The Dare
I'm taking a little break from writing my other SpongeBob fic. This idea just popped into my head and I needed to write it. Warning: Slight Squidward/Sandy. Very slight, it's not even till the very end. No flames regarding this ship please. I'm not abandoning my other fic. By the rate I'm going, it should be done in no time. It's called The Phantom of the Krusty Krab. It's The Phantom of the Opera with the SpongeBob characters as the cast. Check it out, I triple dog dare ya! Now onto the story!
Disclaimer: If I owned SpongeBob, it wouldn't be like it is now.
It was a slow day at the Krusty Krab. They had only had three customers, and they day was more than half-way over. The restaurant was completely deserted now, save for the trio that worked there, who now had nothing to do. Mr. Krabs was sleeping on a pile of money in his office, and Squidward was reading a magazine, at his usual spot, behind the register. Even SpongeBob was bored. He had been walking around the kitchen for the past hour, balancing his spatula on his nose. Squidward had actually told him that there was a record for this, to keep the sponge busy, so he wouldn't annoy the grumpy cephalopod. There is, of course, no such record in Bikini Bottom.
Suddenly, the quiet is disturbed by the ground shaking, causing the spatula to fall off SpongeBob's nose. "Awww," the sponge whined. "I was ten seconds away..." He paused, noticing what was going on. He ran straight to Mr. Krabs office. "Mr. Krabs, I think Pearl's upset again."
"I know, me boy," the crab replied, getting up from his money-bed. "I suppose I'd better deal with it." They got out just when Pearl burst through the double doors, crying waterfalls. Squidward ducked behind the register boat. "What is it this time, Pearl?" Mr. Krabs asked with a sigh.
"Daddy, it's all your fault!" She sobbed.
"What is?" The crab asked, genuinely confused.
"You made me wear my cousin's hand-me-down clothes to school, and my friends laughed at me!"
"Why would they? I didn't have to pay for 'em."
"You're such a cheapskate!" Pearl cried. "Because of you, no one will talk to me. I'm the girl who wears used, out-of-style clothes. Everyone made fun of me!" Pearl sat on the floor and cried some more. Her tears were flooding the place.
"Pearl, maybe they're not your real friends..." Mr. Krabs tried comforting his daughter, to no avail, as she only cried harder.
Just then, Sandy Cheeks walked in. She was confused by the sight before her. "What's wrong with Pearl?" She asked.
"Everyone hates me!" Pearl wailed. (no pun intended)
"She's an outcast in school, because her fake friends can't appreciate the value of recycling." Mr. Krabs informed Sandy.
"Your just too cheap to buy me new clothes!"
"Yeah, I remember high-school," Sandy said. She then has a flashback of her sixteen year old self, with glasses and braces, being cornered by the popular girls.
"Oh, look," one of them said. "Sandy Geek did her homework!"
"She'll like, never get a date!" Said another one.
"Totally," said another one. "She's into science and is like, so weird."
Then they chant, "Sandy Geek! Sandy Geek! Sandy Geek!"
"Sandy?" The flashback is ended by the voice of Mr. Krabs. "Did ya hear what I said?"
"I have a black belt now, you snobs," said Sandy, still reminiscing with her fists clenched. "Say Sandy Geek again, I dare ya!"
"Sandy?"
"Oh, what?" She finally snaps out of it.
"I have an idea," Mr. Krabs stated. "You're a girl, you survived high-school, you're successful, right?"
"Sort of. Waddaya gettin' at?"
"You take Pearl to have girl time. Tell her that it gets better after high-school."
"No it doesn't," Squidward said, coming up from behind the register. "Might as well teach her about cold reality, while she's young." Mr. Krabs turned and pointed a claw at him.
"Quiet or I'll dock your pay!" He threatened. The octopus grumbled. The crab turned back to Sandy. "So will ya do it?"
"Uh, sure, I guess." Sandy reluctantly agreed.
"Great! Don't expect me to pay ya."
"I wasn't." Sandy walked up to the sobbing whale. "Hey, Pearl. I hear you're havin' trouble in school. Y'know, with bullies."
"Right," Pearl said sarcastically. "Like you'd know anything about what I'm going through."
"Actually, I do. Why don't you come hang out with me. We could do girl stuff, to make you feel better."
"Great. My only choice is to hang out with a mammal. Fine, let's go. It's not like I have anything better to do." As the girls walk out, Mr. Krabs turns to SpongeBob.
"If she teaches her karate, I'm doomed."
The next few scenes are a montage of Sandy and Pearl doing, "girl" things. They go to the mall and shop around. The stop at the salon for mani-pedis, and they catch a chick-flick at the movie theater. Pearl actually seems to enjoy herself, Sandy does too, at first, but then tires of all the girliness. She would much rather be practicing karate or working on one of her science experiments. She related to Pearl about how she was bullied in high-school and that it does get better. Pearl now feels much better about herself. As they were walking back to the Krusty Krab, shopping bags in hand, Pearl admits, she had fun and suggested they do one last girly thing.
"Let's play Truth or Dare! You had to have played that game, when you were a teen."
"Yeah, I did," Sandy replied. "But then I got bored and made the game more interesting. I just do Dare, and I always won!"
"Sounds fun. Alright, let's play Dare! I'll go first. I dare you to...dance like an idiot, in font of all these people." There were a lot of people around. This was no big deal for Sandy, though.
"Done," Sandy stated. She drops her bags, then proceeds to dance, making her self look like a complete idiot. People gave her weird looks, and a mother led her child away from the squirrel. She finished with a split, and everyone awkwardly applauded. "Yee-ha! That was too easy. Now it's my turn. I dare you..." She struggled to come up with a dare. She looked down and saw a little green worm, inching it's way across the sand. She pointed to it and said, "I dare you to eat that worm. "
"Ew, gross!" Pearl exclaimed, disgusted.
"Well, if you wanna admit defeat..."
"No way!" Pearl slowly picks up the worm. She looked as though she might throw up. She reluctantly brings it to her mouth and chews it up. She swallows it with a big gulp. "There," she choked, struggling to keep it down. "My turn."
"Bring it on!" Sandy urged. There was no way Pearl could win. Sandy never, ever turned down a dare.
Pearl had to come up with something truly disgusting. Something even Sandy Cheeks wouldn't be able to do. She wanted to win this. After thinking a while, she finally came up with the perfect dare. There was no way Sandy would do it. It made Pearl shudder, just thinking about it.
"I dare you to kiss Squidward Tentacles!"
Sandy just stood there, stunned. "Wh...what?" She stuttered. "Did I hear ya right?" She some how brings her hand into her suit, and sticks a finger into her ear, to clean it out.
"You heard me. Kiss that octopus full on the lips. I know you can't stay out of that suit for long, so you only have to make it last for five seconds. Unless you wanna admit defeat..." She echoed Sandy's words back at her.
"Nu-uh! I never admit defeat and I never turn down a dare!"
"Then do it, mammal."
"Let's go." They headed for the Krusty Krab. Sandy couldn't believe she was going to do this. She and Squidward hardly ever talk. She was nervous about how he would react, but she was willing to do it, if it meant keeping her never-turning-down-a-dare streak going. Five seconds, that's it. No big deal. The truth was, she could hold her breath under water for almost three minutes, but she wasn't about to tell Pearl that. They walked into the restaurant and Sandy felt her stomach lurch when she saw Squidward behind the register, reading a magazine. She half hoped he wouldn't be there. Also, to her dismay, the place was full of people. What happened? It was empty before. It must be around dinner time. Patrick Star was sitting at a table, chewing on a Krabby Patty, like a dog. Mr. Krabs was in a corner, greedily counting his money, and SpongeBob was happily mopping the floor, humming a little tune. Great, Sandy thought. Now I get to do it in front of everyone.
"Well, get on with it," Pearl urged. "Or you admit that you lose!"
"Sandy Cheeks, never loses!" Sandy boldly stated.
"Everyone, watch Sandy! This should be good!" Pearl shouted. Everyone turned their heads towards the squirrel's direction. Sandy sucked in a deep breath to calm herself, and bravely walks up to the cephalopod. She stands before him at the register, waiting for him to notice her. He doesn't look up from his magazine, so she lightly taps his shoulder. He slowly looks up, with an annoyed expression.
"May I help you?" He sighed in monotone.
Sandy turns to look at Pearl and winks, then turns back to the octopus. "As a matter of fact..." she said before removing her air helmet and setting it on the floor. Holding her breath, she grabs both sides of Squidward's head with her hands, and smashes her lips onto his. His eyes go wide in shock. He is totally confused. Not knowing what to do, he just allows it. Gasps are heard throughout the restaurant. Childrens' eyes are averted. Someone throws up. The jaws of Pearl, Mr. Krabs, and SpongeBob drop in disbelief.
"Woo-hoo, right on, Squidward!" Patrick shouts, pumping his fist in the air.
After five seconds, Sandy pulls back and puts her helmet back on. She takes in a huge gulp of air. She is blushing and so is Squidward. "Thank you for your service, Squidward," she said, out of breath.
"Yeah...glad to have served you," Squidward said flatly, still blushing and still in shock. Sandy turns around, swishing her tail, and runs up to Pearl. She points at her, her jaw still dropped.
"Ha! In your face!" She said, victoriously. "I told ya I never turn down a dare and I never lose!" She then runs out of the Krusty Krab, blushing and giggling like a school girl. She couldn't believe she had just kissed, Squidward Tentacles. Turns out it wasn't so bad after all. Too bad it was only five seconds.
"I can't believe she did that," Pear finally said after a while.
"What exactly did you girls do today?" Mr. Krabs asked.
"Just Truth or Dare, without Truth."
"I think, Truth is written all over Squidward's face," SpongeBob added, noting Squidward's dazed expression. He hadn't moved an inch, since the kiss.
A/N: Yeah that's right. I ship Squidward/Sandy and I don't care what haters think. I know it's very unlikely, but it's so much fun. I can't explain it. So waddaya think? Please review and check out my other fic, The Phantom of the Krusty Krab. I dare you!