talk to speedy and tell him my hopes and dreams. Of course you can bury speedy here, in fact, I, king Bob, will personally give the eulogy."
"What is with you people? Have you all gone insane?" Protested Spinelli. "It's a hamster. A dumb, insignificant, 2.58 hamster."
"What's eating her?" King Bob asked as everyone watched Spinelli walk away.
"I'll go and talk to her." Said Dede as she ran off after Spinelli. She followed her all the way to the picnic tables and took a seat next to her. "You know Spinelli, pretending that you don't care about speedy isn't going to make it hurt any less."
"What are you talking about? I don't care about that furball."
"You seem to be forgetting something important."
"What's that?"
"Im your best friends, I know you better than you know yourself." Dede said, putting her arm around Spinelli's shoulders. "You can always tell me anything, you know that. I'll always be here for you to rant and rave to and I'll never be one to judge." That seemed to hit something as Spinelli leaned into Dede and had her head resting on Dede's shoulder.
"Why does it hurt?"
"Well I think it might be because, like the rest of us, you loved speedy. Tell me this, what were some of your favourite things that speedy did?"
"What'd you mean? I didn't like anything he did."
"Really? What about when he'd scrunch up his nose when you held him the first time? Or his little paws you'd hold when you thought no one was watching." Dede smiled as she rested her head on top of Spinelli's.
"Or his black beret eyes that looked up at me with love. Ohhh you're right, I loved the rat."
"I'm always right." Dede laughed as Spinelli playfully punched her stomach.
"You know, you don't act like a kid in situations like this."
"Hey, someone has to be the mom of the group so you all don't get too upset. Now, let's go back so we can join everyone in saying a final goodbye to speedy." Dede stood up and held her hand out for Spinelli to take. When the two of them made it back to the others they saw that the funeral was already taking place, however there were a lot more people there then when they left, like high schoolers, bus drivers and even the mayor was there. As they watch speedy get lowered into the hole Dede felt Spinelli's hand tremble in hers before Spinelli ran off as the diggers were gonna fill the hole in.
"Nooo, take me too." Spinelli yelled, jumping into the hole and hugging the box, shocking everyone.
"Spinelli, what are you doing? Asked Gretchen.
"I loved the little rat, ok? I love everything about him, his cute little nose, his cute little paws. I'll never forget the first day he looked up at me with those black needy eyes, and I saw love. That's right, love. I'll never live another hamster again." As Spinelli was lamenting two of king bobs guards grabbed her and dragged her out of the hole, Spinelli refusing to let the box containing speedy go. "Leave us alone." As Spinelli struggled to get out of their grasps she accidentally dropped the box, making speedy fall out onto the ground. "Speedy, speedy. Speedy? Hey, did speedy always have a spot under his chin?" Spinelli asked as she picked up speedy from the ground.
"Spot under his chin? no way. Speedy had a stripe down his back." King Bob stepped forward to have a look himself.
"Stripe? Speedy had white little paws like running shoes." Said one of the high schoolers.
"Running shoes? Speedy was brown head to toe." Said mayor fitzhugh. As everyone was chatting trying to figure out how speedy really looked like.
"Hey, this one's female." Said Gretchen as she looked at the picture mayor Fitzhugh brought.
"What?" Asked king Bob as Dede tan to kneel down next to Gretchen and took the picture to look at it herself.
"Yeah, the one in the picture is a girl, but the speedy I always knew was a boy."
"But that means…" TJ said from behind Dede.
"Their not the same hamster." Dede said looking up at her friends, this revelation shocked everyone around making them gasp.
"But how can this be?" Mayor Fitzhugh asked.
"Perhaps I can explain." A new voice interrupted, making everyone look over to see Ms Grotke walking towards them.
"Ms grotke." Said Gretchen.
"You see, the average hamster only hangs out on this planet for a couple of years, and well, uh, we teachers weren't sure, if you kids could handle the metaphysical ramifications of you know…death."
"What are you trying to say, Ms Grotke?" Asked Vince.
"Well, it's like this, from the day this school was built every fourth grade class has had a hamster named speedy. And whenever one died, we teachers would secretly replace it with a new one before any of you found out."
"You mean you lied to us?" Asked Mikey.
"Lie is such a harsh word Mikey, I prefer to say we massages reality."
"That explains it." Gretchen stood up and walked forward slightly. "In order to have known all these people, speedy would have to have been alive for decades."
"But that means, this isn't my speedy." The high schooler said.
"Or mine." Both the mayor and bus driver said.
"Come on guys, let's go." As everyone was leaving TJ tan in front of them and stopped them.
"Wait!"
"Don't try and stop us, boy. We could become an ugly mob." Said the bus driver.
"Now hold on, you're acting like babies."
"I am not. I want my speedy." Cried the mayor.
"Look, maybe this speedy wasn't your speedy, or yours, or mine. The fact is, every speedy was a speedy to somebody. Just because theees more than one, doesn't change how any of us felt about him. And it doesn't change that they taught us, either. How to make a bed out of wood chips, how to enjoy even the stalest piece of bread, how fun it can be to run in circles, and most important, how to be a friend.we gathered here today to honour a great hamster, only now we get to honour a lot of great hamsters. Not just my speedy, but yours, and yours, and yours, and even yours. So what do you say? Let's do this thing right, for speedy."
"I here by dub this, the tomb of the unknown speedy." King Bob said after TJs speech got to everyone. As everyone was cheering Spinelli put speedy back in the box before putting said box back in the grave for the diggers to fill back in.
"Speedy, we hardly knew ye." Said TJ putting his hands on both Dede's and Spinelli's shoulders.
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AN- so sorry for the LONG pauses between each chapter upload, it's just trying to find the time to just sit down and write isn't easy when your working all the time.
Thanks to everyone who sticks with me, I'll hopefully be able to start making this story a bit more interesting soon with a few episodes that can match perfectly together or like this one, lead perfectly into another.
There are gonna be some episodes I'll not write as I can't really think of how to change it in anyway, so it'll be boring to write/read, like 'I will kick no more' for example.