A/N: Okay, okay. I know that this one doesn't have as much SB/Sandy romance as my other stories do, but it still has some, so don't get mad at me!! Also, note that Sandy is a bit out of character in terms of seeming clingy and unstable to merely show and add more effect that guys are completely CLUELESS when it comes to women (no offense, fellas!). Well, pretty pretty please, R&R:-)

Chapter 2: The mall??

The next day at the beloved Krusty Krab resturant, it was an unsusually quiet day. Hardly anyone had stepped inside, except a few by passers.

SpongeBob was scrubbing the tables, Squidward was reading his Bikini Bottom Dance Quarterly, and Mr. Krabs was counting his well-earned loot.

"It's pretty slow today, huh, Squidward?" SpongeBob asked as he wiped down a table. Squidward didn't seem to hear him as he coughed slightly and turned a page of his magazine.

Just then, Sandy came through the doors of the Krusty Krab.

"Hi, Sandy!" SpongeBob said brightly when he saw her. He put down the rag with which he was cleaning the tables and walked up to her.

"Howdy, SpongeBob," Sandy replied with a small smile. SpongeBob could tell she was still a bit upset.

"Okay, now I'm gonna make this the best meal you've ever had--just stay right there, I'll go fire up the grill," SpongeBob said, giving Sandy a wink before heading into the kitchen. She sighed and slouched in her seat.

"Alright, Squidward," SpongeBob said as he passed the untidy ordering boat, "I need one krabby patty--oh, and give 'er the--he lowered his voice--manager's treatment.."

Squidward looked down at his co-worker blankly. "SpongeBob, if you're the giving me an order, than you don't need to tell it to me, just go do it. Secondly, you know old man Krabs won't give a discount to anybody. Why would she need a discount anyway?" he asked flatly.

SpongeBob merely stared at Squidward. "Uh, hello; look at her, Squidward--"

He directed Squidward's attention to a sorrowful-yet-still-beautiful-looking Sandy and clapped a hand over his heart. With a distant look in his eyes and one fnal, shaky sigh, he disappeared into the kitchen. Squidward shook his head.

"Desperate little monkey," he muttered, then looked up from his magazine again. "Wait...what..?"

SpongeBob grilled the patty, making sure that it was to be his best one yet. Once it was finished he placed it on a tray and carried it over to Sandy.

"There ya go: the finest sandwich under the sea, if I do say so myself," he said brightly.

Sandy smiled up at him, sighed, paused, and then continued.

"Actually, SpongeBob," she said, "I was kinda hoping that...we could go do something..."

"Well, like what?"

"Uh--shopping?"

SpongeBob's face shrunk. "Shopping?" he repeated, then added with a chuckle, "Hehe, uh, Sandy, I'm not really a...a shopping kind of person, so--"

"Aw, c'mon, SpongeBob! I always go shopping when I feel down...wither that or I punch stuff," Sandy said. SpongeBob took a step back.

"Since when do you go shopping, anyways??" he demanded.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Sandy shot right back at him.

"Uh--nothing! Nothing at all! It simply means that--"

"Oh, you hate me don't you! Don't you!"

"Sandy, I don't ha--"

"Then stop avoiding the question!! Why aren't you answering the question??"

"S-S-Sandy, I-I-I don't--"

"Larry...he...he used to stutter just like that, when he got nervous...ohhhh, LARRY! WAHAHA!!"

SpongeBob turned beet red.

"Hey, hey, hey, now, no tears! You promised, remember?"

"Oh, I can't help it! Larry DUMPED ME!!!!"

"Sandy--Sandy, don't--don't cry, Sandy, you're drawing attention to yourself!"

"WAAAAAHHH!"

"Okay, okay!! How about this: we'll go to the mall, okay?? You can buy yourself a nice little necklace, or something, and then everything'll be alllll better, right??" SpongeBob pleaded, droplets of sweat rolling down his face.

"I...I guess so," Sandy replied softly.

"Great; why don't you...go wait outside, I've gotta go have a talk with Squidward," SpongeBob said, practically pushing her out the door.

He raced up to Squidward. "Squidward, can you cover for me??" he asked hopefully.

Squidward was wearing a wide smirk on his face. "I saw the whole thing," he commented. Z"i've never met a guy who was so head-over-heels for a girl he'd do anything for her...it's funny, almost."

SpongeBob looked at Squidward blankly. "Ha Ha, very funny. But seriously though, I need you to cover for me!!"

Squidward laughed. "And why, in the name of Neptune, would I do that?" he asked smugly.

SpongeBob looked all around him to make sure no one was in sight. "Well," he said, "I don't know. Why don't you ask Mr. Lincoln, huh?" he asked, pulling out a crisp bill out of his pocket.

"That depends," Squidward replied, "Does he have a twin brother?"

SpongeBob reached into his other pocket. "No, he said, "But he's got a big brother.."

Squidward snatched the money out of SpongeBob's hands.

"Deal."