Sushi For Lunch?

“Ugh! The humans are so frustrating in this household. I want them to hire an interior
designer to remodel my fish bowl. This PetSmart plant is not going to cut it for much longer. I
am going for something more along the lines of designer interiors. I’m talking about Gucci
accents and Tiffany jewelry; not artificial greenery,” Callie the miniature catfish remarked. “I
also need to evict this Betta fish, Fire, from my rental space because I am tired of him taking out
loans from the algae.”
“Did you hear something Brooke? I am telling you this fish is whining about the interior
design of her bowl,” Zara included.
“Are you being serious? There is no way the catfish is talking. You are definitely tired,”
Brooke explained.
“You are right. I will get some sleep,” said Zara.
The next morning Callie was contemplating her design plans and came up with an even
better idea to increase the square “fish-age” of her bowl in order to make room for her infinity
pool. Zara and Brooke raced downstairs tossing around items to pack for their lunches. Callie
minded her own business until she heard the words of doom.
“Brooke, can you pass me that sushi box from the fridge?” Zara questioned.
Callie could not believe her gills as Brooke handed the box of rolls over to her sister. Callie
watched as Zara pulled out a styrofoam box with her diced cousins inside; sushi. The dreaded,
violent, and cannibalistic edible item that Zara was placing inside of her lunch box. Callie swam
around her bland bowl in panic as she felt horrible for the helpless catfish smushed inside a
Catfish Maki Roll. How dare she! Callie decided that she had to put a stop to this. Zara tossed
her lunch box by the door and sat down at the breakfast table with her cereal.
“You ruthless person. How could you consume my cousins for your lunch?” Callie said to
Zara hesitantly.
“That’s a bit harsh. Hold on. There is no way I am listening to a six-millimeter-long fish
talk to me. I must be hallucinating,” Zara responded.
“You can hear me. I want you to take that box of sushi out of your lunch box right now
and never eat it again,” Callie demanded.
“Brooke! The fish is talking. Come quick! You are not going to believe this,” Zara yelled
upstairs.
“Yeah, very funny,” Brooke scoffed.
“No, seriously, Callie is talking,” Zara insisted.
Brooke finished packing her backpack and leaned over to the fishbowl to try and hear
Callie speak.
“As I expected, you are telling me another one of your lame jokes,” Brooke countered.
“Well, maybe I am the only one who can hear Callie,” Zara offered.
“Since she can’t talk, we’ll never know,” Brooke laughed.
“Callie. Callie. Callie, can you hear me?” inquired Zara.
 “Yes, and I need you to quiet down and take that sushi box out of your lunch box,” Callie
mentioned.
“Mom! This is a once in a lifetime occurrence. Just hear me out,” said Zara.
“Ok sweetie, but we have to leave for school in approximately ten minutes,” stated Zara
and Brooke’s mom.
“So, you know Callie in the bowl. She was talking to me. I thought I heard her
complaining about her bowl design last night, but this morning she wanted me to take out the
sushi from my lunch box because it is offensive to her cousins. Can I please pack something
else?”
“Good try, but you love sushi, so I have no idea why you don’t want to eat this. I bought
it at the store especially for you,” Zara’s mom clarified.
Zara realized that there was no way to convince anyone in this household that Callie was
talking, so she hesitantly packed up her lunch and exited the door for school. When Zara arrived
home from school, she ran past the fishbowl and into her mom’s office where she explained that
if the family is going to consume sushi or fish in any form, then they need to do it away from
Callie and Fire, so they do not feel threatened. Zara’s mom thought that it was quite an irrational
request, but did not question her daughter anymore. Neither Brooke, Zara, or their mom ever
mentioned the instance again, but even though Callie did not get the bowl upgrades and infinity
pool that she asked for, sushi was never eaten near the table with her and Fire’s fishbowl again.