"Hi there, you've reached the home phone of Amari Spletzer! I'm afraid I'm out at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep, OR try again. Laters!"
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
"M-Mom...it's me. Your daughter...Meggy. I know it's been a year an' all...I-I've been busy. Yeah, busy! Busy doing...something? Busy not being a failure, haha…" her composure was failing, "Please call back…"
The phone went silent. Meggy Spletzer, the Famed Failure of Splatfest, silently placed it on the table and shifted around on her sofa. She was right about that first bit; it had been a year. Well, more than a year. One year, seven months, two weeks, three days. Since she lost Splatfest. It wasn't her fault. That's what she kept telling herself. Wasn't her fault that brute snapped her leg like a cheap breadstick at the last second...was it? Abused, mocked, laughed out of the city. And now, even her parents wouldn't respond. All she wanted was a "hello"...
Tears pricking her eyes, she turned over and looked down at the errant slice of pizza lying on her enormous gut, her shirt riding up to expose the wobbling mass, stretch marks included. She didn't want to eat another slice. She had been doing that for all that time. But...they tasted so good. And they made her happy. For like, a few minutes. Tomato base, pepperoni, some garlic and even some dried noodles littering the top for some crunch. She whined a bit...and then devoured the thing in a single bite. Waves of flavours crashed upon her, as waves of calories crashed upon her system. She gulped down the pizza and the shame came pretty fast.
She moaned, massaging her stomach as it growled, "Gotta...distract myself. They'll pick up. I'm sure of it. What's on TV…?"
She reached for the remote, struggling like a beached turtle rocking on its shell, before grumbling that she had to get up. She rocked up off the sofa to her feet, groaning as her stiff back softened out a bit, before she swung her body over to the TV and turned it on. Who would-
"Welcome back to Inkopolis News, yo!"
Oh god.
"That's right, Callie," Marie Cuttlefish said, "We're here today to give a brief interview to the top trenders of the previous year. The Splatfest Champion, Naruki Aladona, of Team Killer Ink!"
An all too familiar Inkling girl with a cyan blue, side swept hair walked onto the camera's view, smugly grinning before taking a seat next to the idols, "Hello Inkopolis, hope you're staying as fresh as I am right now!"
"Of course," Marie giggled, "Your new range of Rider Jackets are all the rage! Okay, we're just gonna ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you."
She leaned back and showed her teeth in a massive grin, "Fire away."
"Excellent! Okay, question number one; so, ever since winning Splatfest, what have you been up to?"
"Well, me and my team have been continuing our training for when the next Splatfest should happen. Of course, there are others who have challenged me, claiming to be the better squid," Leader shrugged her shoulders with a small, almost menacing giggle, "No one has been a challenge though. All hot air and empty words, the lot of them. Even that weird team back a year ago wasn't enough to make me sweat."
"Weird team?" Callie asked, "You mean...The Splatsqu-"
"Callie," Marie scolded, "You know Splatfest rules. They are not to be mentioned by name like that. But, I assume…" she turned to Leader, "You have some thoughts and opinions on the Losing Team, Miss Aladona?"
The girl frowned for the briefest moment before grinning, "Of course I do, and I am willing to share! They can take it as… constructive criticism," The champ then peered into the camera, as if seeking the souls watching the newscast, "You all better step up your game if you want to end my reign. And you… yes, I think we both know that 'you'. You should know that this turf is my turf. And if you even TRY to show your face around me or my gang, I'll do more than 'break your record', so to speak."
Meggy could her frazzled mind could hear her scream, "GET IT? I BROKE YOUR LEG YOU APE!", echoing around in her mind. Why was she still watching this?! But, she felt compelled, glued to the screen. Like...she couldn't stop watching.
"Okay, two more questions, I'm afraid we don't have a lot of time," Marie sighed, "I'm sure you understand. So, uh, bit of a topical question but it's been on everyone's minds. Relations between humans and Inklings have been flatlining since Splatfest ended. A lot of controversy on your patented "Legbreaker" move, and your comments towards one Meggy Spletzer at the time. Do you have any comment on these allegations?"
"Legbreaker?" Callie asked, "Is it illegal if it's not in the rulebook?"
"Controversy and illegal?" The Inkling blew a raspberry and crossed her arms, "Look, I don't regret what I did, after what THEY did. I'm sure some humans could be… well, I don't know. But I don't plan to show them mercy. None of them. They spilt ink on us all; I'm repaying their generous favour."
"And that's worth all the riots and Inkling on Human attacks, is it?"
"Callie," Marie responded sternly, "What's said is said. Okay, uh, last question; what are your plans going forward? What will the Splatfest Champion do now?"
Ah hah… ahahahahahaa!" Both idols looked, somewhat concerned, as the girl burst into giggles, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "S-Sorry, that just… isn't it obvious? I don't plan to give up my champion status, nor plan to let anyone take it. I won't stop until my name is engraved in legends, like that Gwen guy. When I'm finished, no one will forget my name."
"Please stop…" Meggy cried.
"And no-one will forget the name of that human either…" she turned to face the screen. Meggy swore she was staring her in the eye, "No-one will forget the useless ape who crashed and burned before me. I hear she's let herself go. So wherever you are, human…" she gleamed, her eyes practically glowing in a fire only known to a true enemy, "Never… forget."
Meggy couldn't take it anymore. She turned the TV off. She collapsed down on the sofa. She checked her phone. No text messages. No missed calls. Nothing. Tears were flowing freely now, and she shook the phone as she begged, "Pick up. PLEASE pick up! Call me! PLEASE!" she dropped the phone, it bounced off of her gut and onto the coffee table. Something hit her like a sack of potatoes, "...They...don't wanna talk to me...do they?"
That was the breaking point. Sinking into the cushions of the sofa, she hugged a pillow as tight as she could, and she cried. She cried silently into the cushion, twisting this way and that, occasionally turning to thump her arm with her fist as hard as she could.
"I'm worthless…" she sobbed, "I'm useless. I'm ugly and fat and stupid and...f-fat...a-and stupid…"
She stopped trying to speak, her composure ruined and only pained babbling coming out by this point. She continued to cry into the pillow for...hours? It felt like hours. It was darker before she regained enough composure to sit back up. She wiped her tears from her eyes and looked at the arm she had thumped; heavy bruising from the repeated strikes. Hmm. She made a mental note to avoid touching that arm and helped herself to another slice of pizza. Like it helped.
Suddenly, the phone rang, finally. A faint glimmer of hope arose in the big bean, were her parents finally calling her? She flicked her finger to access the call, "H-Hello?"
"Hi Meggy!"
Oh...it was Tari. Meggy's hope died again, and she sighed. Like, Tari had never done any wrong and was one of the last people to still put up with her. But… Meggy just didn't want any conversation with her companions right now. Still, the least she could do is give the robot arm girl some chat, "Hi Tari…h-How's it, uhhh… you good?"
"Yep! Been trying out some speedruns for Sonic '06! Ahh, but how are you doing? It's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?"
"You called me yesterday..."
"Well, a day should never go by without friends!" Tari's voice chirped through the phone. The gamer always had this positive vibe to her, rarely down and never staying there. It…was too ironic, in a way. Here she was, sulking in shame, sadness and stale pizza sauce while Tari spat away like she won the lottery.
'...That's a horrible thought. What is WRONG with me?!' Meggy's fist clenched, almost cutting through her skin with the nails. 'I can't even be a decent friend...'
"-so how's your day been?"
"H-Huh?" Oh, she zoned out, "U-Uhh, it's…'lright, uhh, good. Just, you know…chilling and…stuff."
"Good. Have you taken your pills today?" Tari was awfully perceptive when it came down to the moment. Thinking about it, she hadn't had them yet. Not like the blasted things did anything about her situation anyway… "Come on, you know you need them."
"Tari…okay, y-yes. I have taken them now, c-can I just...go nap or something?"
"Meggy," Tari's soft voice went unusually stern, "Please tell me the truth."
Meggy sighed, "I don't need 'em. I'll take one when I DO need it."
"That's not how they work, Meggy," Tari said, her tone still stern, "You're supposed to keep taking them, one every day, doctor's orders. They're supposed to make you feel better. But...are you crying?"
"...I was…" Meggy mumbled, "Tar...I think…I think my parents don't want to know me anymore."
"Oh you poor thing!" Tari whined, "Is there anything I can do to help? Want me to get something?"
"...Some rope?"
"MEGGY!" Tari cried in shock, "This is really bad...ooh, idea!" Meggy could hear Tari reach for a pen, "How about a sleepover?"
Meggy took a few seconds to respond, "Sleepover?"
"Yeah!" Tari said, happier now, "You, me, Saiko, maybe Melony, a few pizzas. We can watch a movie! We'll keep you company and cheer you up! What do you say?"
Meggy wrestled with her thoughts. Part of her wanted to be alone. To just shut the world out. But...would she truly get better if she just kept running away? She sighed, putting on a fake smile, "Sure. Sounds fun. My place or yours? I...don't think I'm liquid enough for a train ticket."
"We'll come to you!" Tari chirped, "We'll get SMG4 to drive us down. How's...how's 10PM for you?"
Meggy looked up at the time; it was about 7PM now. She looked into the phone, "S-Sure. Gives me plenty of time to prepare."
"Yaaaay!" Tari cheered, "Don't worry Meggs! We're comin' over to shower you in love and romantic movies! You'll forget the day you had in a flash! See you later!"
Meggy flashed a more genuine smile, "Thanks, Tar."
"And don't forget your me-"
Click. Meggy put the phone down, stood up and stretched, moaning loudly while doing so. She waddled over to the full length mirror in her house, checking herself out. She wasn't just fat, she was filthy. Her once white shirt, now dyed blue, was stained with pizza grease and had two strips of duct tape covering her old logo. She was barefoot, stretch marks visible on her legs, and her hair was matted and marked with dust and food. She smelled her armpit, grimacing at the visible sweat stains, and recoiled from the smell.
"Damn...how long since I…" she stopped herself. She knew EXACTLY how long it had been since she last bathed, "...God. I'm so disgusting…"
Sighing, she waddled over to her box of medication, taking one out of the foil and gulping it down with some cola, before padding not-so-gently to the bathroom. She couldn't sleep over like this. Not for them.