Ready for something... new I should say? Some of you who read my first one-shot might know that this is what my story is, BUT... it's gonna be a BUNCH of one-shots in this story. I will try not to focus on Aaliyah much and give some focus to Redd and Marie's relationship as well ;). I hope you enjoy this first one-shot of many! :D

P.S. September 1st was my birthday. I am now 16. Yaaaaaaay! :)

In Inkopolis Square, Joel, David and Aaliyah were right now near the Galleria. It was Redd's and Mia's birthday today (I ain't giving a specific date, thank you very much XD), and they all wanted to get them a gift.

"Why not a new shirt? I bet they'll like it." Joel suggested.

"That sounds like a GREAT idea!" David exclaimed excitedly.

"Let's do it then!" Aaliyah said. And they enter the shirt shop.

Once they went inside, they are greeted my a jellyfish.

"Welcome to Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe! How doest thou, cousin Joel?" The jellyfish greeted.

"Hey, Jelfonzo. It's my friend's birthday today, along with his sister. We're here to buy some clothes for them." Joel greeted.

"Shouldst thou here thy coin spend for thou cousin Redd, unto me shall great profit be!" Jelfonzo bragged a bit.

"We'll go ahead and look for some clothes now." David said with a small chuckle. Jelfonzo nods and walks away.

A few minutes of searching...

Joel got a Black Squideye, and David got a Red Tentatek Tee for Mia. Aaliyah ended up getting a Varsity Jacket for Redd. Mia did explain to her friends that she didn't need much new clothing, but she would appreciate it anyway.

"Wouldst thou buy?" Jelfonzo asked.

"Yes indeed." Joel replied.

"Thou coin total cometh to 15,100." Jelfonzo explained. Joel and David split it up and give the correct amount of coins to the jellyfish.

"Thank thee kindly." Jelfonzo said as he puts the clothing in bags and giving them to the Inklings and Octoling.

"See ya another time, Jelfonzo!" Joel said as he waves.

"The Squid Bits are with you 100% percent of the way!" David exclaimed. Aaliyah just slowly waves and walks back to follow her friends.

They all were now hanging out at Joel's apartment. Tomorrow they'll be able to give their gifts since David and Joel had some work to do. So they hang up the shirts in a nearby closet.

Aaliyah, not paying attention, ends up throwing away all the bags. But she didn't realize...

her gift was in one of them still.

The next day...

*scene change: Joel's kitchen. Only Joel, David and Aaliyah are here.*

"Hey Aaliyah! Where was that gift you got for Redd?" Joel called out.

"Uhhhhh..." Aaliyah stammered. She didn't know how to truly respond to that question. Last she remembered she placed it in the bag, but... she now didn't know where tha bag was. Aaliyah doesn't have the best mental memory, so she can't remember stuff really good. Certain stuff she can remember really good, and that's no lie! But this? Never in her life.

"Do you know where was the last time you put it?" David asked. Aaliyah stayed silent. She was still unsure of what to say.

"ANSWER ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING TO YOU!" Joel screamed. Aaliyah flinched and teared up a bit. She REALLY didn't want to make her friends angry like that.

"D-Don't... yell at me." Aaliyah pleaded. The two Inklings approached her.

"Why will you not answer when I'm speaking to you? You need to LEARN to respond back!" Joel said.

"Where was the bag exactly? Do you remember where you last put it?" David asked in a much calmer tone.

"I-I... don't know..." Aaliyah replied quietly.

"Well let's go look for it!" Joel exclaimed. And they looked all around. Joel opened the trash can, and once he found what was inside, he was absolutely furious.

"Did you find it?" David asked.

"It's in the trash. SHE PUT IT IN THE F***ING TRASH!" Joel screamed.

"Whoa, dude! Calm down! It's fine, we found it! It's all good!" David pleaded.

"Don't make me go off easy, David! It was that Octoling son of a b***h that tried to anger me by doing this!" Joel shouted. He approached Aaliyah, and she immediately began to feel guilty.

"You... YOU..." Joel started, heavily panting in the process.

"I'm sowwy..." Aaliyah apologized.

"YOU RUINED IN FOR YOURSELF! THAT WAS A GIFT TO GIVE TO REDD, AND YOU JUST F***ING RUINED IT!" Joel screamed, and then he slams the bag down onto the ground.

"I...I'm so very sorry... I-I didn't know..." Aaliyah cried.

"IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION, YOU AREN'T GOING TO GO ANYWHERE IN LIFE! YOU'LL JUST ROT LIKE ALL THE OTHER OCTOLINGS OUT THERE." Joel continued screaming.

"B-But it was a mistake! I'll remember next time, I promise!" Aaliyah pleaded.

"YOU DESERVE TO GET OUT NOW. SCRAM, OR I WILL KICK YOU OUT!" Joel commanded as he brought out his Dualie Squelchers. Aaliyah began to get angry, and her tears were still forming.

"WELL, I GUESS I WILL! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A JERK! A STUPID JERK!" Aaliyah screamed.

"YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER, OCTOLING B***H!" Joel screamed back.

"SHUT THE VEEMO UP!" Aaliyah yelled, and then she slapped her own friend across the face. Joel saw his left cheek was all red, and then got even more mad.

He charges forward and knocks Aaliyah to the ground.

"YOU! YOU STUPID PIECE OF S**T! WHAT IS YOUR D**N PROBLEM!?" Joel shouted. Despite Aaliyah being a weak Octoling, she picked Joel up and threw him to the other side of the ground.

"You shouldn't have fought back! You're the one who has a dang problem!" Aaliyah exclaimed, and they began wrestling each other. Once Joel tried to splat Aaliyah with his Dualie Squelchers, she dodged the attack and knocked the Dualies to the floor, and tossed them aside.

"You should stop yelling! Stop being a jerk!" Aaliyah yelled, and then pins Joel to the ground.

"AALIYAH! STOP!" David pleaded as he ran to the scene. Aaliyah didn't respond to his pleads, but then she stopped and had a surprised look on her face.

She stood up and realized what she has done. She had just hurt a good friend of hers. Aaliyah's tears form once again, and they fall onto her cheeks. Aaliyah took a look at her hands. They were clenched into fists and they had a lot of bruises.

"You see what you have done? What do you have to say for yourself?" Joel asked as he stood up.

"I...I..." Aaliyah stammered.

"Ali? You... okay?" David asked in a concerned tone.

"I'M A MONSTERRRRRRRRR!" Aaliyah sobbed, and then she ran out of the house.

"I am SO calling Redd. Maybe HE will deal with this." Joel exclaimed.

"Joel, I think you need to calm down." David said.

"No, dude! JUST LET. IT. GO!" Joel commanded. David nods and he walks away. He didn't really want to put up with this anymore.

*scene change: Redd's apartment*

Redd was in his living room, practicing a new song he has for the Squid Bits. He is at this part of the lyrics.

No longer waging war,

But we're still keeping score.

Just lay the ink down, baby.

Just lay the ink down, baby.

These oceans spread so wide,

But they've got nowhere to hide.

Just lay the ink down, baby.

Just lay the ink down, baby.

Then his phone rang. Redd was too caught up in his singing that not even his ringtone can prevail in the red Inkling answering it.

AT THE TONE, PLEASE RECORED YOUR MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP.

*beep*

"Hey, Redd. It's Joel. You're not gonna get your birthday gift because your dumb Octoling friend ruined it. Expect me and David to get you something else for your b-day. I hope you have a great birthday, Redd. Tell Mia I said the same to her."

Redd stopped his singing once the message started, and he heard the whole thing. Then he got worried.

"Aaliyah..." Redd thought.

*another scene change: Aaliyah's apartment.*

Redd entered the apartment, and once he went inside... the lights were all dark. Aaliyah was nowhere to be found.

"Aaliyah? Aaliyah, are you home?" Redd called out. He kept on walking, hoping to find his Octoling friend. She was nowhere. All the rooms were dark. But as Redd kept walking in some hope still inside him, he saw the bathroom light was on and the door was closed.

"Aaliyah? You in there?" Redd asked as he knocks on the door a couple times. Then he heard some tragic words coming out of someone's mouth.

"I... I-I don't deserve to l-live in this world if t-this is how it's g-gonna be forever. A w-world with some comfort by my s-side... i-is just... p-pointless."

Redd opened the door and he was beyond shocked on what he saw. He saw Aaliyah, and she was holding a knife and pointing the sharp part right towards her stomach. Right before Aaliyah was about to stab herself, she heard a scream.

"AALIYAH?!" It was Redd. Aaliyah yelped and dropped the knife.

"What the heck are you doing?!" Redd exclaimed. Aaliyah turned into her octopus form and hid somewhere.

"G-Get away from me! Get away, get away!" Aaliyah commanded.

"What are you talking about?" Redd asked as he calms down.

"I-I'm a monster, go away! I don't wanna hurt you!" Aaliyah cried.

"Aaliyah... it's ok. Come here." Redd said softly as he approaches her. Aaliyah turns back into her humanoid form and faces Redd. She was teary-eyed.

"What happened?" Redd asked.

"I... I don't wanna tell you. You'll hate me." Aaliyah said quietly.

"You can tell me. I promise I won't be mad at you."

"Promise?"

"Pinky swear."

"I... I hurt Joel... I'm sorry..." Aaliyah apologized. Redd put one of his hands on Aaliyah's right shoulder.

"I'm not mad at all by that." Redd said as he gives Aaliyah a smile.

"*sniff* Y-You're not?" Aaliyah asked.

"No, of course not! Joel can get pretty aggravated by this stuff sometimes." Redd said.

"W-What do you mean?" Aaliyah asked again as she tilts her head.

"You see, there's a reason Joel hates Octolings a lot," Redd explained, "It's because when he was 14, an evil Octoling killed his cousin, so he gets pretty mad by this kind of stuff. But you have nothing to blame on yourself, Aaliyah. Even if Joel gets really mad at you, just don't forget he has a past memory he can't let go of."

He pauses for a sec to give Aaliyah a gentle hug.

"Also... don't commit squidicide just because you did something wrong. You're always okay, Aaliyah. If no one does the same nice stuff to you, I'll always be there to give you a shoulder to cry on." Redd whispered. Aaliyah couldn't hold back her tears anymore, and she cried onto Redd's shoulder.

"I-I'm becoming Jenny... please, Redd... please help me... I need help..." Aaliyah sobbed.

"Ssssshhhh," Redd said quietly as he put his pointer finger on Aaliyah's lips, "I will help you the best I can. I'm Agent 4 for a reason."

"By the way... happy birthday." Aaliyah said as she finally smiles.

"Thank you, Aaliyah. Come on, let's go. I have a gift to give to Mia." Redd said as he stands up. Aaliyah nods slowly and follows him. And everything is alright from here.

Author's Note: Like the first part so far? I'm gonna be honest with you, I almost cried while making this. I'm not even kidding :(. Yeah, depression is a HUGE thing and Aaliyah really felt it inside her. More will come soon, so Stay Fresh! :D