Now that Wilt had done Jackie a favor in return for borrowing the oar, he was feeling a lot better. In fact, he was feeling great. He was back out in the cool water, wrapping up part one of his "jellyfish plan". Come to find out, he was quite the jellyfish hunter. He was all geared up: the oar he had borrowed from Jackie rested across his shoulders, he had a bucket hanging on each end of the oar for containment, and his suction-cupped fingers made the perfect tool for extracting the little varmints from the water.

As he pulled the invertebrates from the water and dropped them into the bucket, one after the other, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to what that girl Sasha had said to him about Frankie. Why would she have said something like that? It had almost started to bother Wilt more. What if Jackie had said something to those girls about Wilt... having... certain feelings for Frankie? How would Sasha have known otherwise? She did act kind of funny when Frankie came up. Another thing that was troubling Wilt was the way Frankie had acted when she saw him there with those girls and Jackie. Why did she act so aggravated? After a few more minutes of brooding on the subject, he decided not to worry and not to give the situation any further thought. Even though he was familiar with the ways of the fairer sex, he wasn't even going to try to figure this one out. He never expected himself to be able to fully understand females. Who could?

On the beachside, Frankie and Mr. Herriman laid on their beach towels, soaking up some sun. They had been discussing how they had left Bloo behind at the house, and Frankie had just reminded Mr. Herriman of why they had done so on purpose.

"Pretty relaxing without him, huh?" She said, looking very content in her swimsuit and sunglasses.

Sure, it was relaxing, but Mr. Herriman couldn't help but have a sense of foreboding about the whole ordeal. "Though, I shudder to consider what kind of chaos he's causing all by himself!"

"Just don't worry about it," she replied, raising up, "We'll fall off that bridge once we get to it. Let's just enjoy the here and now, and forget about-" Frankie raised her sunglasses, looking straight towards the ocean. "What on earth is Wilt doing with those buckets?"

In curiosity, Mr. Herriman examined the shoreline, squinting, and adjusting his monocle. "It looks as if he is starting a collection of seashells of some sort," he commented, and then raised his eyebrows in alarm, "And he's not wearing a life jacket!"

"Pssh," Frankie scoffed, almost spitting in Mr. Herriman's face, "Wilt can swim."

"How can you be so sure?" Mr. Herriman rebutted with an urgent tone, leaning forward and peering out in the ocean with his hand blocking the sun from his eyes, "He only has but one arm; I dare say he could make it for very long if he were to be swept away by a disorderly current."

Frankie blew her bangs out of her face and leaned back, resting all of her weight on her palms. "Listen, Wilt taught ME how to swim. Just because he has one arm doesn't mean he can't. He's a good swimmer. In fact, he can swim better than I can."

Mr. Herriman didn't reply, so Frankie's confirmation of Wilt's swimming ability had evidently satisfied him. It was quiet for a minute, and then Frankie began to talk again. "It wasn't too long ago, actually. I used to be a little afraid of the water, but he helped me get over it, though. It was that time we all went to the community's outdoor pool, remember? He taught me how to swim in one day. Didn't even take the time to swim and have fun on his own; he helped me the whole time." Closing her eyes, she began to visually reminisce. "He let me hold onto his shoulders. We must have really looked funny like that, with him being all off-balance, with one arm, you know... but it was all good. It was... nice." She smiled at the fond memory, and then averted her eyes to the particular helpful guy himself who was still out in the ocean. "You know," she said, with a bit of intent in her eyes, "I think I'll go out there right now and help him find some seashells. Will you save my spot?"

SNORT.

The abrupt sound startled Frankie, and she looked over, only to find Mr. Herriman lying on his back with his mouth hanging wide open, snoring.

"UGH!" Frankie threw herself back onto her beach blanket in frustration. The old fart had been asleep the entire time she had been making conversation. "I might as well catch a few rays, too, while I'm at it."

"Come on now," Wilt said in a comforting voice to a jellyfish he was trying to pluck from its habitat in the water, "I don't bite." After sloshing his arm around in the water for a bit, he pulled up his large hand with a jellyfish that hung from his fingertips. "I don't sting either. Maybe you could learn a lesson from me." After that little pep talk, he gently released the jelly, letting it splash into one of the buckets that hung from the oar. "Well, that should do it." Feeling quite satisfied with his work, the lanky, red guy made his way back towards the shore, holding the oar in place that was balanced over his shoulders. On his way, he spoke aloud to the creatures he had captured. "If I could only talk to you little guys, I could have just asked you all nicely to move somewhere else, but this is just the way it's going to be. Sorry. But don't you guys worry, you all are going to get a nice, new home."

Wilt approached the location on the beach where he had kept the other buckets, and sat down the two he had just filled next to them. "Whew!" he exclaimed, throwing his oar over one shoulder and looking down at the buckets. "This'll be my last trip. Hope you guys aren't too frightened. Once I get you all in the bus, you'll probably be more comfortable." Just as he finished his sentence, he heard a voice behind him.

"Co co co co co co coco?"

Wilt flinched; he hadn't suspected that anyone had been watching or listening. He spun around, and met again with Coco, a little embarrassed that she might have heard him talking to the little sea creatures. "Oh, Coco, hi!"

Coco leaned over to examine what was behind Wilt's legs. "Co coco co?"

Wilt put his hand on his hips. "I finished the job myself," he answered, "I can't say that I got all of the jellyfish out, but I had to have put a dent in it."

"Co co co coco co co coco co!"

"What? No it's not! I actually think it was a pretty good idea. Even if I didn't get all of 'em, I probably helped a little. Besides, now these jellyfish are safe from getting stepped on. When we all leave, I'm gonna ask Frankie if we can drop the little guys off somewhere that's away from the busy part of the beach. It's a win-win situation."

"Co co co co co cococo co co co?"

"I'm putting them all in the bus. You know all those empty water coolers in the back? I'm putting all the jellyfish in those for the ride. I got five or six of 'em filled up already. I even put some sand and water in the coolers to make 'em feel more at home. Um... I wouldn't tell Frankie or Mr. Herriman. I... kind of tracked a little sand in the bus, and they might get mad if they don't know my intentions."

Coco stared blankly at Wilt for a few moments, and then turned to walk away, mumbling something as she did.

"Hmph." Wilt smirked, and then turned back around to his little partners in crime. "Well, let's get you little fellas into the bus!"

Wilt was already quite tired from all of the trips he had made back and forth between the beach, the ocean, and the bus. His arm and legs were now a little weak, and his back was beginning to ache from carrying all those heavy buckets and moving those coolers on the bus that were filled with water as well as sand. After pondering for a while what he should do, he decided that it would be best to carry all of the buckets back to the bus in one trip, to make better time and get it over with. He took the oar from over his shoulder, and guided it carefully under the six buckets' handles. With a mighty effort, he lifted the heavy buckets with the oar and heaved it over his shoulders, almost as if he had done a weight-lifting rep. He slumped over and exhaled heavily. He grunted, and moved his feet as much as he could, making only a few inches of progress. "I've overdone it," he strained, sounding hopeless. Sweat began to roll down his face as he struggled. Before he could drop the buckets, his mind went back to the whole reason he had started. He thought about Frankie, how she had sacrificed the majority of her time at the beach caring for everyone else, not getting to have any fun, and how bored she had looked.

Frankie deserves more than that. As if drawing upon some source of unknown strength, Wilt's legs ceased their quivering and stood firm, his back began to straighten, and he hoisted the oar that hung heavy with buckets high on his shoulders. His lengthy right bicep jumped with spasms, and he puffed out his chest as he took his first full step forwards. Then another, and another, and another. Each step became easier than the last, and with each step, he became closer to, hopefully, spending time with the woman he loved.

While he was walking down the beach, searching for the boardwalk's path among the many people, imaginaries, and umbrellas, a rather furry, red and orange imaginary friend who was walking along with another friend noticed Wilt walking past with the oversized load. "Wowie-zowie, Wilt! That must be awfully heavy!"

The other friend added, "If it's basketball that gets you into THAT kind of shape, then that's what I need to be doing!"

That motivated Wilt even more. He smiled his signature toothy smile, and looked back at the friends that passed by. "Yeah, it is!" He asserted, almost sounding smug. As soon as Wilt turned his head back around, he saw her.

Her.

There was an instant calm in the vicinity that was within Wilt's line of vision. It was almost like... like time had stopped; that was his perception. Not that the surroundings really mattered, but what his eye really focused on amongst the shoreline hustle and bustle was the most beautiful sight that he had ever had the pleasure of bearing witness to.

There she was, just ahead, walking, no, gliding through the sand. She was wearing sunglasses, and had a towel draped over her right arm, and in that hand, some sort of tall, red drink. The drink, as well as her clothing choice, became clearer as she drew nearer. What immediately became clear was the fact that, well, she had certainly stripped herself of the shirt and skirt that had covered her before.

Whoa.

That blue bikini bared an awful lot of skin. Wilt's eyes seemed to zoom right in on the action. The strappy, skimpy bikini top's strings tugged as she walked, the blue cloth stretching across her... Oh man... Wilt swallowed hard, his eyes practically bugging out of their stalks. As she passed by, Wilt's gawking gaze drizzled down the redhead's body, flowing right down the curve of her waist, and, inevitably, her backside. Her lower half swayed rhythmically as she walked, and caused the ties on each side to bounce off of her rear end, which, curiously, was partially exposed on each side due to some riding up. Wilt almost couldn't believe what he was seeing, and after his gaze had drifted upwards, he realized that she was looking BACK AT HIM.

Oh, crap.

She didn't see him looking, did she? But she had raised her sunglasses, too; when did she do that? How long had she been looking at him, exactly? He wasn't sure, but one thing he was sure about was that he wasn't at all familiar with the look that she was giving him. She wasn't smiling. Then again, she wasn't frowning, either. She was just... staring. Surely she had already seen him carrying the buckets from a distance. It couldn't have been that strange a sight to her, considering all the crazy things she'd had to deal with at the house.

Wait... Did she just... smile?

Wilt clenched his teeth. Aw, crap. She saw. He felt a tingling rush of embarrassment run all over his body from head to toe, and it warmed his cheeks even more than the hot sun did. He had no idea what to do. His eyes were still locked with hers as he just kept on walking, and something crept up on him that he always tried to avoid wearing on his face. He tried to fight it, but within just a second, a goofy grin started curling up each side of his face. Great.

Just grin and bear it, Wilt-man, he said under his breath through his toothy smile, still not taking his eyes off of her. Oddly, her expression changed, her smile falling into a mere gape; right after, her mouth moved, and she turned around unexpectedly, so quickly that her feet kicked up sand.

"WILT!"

A look of confusion appeared on the large, red being's face after he had been screamed at. "What?" Instantaneously, Wilt felt his toes dig into something; something big. Something big, solid, and in the way. One foot had been stopped short of its intended place to be planted, and before he even had a chance to control his balance, his long, lanky body, along with the mass of heavy buckets, plummeted straight to the ground, giving no yield to the towers of sand beneath.

CRASH!

Buckets and heaps of water were sent flying into the air. Some of the buckets were thrown off of the oar as Wilt fell, and some collided with the ground, bouncing in recoil and making horrible, startling sounds, and many rolled all over the beach on their side. Amid the warzone of buckets and water, jellyfish were everywhere. Several screams were heard, and Wilt saw the feet of people running in every which direction as he pushed himself up onto his elbow in the sand.

A guttural roar interrupted all of the terrified shrieks. It scared Wilt, even though he recognized the roar. It was Eduardo, and Wilt could see him bounding all over the beach in panic, dispersing crowds and literally causing all of the buckets to rattle, and the jellyfish to quiver in the sloppy puddles of water that were now blotched all over the beach. It was pure chaos. A lifeguard ran past Wilt, blowing a whistle, followed by a couple of others, and then several groups of people ran the opposite direction. Different voices said things like "What just happened!?" and "Let's get out of here!" Another even shouted, "Someone call the police!"

Oh no. Wilt watched as the entire situation fell apart, with people scurrying away from the hordes of jellyfish, and being scared out of their wits by a big, purple, rampaging beast.

"WILT!" A voice called from behind. It was the same voice who had yelled at him before; only, this time, it sounded incriminating. Wilt knew what was coming by that tone of Frankie's voice. He felt like just lying there, and burying his head into the sand, but he knew he had to face her, and he could hear her footsteps coming towards him. He winced, closing his eyes, but then forced himself up off of his stomach and sat back. As he did, he noticed that his resting spot had once been a castle. It was that stupid sandcastle that had made him fall.

The sound of the footsteps stopped, and Wilt, still sitting in the sand, fearfully turned around. the red-headed beauty stood there before him with her arms crossed and her hip stuck out. "Wilt," she repeated in a low, grating voice, "What... did you... do..."

Wilt's pupils almost appeared to quiver as he looked up at her worriedly, knowing his good intentions had turned into a horrible mess. He sat there pathetically in the sand with his legs sprawled and his shoulders drooped, seemingly powerless to defend his motives, and searching for words that he was sure he wouldn't be able to find. "I... I was just... I mean... I was only trying to-"

"You ruined the whole beach! Just look at this mess!" Frankie quickly pointed a finger as if it were a dart towards the havoc the jellyfish were wreaking on the beach, her anger making itself even more apparent in her actions.

Wilt glanced back at the mess he had caused once more in shame, and then looked back up at her. "I'm so sorry, Frankie. I really didn't mean for this to happen, honest. I was just... I was just wanting to..."

Frankie interrupted Wilt again, this time, turning around and voicing her problems. "This happens every time. Every time I get the chance to relax, something has to happen. No matter how bizarre it may be, it always ends up happening to ME!" She spun around, and then pointed at Wilt, who was still sitting on the ground. "Wilt, I want you to get these stinkin' jellyfish off the beach right now. I don't care about laying on the beach, I can't anyways now, but if the cops get here and you're still here with all this mess, they'll get you for public endangerment! I want this cleaned up PRONTO, you got that, mister?!"

"Yes, Frankie; sure thing, you got it!" Wilt answered immediately, standing upright and in good posture. "But... uh... you really think I should put all those jellyfish back in the water where all the people swim?"

"I don't care WHAT you do with them; Just get them off this beach!"

Wilt twiddled his hand with his other arm. "Well um... there's some... empty water coolers in the back of the bus...do you think I could load them up in those, and we could take them to another part of the beach where nobody swims? Could I do that?" He smiled nervously.

"Only if you want to see me throw worst hissy fit you've ever seen."

Wilt gulped. Oh boy.