Time to go home. Callie and Marie were ready to punch the clock, but were suddenly halted by the secretary Dominique, a jellyfish with a brown, dome-shaped hairdo and a light blue sweater.
Dominique was one of the few jellyfish in the world that could speak the Inkling language, but unlike the clothes salesman Jelonzo, she learned to speak it fluently. In fact, Dominique was fluent in all sorts of languages, a feat for jellyfish like her, which is very useful for being a secretary and the reason why Sullivan hired her for this specific job.
"Umm, excuse me", began Dominique, "but the boss wants to see you. Right now."
Callie and Marie went on their way to Sullivan's office.
"Man, I wonder what that silly fishface wants from us", Callie said.
"I'm not sure", Marie responded, "but I don't have a good feeling about it. I think Mr. Phishfaes got upset about last broadcast."
"Oh come on", Callie said. "I'm pretty sure he liked the direction it went into."
"I don't like the direction your last broadcast went into", Mr. Phishfaes said.
The Squid Sisters have taken their seats in front of their boss's desk. Callie was completely surprised when hearing those words out of Sully, but Marie looked like she completely expected this. Not that she was happy about it either. In fact, Marie was pretty disappointed about it.
"Bu-but how, sir?" Callie asked. "I was pretty sure it was our best one yet! At least both Marie and I were satisfied how it ended this time!"
"I'm more concerned about our fans, Callie", Sullivan responded. "And according to my researches, we won't be getting as much views as regularly by the end of tomorrow."
Marie raised an eyebrow. "What researches exactly?"
"The ones I based your contracts on", Phishfaes responded. "The ones you've broken, which I'm also unsatisfied of. But one problem at a time."
Sullivan pulled up a chart for wrestling shows. "Me and my team of researchers know for a fact that the banter used in wrestling shows sell, as you can see by this red line, while wrestling shows without the rivalry stories falter, as you can see by this blue line."
"Except that our show ISN'T a wrestling show?" Marie interrupted. "It's just a news program."
"Correct, but the Splatfests you host alongside your news broadcasts ARE about battling and differences", Sullivan responded. "And battling plus differences equals rivalries, making the wrestling show banter seem like a perfect fit. And we believe that will bring in views."
As he hid the chart, Sullivan continued: "But now that you both admitted that this rivalry was just for show, we'll surely lose views."
"That's a load of sea bull", Marie retorted. "Our views have been higher than ever before!"
"Yeah", Callie agreed. "And I've only seen positive remarks about it on Squitter, not to mention the other social media sites I'm on."
"We only gained so many views because these were the results of the final Splatfest, so of course it would be high", Phishfaes said. "And really, people never think straight for their initial reactions. It's only after the fact when they realize what is good or bad. You'll see that by the end of tomorrow, we won't have many views at all."
As much as Callie and Marie want to object to this, they realize their boss would just repeat the same thing.
"And unfortunately, I have even worse news for you", Sully continued.
Callie and Marie startled when they heard that.
"You may still remember that, a little while ago, that I mentioned you both broke your contracts and that I showed my disdain for that", he asked.
The Squid Sisters nodded.
"I apparently need to remind you, that breaking said contracts would result in losing your jobs", Phishfaes stated.
Callie and Marie swelled up tears. They knew where this was going.
"Tomorrow will be your last day in the studio. You will be replaced temporarily by one of our newscasters, until we can find new talent, who will permanently replace you."
Marie tried to resist crying and think clearly as she said: "Bu-but you can't do that. The newscasters before us were as boring as bricks, you'll lose even more views with those."
"But if I get to find new talent, the views will presumably go through the roof", Sullivan answered. "I'll be searching for new talent the day after that, and if things go smooth, there'll be a fresh new face in the studio in just a few days."
Sullivan ended the conversation: "You'll be dismissed"
As Callie and Marie left their office, tears were streaming down their cheeks. Who knew they were going to get fired?
Callie tried not to bawl, but resisting was really hard when you were so sad for someone who usually smiled very bright.
Marie gave her cousin a handkerchief to dry her tears. She wiped her own tears with her arm.
They punched the clock and left their building. Normally, they would go to Flounder Heights, to their own apartments, but this time, they felt like going through the manhole near Inkopolis Tower.
They wanted to visit their Gramps.
The old man himself, Cap'n Cuttlefish, was sitting down, looking at the horizon of Octo Valley, together with his ex-buddy DJ Octavio, who was still stuck in a snowglobe.
"That was quite a broadcast, wasn't it", Cuttlefish said to the encased octopus. "I feel like my granddaughters are gonna be like one of those eternal duos that stick to each other through thick and thin, like those hat-wearing plumbers, or them donkeys and diddies."
"Maybe", Octavio responded. "But I don't see how those inksquirts would love their music, honestly. I mean, my beats are clearly superior."
The Cap'n squinted his eyes when he glanced at Octavio. "Yeah, right, of course you don't get it", he said. "Meanwhile, you keep dancing to their heavenly melody whenever that's on the radio."
Octavio grumbled at that. He knew his rival was right and he couldn't think of anything to deny it.
"I wonder what my little angels are up to now, actually", Cuttlefish continued. "I bet they must be so happy now they get to be true to themselves!"
Right at that moment, Callie and Marie have arrived. However, unlike how the Cap'n predicted, they look like they were about to burst into tears.
"W-we want to talk, Gramps", Callie cried.
"We've just got the worst news of our lives", Marie said, with her face completely under mascara, smeared due to tears.
Cap'n Cuttlefish was complete perplexed. His sweet little granddaughters were bawling. This can't be because of the latest broadcast, right?
"You know, Cuttlefish", Octavio remarked. "You'd owe me something if I said a price, because you just lost your own bet."
Callie and Marie were brought into their grandfather's little shack. Cuttlefish himself, obviously, went into the shack too. Even Octavio was being shoved in the cottage, snowglobe and all.
The Squid Sisters had covered themselves in blankets of their favorite color while holding a mug containing their favorite tea, as they explained what just happened to the two elders. Cuttlefish was nibbling on a bean biscuit he picked up from a tray he placed on a tea table. When he heard that his granddaughters were getting fired, he almost choked on a piece.
"FIRED?!" he exclaimed. "That guy cannot be serious."
"Unfortunately, Mr. Phishfaes was", Marie replied with a sad expression.
"I cannot believe that silly fishface would fire us all because of his stupid charts", Callie wailed.
"And because we broke his contracts", Marie added.
"Which were made in the first place because of his stupid charts", Callie groaned.
Octavio grumbled: "I understand the decision to fire someone due to breach of contract, but as much as I dislike your music, you were clearly popular amongst your species." He closed his eyes as he said: "A good businessman like fishface wouldn't kick out a gold mine like you two."
"Except he just did", Callie complained, as she took a piece of crabby cake from the tray.
Marie sighed. "We have to announce this tragedy tomorrow during the news broadcast. Mr. Phishfaes is not expecting many viewers, despite the social media and all that."
"Sounds like fishface needs a Splashbook account", Octavio sneered.
"As if either of us have one", Cuttlefish remarked to his 'nemesis'.
"Oh right", Octavio said. "You're still accustomed to teleprinters."
The Cap'n wasn't in the mood to fight for his precious teleprinter. It would probably upset his beloved granddaughters even more and he wants to console them as much as he can.
The Squid Sisters stayed for a few more hours before they left the shack in Octo Valley and went to their apartments in Flounder Heights.
Their apartments were next to each other in the same building. It wasn't exactly hard to find, and for a location that had a lot of people living, the Squid Sisters surprisingly got a lot of privacy.
As they unlocked their own doors, Callie said: "Good night, Marie". She tried to sound chipper as always, but her expression was still sad and her voice almost broke.
"You too, Cal", Marie replied back. She too tried to sound comforting, but failed in a similar way.
The two went in their apartments, closed their doors and went to bed.