Note: Woops! I forgot to mention in the previous note that everything in the "book" SpongeBob bought, I found on the internet. So no credit to me XP HOWEVER! I do have something to give myself credit for. I drew SpongeBob and Sandy! It was my first ever attempt so I don't think it's that good...See for yourself, it's on my profile along with my second attempt ;D Enjoy this chapter and remember how I love reviews o^_^o
Challenging Yourself and Growing
Gary had been snoring quietly for hours now but SpongeBob just couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't stop thinking about Sandy and how he had upset her. It bothered him how he could have hurt her and allowed her to walk away from him without apologising. He just had to apologise otherwise he might never sleep again. SpongeBob got out of bed and after grabbing a guitar he left the house without even changing his clothes. SpongeBob ran all the way to Sandy's Treedome and, once there, put on the helmet with water so that he wouldn't shrivel up in the fresh air. Next was the tricky part, but SpongeBob managed it fine. He climbed the tall tree at the centre of the dome and swiftly slipped through the window that would take him into Sandy's bedroom. He quietly set up a tall stool and began to strum his guitar, causing Sandy to stir.
"Wha..? SpongeBob? What time is it?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"It is time for me to apologise...in song!" SpongeBob said enthusiastically, and began.
"I'm sorry Sandy
For not being there for you
Things were not dandy
But you managed to pull through
You know that we're best friends
For you I would do anything
Me and you 'til the end
More devoted than a queen and king
Sandy, I really am sorry
And holy cow
The look on your face makes me worry
What are you – ow!
Sandy had dragged her heavy body out of bed and snatched the guitar away from SpongeBob – almost pulling his arms off – and smashed it repeatedly on the floor. Her eyes were red with tiredness and SpongeBob began to wander if this had been the best idea. Once the guitar was broken beyond repair, Sandy turned to SpongeBob.
"If I forgive you, will you promise never to come over at this hour ever again unless I need you to?" SpongeBob nodded quickly. Sandy sighed.
"I forgive you," she said reluctantly. SpongeBob's face lit up and he hugged her tightly, glad that she had accepted his apology.
The next day at the Krusty Krab things went on like normal. Mr Krabs was greedy, Squidward was miserable, Patrick was stupid and SpongeBob and Sandy were talking again. The day was pretty much ordinary and nothing of interest happened. When SpongeBob got home after work he locked himself in his room and took out the 10-Steps-To-Get-The-One-You-Like-To-Like-You-Back book. He began to read the second step:
"Step Two – Challenge Yourself and Grow. Change is exciting. Change is a mystery. That is so true! Change is both of those things! People who challenge themselves, grow and transform have an aura of adventure that keeps other people interested. It also makes others want to come along for the ride. Wow! I'm learning so much. Keep learning, trying and embracing new parts of the universe. Make someone fall in love with you and make sure they can't turn their attention away from you for fear they will miss your next exciting development. This is going to be fun!"
SpongeBob was out of the pineapple house like a shot. He knew EXACTLY what he had to do.
*
Huh, I wonder where SpongeBob is... Sandy wasn't usually early for work but SpongeBob always was. Except for today: he was five minutes late to be early. If he came in the next two minutes then he wouldn't even be early – he'd simply be on time today. All kinds of scenarios kept running through Sandy's mind, and none of them were pretty. She was worried about her naive friend; there was no telling what could have happened to him.
One tense minute later (for Sandy anyway), the front doors of the Krusty Krab were pushed open with such force that they made a loud bang. The sea creature who had used the force walked in suavely. His trainers were so white that they made Sandy shield her eyes until they adjusted to the shear gleam. He was wearing a big, white and brown striped hooded jumper and baggy blue jeans. His eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses.
"Sp-SpongeBob?!" Sandy spluttered. What had happened to the cute little sponge and his shirt and pants? He chuckled and removed his glasses.
"Yo." His voice had lost its squeaky high pitch and was now deep. Mr Krabs walked by and told SpongeBob and Sandy to hurry up and get in the kitchen. He didn't seem to notice SpongeBob's new look at all; he didn't even glance in SpongeBob's direction.
"Let's bounce, Dee-Dee," he said to Sandy; his way of talking had also changed. Sandy followed SpongeBob into the kitchen in a daze.
"What happened to ya?" she asked him.
"I'm a changed man now, Dee-Dee. I go to the gym, meet people in bars and hang out in the rough part of town. I'm a lean mean fighting machine!" Sandy didn't look too sure. SpongeBob was anything BUT mean and he was far too sensitive to be doing any of the things he had just mentioned. What was going on? She wanted to ask so many questions but she couldn't because just then a large group of fish entered the Krusty Krab and altogether they ordered 78 Krabby Patties. The two of them got to work and eventually completed the order. They sat down, exhausted.
"Phew! Them critters sure know how to ware us out!" Sandy said.
"Yeah, they need to slow their roll," SpongeBob replied. SpongeBob's new way of talking annoyed Sandy: it wasn't SpongeBob, it wasn't how he was.
"SpongeBob, what's going on with ya?" she demanded. SpongeBob scratched his head. The book hadn't mentioned any hostile behaviour. It's probably in the next step, he thought.
"What you talking 'bout Dee-Dee?" he said, avoiding her gaze. If she kept asking him questions it was only a matter of time before he broke down and told her about the book; then the snail would be out of the bag and she would know his secret.
"You changed your clothes, you changed your speaking and you changed what you normally do. Not to mention the other day when you were rude to me on the phone..." SpongeBob gulped anxiously. He was seconds away from revealing his secret, he just knew it.
"S-so where're you goin' with this?" He didn't want to ask that question, but he had to.
"I wanna know why." SpongeBob felt it then, rising inside of him, threatening to burst out. He tried with all his might to push it down and keep it there. He couldn't let it out; he couldn't let Sandy hear the truth.
"Sandy! Sandy! I need to talk to Sandy!" Patrick ran into the kitchen, breathing heavily. Sandy was immediately distracted and SpongeBob was relieved.
"What is it Patrick?" Sandy asked. Damn that idiot! SpongeBob was about to tell me what's up with him.
"Come with me," he said. Sandy was hesitant – what would Mr Krabs say if he saw her taking a break? – but Patrick assured her that he had worked it out with him, so Sandy left with Patrick.
"I wonder what that was about," SpongeBob thought aloud. Squidward called for an order of a Krabby Patty with cheese and SpongeBob got right on it. Sandy wasn't back by the time he finished. Five minutes passed, then ten, fifteen, twenty...One hour. SpongeBob became worried. Had one of Patricks "genius" ideas gotten Sandy hurt? SpongeBob hoped not.
The Krusty Krab had reached closing time and SpongeBob hadn't seen Sandy since she went off with Patrick. He zoomed out of the Krusty Krab doors as soon as he was allowed and was outside Sandy's Treedome in no time. He was just about to go in when he remembered the last time he had been in Sandy's house without an invitation. He didn't want a repeat of that, not at all. So SpongeBob went home with the intention of calling Sandy. However, once at home SpongeBob had to feed Gary and then he noticed that his refrigerator had somehow leaked so he had to clean up the mess. Once that was finished, he realised that he was running low on snail food so he dashed to the shop and bought more. Finally though, he wearily made for the phone, only for it to begin to ring as his hand hovered above it. Giving up, he answered it tiredly.
"Hello?"
"SpongeBob! I...I need your advice." By coincidence, Sandy had called SpongeBob rather than him calling her.
"Sure thing Sandy! What's up?" In his eagerness to help Sandy, SpongeBob forgot complete to use his new, deep voice; something that Sandy was glad of.
"Uhm, well you might've noticed today that Patrick took me away so he could talk to me about something," she began. She had barely started but it already didn't sound good to SpongeBob.
"Uh huh..." he said.
"He kinda said that he wants to be my boyfriend and I didn't know what to say so I said I'll think about it but I still don't know since I never thought about Patrick like that and I'm so confused and I figured you would know what I should do," Sandy said, without taking a breath. She had just wanted to get it over and done with, and now that it was she was left with silence from SpongeBob. He was in shock. He had just found out that his best friend had asked out the girl of his dreams and he felt betrayed. How could Patrick do this to me?? He knows I like – oh no wait, he doesn't. SpongeBob had never even mentioned his feelings for Sandy to Patrick and it seemed like Patrick had done the same to SpongeBob. Of course, SpongeBob would tell Sandy not to go out with Patrick. It was obviously the right thing to do. Wasn't it? What if Sandy really likes Patrick? It wouldn't be fair to tell her to say no to him just because I'm selfish.
"SpongeBob?" Don't tell me he's forgotten I'm here, Sandy thought.
"I'm here Sandy. D-do you...likePatrick?" It was hard for SpongeBob to ask that question because he was scared that Sandy would say yes.
"Sometimes I do and sometimes I just wanna hit him in his big head again and again and again. I guess he's a nice guy even if he is stupider than a plank of wood." SpongeBob gave a weak smile – maybe there was hope.
"You know, I could give him a chance. I mean, you never know, right?" Sandy continued. SpongeBob's heart sank.
"What? I mean, yeah, sure. I guess." He was wrong – there was no hope.
"Thanks SpongeBob. You really are a good friend," Sandy said, and hung up.
"But I don't want to be a good friend! I want to be a good boyfriend!" SpongeBob yelled into the phone.
"Meow!"
"Shut up Gary."
Note (again!): I almost forgot to mention the bad news...I'm going away on Friday for 5 days so I don't think I'll be updating this soon...sorry guys, but I gotta have a life, right? :D
