Splatoon: A Dash Of Colour

Chapter 9: Feathery Friends

"Yeah, totally. You were giving the goo-goo eyes. I would've tried to avoid you after that."
"Why didn't you?"
"You're pretty, why not?" He picked up the box and carried it over to the counter. He paid and the shrimp behind the cashier put the box in a bag. Percy picked it up and handed it to me to carry along with my other bag containing my jacket.

On our walk home, we passed an orange poster. Something about it caught Percy's eye.
"Salmon? The fish?" He poked a stock photo used in the board.
"What's this?" I turned my focus on it too. "Grizzco Industries..." I read aloud.
"This looks like fun! Hiring all skill levels. We should try this." He pulled a phone number tag from the bottom.
"No way. Do you see those? They're holding frying pans. FRYING PANS. They're fish! They don't cook! Where do we get them from? We'll never know! We're not fish."
"Calm down, it's- oooh! It's not a serious job, it's like drop-in! That means I can do it whenever I feel like. Cool." He pocketed the paper.

_____

"Psyche! Have you seen my apron?" My mom was rushing around in the kitchen. She wanted to make us some muffins for dessert.
"It's probably in the closet." My dad switched the Tv station from an ad to the news.
"Psyche?" Her voice was aggravated because my dad answered and not me.
"I don't know, I don't cook." I was laying on my bed on my laptop yelling, hoping my mom could hear me.
"Can you look for it for me?" Uuuuggghhhh. I'm busy doing nothing.

Getting up, I placed my laptop on my bed gently and I walked out my door to go search for her apron.

"Is it not in the cabinet?" I turned the corner so I could see my mom working hard in the kitchen.
"No, but that was the last place I put it."
"What about dad? Did he use it?" I started walking towards the dining room, because our backyard door is there, and we have a grill on the patio.
"Probably, I'm not sure."

Followin my gut, I opened the door and walked out to find, of course, my mom's apron on the floor. I bent down to pick it up before it started moving away. Then it stopped. Maybe the wind. I bent down a second time to pick it up before it started flying into the sky, and onto our roof.

"You've GOT to be kidding me. A bird?" I figured out the problem. I guess it was left out and it fell on some bird. Great, now I've got to find a way to get it down. The first thing that came to my mind was a rock. I could try to get it to fly again if I scare it. In a corner of our backyard, there was a flower patch lined with pebbles. I ran down the stairs of the patio to rush to the rocks, keeping an eye on the apron. I got a handful of rocks, and I ran as fast as I could back up the stairs. I started chucking rocks wildly.

The first few rocks missed, but didn't startle the bird. The fourth rock hit the apron and it scared the bird and got it flying again, but before it could start flying and before I could even register that the bird got scared, I threw another. It hit the bird head-on and it started falling.

Oh GOSH! I'm not letting that animal die because it was stuck in the apron! The bird started falling faster than the apron because it had less drag, so I got to see it. It was small and round, bright blue with yellow features. Back down the stairs I went, and I jumped for the bird, catching it and then falling into my swim-able pool. The bird was clasped in my hands, and I was underwater. Quickly, I had to pop out of the water for the bird's safety. I put the bird over the edge and I climbed out slowly.

My Zekko hoodie was drenched. It turned from a maroon to a dark red from being covered in water. Gross, my socks are wet and my legs are soaked, but the bird is fine. That's all that mattered. It was breathing and fine, but it couldn't fly because it was wet. It sat down, being all cute and round. Where's the apron? I started frantically searching around for my mom's apron, hoping it wasn't wet, either. It was laying down nicely on the surrounding concrete of the pool. I took my socks and hoodie off, leaving myself in my turf undershirt and shorts. I cupped the bird secretly in my hand, and I picked up the apron and put it on my shoulder.

"What happened!?" My mom took her apron and stared at me like I just shot someone.
"Bird, pool, your apron. I'm going to change into pjs." I tried to get away with the bird before my mom could notice.
"Wait what's in your- okay..." She didn't want to finish because I was already in my room by then.

I un-cupped my hands, the bird bounced down and sat on my bed.

"What am I going to do with you?" I talked to the bird while putting my clothes into my laundry basket. "You're an animal. I'm a sixteen-year-old with no talent in bird-keeping." I took off my remaining wet clothes and started to search around for pjs. The bird tilted it's head and chirped.
"I know, right?"
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
"Oh, you're a chatty one. I can't have that. Let's get rid of you."

Sitting down on the floor next to my bed, I picked up the bird gently and picked it up. I quickly rushed down the hallway again and went out the front door to let the bird fly away. It didn't. Go, you dumb bird! Do what you're supposed to do! It just sat, chilling on my hand.

"Psyche? What are you doing? Close the door please." My mom called under the sound of pans being washed. No! I can't keep this bird! I went back inside.