Dexter's Dilemma
By Liz

Author's Note: This is my first Hamtaro Fan. It's about
Dexter totally ignoring Pashmina. The Ham Hams try to
discover Dexter's secret, but Howdy tries to stop them.
Read to find out what happens!!

Chapter 1: Acting Weird
The HamHams notice Dexter's behavior change.
 One day the Ham Hams were going acorn hunting.
 "Well, I think everyone's here!" Hamtaro said.
 "No, Sandy, Maxwell, Cappy, and Panda aren't here." Pashmina said.
"But us eight will have fun!"
 "Okay, let's go!" Boss said. Everyone put on their backpacks and scurried out the door.
 LATER...
 "Ahem." Howdy said as he stepped closer to Pashmina. "Ahem!" He said
again, hoping Dexter would get the hint. "AHEM!!" Dexter didn't move.
Howdy shrugged and gave Pashmina an acorn.
 "Well, it's nice seein' such a purty gal like ya here!" Howdy said to
Pashmina. She nodded, not turning away from her work.
 Howdy was furious. "AREN'T YOU GONNA GET MAD?!?!" Howdy yelled in Dexter's ear.
 "N-no." Dexter simply replied, stuttering a bit. The other Ham Hams
were astonished.
 LATER....
 "Hey!"  Hamtaro said. "How about we have a party!!"
 "Yeah!" Oxnard said. "We can eat the acorns we collected earlier!" Oxnard
almost fell out of his seat, he was so excited.
 "I'll get the acorns!" Howdy said, running outside to get them.
 The Ham Ham's eyes grew big as they watched Dexter's every move.
 But the only moves Dexter made was with a feather duster as he cleaned
the table- on the opposite side of the room than Pashmina!!
 "Okay..." Hamtaro said. "Now things are getting a little weird..."
 Penelope ran over to Dexter.
 "Okyoo?"
 "N-no." Dexter said.
 "Okyoo?"
 "No."
 "OKYOO?"
 "Um.."
 Dexter dropped the duster as he ran out the door the moment Howdy ran in.
 "Hello? HELLO? HEEELLLLLOOOO?!?" Howdy said as he watched the
Ham Hams stare out the door.
 

 Chapter 2: Getting Clues
The HamHams discover something that's a clue!
 "So you are saying Dexter is, like, ignoring Pashmina?" Sandy asked. It's
the next day and the Ham Hams are discussing Dexter's strange behavior
before Dexter got to the clubhouse.
 "I gotta be dreaming!" Panda said, rubbing his eyes.
 "Uh, I don't think so." Boss told him.
 "Oui, my seed tastes real, and eet eez!" Bijou said, straightening her ribbons.
 "But this can't be true!" Hamtaro said. "Dexter never leaves Pashmina's
side! And they look so nice together!!"
 "Excuse me?" Howdy said.
 "Uh, never mind!" Hamtaro said as he scooted a couple seats away from Howdy.
 "Everybody!" Cappy burst into the room.
 "What eez wrong?" asked Bijou.
 "There is something wrong with Dexter, right?" Cappy asked, catching his breath.
 "Uh-Huh." Boss said. All the Ham Hams leaned forward.
 "Hello!" Dexter ran into the clubhouse and sat down.
 "That!" Cappy whispered, pointing to Dexter.
 "Um, I think I'm missing something!" he said.
 "Okyoo!" Penelope said.
 Dexter's face turned a bright red. Then he ran out of the room again.
 "WHY DOES HE DO THAT!?" Boss yelled.
 Hamtaro snapped his finger. "I got it!" he said. Dexter's eyes grew wide as
he watched outside from a window." "If he turns red around us-" Dexter
held his breath. "-he must have an infection of some sort!" Dexter let
out a sigh of relief. "Like, you are so right!" Sandy said.
 "I don't want Penelope or any of us to get the infection!" Pashmina
said, hugging Penelope.
 "Yeah, so we should stay away from him!" Boss said.
"EEEEWWW!" all of them said.
"Dexter is probably a little bit upset that he has the
infection-thing, so let's not talk about it, okay?" Panda said.
 

 Chapter 3: Howdy's Speech
Howdy tries to tell the HamHams nothing is wrong with Dexter.
 "Listen up!" Boss aid. "Dexter hasn't been to the club house for, um... three weeks, I think!"
 " When Laura had an infection, she was well in six days!" Hamtaro
said. "Same with Kana!" Oxnard exclaimed.
 "Ya know, I'm kinda getting worried about the little fella!" Boss
admitted. " Oh, quit worrying about him and let's eat!" Howdy said. No one
moved. "I brought extra granola bars!"
 "What's the matter with you today?' asked Pashmina.
 "Yeah, I thought you were friends with Dexter!" Hamtaro said. "Well,
what Pashmina said!"
 "What's wrong?" Howdy asked, standing up. "What's wrong? Well, I don't
think there's anything wrong with me, y'all, or even Dex!"
 "YOU DON'T?!?" everyone shouted.
 "Nope." Howdy said. "I'll bet ya he's at home stuffin' himself full of seeds,
walnut shakes, and acorns he was supposed to share with us! But did he
share? NO! He went home with his stupid fake infection so he could eat all of them himself!"
 "Howdy, Dexter didn't bring any acorns with him." Oxnard reminded him.
 "Oh yeah." said Howdy sitting down. Then he stood up again. " But he
could of put some in his purty red bowtie!"
 "In...his...bowtie?" asked Bijou, a little confused.
 "Um, I don't think there are any pockets in his bowtie!" Hamtaro said.
 " Or Dex could of put some  in his cheeks, and that's what made his cheeks
turn red!" Howdy continued, ignoring everyone's confused faces until he
couldn't stand it. 'Ok, if I got really crazy, I'd break into  Dexter'
s special dresser!" But the moment after he said it, Howdy covered his mouth.
Because if  they didn't discover Dexter's secret, he would have more
time to win Pashmina's heart.
 

 Chapter 4: "Can't Stop Us"
Howdy tries to stop the HamHams from
looking in Dexter's stuff.
 At Dexter's House....
 "The Ham Hams are probably getting worried about me." Dexter thought.
"I want to visit them, but my owner is going on a trip and he's taking me!"
 At the Clubhouse....
 "Ham Hams!" Hamtaro said. "I overheard Laura-"
 Bijou cut him off. "You eavesdropped?"
 "Well, I dunno." Hamtaro said. "Anyway, I heard her say the town
optometrist was going on a trip and taking his hamster with!"
 "OOOOH!" everyone said. "That would be Dexter!" Boss exclaimed.
  "Let's go look in his dresser! Maybe there will be some notes or
infection medicine!" Cappy said as he got up.
 "Yeah!" said almost all the Ham Hams.
 "Wait!" Howdy said quickly. Everyone stopped and stared at him. "We
shouldn't look in there. It's his secret stuff! We never looked behind
Bijou's desk or inside Oxnard's jar! So we shouldn't look in Dexter's dresser
either!" All the Ham Hams sat down.
 "A true, blue friend." Snoozer mumbled.
 "Oh, he eez right!" Bijou said, tears forming in her eyes.
 "Wow, Howdy's so ,like, a good friend!" said Sandy. The Ham Hams
nodded. Howdy smiled. He liked this sort of attention.
 "Well, what's a spoons favorite show to watch on T.V? The Super Bowl!
Get it? Spoon? Bowl? Har Har!"
 "Er, let's go and see what's in his dresser!" Oxnard said. All the
Ham Hams nodded.
  "NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Howdy yelled.
 

 Chapter 5: Dexter's Secret  Finally, we get to know what the secret is! Yay!
"Ham Hams, we shouldn't look in dexter's dresser." Hamtaro said. "We
can just ask him when he gets back!"
 A Week Later....
 "Ham Hams! Dexter is back!" Boss said. Dexter entered and sat down.
 "Um. Dexter?" asked Pashmina. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
 "Sure." Dexter said. they walked into an empty room.
 "Well, we've all been worried about you." Pashmina said. "We wanted
you to stay and play with us, but you kept turning red and running away!
Hamtaro thought you had an infection. Is that true?" Dexter shook his
head and he opened his dresser. He took out a picture of Pashmina and took
the picture out of the frame. Next, Dexter shook the frame until a key
came out. Dexter put the key in a box and he opened the box. Inside was a note that said:
"Dexter and Penelope"
 Pashmina smiled a bit. "Penelope is pretty cute!" Dexter blushed and
nodded. "Is it okay if I tell?" she said softly. "I won't tell all of
it." Dexter nodded, and Pashmina thought she saw a smile on his face.
 So while Dexter put the stuff away, Pashmina went and whispered
something to Hamatro. Hamtaro nodded and said, "Ham hams, we were
thinking backwards! Dexter wasn't ignoring Pashmina, he was avoiding
Penelope!" "OOOOOKKKKKYYYYYOOOOOOOOOO?!?!?" Penelope shouted.
 "But, that's all I can tell you." Hamtaro smiled. "Pashmina promised
Dexter she wouldn't tell any more." Snoozer yawned.
"Another true, blue friend." Pashmina blushed and the
Ham hams grinned at her. "Very nice to have, even nicer to be."
 

The End
 Well, what did you think? I thought it was pretty good!! A little
credit to my great cousins Alex and Kassie. They sort of made up the
Dexter+Penelope thing! Also, I'm thinking about making this a series.
Ya know, Sandy's Sticky Situation, or Pashmina's Problem! But for now,
hope
you liked it!  -Elizabeth / Liz*