srry for rlly slow updates! i'm taking a lil break on my main fic (broken quartz) to focus on others like this one!
Ori was dashing to school, he overslept and was running late. The firefly squid couldn't take his mind off of yesterday, his usual cheeriness was replaced with misery, and now nothing but pure emptiness. He teared up again, and it felt like he was constantly crying.
He ran into the classroom, where Mr. Lewis was clearly having a bad day. "LATE AGAIN! DETENTION!" he shouted. Ori didn't give a damn, out of every bad thing happening, going to detention was the least awful. He looked down as he walked to detention, not paying attention to anything other than his own thoughts. Out of every friend who's left him, Blade hurt the most.
A teacher also sent Blade to detention for putting a dent in someone's locker, but he didn't even bother going. Those snakes who've been preying on him throughout his entire high school career caught the one guy who actually cared about him.
Was it because he truly is a heartless freak who murders those who look at him in the wrong direction?...
Ori felt miserable in the detention room, he didn't give a shit about the fact he got detention yet again, all he could think about was when he met Blade, in this very room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an unfamiliar girl sit next to him. She had dark pink tentacles and wore something you'd see a student council member wear… "ARIA SHIELD?!" gasped the detention teacher. "There must be a mistake! I'll call the teacher who sent you!"
"Don't." replied Aria. "Just because I'm meant to be a good example doesn't mean I'm an exception." she said. Ori instantly thought she was one of the coolest people ever. "You're new, right?" she asked the firefly squid. "Yeah." replied Ori. "You're an interesting guy. I've seen you and Blade together, and the guy's a whole other squid around you." said Aria. "NO TALKING!" shouted the teacher. "Ugh. We'll talk after detention." sighed the pink octoling.
"GOOD MORNING MR. ANDERSON!" sang Ashley as she waltzed into the room with Maya and Lilly. "What now? I didn't even get a call about you!" groaned the detention teacher. "That's because we're here to borrow Ori Hikaru for a project!"
"Knock yourselves out." sighed the teacher. The three prancing out with Ori left Aria a bit puzzled. "Them too? Is Ori a problematic student magnet or something? It's not like many people are very aware of those three's dark secrets, but his relationships are too coincidental." she thought.
"We're actually taking you…" Ashley began. "SHOPPING!" sang the three in unison. "Those two know all the good stores." smiled Maya. "Maya, I think you should stay here." said Ashley, leaving her octoling friend a bit confused. "Blade's gonna be extra sour today, meaning we need someone who can get us some tea!" whispered the red inkling. She happily took Lilly and Ori out the door, leaving Maya behind. "Okay!" waved the octoling.
Ori and the girls got to the mall, and Ashley quickly took them to a very feminine clothing store. Her and Lilly tried on almost everything they saw, and spent at least a half an hour just looking around. "You think this would look good on me?" asked Ori, pointing to a black cardigan with a magenta skirt. "Ori, that shade of magenta looked good five years ago." scoffed Ashley. "I have a question, Ori. Why don't you dress like a boy?"
"I just like to." answered Ori, awkwardly. "I don't know, you seem like the simple-minded type. I'm surprised you know anything about complex gender expression." replied Ashley, with a slight sneer. "You're totally gonna try on some cute shirts I saw at the place next door!" she added. Ori felt his mind wander back to Blade. "Hey, don't think about that creep!" laughed Ashley. "I heard he threatened to beat up the school council president." whispered Lilly. "It's student council." muttered Ashley.
Meanwhile, Blade sat on the curb outside of the school, also visibly upset as he thought about the other boy. "Hey." spoke a voice. "FUCK OFF!" shouted the lavender inkling without looking up. "You know I won't." said the voice. "As president of the-"
"Yeah, as president Kei of the infamous student council!" mocked Blade. Kei, the purple octoling who approached him, just rolled his eyes. "Look, the vice president is curious about your friend Ori. He seems to have connections with the students we deem problematic." explained Kei.
"And why the hell do you care?! THAT WHORE ASHLEY TOOK HIM FROM ME!" yelled Blade, surprising Kei a bit. "Hey, calm down a bit." sighed the purple octoling, sitting next to him. "I'll admit, ever since we came here, I could have done a better job with listening to your struggles."
"Yeah, whatever. I thought we were friends, and that we'd show high school what we were made of!" scoffed the lavender inkling. "But I guess our three long years in middle school means nothing to you."
"Of course it did. I left you in the dust to improve my image as president, but I've finally realized how empty it is without you." replied Kei. He kept his calm exterior, but Blade noticed some cracks in it. He knew his old friend wanted to cry or something, but didn't say anything about it. "I'm sorry, Blade. Just let out your issues with Ashley and her goons, okay?"
A mysterious pink inkling quietly hid around the corner, listening to the two…
In the mall, the two girls bombarded Ori with several outfits, making him try them on in the changeroom. They were in a store called "Squid Boys." The firefly squid laughed with them, hiding the discomfort he felt with each outfit. He loved being a boy, but despised traditionally masculine clothing. Why would they make him try this stuff on? "They're trying their best, I'll just tell them this isn't my style." thought Ori, optimistically. They were his friends, after all.
Ori came back from the shopping spree in a shirt he really didn't like, as he got too nervous to confront his friends about his fashion style. He didn't realize it, but he felt insecure as he passed by other students. "Ori Hikaru, right?" asked Aria. "You're known for being friends with the most infamous students in the school. The president and I were curious."
"Kind of…You see, Blade and I…" mumbled Ori. "I should probably ask about what I initially wanted to talk about." said Aria. "Are you and him…Together?"
The firefly inkling's face heated up as he rapidly shook his head and hands. "Sorry for assuming that." chuckled Aria. "Kei really wants to see him happy again, so when you two befriended each other, he's really been keeping an eye on you."
"Who's Kei?" asked Ori. "The student council president!" saluted Aria. "I see." nodded Ori. "But Blade and I kind of split up…Ashley told me he's an awful guy…" he sighed, tearing up. "Oh dear, please explain what Ashley said about him." replied Aria, giving the boy a tissue. The mysterious pink inkling from earlier slowly walked by them, heading for the cafeteria.
"It was so BORING just waiting around! I couldn't find Blade for the life of me!" groaned Maya. "What?! I think I saw him in front of the school just now." replied Lilly, confused. "Oh my cod, GO SEE WHAT HE'S DOING!" snapped Ashley, masking it as an exaggerated dramatic voice.
Maya got sent out to the front of the school, and there he was. "Why the hell is he talking to the president? Did he finally get caught?" she snickered quietly. She listened in on their conversation.
"COD, I WANT THOSE PLASTIC RIPOFFS DEAD!" yelled the lavender inkling. "I ACTUALLY CARED ABOUT ORI, BUT AS SOON AS I GET SOMETHING GOOD, SHE TAKES IT!"
"What the fuck?" Maya asked herself as she ran back to the others. "That was quick." remarked Ashley. "Blade told Kei he apparently cares about Ori…" said Maya. "Of course he did, he needs them to feel bad for him!" scoffed Ashley. "Isn't it pathetic how the big strong man needs comfort from those damn nerds?!" she cackled.
Flashback…
Two years ago…
A lavender inkling and purple octoling boy were laughing on the steps in front of the school, beating each other's asses in some video game. They seemed to have been close for a few years now. "See ya at lunch!" waved Blade, a freshman at the school. "I'm gonna shoot for president!" smiled Kei. "Good luck bro, you definitely got the brains to do it!" replied Blade.
The lavender inkling smiled as he got into the classroom. "Ah, Blade Earth. There's an empty seat with Ashley, Maya and Lilly." smiled the inklish teacher. Everything couldn't have gone better for Blade, and he was still full of energy going into the lunch hour.
"SHIT!" he cursed as he tripped over a red inkling's shoe. A crowd of cephalopods laughed as he tripped, led by that inkling and her friend with lavender and orange hair. "REAL men would've noticed me!" scoffed a younger Ashley. "T-The hell?!" stuttered Blade, getting back up. "Miss Pansy made a huge mistake seating us together!" she laughed. "I'M GONNA MAKE THE NEXT FEW YEARS LIVING HELL FOR YOU!"
Before he knew it, his life changed for the worse. The next few months were indeed hell. "Kei doesn't even have my new phone number." muttered Blade, who's sadness turned into anger. "We haven't spoken in weeks. Fuck that bitch." he sighed as he walked down the hallway to class. He briefly watched the girls' football team practice, and the blue haired octoling everyone's been calling their new "star player."
"HEY FREAK!" cackled Ashley, with Lilly at her side. The lavender inkling gave them an intimidating stare in rage. "What? You wanna fight back or something?" snickered the red inkling. "Pathetic!" added Lilly. A moment later, Ashley's screams could be heard around the school, as Blade gave her a harsh punch to the face. "LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" yelled Blade, smiling at her tears.
"SOMEBODY HELP! BLADE EARTH ASSAULTED ME!" cried Ashley, summoning several jock boys and girls from the gyms nearby. Several boys dragged Blade to get into another fight to "avenge" her, and everyone else surrounded Ashley. "Oh, is that the star player Maya Splinters?" asked the red inkling, with pain in her voice. "Yeah, I'll keep him in line! I won't let him hurt you again!" replied Maya. Ashley continued sobbing dramatically as the students were forced back into class and a teacher escorted her to the nurse's. "HE'S A MONSTER! A FREAK! A BRUTE!" she whined as a final message to everyone.
The boys ran off in fear after Blade left them badly bruised. Only a few months ago, he would've felt horrible. He was never the type to resort to violence, but after the constant torment he faced, he began to wonder if high school required it. With his only friend seemingly gone, he knew he was going to face the next few years alone.
End of flashback…
In a nearby hallway, Aria parted ways with Ori. "Thank you. I think President Kei is waiting for me in the office." waved Aria. Outside, Kei said something similar to Blade. "I wouldn't be surprised if Aria was already waiting for me." he said. "Hey…that talk helped, and I'm glad we're on better terms." muttered Blade. The two were known for not smiling often, but the two couldn't help but smile at each other as they separated. The two octolings met back up in the office.
"There's clearly a misunderstanding here." said Kei. "Yeah, that's what I thought. We need to get those two back together." replied Aria. "Right, and we should-" The male octoling was interrupted by a pink inkling coming in the room. "No." she said. "Taking down those three isn't your fight."
"Who the hell are you?" asked Kei. "Alba Annaki." smirked the inkling. "You're related to the owner of Annaki?" asked Aria. "My father brought me back to the area to live a normal life, but it will be far from that once I find Ashley Bitch-sea." nodded Alba. "Again, you're going to leave this drama to me and you're going to like it."
Meanwhile, Blade quietly thanked Kei again under his breath as he rushed around every corner of the school. "ORI!" he shouted, trying to find the firefly inkling. That talk with his old friend told him that he had to clear up every piece of bullshit Ashley made up. He screamed and cursed as he kept failing to find Ori.
The firefly squid sat in a secluded corner of the school, wishing he could hide himself still not fully realizing what's making him insecure. "Where WERE you?" shouted Ashley. "With Aria…" nervously answered Ori. "Maya said that that freak apparently cares about you! She's gotten way to soft!" laughed Ashley, causing Ori to glance up at her with a slight glimmer in his eye. "I so doubt it's true, as if it wasn't obvious!" scoffed the red inkling.
As she got Ori up, she caught Blade from the corner of her eye and noticed that he saw them too. "W-What are you doing?" laughed Ori, awkwardly as Ashley pinned him to the wall and slowly moved her lips closer to him. "THAT'S IT, GET THE HELL OFF HIM!" yelled the lavender inkling, running over and throwing Ashley off of him. "B-Blade…" mumbled the firefly squid. "Ori…What the hell happened to you?" asked Blade calmly, eyeing his unusual outfit. "Ashley and Lilly said I should wear this…" answered Ori, too nervous to make eye contact with him.
The firefly inkling was a bit surprised as Blade took his hand again. Those fluttery feelings came rushing back to him. "I'll deal with you later." growled Blade to Ashley, who just growled back. "Where are you taking me?" asked Ori. "Your place, to change into something comfortable." answered Blade.
He stopped when they got outside. "I am intimidating, but I never wanted to be." said Blade. "Ashley and her idiots endlessly tortured me and made everyone hate me, so I had to toughen up so they'd leave me alone. My only friend left me to pursue academic stuff, so everyday I feel like I'm fighting for my life alone." he continued. "I'd never resort to being a master manipulator like that red rat is…" Blade paused for a moment.
"Ori, I don't know why, but you quickly became very special to me. You're the only one I really care about, and when I lost you I felt like I took you for granted." he said, almost crying. "I'm sorry I was an awful friend." The lavender inkling suddenly hugged Ori. The firefly inkling hugged back, enjoying the other's warmth. "I'll talk to her in class." whispered Ori. "No, we're skipping." replied Blade, showing hints of mischief in his dry tone.
Ori's mom was at work meaning no one was home, so he unlocked the door for Blade. The lavender squid waited for his friend to finish changing into something he actually wanted to wear. The firefly inkling was visibly happy once he changed into a sweater and skirt, and opened the door when he was done. "How do I look?" he asked.
"Holy shit…" thought Blade, blushing. "You look good."
To be continued...
So many questions! but you'll have to wait to find out...and ASHLEY'S A BITCH LMAO! :P