Author Notes - A guest reviewer has brought it to my attention that Mr Grouper is ignoring the feelings of his own students, which doesn't seem right. I have to agree with you, guest reviewer, and I am quite glad that you've pointed this out to me. I won't be addressing it in this chapter, but I will definitely bring this up in Chapter Ten.

Fun Fact I Guess: Originally, Gil brought the accident on himself, until I decided that having it be one of the other Guppies would be far more interesting. I chose Deema for a couple reasons. The main reason was, honestly, because she's my favourite. Yeah, I like putting my favourites through hell. The other is because she's the goofy one, and we get to see another side of her. After all, she's been shown as being the most emotional out of the Guppies. Crying over Gil's poem in 'Puppy Love', saying goodbye to the letter in 'Happy Clam Day', having a freak out in 'Happy Holidays, Mr Grumpfish'...

CHAPTER NINE - BRANCHING PATHS

How long is she going to be here for? Gil wondered as he looked over to Deema. A few hours at least had passed since everyone arrived and promptly left her with him. Her emotional state had barely improved over that time, and certainly not enough to stop her hair from unravelling. Over those few hours, every little curl had collapsed and become undone, and now his usually-zany friend was buried under a mess of yellow hair. Deema with her hair down looked so wrong. His only guess as to why she was still here after so long was because her parents had assumed she was at school.

'Deema, I think you should head home.' He said, his voice low. 'I love your company, I really do, but my family could be here at any moment. If my big brother sees you here...' He winced. 'I don't wanna even think about what he might do.'

'I-I don't wanna leave you here by yourself.' She said, sniffling. 'I-I mean, you have Bubble Puppy, but I mean someone who can talk to you. Even if I haven't been saying much...'

'Yeah, which is weird. You're usually the most talkative out of all of us. It's like you're a different person now...'

Deema tossed yet another used tissue into the bin; Gil couldn't believe the bin could contain so many, nor could he believe that Deema could contain that many tears or that much mucus. Thinking about that made him cringe a little - why did crying have to be so ugly and gross sometimes? He could still remember when he wrote that poem for Bubble Puppy, and how Deema was the only one he managed to bring to tears.

She always was the most emotional out of them all, by far. At the time, all her freakouts seemed funny, like she was exaggerating on purpose. Thinking back on those moments, however, Gil began to realise that she definitely wasn't exaggerating. To Gil, it made it seem all the more cruel that it happened to be her joke that was the one to cause everything to collapse.

'You can't do this, Deema.' He said. 'The band needs you. They need someone to be loud and zany, like you. It just won't be the same if you're not there.'

'I-I know that...' She muttered, just loud enough for him to hear her. 'B-But I'm scared to hurt them. Look at what I did to you without even trying.'

Gil leaned back onto his pillow and sighed. It was certainly one heck of a wall that Deema had built around herself, and unfortunately she was nearly as stubborn as him. He looked over at Bubble Puppy in the corner, sleeping in the sun in a manner rather akin to a cat. Despite the situation, a smile came to Gil's face. If he couldn't get through that stubborn brick wall, he could at least cheer her up another way.

'Hey Deema.'

She glanced up at him, staring through the strands of her thick golden hair.

'The nurse gave me a pretty good lunch yesterday. You wanna know what it was?'

She stayed silent for a few seconds. 'Y-Yeah...?'

'It was a hamburger with emergence-cheese!'

She stared blankly at him for a bit, before a small smile appeared on her face. It must've been her first genuine smile since the accident, even if it was just a small one.

'I saw a scarecrow a few days ago, at the farm.' He continued. 'I think he was eating a sandwich with straw-berry jam!'

By some miracle it seemed, he heard her chuckle. He could still hear some sadness in her laugh, but it still sounded real.

'Bubble Puppy had some chicken-poodle soup yesterday! Maybe I'll give him a hot-dog tonight. And I hear we're going camping, so don't forget to pack your backpack-aroni and cheese with a sleeping bag of chips!'

With each silly lunch pun he fed to her, her smile grew and grew. Her laughs got louder each time, and the sadness in her giggles slowly began to fade away. It didn't fix that swollen eye, or even that unravelled hair, but he could feel her happy vibes.

Suddenly, the laughter came to a stop. The door was opening.

Gil gasped. 'Dorson?!'

Deema squeaked as her eyes darted right to the door.

'Gil?' Came the sweet little voice. 'Deema?'

Both of them sighed in relief. Oona walked through the door, wearing a tiny doctor's robe that was just a little too big for her. She gave Gil a soft smile, even if she really didn't feel happy.

'Hi Oona!' Gil greeted, before his own smile disappeared. 'What are you doing here?'

Oona sighed. 'Mr Grouper said I could volunteer to help you while you stay here. I don't have the experience to help with your injuries, but I can bring your food and keep you from getting lonely. I know it isn't much, but I hope I can help.'

'Aw, thanks Oona. You don't have to do that, you know.'

'I know, but I feel like I do. After everything I did to you, I want to make up for it. Don't worry about my family. I told my mommas and brother that I wanted to do this, so they know where I am.'

Oona wandered into the room, looking around for Deema. She gasped when her eyes fell upon the messy mop of fallen golden hair sitting in the corner.

'Oh my!' She yelled. 'Deema, what happened to your hair?'

The blonde Guppy shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Usually my hair only comes down when I have to wash it.'

Oona breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, how she missed the usual 'Deema-ish' tone that her curly-haired friend used to speak in. It was like a small candle in the middle of a dark storm - a little bit of light to keep her going.

'Do... do you need any help, Deema?' Oona asked.

Deema shook her head. 'Nah. I'm pretty good now. Just got served so many lunch puns that I'm stuffed.' Her own joke made her chuckle. 'Thanks Gil. I really needed that.'

Gil smiled too. 'Heh heh... you're welcome.'

It warmed Oona's heart. Somehow, despite all he had gone through, she could see for herself that Gil held no grudge against Deema for what she had done. Whether or not he had it in him to forgive her yet was irrelevant, though Oona could tell that it was sure to happen soon. Now that she was certain that her curly-haired friend was alright, she could approach Gil without having to worry so much about her.

'Is everything okay?' She asked in a soft voice. 'Aside from the obvious.'

Gil shrugged, wincing just a little. 'Oof...! Uh, right arm still hurts to move. Sometimes my vision gets a little blurry.'

She gasped. 'Oh no! Is that bad?'

'Well, it's not really good, but the doctors don't seem so worried about it. It only gets a little blurry, and I can still make stuff out. I've been told that I should only worry if it starts getting hard to tell anything apart.'

Oona sighed in relief. 'Oh, that's good to know.'

'Yeah, the doctors have been kinda worried about that. They said those boxes hit my head really hard. Not hard enough to anything that bad, or I would've been stuffed. They tell me I was really lucky, and... well, it's the first time in a while that I've felt lucky at all.'

They were silent for a short spell. Gil's attention drifted onto Bubble Puppy, who was now chasing his tail under the belief that it was a pest he had to catch. Oona was perfectly content to sit on the end of his bed and wait for him to say anything, while Deema took the time trying - and failing - to fix up her messy fallen hair.

'How long are you going to be here for?' Gil asked, somewhat out of nowhere.

Oona flinched a little as she received the question. 'However long I can be here. I do have some things I have to do, like helping the Spring Chicken take care of her flowers, but I'll be here whenever I can. I'll be by your side until you're ready to be let out.'

Gil, without really thinking, reached out for her hand and grabbed it. Since it was his right arm, which still hurt to move, he couldn't hold onto her very tight. Still, Oona returned the favour by holding on just a little bit tighter. It felt so much more welcoming than Molly had ever been to him, and that thought made him a little uncomfortable.

Oona turned to Deema. 'So, Deema, are you still... my friend?'

Deema shook her head. 'Nope. I can't risk hurting you the same way I hurt Gil. I'll just, um, chill here a little longer and then I'll leave.'

'Oh. O-Okay then.'

As Gil held onto Oona's hand as tightly as he possibly could, he realised something. He was going to wait until Deema left before he said anything, for he had no idea how she'd react to such a statement, but the moment he and Oona were alone he would make his thoughts very clear.

Oona, I think... I think I've forgiven you.

School time was over. It was time for everyone to go home, though Mr Grouper made it clear that Molly would still be in detention the next day. Oona had left a while ago to visit Gil in the hospital, and everyone else had already begun their trek back home. Well, Goby took a little time to sort through the costume box while Molly and Mr Grouper were talking. Why he did that, no one knew. It was only then that Molly realised just how quiet the trip to and from school was without Gil by her side.

She swam down the usual path, passing by the usual landmarks as she went. In the back of her mind, she could still hear Gil discussing his latest discovery.

'I've lost Gil...' She muttered. 'I've lost Deema. Who else?'

She shoved that thought away. Right now, it wasn't important. If she was going to lose all her friends, then so be it. She felt like she deserved it at this point. Even if she didn't deserve to lose every friend, she knew she didn't deserve that leader role anymore. What kind of leader would get one of her friends in hospital? Nonny was the one person she thought of to take over - he was smarter than her, and had shown signs of being a good leader thanks to his conducting skills.

If he didn't want to do it, which was likely considering his introverted personality, then Goby was a good second thanks to his calm nature and creativity. Of course, he was a bit of an introvert too. Molly thought about Oona. She definitely had the heart that Molly herself seemed to lack. She hadn't known Zooli for very long, but if her knowledge of animals was any indication, she was certainly smart enough for the job. As for Gil and Deema... the two of them may have been a bit too 'silly' for a leadership role, but still. After everything Gil had gone through, he deserved something more than just 'back-up singer' and certainly 'class clown'. As for Deema, she loved pretending to be queens for a reason. After all, she was the eldest of their class. Maybe she deserved the leader role just for that.

Her ears picked up the sound of high-pitched giggling. She recognised it easily, from all her 'fun' skits with Gil, as the laughs of those Little Fish. The sound came from up above, but the moment she glanced upwards to the source...

*SPLAT*

'AH!'

A balloon hit her face and burst, splashing water all over her. She spat out a stream as she wiped her face dry.

'What the heck...?'

The high-pitched giggling got louder, and now she could see a couple Little Fish swimming right above her. Their usually-adorable laughing felt much more aggravating when on this side of the joke. Molly crossed her arms and glared at them.

'What did you do that for?' She asked. 'I was just swimming home!'

'Water you talking about?' One of the Little Fish said. 'That was funny!'

Molly huffed. Sure, the Little Fish often played jokes, but a joke at a time like this was a bit much.

'Turn around, Molly!' The other fish said, unable to contain his laughter. 'Turn around!'

The pink-haired Guppy rolled her eyes and sighed. Well, whatever got her home faster. Hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with this the entire way home, she turned around as they wanted...

'CHOMP CHOMP!'

'AHHHHH!'

And found herself face-to-face with an alligator's snout. Her heart raced faster than it either had, and her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in immediately. Unable to properly think in this situation, she dove into the nearest bush with a scream. She shivered and shook in her spot, practically praying that this mis-placed alligator wouldn't chomp her clean in half. Wait, an alligator? Here in Bubbletucky?

The Little Fish only laughed harder. Molly gasped as the realisation hit her.

'Wait...'

She stuck her head out from behind the bush, and saw no alligator in sight. All she saw was Goby with an alligator mask tucked under his arm. The look he gave her was one Molly had never seen from him before, and could only describe as one of pure anger.

'G-Goby?' She stammered. 'W-Why did you-?'

'How does it feel, Molly?' Goby said, not even trying to make it sound like a genuine question. 'I once scared Gil with this same mask, and we laughed at him. How does it feel now that it's happened to you?'

Molly dragged herself out from behind the bush, wincing as the sharp branches and thorns scratched at her bare skin. All those stares that Mr Grouper gave her paled in comparison to Goby's at that moment.

'I repeat the question.' She said. 'Why did you do that?'

'I just told you.' He spat back, clenching his free fist. 'Everything that just happened to you? That's what Gil had to deal with almost every single day. And just who watched it happen almost every single day, and did nothing but laugh?'

She scoffed. 'Hey, you just said yourself that you scared him too. How are you any better? We're all guilty of it.'

He hung his head in shame. 'I know. And I feel guilty for every joke I ever made. Just like you do. We all do. If you could even call them 'jokes'. But compared to what you've done? Right now, Deema is struggling to deal with what was your fault.'

The Little Fish above giggled away. Molly couldn't tell if they really thought this was funny, or were just really hammering it in.

'I don't want to hurt you, Molly.' Goby said, lightening his tone to prove that he meant it. 'If I went out of my way to hurt you on purpose, I'd be way worse than you'd ever be. You never tried to hurt anyone on purpose. So no bruises or hearing damage or anything like that. But I still want you to know what we put Gil through.'

'A-Alright...' Molly stammered. 'I understand. But why do you have to do this? I mean, for cod's sake, I know I screwed up! You think I'm happy about that?!'

He closed his eyes and sighed. When he slowly opened his eyes again, they hardly opened at all and were merely narrow slits. Molly could feel that stare piercing into her very soul.

'I don't wanna say this, Molly.' He said, his voice sounding close to tears. 'I really don't want it to be like this. You're my friend, and I don't want anything to change that. But after what you've done to Gil and Deema...'

His whole body winced, and his next words came out dripping with bitterness and anger.

'I hate you.'

Molly gasped. Before she could formulate a response, Goby just swam away with the alligator mask still tucked under his arm. The Little Fish swam a different way, to wherever Mr Grouper's house was.

'I should get going.' Goby said. 'My sisters will worry if I don't get home soon.'

As he swam off towards his home, where his parents and sisters awaited, Molly could only stand there in silence. That one word echoed in her mind.

Hate... hate... hate...

'G-Goby...' She stuttered. 'I-I can't believe y-you...'

And, just like that, she began crying once again. It seemed that her friendships were fading away one by one. First Gil, then Deema...

And now Goby...

She wanted to sit down and cry, but she couldn't. Not when she had parents and a baby sister waiting for her at home.

'Mah-Mah?'

Mia's worried cries didn't make it to Molly, for the older girl was occupied with the worries going on in her head. She lay flat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, while Mia watched her from her crib.

'Goby said he hated me.' She muttered. 'I-I was kinda expecting that from Gil, but not Goby. I don't blame him, but... I didn't think it'd be him. He's always been one of the calmer Guppies...'

It wasn't like it didn't make any sense to her, or anything like that. Everyone knew that Goby was particularly close to both Gil and Deema, and after what Molly did to them, she could not blame him one bit for it.

'But... he hates me. I-I don't know if even Gil would say he hates me now. Goby would never say something like that, no matter how angry he was, unless he meant it.'

Molly wasn't talking to Mia, who hardly understood anything she was saying, but just herself. Those nasty thoughts in her head only made a lick of sense to her when she spoke them out loud, and it didn't help her mood at all.

Hate. That word was so strong. It implied that the very thought of Molly made Goby angry, and she could easily understand why.

'If someone as calm as Goby has to say that he hates me now, then that's it. I just can't be the leader anymore. Next time I see Nonny - if I ever do see him again - I'm gonna tell him that he's the leader now.'

Author Notes - Trust me to play Deema's overdramatic nature for drama. It's definitely funny in the show itself (her moment in 'Puppy Love' especially does a good job at making me laugh every single time), but I really thought about. If this is truly how Deema's own emotions affect her, that ain't good. Sometimes it seems like she genuinely can't control her emotions as well as the others can, which is really bad.

I admit that the idea of Goby now hating Molly was something that was completely spur of the moment. It just kinda happened, and I wanted to run with it. After all, Goby is clearly very close to Gil and Deema, who have both been wronged by Molly. I just have to be very careful with it, or I risk making him horribly unlikable.