(Note: This chapter has been updated to fix Line-break issues)

Hello!
So, this is my first story.

I'm not the best at writing, but I'll give it a shot. I wouldn't mind if you gave me some tips on how to improve my stories. Oh, and please notify me of any spelling/grammar errors if they're bothersome or whatever. Thanks!

Chapter 1:

Hailey yawned, climbing out of her apartment bed. She brushed the yellow hair from her face and looked out the window. The sun was shining faintly through some tinted gray clouds. She could see the Inkopolis Tower miles away and the Inkopolis square almost practically below her. She loved the view; it reminded her of her apartment in Inkopolis Plaza and how the view left her mesmerized.

She reached for her SquidPhone, which was lying on her cupboard beside, along with a cup of water and a half-eaten cookie. She picked up the phone and turned it on. There were no new messages.

Hailey sighed and put the phone down before walking to the shower to get cleaned up. Another week, another round of turf.

Hailey belonged to the Deluxe Squad; a relatively well-known squad whose theme color was teal. Her friend Jet was the leader, and his younger sister Ari was the "assistant". Hailey and her other partner, David, didn't join until much later.

The squad was known for their exceptional strength during Splatfests, and their constant praise from admirers. But what was perhaps the number one thing people talked about was the fact that Hailey was a Luna Blaster main.

Hailey first discovered the weapon not to long after the final Splatfest. Until then, she was an ordinary Soda Slosher main. One day, she decided to give the Luna Blaster Neo a try. She didn't really enjoy using the Slosher anymore, and she always liked the idea of having a blaster. She didn't like it too much though, and asked if she could swap it out for another Luna Blaster. Of course, however, that got her kicked out. Sheldon hated refunds.

Hailey received the Luna Blaster on her 15th birthday along with 5 Sea Snails and some new gear. She fell in love with it instantly, and hadn't touched the Soda Slosher since. A lot of people accused her of being "cheap" and "desperate" and even called her a "statistics whore". Hailey didn't care much. She enjoyed the weapon, whether she was desperate or not.

Hailey finished her shower and stepped into her closet room to get changed. She threw on her gear: an Annaki Drive Tee, a Squid Hairclip, and Crazy Arrows. Right as she slipped on her last shoe, her phone buzzed. She eagerly grabbed it. It was from Ari.

Ari: Where are you? Breakfast started half an hour ago!

"Oh great." Hailey sighed. She must've overslept again. She checked the clock that hung on her bedroom wall. 8:30.

"I'll be fine." she shrugged, and grabbed her SquidPhone, leaving a note for Ari. She walked out the door, and sprinted down the steps before exiting the complex.

She walked out into the morning sunlight, which was a lot hotter than she expected it to feel. She held her hand up and tried to shield the glare, but it didn't work. Se tried putting on shades, and even that didn't work. She sighed angrily and checked her phone. Her message was still there.

Hailey: I'm on my way. Save a muffin for me, please. Preferably the Apple Cinnamon ones.

Meanwhile, on the farther side of town, there was a huge apartment complex that stood higher than the majority of the buildings in the city. Usually, rich people like the Squid Sisters stayed in this area. But a few months ago, Marie and Callie moved back to their old home. Pearl and Marina refused to buy it, no matter how many discounts offered. So now, the complex was just an empty building. No one really moved in there unless there was a concert or if they were super rich. There have been many rumors, however, that especially talented Maximum Level players could be offered a discount for the complex.

Behind the complex was the Pearl and Marina mansion. It was hidden behind other neighborhoods, and many trees. Despite being a mansion, however, it wasn't too big. It was bigger than an average mansion, yes, but not too big to the point where it'll create attention.

Pearl and Marina were in the mansion in the living room, getting ready to go to the Square. The Off the Hook news came on at 9:15, and they would have only ten minutes to spare if they made it on time.

Pearl, despite being the energetic once, was laidback about the situation. Marina, however, was not.

"Microphone? Check. Phone? Check. Uh...headphones? Right, I'm wearing them. Did I put on my boots?! Of course I did! Um…"

"Stop sweating up a storm, Marina." Pearl chuckled, taking a huge bite out of a muffin. "We'll be on time."

"How do you know, Pearl? What if there's traffic? What if our taxi doesn't make it? What if-"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "First of all, most inklings walk. Secondly, our taxi has only been late once. Once! And even then it was only, what? Five minutes late? Stop worrying so much, alright?"

Marina nodded and smiled. "Right, what am I worrying about?"

And she then burst into tears.

That caught Pearl off by surprise. Marina cried, yes, but not in a random situation like this! She had always maintained herself carefully and only cried when she knew she couldn't resist.

Pearl remembered when she was the one crying because of the backlash, and Marina would always find a way to make her laugh or smile.

But now it was her turn, and she was only thinking one thing:

What the hell do I do?

"Hey, um-" Pearl bent down towards Marina. "Are you alright?"

Marina sniffed. "Yeah, just a little stressed I guess."

Pearl frowned. "But why are you crying?"

Marina sniffed again. "I really don't know. This whole concert thing is taking a toll on me I guess. We're doing a big premiere and…"

"Stop talking."

"W-what?" Marina looked up, slightly offended. "What did you just say?"

"It's just...I don't... I'm sorry, Marina, but you shouldn't be crying. Of all the things you're worrying about, it's the stupid premiere. I get it; the stress has gotten to you. But it's something you shouldn't worry about that much. Here, let me tell you something. This premiere is gonna be a blast, I'm telling you. They'll love us! We're gonna have our best concert yet! We're gonna perform our songs and have the Squid Sisters join us for a final mash up! Isn't that great?"

"I guess so." Marina sighed, wiping her eyes.

"They'll love it so much, they'll just have to adore us!" Pearl continued.

"What about you?"

Pearl stopped talking. "Huh?"

"What about you? About the...loving part..." Marina asked quietly.

Pearl shrugged. "The insults don't sting anymore. I wonder if that's what happens when you keep getting stung by bees. Eventually you're just like, 'Dammit, not again!' because you're used to the pain and it's now just an annoying poke and a swelling bump."

Marina laughed. Pearl always knew how to get her.

"Well, our taxi's here." Pearl began, looking out the window. "You want the front seat?"

"Actually Pearlie, I'll let you have it."

"Aw hell yea!" Pearl shouted before speeding out the door.

"Took you long enough." Ari grumbled as Hailey took a seat next to Jet.

Every morning, the squad had their breakfast at the JellyFish Cafe. They'd usually go late, when everyone else was gone, so that they could have some time to speak privately. After a 20-minute chatter, the squad would head to the Square to listen to the news before going into battle.

Hailey looked around. Just as she expected, the cafe was empty besides the four of them. The employees were in the back preparing extra food. They wouldn't be able to hear anything that the four were saying.

"Oh yeah, here's that muffin you wanted." Ari sighed, pushing the dessert toward Hailey.

"You owe me 15 coins. And eat quickly. Since you're late, we won't have time to discuss plans until we get to the square."

"Oh please, the newscast doesn't come on till 9:15. We have half an hour. That's more than enough to prepare for battle." Hailey muttered through a mouthful of muffin.

"The walk there is 15 minutes." Ari reminded her, taking a last bite of her cheesecake.

"So? We've got time to discuss. But really, do we need to discuss anymore? These days, we do everything on our own…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, we do. And you still owe me 15 coins." Ari scowled.

"You have, like, twenty thousand. You don't need to worry about 15 measly coins." David shrugged, sipping a cup of orange juice.

Ari glared at David and took a sip of her coffee. "Fine. Let's just forget about that and focus on the battle-"

"Speaking of battle…" Jet interrupted, a huge smile now plastered on his face. "I got the new Dualies I've been saving up for. Check them out!"

He pulled out two jet squelcher Dualies out from underneath his bag and set them on the table. The other squad members stared at them and quickly shook their heads.

"Neat, huh?" Jet asked happily.

There was a long silence.

"Why's no one speaking? Are they that breathtaking?" Jet asked again.

The silence continued on for what seemed like ages. Finally, Hailey spoke.

"They uh, sure do look fancy."

"I know right?" Jet smiled broadly.

"They're good." Ari shrugged.

"Not just good, they're spectacular!" Jet bragged, smiling down at them.

"It's honestly not that great." David blurted, standing up. He held his Sploosh O Matic in one hand and an empty cup in the other.

"What?" Jet stood up angrily, knocking his chair to the side.

"Uh oh…" Ari whispered.

"What did you just say about my weapon?" Jet snapped again. He had at least 5 inches on David, and was a lot stronger and tougher. David cowered back and dropped his cup to the ground.

"I-I don't like it that much." David squeaked, trying to reach for the cup he dropped.

"Oh really?" Jet snapped, snatching David's Sploosh O Matic from his hands. "Well how is this piece of shit any better than my Dualies?! Give me 3 reasons! Now!"

"Um…" David froze, not knowing what to do.

"I'm waiting!" Jet spat.

"Can I just have my Sploosh back?" David asked finally.

"You want it back?" Jet raised it into the air. David's purple eyes widened, and he began to panic.

"No! Don't break that!"

"I'm not gonna break it." Jet snickered. He aimed it at the other side of the cafeteria. "I'm just gonna throw it."

He prepared to launch it, ignoring David's pleas. Right before he threw, he felt someone grab his arm sharply. Jet winced. David was clinging to him, refusing to let go.

"What the, let go you stupid-"

"Jet, sit down!" Ari snapped, finally able to speak. "You're bringing attention to yourself!"

"No one is in the cafeteria! Plus, I'm not letting go until this blue-haired idiot apologizes-"

"Jet, seriously!" Hailey snapped, even harsher than Ari, "It's his opinion! And don't you claim to be the strongest person in the squad? The leader of the squad? The toughest squid on the block? Well, I don't think that's possible when something like a simple opinion is gonna set you off! Now sit down!"

There was a long silence. Jet froze, a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

Hailey stood up, her Luna Blaster reflecting the glare from the morning sunlight. If she was gonna have to fight, she was going to fight.

"Jet, please, give my Sploosh back…" David cried, finally letting go. His purple eyes were looking at him miserably.

Jet still stood frozen, his eyes still focused on Hailey before darting to David, then Ari, then David again. Finally, he sat down and shoved the Sploosh O Matic back into David's arms.

"Your lucky your girlfriend has a way with words." Jet growled, folding his arms.

It was no point trying to argue. Jet referred to Hailey as David's "girlfriend" all the time. And besides, he was pissed already. He didn't want to get injured by one of his teammates before the turf match.

"Do you still refer to her as that?" Ari muttered under her breath.

Jet, who practically had magical hearing powers, turned to face his purple-haired sister. "Yup. You have a problem with it?"

"Uh, yea." Hailey rolled her eyes. "Besides, how can he be my boyfriend when he has a crush on Pearl?"

Ari smiled. "I knew it!"

"You promised you wouldn't tell anybody!" David screamed, his whole face turning red instantly.

Jet stood still for what seemed like ages. Then, he burst out laughing, knocking his Dualies to the ground.

"Dude? Pearl? The gremlin? Of all people?" he wheezed.

"I hate you so much, Hailey." David grumbled, his face now even redder than before.

"Love you too." Hailey laughed. She then looked at the clock.

"We gotta go…" Hailey began, grabbing her Luna Blaster.

"Oh yeah, the news will be coming on, soon." David muttered angrily, grabbing his Sploosh and storming out of the cafe

"You coming, Jet?" Ari called.

"Hold on, *wheeze*, let me get my *laugh* Dualies."

"Well we aren't waiting for ya." Ari called after him.

"It'll only take *wheeze* ten seconds!" The purple-haired inkling began, before bursting into another fit of laughter.

As they left the cafe and made their way towards the Square, Jet continued to tease David about the incident.

"Pearl. Of all the people, Pearl. Like c'mon dude, how low are your expectations?"

"This is coming from the same person who had a crush on Callie." Ari muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but at least Callie was cute!"

"Y'know what?" David snapped, pointing his Sploosh O' Matic at Jet. "You need to shut up."

"Sorry dude, it's just that the thought of someone liking Pearl is so funny." He then began cracking up.

Crap, I shouldn't have done that… Hailey thought to herself, as Jet continued to laugh. She did feel kind of guilty for the whole event.

"David, I-" Hailey began.

"You shut up too, Hailey! I don't want to talk with any of you right now!" David snapped. He then turned and sprinted out of the hotel, his Sploosh dangling in his left hand.

0000000000

Eventually, the remaining three squad members made their way to the Square. It was a bit more crowded than usual, especially for a Monday. All the chairs outside were full of inklings talking or browsing on their SquidPhones. Those who didn't have a place to sit sat on the paved walkway near the lobbies.

"Why is it crowded today?" Hailey asked, confused. It usually wasn't this crowded unless there was a Splatfest announcement.

"I don't know." Ari shrugged. "Is there another Splatfest occurring?"

"Unlikely because Vampires vs. Werewolves happened last week." Hailey responded. "Oh well, let's just wait until the newscast comes on."

The four found a table that had just been left empty and put down their stuff. Then they waited for the newscast to come on. Eventually, it did. The billboard turned on, and the Off The Hook screen came on.

"Finally!" Jet heaved impatiently. "I wanna go improve my S rank!"

"Oh you'll improve it alright." David muttered under his breath.

"David!" Hailey exclaimed, noticing her partner. "Listen, I'm really sorry-"

"Ya'll know what time it is!" Pearl shouted energetically from the screen, interrupting Hailey's words. She sat up from her chair and smiled at the camera.

"It's Off the Hook, coming at you live from Inkopolis Square!" Marina smiled, beginning their announcements.

"I'm bored already." Jet sighed looking down at his SquidPhone.

"Ooh! This new Splat Roller just went down 100 coins!" he exclaimed a second later.

"Mm." Hailey responded, scrolling through her apps.

The news dragged on for what seemed like hours, even though they weren't really paying attention. They looked up occasionally whenever Pearl started an argument or when Marina back sassed Pearl's statement. But otherwise, it was pretty boring.

The squad was about to leave and go closer to the lobbies until something came to their attention.

"Now, ready for the big news, Marina?" Pearl asked. She seemed more giddy than usual.

"It can't be a Splatfest." Hailey shook her head. "Pearl isn't usually this excited about a Splatfest."

"Wha, huh? What news?" Marina asked nervously, looking down. "The Splatfest?"

"No silly! You know what I'm talking about!" Pearl laughed.

"I really don't." Marina admitted shyly.

"Y'know, the Off the Hook…"

"I still don't." Marina blushed. "Help me out, please."

Pearl face-palmed. "The concert!"

"Oh! Right! The Off the Hook Premiere!" Marina shouted eagerly, now suddenly remembering. The inklings watching the news chuckled at her slip-up. She pressed a button, and a poster showing Pearl and Marina's shadows stood on the projector behind the two pop stars. The

"That's right!" Pearl nodded. "Next weekend, we're hosting an Off the Hook premiere concert right here in Inkopolis Square. We haven't done one since the time we introduced ourselves, and even then it was only one song!"

"What?" David asked. "What the hell?"

Marina smiled and pressed another button, showing an image of Pearl and Marina singing through microphones.

"We'll be performing our 4 hit songs! Color Pulse, Acid Hues, Muck Warfare, and Ebb and Flow!" she continued, suddenly remembering everything.

"Yep!" Pearl nodded, happy Marina finally remembered.

"And then we'll perform a final showdown-" Marina began, about to press another button.

Pearl's eyes widened. She jumped up from her chair and quickly grabbed the Octoling's hand, refraining her from touching the button.

"Shh! Not yet, Marina! That's a surprise!" Pearl shouted nervously, shaking her head.

"Oh, right!" Marina muttered, blushing again. She pressed another button, showing an image of fancy looking pink and green tickets. "And tickets are being sold both at the Inkopolis Plaza area and online!" She pressed another button, and a picture of glittery golden tickets came up on the projector.

Pearl smiled. "Oh yes, we'll be selling 875 V.I.P tickets! They cost 4 times as much as normal tickets, but it's 100% worth it. Trust me! You'll get special privileges, passes, and maybe even a chance to have a conversation with us in person! And-"

"But back to the normal tickets…" Marina interrupted.

"Ooh, will they sign our autographs?!" A green-haired inkling girl asked excitedly.

As soon as she said that, Marina pressed another button, showing a drawing of Pearl and Marina signing autographs and snapping photos with fans.

"Autographs and pictures will be available after the concert!" Pearl announced, bobbing her head up and down eagerly. "So, if you want a journal, a piece of clothing, or even an album signed, we'll do it! We'll also volunteer to take photos with fans if they want!"

"Awesome!" Ari smiled. "I'd love to snap a photo with Marina!" She was the only one who seemed to not be perplexed by the entire situation.

Marina stretched and pressed another button, causing the projector to turn off.

"And that's all the time we've got!" Pearl exclaimed, noticing the time on the clock.

"Until next time!" she smiled, hopping out of her chair while Marina pushed the machine out of the way.

"Don't get cooked, stay Off the Hook!" The two pop stars exclaimed, making their pose.

The billboard faded to black, and then the lobby opened.

Immediately, the chatter began as inklings carrying many different weapons headed over to their lobbies. A few were engaging in normal talk, but most seemed to be talking about the premiere.

"Well, we should be heading in with them, don't ya think?" Jet asked, who had almost fallen asleep.

"Yeah." David answered, looking at his Sploosh. "Besides," he got up, nearly knocking over his chair. "What's the point of coming here if you're not gonna play?"

"But what about the premiere? It sounds interesting." Hailey asked.

"That? Oh, we'll go. But for now, let's focus on getting our ranks up." Jet answered, starting toward the lobby.

So, that's the first chapter! I'll update the 2nd one soon! My plan is to update 1-2 chapters a week.

I wouldn't mind if you reviewed the story either. It'd be nice!