The Little Salmonid

Part 5

At the end of the day, the team went to the Square to say their GG's to their opponents, but Samantha got distracted by a poster on Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe. It was an advertisement for their wedding attire, and it showed a bride and groom sealing their love with a kiss. Samantha imagined herself and Giuseppe in their place, but quickly realized that she needed to make a move if she wanted to make it a reality.

The next day, the two ate Crusty Seanwiches together on the beach. Samantha stared out to the ocean, where she used to live. She missed the salty water flowing through her gills as she swam. She missed catching fish with her mouth and eating them for dinner. But what she missed most of all was her family.

"Y'know, our ancestors came from the ocean," said Giuseppe. "I just wish I could swim like they could... There's probably a whole nother world under the sea!"

"You have no idea..." thought Samantha.

The Inkling looked sad, as if something was troubling him. Samantha gestured to him as if she was asking, "what's the matter?".

"Oh, I'm fine," said Giuseppe. Besides, you probably don't wanna hear me whine about my problems, anyway..."

Samantha put her arms around him, but he shrugged her off.

"Okay, fine. Do you know what it's like to miss someone?"

The little Salmonid nodded.

"Yeah... that was a dumb question. Of course everyone does. Sometimes it's not enough to just talk to them over the phone or send a text. Sometimes you just wanna see them in person and just... give 'em a hug or a high five or play some Ranked with them or something."

Samantha was deeply saddened by his story and gave him a hug. She knew exactly how Giuseppe felt. She missed her family dearly, and knew that they would realize that she hadn't come back at this point. She wanted to see her father, her Mawmaw, and her sisters again, but there was no turning back once she visited the sorcerer.

"Y'know, you're a good listener, Salmonella. I like you."

Samantha smiled, and was given hope that she would win his love for sure.

The Inkling was about to continue, but he was interrupted by one of his friends. They were playing volleyball and needed two more players. The two agreed to play to pass the time, but they didn't know who won, because the scorekeeper forgot to keep track of the scores. Samatha was in unimaginable pain and the insides of her shoes were soaked with dark green blood. She smiled through the pain however, because she had hope that she and the Inkling boy would be together forever.

...

A week later, Samantha decided it was time to make a move. She and Giuseppe agreed to meet up at Arowana Mall and she was eagerly waiting at a wishing fountain while the Inkling made a phone call. Minutes later, Giuseppe arrived with another Inkling who looked to be about two years older than him.

"Salmonella, there's someone I'd like you to meet," he said. "This is my girlfriend Donna. She just came back from college."

"Girlfriend?!" thought Samantha.

"Hi, GiuGiu's told me all about you," greeted Donna.

Samantha began to panic. The two of them began cuddling and catching up with each other, but Donna was preparing to ask a big question. Oh, what was the little Salmonid to do?

Donna broke away from Giuseppe's embrace and said, "GiuGiu, you know that I love you, right? and I know that you love me too."

"Well, duh," he scoffed.

"You know... We've been together since, what, eighth grade? And those have been the best years of my life. I couldn't stand being away from you for so long! When I was in college, those frat boys wouldn't stop flirting with me, but I ignored every single one of those jerks. Not a day went by that I wasn't thinking about you."

"Me neither..."

"Anyway, I've got something really, really important to ask you."

Donna knelt down on one knee and revealed a ring with a beautiful orange squid shaped jewel.

"Giuseppe Tintura Grimaldi, will you make me the happiest squid in the world? Will you marry me...?"

Samantha began shaking her head, praying he would say no. She hoped he would take the ring and throw it into the fountain. She hoped Giuseppe would never speak to her again. But on the contrary, he was holding back tears. He was overwhelmed with emotion. He had took a moment to process what was happening, and shouted,

"Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Giuseppe leapt into Donna's arms and she spun him around in the air. Everyone around them began clapping and cheering. Samantha, however, was given a grim reminder.

"If your precious Inkling ever marries someone else... your hearts will break. And the very next day after his wedding, you will die and dissolve into foam on the ocean waves."

Day after day, Samantha tried to deter him from his marriage, but he never got the message. His hearts clearly belonged to Donna and Donna alone.