"Thanks for cutting off my cast, Nonny." Gil said as he grabbed two small cups of coffee from the Dunkin Donuts counter. He and Nonny swim to a booth where Molly was saving them a spot.
"No problem," the red-head said. He sipped his coffee quietly. "It's just a part of my job." Gil slides next to Molly as Nonny sits on the other side.
"I've been meaning to ask, Nonny," Molly starts. "How long have you been working at the Bubble City Hospital?"
"This is my second year now," he replies. "I'm still kind of new to the hospital. Almost every day I get a new task. Most of the time, I work in the lab, but sometimes I help patients." The doctor stared out the window and glances at Gil. "How is the rest of the gang doing?"
"They're doing well," the blue-haired guppy replied. "Deema is taking up choreography, while Goby is taking up art. They moved in with each other just 3 months ago. Oona is also a flower keeper."
Molly chuckles. "You mean florist!"
"She's a florist?" Nonny gasped. He grins. "Wow. That's exactly what she wanted to do. Taking care of flowers and plants." He smiles and chuckles. "Wow."
Gil and Molly exchanged looks with each other and stare back at Nonny. Molly took a sip of her coffee and examined Nonny. He had that after-shave look as most guys had in their early twenties. He wore blue goggles over his eyes, similar to the ones he wore as a kid. The ginger also had that sad resting face he always had. Finally, Molly spoke. "You know, we always thought that you two would end up together one day."
"Ha, I wish. But I know, she hates me." Nonny sighed. He stared at his silver watch, sighed again and grabbed his jacket. "I have to head home now. It was nice catching up with you two. Let's do it again."
But before the couple could say anything, the red-head doctor was already out the door. Molly and Gil exchange suspicious looks with each other.
. . .
That evening, Molly took a trip to Oona's flower shop: "Fleur de bloom." Molly was hit with the scent of a thousand flowers as she entered the store. The store looked like a small green house with its transparent walls and various plants. Two baby blue birds were chirping happily in their cages, hanging from the ceiling at Molly as she swam further into the shop. A young adult with lilac pigtails closed the cash register and handed a female lobster two rose bouquets.
"Have a good day!" she waved. Her face lit up as soon as she saw the pink-haired guppy. "Molly, is that you?"
"Oona! I haven't seen you in years!" Molly reached across the counter to give her friend a hug. "How are you?"
"I am great how are you?" Oona asked as she departed from her hug.
"I am great! I love your shop! I remember the last time I was here, everything was packed up in boxes,"
"Yep," she replied happily. "Things have definitely changed since I've bought this place. So anyways, how is Gil?"
Molly laughed as she glanced around the shop. "Ah, he's doing well now. Actually he recently fell on his tail while skateboarding,"
"Oh no!"
"Yeah, but he got his cast off today, so he is feeling a lot better," she said as she rested her elbows on the counter. "and guess who cut his cast off?"
"Who?"
"Nonny,"
"Nonny," Oona sighed. She started to fidget with her hands. "Wow. I didn't know Nonny became a doctor. Well in retrospect, I should have known; he loves working with medical technologies." She sighed again. "I'm glad he is doing what he loves."
Molly raised her right eyebrow. "He also works in a science lab most of the time." She glanced at Oona. She grew her hair out all the way to her waist. Her hair was still in pigtails and her magenta star was still in the same place as always. She was wearing a knee-length dress that was white from the top to her waist and pink from her waist down. Her nails were painted fuchsia, just like Molly's hair. She grinned. "You know, Gil and I thought that you two would end up with each other one day."
Oona grinned as she fixed her vase full of sunflowers on the counter. "I wish, but Nonny pretty much hates me."
She glanced at her digital clock from across the room. "Oh! It's 6:30! It is time for me to close up the shop." Oona swam to the cold room. She came out with a hibiscus flower and pinned it in Molly's hair.
"A little thanks for coming into my store. A hibiscus flower on the house. Hope you have a nice day! Visit again soon!"
"Thanks!" Molly beamed. She waved at her friend and exited the store into the streets of Bubble City. The pink-haired guppy rubbed a petal of the hibiscus flower and folded her arms suspiciously. She glanced at the store hours sign. The store was supposed to close at nine today.
What is going on? She thought.
