Freshest Squid on the Block
Chapter 1 - From Humble Beginnings...
BEEP... BEEP...
The alarm clock rang endlessly throughout the room, signalling the start of another day for Sam Needle. Of course, as with most Inklings his age, this alarm did absolutely nothing to wake him from his sleep, so in burst his mother, awakening him with a sudden jolt.
"SAM!," she shouted. "You have school today, get outta bed, you only have five minutes!"
"Five minutes?," Sam said. If he was still sleepy before, he was certainly awake now. "I gotta get to school in five minutes?!"
Immediately, Sam launched himself out of bed, almost knocking his own mom over in his hurry, and grabbed the box of cereal downstairs from out of the kitchen, frantically pouring it into his mouth as he got changed into his school clothes. He then dashed into the bathroom, again forcing his mother to stumble on his way there, and seized the tube of toothpaste sitting in front of the mirror, quickly checking himself out. Looked like the standard appearance. Brown eyes; blue, messy tentacles; pale, sickly complexion. Using about half the tube of the sickly, minty fresh paste, he spat it out and slid back down the stairs.
"Wait, where are my shoes?"
He had left them in the kitchen. Sam darted into the kitchen, but tripped and fell flat on his face as he stepped in. Looking up, he was greeted with the sight of a large banner spanning the length of the room. "Happy birthday, Sam!" it said.
"SURPRISE!," exclaimed Sam's mother. "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!"
"Wow, mom, this is neat but did you have to wake me up like that?"
"Oh, sorry, little buddy. I thought it'd be funny seeing you run around like that. Besides, who cares? You're 14, it's your special day!"
The realization of what this meant hit Sam like a train. In fact, Sam was hit, and he did see a train as his mom thrust a small, rectangular, orange train ticket in his face.
"Wait, don't tell me," his voice began to rise with anticipation. "I'm mature enough to go to the city on my own?"
"Yeah! What, did you think I wouldn't let you go? Inkopolis is, like, where all the squids your age go! I did it as a squid, my mom did it as a squid, her mom did, and even her mom did it and now it's your time!"
He had only been to Inkopolis a few times, and those were all with his mom. He didn't go often because the older teens liked to call her a "squilf", whatever that is. But now that he was 14, he was mature enough to head out into Inkopolis on his own, and even fight in turf wars with his friends! This was his chance to prove himself and become the so-called 'freshest squid on the block'.
The title of 'Freshest Squid on the Block' was not taken lightly in Sam's neighborhood. Whoever was deemed it would be revered by all in the next 2 to 3 blocks, or even the whole town if you really proved to be worthy and word spread quickly enough. It was your biggest chance to become popular, and Sam saw this as the best way he could promote his new band.
Yeah. His new band. Sam was an aspiring musician, and alongside the aforementioned title, he also saw Inkopolis as an opportunity to gather members for his band. He'd already managed to get the attention of one guy on his street, but he wanted at least two more members. Just then, the guy he had recruited stepped in (or, rather, ducked in) through the door.
"Hey, Sam," said Archie, peeking in at Sam. Most 14-year-old squids were about 3 to 4 feet high, but Archie was special. He was what was known as a Giant Inkling: 6 foot high, at least. "I heard it was your 14th birthday! Hey, come on, let's get to the train station before Tekika wakes up!"
Tekika Atlantic. 15 years old and the current 'Freshest Squid on the Block'. Wherever he went, an army of girls would follow, and he would always act snobbish around Sam, intentionally infuriating him. It was only because of Archie that they hadn't gotten into a fight yet.
"Alright," Sam replied with an annoyed sigh. "See ya, mom."
"See ya! Oh, but, remember to stay safe, okay? And take your coat in case you get cold, and don't forget to take some lunch in case you get hungry, and I also put some money on the counter for you to t- oh, he's already gone."
It was too late.
Sam had to get Archie to carry him through the crowd of young squid girls just so he could see Tekika's ugly, grinning face. Crystal blue eyes, brighter than the ocean. Flowing green tentacles shining under the sun. The most trendy clothes in the market right now: neon pink and green sneakers, a loose-fitting, bright white t-shirt, but no hat so that he could fully display his luscious "hair". Almost immediately, Tekika took notice of Sam, looking spiteful as ever.
"Oh, hey, you!," said Tekika, breaking the silence that had grown between them. Even his voice was obnoxious. "I see you finally decided to wake up by yourself for once."
"And I see you finally decided to pay for something yourself instead of getting your mom to do it."
"Ha! That's rich, coming from you. Or, should I say, poor?"
"I'll make you eat those words!"
"Hey!," interjected Archie, shutting them both up. "W-we really have to get going so, uh, bye!"
Archie ran off with Sam over his shoulder, who was sticking his tongue out at Tekika, shooting a menacing glare back in return. He sighed.
"I wish you'd stop getting into arguments with him. I hate having to confront people, but with you around it feels like I have to do it every single day."
"Yeah, well, he should stop being such a huge jerk. Besides, our train will be here in a few seconds, so can we put this behind us and get to the platform?"
Archie nodded and did just that. Along the way, though, he couldn't stop thinking 'Why is he so obsessed with becoming popular? He'd never be able to get a moment of privacy if he was.'
He was quickly interrupted by a loud voice below.
"Hello!," exclaimed a seemingly enthusiastic jellyfish in some strange sort of accent. His clothing was simple: a plain white tee with a dark blue scarf. "Are you being of the Inkopolis-goers too?"
"Y-yeah?" stated Archie nervously, clearly having no idea whether this was a joke or not.
"Good! You is following me now, being of the going to train, I am!"
And so the duo followed this new ally to the platform, where their train awaited. The orange LED sign on the front was unmistakable - the words "Inkopolis City" flashed in big, bright letters. The train's conductor stood out front, collecting tickets there, although he seemed ready to get inside of the train at any moment. Undoubtedly, the train was going to leave soon. The jellyfish tapped the conductor on the shoulder and handed in his ticket.
"I am the thanking of you!"
Next, it was Archie's turn. He stepped up to the conductor, surprising him with his height before handing him the ticket and hurrying into the train. And finally, it was Tekika's turn, who had pushed past Sam in order to go before him. And then his army of girls arrived, handing in their tickets so they could follow him. And only then was it Sam's turn, but by that point the train was already overdue to leave and so the train conductor jumped on board, the doors shut and the train began to set off before Sam could even show his ticket. He could only see Archie's shocked face pressed up against a window, screaming out to him as the train pushed itself away from the platform, eventually vanishing from sight.
Sam stood there and thought for a moment. 'How am I gonna get to Inkopolis now? The train's gone with my friend on it, and it would take me a few hours to walk there, so...'
He remembered. There was a super jump pad that had been recently installed on the rooftop of one of the nearby buildings. It was being used in the recording of a new TV show if he recalled correctly, but if he could get to it, then he could hopefully use it to jump straight to Inkopolis City. Those things could launch you far, after all. Already, Sam found himself climbing over the fence on the platform he was on. He had already decided that was exactly what he was going to do. Hopefully he'd be able to meet up with Archie before he tried to start a search party.
The doors of the train opened up and everyone stepped out. The last two to exit were a giant, green Inkling called Archie and a small jellyfish. Archie was crying when he accidentally bumped into a smaller Inkling, causing him to look up.
Standing there was Sam.
"Sam!," he cried out. "I-I was so worried about you! W-where were you, h-how did you get here?"
"Oh, I just super jumped from the building where they're filming 'Splatted in Paradise'. I'm surprised how easily they let me on to the set; I just told them I was one of the background extras."
"I-I...," stuttered Archie. "I... I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU!"
"Excusing me if I am of the rude being, but I must leaving," interrupted the jellyfish.
"Oh, sure," replied Sam. "Say, what's your name?"
"My name is being Jelbert, your's?"
"Sam. Sam Needle, that is. And this is my friend, Archie."
"Oh, thankings of the you! Being in touch, will I be!"
And so Jelbert left to go do whatever it was he was going to do, leaving Sam and Archie to admire the view in front of them. Inkopolis City. Where all the fresh squids hung out. They had made it.
Chapter 1 complete! In the wake of Splatoon 2, I have finally decided to start writing this fanfic. I've had the idea in my head for a while, in fact. I must be leaving now, but expect to see more chapters detailing the life of Sam Needle in the future. See ya!