Putz12 Plus One

THIRTY THREE | PIECE OF CAKE

A pile of clothes thumped on the ground.

"Whoa! Guys, I think a ghost is haunting the tunnel!" Warned Octofro.

"Yeah, this guy seriously needs food. Ay, you back yet, weird inkling guy?"

Putz jumped down on the pile, where the rest were patiently waiting. The devastation was not so easily concealed in his face. Bags under his eyes, stress in his forehead, pupils small and constricted even in the darkest dark. Pheobe held his hand in sympathy, but he snapped back. Nobody dared to touch him anymore, from now on it was just Iza. He sat on the pile hopelessly.

"Everything alright?" She asked, turning to see Derek spreading a huge yellow jacket like butterfly wings.

"What are you doing, numb nuts?" Asked Putz.

"Hiding Free 'cause she's getting dressed. Then she'll do the same for me. But I can't fix the smell though."

"Great." He rolled his eyes.

"Putz, what's wrong? This is a good thing, right?"

"No, it's not a good thing." He stood up. "Today is the finale. The Rainmaker Bowl."

Everyone gulped. They had no idea what it meant, and Octofro was the first to shatter the silence.

"They put the rainmaker in a bowl? What do you mean this is bad? We can just take it!"

"No! You moron!!" He lifted his fist in the air red-faced, then brought it back down and took a breath. "It means all eyes will not only be on the rainmaker, but it's the last competition of the season."

"Holy... are you crying?"

"No, shut up." Putz wiped his tears.

"So, it's our last day to snag it or something?" Asked Pheobe.

"Well, it's not like we had the choice to take our time anyway." Free stepped out of the makeshift partition in regular inkling clothes. And as much as she wanted to comment on their durability and style, she couldn't help but feel it wasn't the time.

"It's not just that, it's that... if I get caught stealing it I..."

They gathered around him in a circle, except Octofro who was busy throwing a sock up and down in the air, enamored by the foreign thing.

He clapsed his hands together and swallowed. "If I do this, I'm never gonna be allowed to play again. I'll be disqualified."

The rest exchanged looks. There was an unsettling silence before anyone spoke again.

Derek spoke up. "Then I'll do it, I'll take the rainmaker, no worries. Just tell me the area, what it looks like, how to use the rainmaker, and --"

"No. Even if we had time, I, I gotta do this for her." His eyes grew big. "For you all! Or it won't mean anything."

The crowd stood beside him, preparing one-by-one.

"Here." He tossed his loose change to Free. "Buy some weapons."

"Wait, how did you get it that fast?"

"Some guy gave me his wallet because my face was so scary he feared for his life."

"See, being ugly has benefits." Octofro said, earning a small shove from Free.

"Right, thanks my guy. Super helpful."

"Okay, so now my question is, if everyone's eyes will be on the rainmaker, how do we get it?"

"Putz, is the ceremony indoors?"