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Chapter Twenty

4:00 PM.

Mesonii contemplated how she had been able to last this long.

She did have the panics that morning, as her aunt had said. Whenever it happened, she had to take a day off to recover, an obligation she almost always agreed to.

But why did it have to be today?

Mesonii didn't like the predicament at all. The one day something happens in her life that she could change for the better, and now she couldn't fulfill her desires! If only she could go out and do something.

Aunt Pesto had left the house six minutes ago to buy groceries. Mesonii had initially considered the prospect of sneaking out, but she couldn't bear to do it. Her aunt, after all, had helped her just like those other nineteen times.

She remained in the bed, flipping through the scant amount of channels. Pseudo-Squid Sisters (as she had named the Squidforce takeovers), the weather report, a televised Turf War between two of the worst teams professionally, then some infomercial about Inkopolis Plaza's amenities. Repeat.

-

"Mr. Guppi, you know you didn't have to come, right?"

Peppie made his ways through the hallways of the complex, attempting to avoid the indigo inkling trotting in his every step. While he held a voracious box of chocolates, the younger of the two only held information.

"It's very dangerous, these apartment complexes, Small. They have only the elevators. That would be a bad time if they broke. You need guidance!" Guppi exclaimed and, in his triumph, threw his fist into the air and almost scraped the top of the ceiling.

Peppie stopped in his tracks and laughed. "Ha! An elevator, breaking?! Not on my watch!" His point proven, he continued walking. "If anything, I'd save the people inside. Be like Delpha!"

As they awaited a door marked with the words "PESTOGENOVESE", Guppi contemplated on the fact. "Say, today, where is she?"

"I dunno. She wanted to tell me to tell Mesonii about the squad. If she even listens to me!" Peppie, on his tippy toes, rapped on the antiquated door and then fell back onto his feet as his expression fell with nervousness.

-

The force of the knock startled Mesonii from her lain position and her almost comatose state in front of the television. Pesto couldn't be back this early.

Not wanting to leave the solace of the warm bed, she groaned and pushed the covers off as slow as a sea snail. By doing this, she eventually realized, she was leaving her guests hanging. With no other good choice, she prepared for the cold and thrust herself out of the bed, to the kitchen, and finally to the front door.

On the door, a tiny peephole was nailed on, a useful feature if Mesonii wanted to order early-evening pizza or to confirm that, indeed, there was a random telemarketer advertising some sort of weight-loss product. Try Turf War, you unfortunate twit! Today, though, wasn't one of those occasions. She looked through, and almost threw up her coffee from that morning in shock.

Peppie?! Guppi!? What the heck are they doing here?

A minute had already found its way down the drain. With another pang or reluctance, Mesonii opened the door.

-

"Um... Hi."

Based on the fact she was still in her pajamas, Peppie concluded that she hadn't gone out to turf today.

Guppi perked up. "'Allo!" Then, he threw the chocolates into Mesonii's hands as if they were the baseball and she was the catcher at the corner of the field. Evidently, Peppie also decided that his friend wasn't prepared for this, either.

Silence.

"D-do you want to come in?" She blushed out of the embarrassment. "The... couch is comfy."

Peppie took a glance at the couch in the living room. Definitely not as nice as his own, but it didn't look completely like a cinder block. "Sure. I don't like standing up. Guppi, you coming?"

-

Why are they here?! Son of a cuttlefish, where's Delpha? She didn't... I didn't hurt her, did I?

Mesonii, dumbfounded, had to focus to keep the chocolates falling from her hands. Peppie and Guppi made their way into her apartment and plopped down onto the couch. She chose to sit on the armchair next to it.

Peppie spoke first. "Mesonii, we- I- have to tell you something."

DAMMIT! Delpha did it, didn't she? She began to feel the tension boil up. "Yeah?"

"Delpha and I. We want to make a squad."

Mesonii's initial concept tore to pieces at the seams. "A squad? With her? A squid squad?!"

"Yeah. She's been thinking of it for a while. Wants to make it up to you." In the background, Guppi started shaking his head intensively.

So Delpha could change! But... why?! I was a little rough when I went to see her. Maybe things work out that way. Mesonii noticed that her relief showed, and immediately cut it out. "When will we start?"

"She wants to do it during Splatfest."

"So I guess that's that, then. I'm in!"

"Cool. We'll see you then. Team Lonely for the win!"

Nobody could comprehend the next move. Peppie froze still in his seat, except for his head turning towards the door. Without saying a word, he ran as if someone had blasted him with the hottest iron in the world. By the time both Guppi and Mesonii had made it out to track his whereabouts, he was gone.

Guppi, seeing everything had culminated, freaked out. He ran down the corridors and screeched.

"Small? SMAAAALL! What about the truth?"

As he continued running down the hallway, Mesonii caught him by the collar of his button-down shirt.

He felt himself get pulled back, as the girl turned him around with a serious look in her eyes.

"Guppi. What's the truth? Is there something you're hiding?"

Once again harboring a large amount of hesitancy, Guppi freed himself from the girl's clutch and turned to face her, his cheeks turning a light blue.

"I... I dunno if I should say. Wanting to ruin everything is something I don't want to do."

Mesonii's eyebrows began to furrow slightly, but then she let the tension out- knowing she was giving those looks in front of a friend- and simply gazed at the other inkling. "You've got to tell me. He's scared of something, isn't he?"

He sighed, his typically warm expression now wiped off. "Miss Mesonii, I- well, actually, I think it would be better to warn you."

"The thing is- the thing is that I think bad things are going to happen. Small's nice, but I know he's lying about this being good. And Delpha. Delpha's not gonna change."

She thought about the prospect. Was Peppie lying for sure, just because he was frantic? She recalled her idea to try and figure out what was happening with Squidforce and the Squid Sisters. This could be her best opportunity.

"We still have to think about it, Guppi. At least, I know I'll think about it."

He shrugged. "Well, ok. But I still don't trust Small."

Mesonii didn't have time to thank him for the chocolate before he darted down the hall to continue his search for Peppie.