Quit Tripping Up Chapter 1: "Losing My Edge"

Trip Hamston hopped around the field. The mayor of Paw-Tucket had recently installed a new park in the area, and Trip and his friends had decided to use that place to play Paw-ky.

Roxy hit the ball with her tail, "Catch it Bev!"

Bev caught it and did a bombshell, "Whooo! Yeah!" The turtle grinned as it went flying through the hoop above the pets.

Jade yawned, slouching on the curve of the hoop, "Nice throw." She said in a monotone voice. The black kitty rolled over on her back, yawning.

Edie and Quincy were on the right side of the frame. Edie caught the ball with her talons. The parakeet paused, not knowing who to throw it to, "Quincy, catch!"

Quincy yelled out as the ball hit him, "AAHHHHHHH!" The tan goat dropped on the ground in his usual fainting pose.

Edie rolled her eyes, "Honestly I've never seen such disgrace. Not in a bad way."

Quincy got up on his hooves and seethed, throwing the ball at her.

The ball nearly hit Edie in the head and the parakeet gave a small yelp. Quincy grinned slyly.

"You were saying?"

She seethed, "Oh it is on!"

"Uhhhhh guys?" Roxy stared in confusion at them.

"Ooooo this is interesting." Jade smirked, encouraging the fight, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Austin, who was also playing, tried separating them, but got sucked in it as well.

Soon everyone on the field except trip was bickering.

"No you're ungraceful….!"

"Stop! You're stepping on my paw!"

"…Getting on my nerves…"

"It's not my fault that you…"

"Just shut up!"

Trip stared in confusion at his friends. The red-furred hamster tried breaking it up. As much as he tried to, it just got worse.

"Oh look! The loser-pets are here!" Someone sneered. Trip looked up and saw that Sweetie and Petula Woolwright towering over him.

"Ooooo look! The loser-pets brought another loser-pet into their little posse." Petula giggled breezily. She brought a hoof up to her face, snickering.

"Aw, ain't that nice." The chow-chow sneered.

"Leave us alone!"

"What's a little hamster going to do about it? Oh hey! Why don't you show us your dumb little dance! What was it called again? The 'Hamster Boi'?" Sweetie dissolved into laughter and Petula did the same behind her.

Trip winced, remembering the disastrous dance video Petula had posted of him beat-boxing. Although it had ended happily, Sweetie and Petula still liked to make fun of it.

"Oh look at me! I'm doing it!" Petula giggled, kicking her hind legs in the air, "Look at the Helicopter! I believe I can fly! Oh wait- no I can't! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Sweetie's grin faded, "You used to be so cool, Trip, whatever happened to you?"

"Nothing, okay? Just leave me alone!"

"I'm just saying, the Paw-Tucket Derby is awful close, and I don't think you'll make it with those sore losers." Petula snorted, motioning over to the fighting pets.

"We beat you once, we can do it again!" Trip hissed at them.

"Oooooooo, we're SO SCARED of your lame-o threats!" Petula jeered.

The hamster seethed, "Leave my friends and I alone."

"Fine, if that's what you really want." Petula's eyes shined mischievously, obviously thinking of something corrupt. The pink sheep motioned for Sweetie to follow her, "Come on, Sweetie, let's roll."

"We were just trying to save you the trouble." Sweetie sniffed.

"My friends are NOT trouble."

"You'd be surprised." Sweetie stated plainly. Trip watched as the two snooty pets disappeared down the sidewalk.

That's Sweetie and Petula for ya. Trip thought bitterly. He turned to his friends, who were still bickering.

"Guys stop! Can't we have one good game of paw-ky?" Trip whined.

"We would, if Roxy and her crush over here stop ruining everything!"

Austin tugged awkwardly at his bandana. The golden retriever gave Roxy a questioning look and she laughed nervously, going pink. Roxy turned to Jade, "For the record, Quincy and Edie started it!"

"I was just stating facts. Quincy isn't graceful and that's that."

Quincy glared at the parakeet, and tried jumping on her, but Edie just dodged the goat and flew skyward.

"Edie Von Keet strikes again!"

Austin's tail got in the way of his sight, "No! Stop it tail! I'm still mad at you!" He started chasing it, "No! Don't you start on me again!"

Bev rubbed her temple.

Unfortunately, not all games of Paw-ky were smooth-sailing.

Trip just stared at the chaotic scene, "Can we please just play something?" The hamster looked down at his feet.

"Not now Trip, we're kinda in the middle of something here!" Jade called out. Trip started to walk away, rubbing his arm.

Maybe his friends just needed some time alone. Trip decided to go to the Nocturnal Nigh Club and clear up his thoughts. Once there, he lounged on a cushion, pulling out his phone and checking his Pawstagram. Manny Mouseton was going viral, and all because of the idea Trip had given him for the Easy-Cheesy app, even though HE took all the credit. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Trip kind of missed working on the Fly-Wheel and being a businessman.

Plus, Manny got to hang out with SAVANNAH, the biggest pop-sensation in Paw-Tucket.

"Oh, Why did it have to be Savannah!" Trip cried out way too loudly. Cecile the bat glared at him, and Mister Yut, who was cleaning the counter, shushed him and Trip clammed up, not wanting to get into any more trouble with the fish.

"Why did it have to be Savannah?" Trip whisper-shouted. If you were to sum up Savannah in three words, it would be 'to die for.' Everypet in Paw-Tucket idolized that cheetah.

He reached for a glass of paw-berry juice and stared at his reflection in the pink liquid. Had his friends really made him soft? Were Sweetie and Petula right?

He grimaced at the thought, and suddenly he didn't want the paw-berry juice anymore.

Austin, Roxy, Jade, Bev, Quincy, and Edie all were starting to avoid him. Had he done something wrong. The hamster racked his brain for possible mishaps, and sure enough, there were plenty of cases where they could have gotten fed up with his behavior and gotten annoyed.

Was Trip losing his edge?

What do you guys think? Should I continue?

Don't forget to review, follow, and fav! :) ;D