A/N: Well, this is a weird idea I came up with during exams. I hope you enjoy reading!
...
"La-da-dee, la-da du, la-da-dum!" SpongeBob SquarePants hummed cheerfully one evening after yet another busy shift at the Krusty Krab. He was rummaging around in his cupboards for some snail food to give to his pet snail, Gary.
"Mr-row!"
"It's okay, little buddy- I'll find you some food soon." SpongeBob assured, though he was starting to feel a little nervous by this point. A hungry Gary was not a happy Gary, and he didn't want a not- happy Gary, because he would usually chew furniture and eat things that were NOT MEANT FOR SNAILS!
"Heh, heh...hey, Gare, how does a walk sound to you right now?" The poriferan asked at last, praying to Neptune Gary wouldn't find out the truth.
"Meow,"
Barnacles...
"Okay, fine, you got me!" SpongeBob threw up his hands in annoyance. "I forgot to stock up on Snail-Po, and now we've run out."
"Mr-row..."
SpongeBob felt pangs of guilt sting his pores as his snail yowled in hunger- in perfect harmony to Gary's tummy rumbling.
"Aww...you really are hungry, pal," SpongeBob cooed, petting Gary's shell sympathetically. "Here, I'll tell you what"- He fished in his pocket and pulled out a handful of snail treats, to which Gary's eyes widened. "You can have these now, and then you can walk it off, okay?" He offered, placing them into Gary's food bowl.
"Meow, meow," Gary mewed, and slithered over to gobble them up.
SpongeBob fetched Gary's lead whilst this was going on- and mindful of the colder weather, grabbed his red coat and green hat usually reserved for his 3AM sesame seed counting voyages, and slipped them on, as well as a long, white, blue and yellow scarf his beloved grandmother had knitted him as a Christmas present last year.
"C'mon, Gary!" He called out jovially.
...
Later, the two were heading down the street- but Gary still hungry and cross with his master and best friend. As a result, the walk to Barg'N – Mart for some more Snail Po was silent and awkward.
"Listen, I just wanna say I'm sorry for not getting more Snail-Po, Gary." SpongeBob said at last, breaking the ice between them at last. "
"Meow, mr-row!" Gary yowled, causing a lady fish walking her worm to stop in her tracks and glare at SpongeBob as he passed by.
"I say, it sounds as though you're starving your poor snail," She said suspiciously, glaring down her half- moon glasses at the poriferan. "I hope that isn't the case, young man..." she added warningly.
"No, no- most certainly not, ma'am!" SpongeBob protested in shock. "I'm just on my way to get snail food for my Gary right now!"
"Mr-row, mr-row!" Gary yowled- both from increasing hunger and from the fact that SpongeBob had unwittingly revealed something that could potentially be viewed as animal cruelty. Hopefully, she didn't decide to have reported to the authorities.
"Well, we best get going! Good evening, ma'am!" SpongeBob said cheerfully, and set off with Gary once again, leaving the strange lady behind.
"I've got my eye on you..." She hissed ominously, before she disappeared behind a newspaper that an anchovy passer-by was reading.
...
Later, SpongeBob arrived at Barg'N-Mart and, after leaving Gary tied up to a bike rack outside with his scarf to keep him cosy, he went in to find some Snail-Po.
"Getting some Snail-Po for my Gare Bear! Getting my Gare something to..." But he couldn't see any Snail- Po anywhere.
"Eat..." he trailed off. He checked again, then twice over. "Oh barnacles!" He muttered to himself, putting his hands in his coat pockets before pulling out a small photograph.
It was of him and Gary in their youth, eating Grandma SquarePants' most delicious cookies. His grandma was there too- with a huge, loving smile on her face, as the photo had been taken at her house.
SpongeBob smiled fondly. He often took this photo round with him. He held it close to his heart for a brief moment before putting it away to seek out an alternative brand of snail food for Gary.
"Just to last until I can get Snail- Po for Gary again." He said to himself. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
He scanned the shelves again- and decided to pick a can of a snail food brand called 'Majestic Mollusc- Food for Snails, Scallops, Bivalves -and Octopi!'
"Hey, this sounds fancy! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad..."The poriferan said, and he skipped along to the checkout to pay for four cans of 'Majestic Mollusc-Food for Snails, Scallops, Bivalves- and Octopi!'