Putz12 Plus One

SIXTEEN | INFERNO

Towels were placed on the ground by the river. Being cooped up in one place for too long wasn't good, and Sera convinced the others Iza was too sick and needed the RV to herself, in case anyone would catch it. Felix went to go find some food from the river and Derek sauntered around the large fountain in the middle of it all.

"It's really pretty, isn't it?" He asked, noticing Putz behind him.

"I guess... so what do I do while you pansies are taking your sweet time?"

With everything this guy said he just had the urge to kick him in the teeth. But they didn't need anymore fights right now. "Well if you're not tired, maybe try working out?"

"Working out?!" He questioned. "Are you saying I'm weak?! Do I need to remind you why your cheek hurts so much?!"

Iza couldn't tell what he was saying from the distance but she could tell he was angry. She looked up and Sera came in and shut the door. She sat awfully close to her and she felt the air leak out of her lungs.

"So, you've been good."

She turned away and smiled, trying to hide any foul play.

"Look at me. When I speak to you, eye me." And she did just that. "Good. Now, I don't want you talking to him."

A brief pause aired the space between them. She responded, "Like, ever?"

Sera leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Nope."

"Even after... all of this?" She waved her arms around to express her thoughts. Sera got the picture.

"After he leaves back to the surface? You won't be able to talk to him anymore. Why even ask that?"

Iza frowned and stared in her lap. Why would he take her back to the surface with her? She'd used it as her happy place all this time. Imagining how cool it'd be up there, being his companion, being introduced to inklings. She wondered what girl inklings looked like. How the sky was consistent like he said. She imagined him happily introducing her to his most loyal fans, his family, even his closest friends. Her face felt cold when she realized he never did implicitly offer her any of that, and judging by his words he was adamant on getting out of there, without her.

"You really love him?" She asked.

She got up, her hand touching each seat as she walked down the aisle of the RV which, for reasons she'll never know, irritated Iza very much. She faintly muttered 'no.' And walked down the steps to the back of the RV. And from there she was confined in isolation. Never had she missed her sister so much. She curled up and began to cry in her knees in the safest way -- nobody could see her like this.

Meanwhile Derek noticed the change from the short distance, merely a shadow painted the window of the RV. "Cod, I do hope she's alright."

"Why?" Putz asked. "You barely know her."

"And so? I have to know her to know she's an octoling? That she's alive and has feelings? Like me, and I don't want to see anybody in pain."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "This is a huge fuckin' waste of time, if you squidiots did this years ago none of this would've happened. None of this would've happened to me, and I'd be home right now, basking in the glory of my fandom."

"Fandom?"

"Uh, yeah? I'm a big deal back home."

"And where's home?" He asked, Sera running along the line to greet Putz with a hug from behind.

"Who the fuck?!" He threw her off, assuming it was an attack and did a 180, his shoes skittering on the concrete. She didn't fall, though, and floated in the air right beside him.