That Monday at work, Squidward had trouble keeping his focus. Spongebob, being the good friend that he was in addition to being the assistant manager, was concerned for Squidward. He walked over to the front counter, where the squid was shaking slightly. Spongebob put a hand on the squid's shoulder. Squidward jumped and spun around.

"Squidward, are you alright?" Spongebob asked. When Squidward sighed he said, "Take a break Squiddy."

Squidward complied, and Spongebob told someone to get the counter. Squidward sat down in the back and Spongebob asked, "What's up man?"

"Spongebob, I'm confused!" Squidward said, and he wondered why he was coming to Spongebob of all people.

"About what?" Spongebob folded his arms and leaned on the wall. Maybe this would be easy.

"I think I love somebody, but I don't know if they love me back." Squidward replied.

"Well, I love lots of people. It doesn't matter if they don't love me back." Spongebob replied, which lead to Squidward putting on a disgusted face. Spongebob's face went blank, and he added, "Not that kind of love, huh?"

Squidward sighed again, and rubbed a tentacle over his face.

"Who is she?" Spongebob asked, smirking. Squidward shook his head, and Spongebob pried, "Come on! Tell me! Who's the lucky lady?"

"It's," Squidward began, and Spongebob's smirked changed into a smile. "It's Alaxis."

Spongebob's brain took a minute to click, and then his face went from a smile, to shock, to bewilderment.

"Uh, Squid?" Spongebob asked.

"And I know it's weird! It's probably the most awful thing!" Squidward then slapped himself. "You see, Spongebob? I'm losing myself!"

"Get a grip, Tentacles! Where's that confident, 'screw the world' Squidward that I've come to know?" Spongebob asked, getting into his pep talk voice.

Squidward took that in for a moment. Where was his usual self? Squidward decided that he should take these newfound feelings in stride. Sure they were different, but maybe it could work! Squidward said this to Spongebob, and once again his friend's face became confused.

"Okay, so you actually like this girl?" Spongebob asked. Squidward nodded profusely. Spongebob then whispered, "But she's a – and you're a –"

"Yeah, but look at you and Sandy!" Squidward defended. Spongebob and Sandy were Bikini Bottom's "it couple" back when everyone lived below the water. They were progressive in many ways imaginable, such as being the first couple to be of different species and soon after, Mr. Krabs and Mrs. Puff had started dating. Squidward didn't know why Spongebob of all people would be against his feelings. Spongebob ran a hand over his face and thought. He grabbed Squidward by the shoulder, and led him outside.

"Why are we out here?" Squidward didn't get a response. Instead, Spongebob simply said, "It's not the same."

"You're darn right it's not. Wait a minute…"

"Below water, we're all just sentient beings trying to get along with each other. It's not weird for two fish of different species to be together, it happens all the time. When Sandy came, people talked. 'Oh look at the new know-it-all!' Then we started dating, and people wanted to drown her!" Spongebob explained his story.

Squidward mused about this. They had been persecuted for their feelings. Squidward was getting nervous. He nervously said, "Well, it can't be the same on the surface!" Squidward had seen all types of couples in Seattle.

"No it's not the same." Squidward sighed in relief. "It's worse."

Squidward then gulped. "Wait, how do you know all this?"

"Squidward, I watch the news. I've read books about what humans did to their own species. And you saw the Anti-Fish guy that came in!"

"You told me it was nothing to worry about!" Squidward said, trying to convince himself more than Spongebob, you're losing your confidence, Squiddy!

"Squidward, if you stick to yourself, you'll get by around Anti-Fishers. But let's say you pursue this. Dear Neptune man, you'll get yourself killed!" Spongebob reasoned.

Squidward turned around, eyes downcast. He cupped his chin with his left tentacle, and thought. He was Squidward Tentacles; he took charge off his life! Squidward raised his head high, and said to Spongebob, "If you don't stand behind me, so be it. I'll find someone who will." As Squidward walked off, Spongebob said to him, "I want to stand behind you, but I just can't."


After Squidward had gotten off of work, he sat at home, watching TV as he gathered his thoughts. He wondered about multiple things, with the most pressing matter being how Alaxis would react to him. He decided to sketch to get his mind off of things. He first drew a field of flowers. They were Marigolds. Squidward looked in shock at his sketch, but he soon shook it off and started drawing a place, and people in the place.

He started with the walls. He did small marks to signify textural differences. He started to sketch paintings on the wall and potted plants. He drew people of all shapes and sizes, and he added a few fish folk in there too. But of all the people he drew, one girl stood out in his drawing: Alaxis.

Squidward put down his pencil and sighed in misery. He let his thoughts run wild.

Squiddy, you've got to tell her. But I can't! You wouldn't be being honest with her if you didn't tell her. But what if she wants to stop being friends!? Squidward, you have more confidence than that! You're a great artist, you help out the environment, and you're exotic. You'd be her dream guy!

Squidward smirked at that last thought. Even if she didn't feel the same way, Squidward was sure that she'd like him as a friend. He knew that there was only one way to find out. He called her.


Squidward had asked Lax to meet him at a café in downtown Seattle over the phone, and he mentioned that he had something important to tell her. He sat inside of Buffalo Café, sipping a French vanilla coffee. It was a while before she came in, wearing a cream sweater, a denim jacket, jeans, and beige bear paw boots.

"Hi!" She greeted as she sat in the booth Squidward was in. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, but first, would you like something to drink?" Squidward offered.

"Yeah, I'll have a blueberry smoothie." Squidward nodded and went to order it for her. When he came back, he set the icy blue drink in front of her, and she thanked him. "So what did you want to see me about?"

Squidward took a moment to choose his approach. He sighed and said, "Lax, I have a confession to make." He saw her eyebrows rise in interest.

"I like you." He blurted out. I should've thought this through.

Alaxis was quiet after this. Squidward tried to read her face, but it was silent. He could tell that she was processing this information, and Squidward internally groaned. This was not working out well. They were both silent for five minutes, with Alaxis continuously sipping her smoothie. Squidward tried to look at anything within that time, the cars passing by the window, the other patrons, anything that would distract him.

"So?" She eventually spoke. "I like you too. You're a likeable person."

"No, see, I like like you." Squidward repeated.

"I like like you too. What're you getting at?" Lax asked.

Squidward slid a tentacle over his face. He felt like she wasn't getting it. He thought a bit more, and then said, "I might be in love with you."

Alaxis replied, "I know that." When Squidward's expression turned to bewilderment, she expounded. "A guy and a girl don't go to a carnival as just friends. It's okay; I feel the same about you."

"Yeah but - wait what?" Squidward said before her full sentence clicked. "But I mean, I'm a,"

"Normal person." Alaxis interjected. "Come on, Squidward! I like you for who you are on the inside: a talented and thoughtful person."

Squidward became even more confused. Sure, he couldn't argue about the talented part, he'd never want to, but he hardly ever considered himself, well, thoughtful! But what confused him even more was the fact that she seemed perfectly cool with his confession.

"But I don't understand." Squidward said.

Alaxis just smiled as she finished her smoothie. Then she got up and said, "I'll see you later!"

Squidward objected, "Wait a minute! Are we still friends or something?"

Alaxis left the café, and Squidward stood there completely dumbfounded. He sat back down and thought. His mind was a battlefield as he tried to wrap his head around everything. He knew three things: One, he liked her. Two, she liked him. Three, she was oddly okay with it. He really needed to talk to Spongebob, or someone that could help him. His watched beeped; it was time to get to class. He said, "Shoot!" then got up to leave.


After class, Squidward pulled Spongebob aside. Spongebob smiled and asked, "What's up Squiddy?"

"I told her." Spongebob said, "Okay. What happened?"

"She feels the same. And she thinks that I'm talented and thoughtful!"

"Well you are talented." Spongebob agreed. "And you can be thoughtful I guess. You look out for your friends."

"How'd ya say?" Squidward asked.

"Remember that irate customer we delivered to? When he dissed me, you were there to back me up!" Spongebob reminded.

"I was simply fed up of ungrateful customers." Squidward clarified.

"No, Squiddy. You care about your friends, even if you don't think you do." Spongebob said. Spongebob rested a hand on Squidward's shoulder. "Look, you know I've got your back no matter what, but I'd advise you to think this through. If you pursue this, Seattle could go up in smoke."

A/N: A short chapter. This is what I was saying when I said that Spongebob may seem out of character, but I explained it, and look! I still kept him true to form. If there is anyone reading this, please review, it lets me know how I'm doing. I'll see any more readers in the next chapter.