Chapter 6

Nighttime…

Ugh…no matter how hard I try, I can't get to sleep. I was just lying down, trying to fall asleep when I heard the door creak open. Andrea was sneaking in the room. Good thing about the goggles is they hide when my eyes are open.

Andrea then crept over to me and squatted down next to my bed, looking me right in the face. She carefully leaned over and slowly reached for my goggles. She let out a quiet yelp when I grabbed her hand.

"Seriously?!" I silently shouted to not wake Ben. "Are you that nosy?!"

"Keep it down!" She shushed me.

I got up and pulled her into the living room.

"What is your deal?!" I needed an answer.

"What's my deal?" She raised an eyebrow. "What's your deal?! Why are you so scared of your eyes?!"

"My mom said-"

"Who cares?!" She rolled her eyes. "Do you always do what your mom says?!"

"Yes!" I told her.

"Well, why don't you live a little?" She leaned forward, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-you're not trying to do that exchange thing, are you?" I backed away a bit.

"No…" She said. "Unless you want to…"

"Please stop." I said. "I-I want my first one to be special."

"I can make it special…" She put her arms around my neck. "A simple 'yes' is all you need."

"Uuuuhh…" I wasn't sure.

"So you got a thing for Tim?" Another voice asked. It was Lisa. "Oh, I'm gonna tell Ben."

"No!" Andrea pushed her back into their room while pulling me in.

"Geez Andrea," Lisa rolled her eyes. "If you wanted some space, you should've just said so."

"I don't have a thing for him." Andrea crossed her arms. "I'm just trying to get him to take off his goggles."

"Easy solution." Lisa said. "Hold him down!"

"Wha-?" I could barely react when Andrea grabbed my arms. I started struggling.

"I'll get those silly things off." Lisa started reaching for my goggles.

"Noooo!"I started kicking.

"Hey, careful!" Lisa shouted.

"Let me go!" I shouted.

"Be quiet!" Andrea told me.

"What's going on?!" We heard Ben's voice. He came in shortly after, expecting an answer.

"He was peeping on us!" Lisa lied.

"No I wasn't!" I told him. "Andrea keeps trying to take my goggles!"

"I don't care what happened!" He pulled me out. "You guys woke me up with your noise!"

"Sorry, Benny!" Lisa said.

"No taking his goggles in the middle of the night," He then turned to me. "And no perving on the girls!"

"I wasn't-"

"Zip it!" He shouted. "Now everyone just go to sleep!"

"Yes, Ben!" We all said in unison.

I hurried back to bed. Ben came in shortly after, locking the door behind him. I'm not sure how, but I managed to get to sleep.

The Next Morning…

I woke up earlier than the others as usual, got ready for the day, ate breakfast, and left. I figured it'd be for the best. I can't risk Andrea trying to swipe my goggles again, Lisa helping her, and while Ben technically helped me last night, I don't wanna risk getting on his bad side.

I spent half of the day helping Crusty Sean out and learning how to work the fryers. By the end of it, I got a decent amount of money out of it. I also learned what commission pay is.

Now to search more music stores…right after I give another call to mom.

5 minutes later…

"Hello?" Mom said.

"Hey, it's me!" I let her know.

"Timmy, I'm so glad you called." She remarked. "How's the city so far?"

"Well, I got a job." I told her.

"Really? Where?" She was curious.

"At a food truck called the Crust Bucket in Inkopolis Square." I told her. "It's a little cramped, but my boss is surprisingly good for conversation."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" She said. "I'm also looking for jobs in the city, but I'm not having as much luck so far. Not many people are calling back."

"I'm sure you'll find one." I assured her. "I mean, I did and you're the best, so you'll find one in no time!"

"Oh, you're so sweet!" She complimented. "So did you buy anything nice from the stores?"

"No." I lamented. "Most places around the Square won't serve me until I'm level 4 in Ink Battles."

"Oh…" She seemed concerned. "Well, don't worry. It'll be alright. So how're your roommates?"

I probably shouldn't mention Andrea reaching for my goggles…

"They're okay I guess." I answered. "They mostly do their own thing."

"…Make any friends yet?" She asked.

"No…" I groaned. "I was mostly trying to get everyone situated and find a job."

"Well…I'm sure you'll find some." She assured me. "I mean, you're sweet, caring, funny, handsome,-"

"Mom…" I rolled my eyes.

"Right, right…" She said. "Well, I hope you have fun, dearie."

"I'm sure I will, mom." I told her.

"Love you!" She told me.

"Love you too!" I replied.

We then both hung up.

Now to find a music shop or something…

"It's you again." A familiar voice said. "Have a nice conversation?"

I turned to find that friendly shades-wearing squid from the other day.

"Oh, hey." I greeted him.

We started walking down the sidewalk.

"You aren't starving again, are you?" He asked.

"No." I answered. "In fact, I got a job at the Crust Bucket. I get a free lunch there."

"Interesting." He remarked. "Did you find those people you were waiting for?"

"Yeah." I replied. "They're…a bit much, but nothing I can't handle."

"Much how?" He seemed curious.

"Well, Ben seems like someone whose bad side I don't want to be on and Andrea kept reaching for my goggles." I explained. "Lisa helped her."

"You really are afraid of people seeing them, aren't you?" He asked.

"My mom says if people saw them…they wouldn't like me…" I told him.

"…Fascinating…" He remarked. "I understand your concerns."

"You do?" I looked at him.

"More than you know." He urged me to follow him.

He led me down some alleyways. I started getting some bad vibes. Soon, we stopped and he turned around.

"See, I've had to hide what I am for a long time." He started explaining. "My appearance just…set people off…my secret is like yours."

He pointed to his shades.

"I know exactly how to help, if you'll let me." He offered.

"O-Okay…" So he's like me.

He sat me down in a chair as he went to get something out of a trunk behind me. He then walked in front of me and took off his shades. His eyes looked like Octoling eyes and I just noticed his beak was somewhat weirdly shaped. He was some kind of hybrid.

"See, at first I believed it was because people just didn't understand…" He explained. "But after years and years…I realized I was lying to myself…"

I was starting to get some red flags here…

"I realized they were right…" His tone was starting to creep me out. "People like us shouldn't exist. We're abominations. I've spent the past few decades of my life making sure something like us never happens again. I thought my work was over, but when coming back to this city, I realized it was just getting started."

"I-I don't think I'm an abomination." I told him.

"It's okay…" He brushed my hair. "I thought that at first too. They all thought that at first…here…let me ease your suffering…"

I immediately pushed him back when I realized he was holding a knife.

"Let me help you!" He rushed me.

I had to hold him back, one hand keeping his knife-wielding hand back.

"Stop!" I shouted. "Help!"

"I'm trying!" He shouted.

"Help!" I screamed.

He then stopped, put the knife away, and held me tightly while pulling me around a corner and covering my mouth.

"Hello?" We heard a voice calling out. "We heard screaming, is someone there?"

"As much as I want to help you, my boy, I can't risk getting caught here…" He whispered. "You'll have to suffer a bit longer then…"

I kept trying to shout through his hand.

"You tell anyone…" He pulled my face closer to his. "I'll come after your mother too…"

I immediately went quiet at that.

"Good…" He said. "Now I'll let you go now and we'll part ways for now…"

He then released me and quickly slipped away. I had no idea where he went. I immediately started running in the opposite direction. I kept running and running. Eventually, I tripped and started rolling down the inclined ramp of a nearby canal. I finally stopped rolling when I actually bumped into someone, knocking the person down.

"Ow…" That hurt.

"Hey"

"Aaah!" I panicked.

"Woah there." The person I knocked over tried calming me down. "You okay, little man? What happened?"

"I-uh…uh…" I wasn't sure what to do.

"Hey, deep breathes." He told me.

I tried deep breathes, but ended up hyperventilating.

"Alright, how about this…" The spiky-haired squid pulled out a guitar and started playing some soft notes.

The music was nice. I actually started to breathe slower and calm down. I then looked up at him.

"You okay, little man?" He asked again.

"N-no…er…I don't know…" I couldn't tell him. "Who…who are you?"

"I'm George." He held his hand out. "Now let me help you up."