Squidward sighed as he sat awake in his bed, staring up at the canopy, unable to sleep for some reason, he didn't know why, it was quite, and had been quite for the past six hours that he'd been home, he was able to practice and paint, without a single distraction, well, there was One distraction.
Neither of his neighbors had come to bother him, the day had been peaceful. Spongebob had been almost silent throughout the day at work, only really saying anything when he had to hand him the cooked orders, or to confirm the order.
He didn't want to believe things between him and the kid had changed, but, something had, ever since, that night. Sure, the boy acted 'normal' smiling and laughing, as if nothing had happened, because nothing DID happen, or at least, that's what he kept telling himself.
Ever since that day, he'd been unable to really sleep in peace without the slightest feeling of dread, but towards what? Towards him? What could he be afraid of? He said he was fine, he smiled, and laughed with his friends, cooked as if nothing was wrong, but, wasn't that something he'd said? Or along the lines Of, it was an act, all of it was, it was expected of him to be, happy.
Squidward sighed as he turned on his side, looking out the window at the dark Pineapple nextdoor, it was never this dark at this time of night, hmm, well, it was midnight, but, still, just looking at the place made him feel sick.
Maybe he should call him, see if he was alright, sitting up to reach for the phone beside his bed, dialing the number but resisted pressing call. What was he doing!? Acting as if he cared about Spongebob, he was alright, he was fine.
He would wake up to his fog horn in the morning, like he always did, hmm well, not always. The day after that night had scared him he could no longer deny, the thought of Spongebob attempting to kill himself, and succeeding, was almost too much to bare.
He bit his lip, the phone shaking in his hand, he'd be fine, he would be. He sighed as he placed the shell phone on the stand beside him, rubbing his face, he had to use the bathroom, hmm, maybe if he took a bath, it'd get his mind off things.
Squidward sighed as he lowered himself down in the deep tub, letting it raise up to his nose before he laid back and tried to relax.
"Have you ever just.. had enough?" Spongebob's voice echoed through his head, he closed his eyes, "..Of what?" he asked, ".. life." Spongebob answered back, Squidward opened his eyes as he could remember something from earlier, when Spongebob had come in this morning.
xx
"He's Late again!" Eugene bitched as he looked at his watch, Spongebob should have been here almost two hours ago, he didn't say anything, not a call or anything, had something happened along the way?
Or had he.. the door squeaked open as the boy dragged his feet on the green floor boards, he didn't look too good, like he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, he was soaked, like he had just gotten out of a shower, and didn't have time to dry off and comb his hair.
"Sorry I'm late sir, somethin came up.. but, Im here." Spongebob said with a salute as he approached the boat, Eugene shook his head, "There's a schedule for a reason Boy! If ye can't bother showin up for work on time, then dont bother coming in at all, there are hundreds of other fry cooks ready ta take yer spot." krabs poked him.
"Really?" Spongebob asked as he looked at his boss, "So.. am I fired?" he asked, Eugene sighed, "I'm takin two hours worth of yer pay for wastin me time, and that bein nice, but any after this, ye can kiss yer grill goodbye." Eugene said before he turned away and walked back to his office.
Squidward stared at the boy who stood there, he looked broken, wiping his eyes with his wrists which was wrapped with some strange bandage before he looked at Squidward, and straightened himself before putting on a smile, "Another day, another nickel." he laughed before he made his way to the kitchen.
xx
"Maybe everything would be better if I-" Squidward sighed, draping his arm over his tired eyes as new images flashed across his mind, wondering how he'd ended up with those bandages, and how at some point during their shift at work, he had to change them because they had somehow, became a reddish color.. blood?
He heard a sharp slice, and than something metal fall to the floor, he couldn't have done it, he just couldn't have, he didn't want to think that the boy had cut himself, on purpose anyways, maybe he had cut, or burned himself last night when he was making himself dinner.
"Three times.." he heard him say, he looked out the dark bathroom window, he sat up, he couldn't relax, for the first time in ever whenever he had this much time to himself, which was rare, but it was, too quite, and it ruined the mood, he thought about closing the blinds but, what would be the point, he'd still know that stupid pineapple would still be there.
He wrapped a towel around himself as he stood to get out, stopping to look at his phone that sat on the nightstand, sighing under his breath, it'd keep bugging him until he called, he'd pick up, and when he did, he'd just hang up, say it was the wrong number, simple as that.
"Hello, you've reached the house of 'Spongebob Squarepants' and, "Meow" Gary, Im sorry we're not able to reach the phone at the moment, but you can leave-" he hung up, "Maybe he was just sleeping, and couldn't hear the phone, yeah, that's what it was, he was sleeping.
He sat back down on his bed, trying to close his eyes but, he couldn't sleep, he felt sick to his stomach, he's just taken a bath, it wasn't even hot and he was already sweating, he rubbed his head, rubbing his eyes, he hadn't even heard from him all night, or most of the week for that matter, he left him alone, he wasn't even Here and he still bothered him.
What was he supposed to do? Did he really expect himself to go over there? Really? Spongebob would be fine, he always was, he'd see him tomorrow at work, but he still couldn't shake this feeling.
He shook his head as he tugged on a shirt and jacket before he headed over to his house, "I should give that stupid Spongebob a piece of my mind, making me walk over to his stupid house, this late at night." he bickered, though he wouldn't really, the sponge wasn't even talking to him, which was odd.
It was colder outside than he thought it'd be, the chill of the night freezing through his veins, he felt uneasy, looking at that giant pineapple as he approached it.
He knocked on the door, calling his name, but got no answer, and found the door locked as well, which was strange, he never really kept his doors locked, hm, he began to pound harder, "Spongebob!" he shouted through the door, but still got no answer until he heard Gary's meow from behind him.
He jumped, "Gary? What are you doing out here? Where's Spongebob?" he asked as he looked at the door, "And why are you out here, and not in there, is he ok? Can you unlock the door?" he asked as Gary went in the pet door to unlock the door for him.
Squidward sighed as he stepped in the dark pineapple, turning on one of the lights, he called for him again, but didnt get an answer, he must've been upstairs, he could hear the shower running from down here, and that could explain why he didn't answer the door.
Squidward slowly made his way up the stairs with his tentacle pressed to his chest, he swallowed hard, looking behind him, hmm maybe he should turn around and leave, the sponge was taking a shower, it'd be rude to disturb his privacy, even though that's all the sponge ever did to him.
Just because of that one thing, didn't mean anything, he could walk in his bathroom, and find him just naked, taking a bath, and not.. he stopped thinking when he almost tripped on an empty white bottle that had been left on one of the steps on the way up.
He hesitated to pick it up, moving it with his foot, it was empty, why was it empty? He picked it up, reading over, he bit his lip, letting it slip from his hand where it bounced down each step, as he looked up the stairs.
His stomach dropped, there was no way, he couldn't have possibly, he ran up the stairs, shouting his name, bursting into the room, the only source of light, came through the bedroom window, the bathroom door was shut.
Squidward bit his lip, he could barely move, afraid of what could be beyond the bathroom door, but, he had to, he had to see if he was ok. He let the door creak open, finding him in the tub, the water only a few inches from covering his nose.
"Sp, Spongebob?" Squidward croaked, but he didn't get a response, was he sleeping, or was he.. he turned the water off before he reached to drag him out, throwing him on the floor, where he spit out some water.
Spongebob groaned, barely able to open his tired eyes, it seemed almost painful to even do so, and why should he, he felt so tired, he could pass out now, he could barely hear Squidward's voice, it was as if his head was under water, which, also wasn't wrong since.. they lived in the ocean but.. you get the point.
He felt himself being lifted up a little as Squidward lifted him on his lap, "Wh, what? Sorry, i, i can't.. hear you." he said, sounding almost out of breath, "I, im, i'm so.. huh, tired." he said before he went limp.
Nn yes this will be continued, at some point..
