Okay, I know I haven't really been holding true to the "posting in sections" thing...but I've decided I'm just gonna post it as I write it like everyone else. If you get caught up and want to know the surprise ending...then you'll just have to wait ;) ANYWHO enjoy the story! As always feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 4 "Moreover..."

"So, what do you do for fun?" Meg sipped her water, looking at Squidward over a set of empty plates.

"Actually, I play the clarinet quite splendidly," Squidward bragged.

"Really?" Meg responded pleasantly, encouraging the usually doleful octopus' unusual enchanted mood.

"Yes, I'm quite a fan of the arts, musical being quite a weak spot for me," he smiled. "Does my classy new neighbor play any instruments?" he asked.

Meg rested her chin on her hands. "I play piano...and guitar." she said.

Squidward almost looked impressed. "Really? Well, perhaps we could play together sometime," he suggested.

"Well I believe that would be a marvelous idea, Mr. Squidward," Meg responded in a mock English accent.

Squidward stared at her a moment.

When her dinner guest didn't laugh, Meg chuckled nervously. "I was messing around," she said.

THE NEXT DAY

"I'm ready!" Spongebob burst out of his house, ready for a marvelous day of work. "I'm ready! I'm ready!"

A petite figure leaned her head out the window. "Ready for what?" Meg asked, curiously. She appeared to be still in her sleep clothes, her hair in a set of messy braids.

Spongebob looked at the second story window. "Oh, good morning Meg!" he called. "ready for work, down at the Krusty Krab!" he told her.

"Krusty Krab? What's that?" she leaned her elbows on the windowsill, a lock of hair wriggling it's way loose of her braid.

Spongebob gasped. "You've never heard of the Krusty Krab?" the little yellow sponge was practically in shock from the news.

"No, silly! 'Course not!" Meg giggled in her apparently usual manner. "I'm new to town." she leaned further out the window. "Say, mind showing me around after work?"

Spongebob thought for a moment. "Well actually I had plans to go jellyfishing with patrick after work..."

"Oh, that's okay then," Meg said.

"But--you're welcome to tag along!" he offered.

Meg smiled. "That'd be great. What time would you like for me to be ready?"

"Six o'clock tonight, we can sightsee a little bit on the way!"

"Alright, six then! See ya Spongebob!"

"Bye Meg!"

She leaned back in and closed the window.

"I'm ready!" Spongebob sang, dashing down the road.

On the way, he nearly bumped into Squidward, who seemed happier than usual, but still mopey. "Hey Squidward!" he greeted, pleasantly.

"Hello." Squidward returned, all traces of a smile vanishing from his face.

"So, what do you think of Meg?" Spongebob asked.

"She's a decent neighbor at least," Squidward muttered.

"She seems nice!" Spongebob said, beginning to skip. "See ya at the Krusty Krab!" he called.

Squidward humphed again as Spongebob skipped off.

-----

Sandy bent her elbows in a push-up. Ever since yesterday, all she really wanted to do was take her mind off of Spongebob's new neighbor, which, of course, had made it even harder.

She was doing push-ups with the TV on, but wasn't really watching. She didn't really like that little nymph, something about her spelled out trouble. Maybe it was that huge house that she lived alone in. Maybe it was her bubbly nature, or perhaps her practically flawless profile. Maybe it was a combination of the three.

Sandy did another push-up, not really counting. Why do I even bother thinking about these things? she asked herself. Thinking usually leads up to something bad. She quit pushing up and walked instead to her treadmill. I mean, it's not like it's bothering me because I'm jealous or anything. She stared at the beautiful seascape around her dome, taking up a steady pace on the wheel. Then again, with all this beautiful scenery, what's not to envy? The ones who can enjoy that without a dumb suit are lucky, she silently griped. I'm stuck in this stupid bubble.

She looked harder, and realized that the very object of her problem was headed her way.

-----

Meg knocked on the metal door to the treedome. "Pretty sure this is the right place," she murmured.

"Come on in!" the squirrel sounded overly-pleasant, like she'd been having a hard day.

Meg entered the polyurethane dome and immediately caught sight of Sandy, just stepping off of her treadmill. "Oh, did I come at a bad time?" she asked.

Sandy seemed tired, but perky none the less. "No, you're fine, come on in!" she invited. "Make yourself at home."

Meg felt uneasy, but accepted the Texan's friendly offer all the same. She sat down at a wooden picnic table, and after a few moments, Sandy sat across from her.

"So...what brings y'all to Bikini Bottom?" Sandy asked, settling in.

Meg shrugged. "I was trying to get away from some memories, to somewhere serene, quiet, and peaceful." she said.

Sandy laughed. "So why'd you pick here?" she asked.

Meg absentmindedly pushed her glasses up on her nose. "Dunno, just had sort of a...friendly feeling." she said.

Sandy nodded. "So...what kind of memories?"

"Well..." Meg never really talked about her former home much, the remembrances hurt too much. "I lost my family...when I was fourteen,"

Sandy's interest seemed to be locked. "What happened?" she asked.

Meg squirmed uncomfortably. "Well...a hurricane hit...in the middle of the night. My room was two stories underground...so I survived. I'm afraid that Good Carly and my tea set collection were all that made it out in one piece." She looked at the ground, hoping that her hostess couldn't see the cloud of tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Sandy lent her a sympathetic look across the table.

Meg giggled, trying to clear the awkward air.

Sandy sighed in boredom. "Wanna hear about the time Spongebob and I battled the giant worm?"

Meg shrugged. "Sure."

-----

"You sure you don't wanna come tonight, Squidward?" Spongebob checked for about the fifteenth time that afternoon.

Squidward huffed. "No, Spongebob, I told you a thousand times, I need to get home and practice clarinet!"

Spongebob sighed. "Squidward never wants to have fun," he murmured.

Squidward, overhearing the comment, turned around and leaned into the little square window separating the kitchen from the restaurant. "I do too like to have fun! Just not the kind of fun nit-wits like you do!"

Spongebob laughed, clueless as to the meaning of his neighbor's sharp words. "Okay, Squidward, whatever you say!"

"It wasn't a compliment, moron." Squidward muttered.

That evening...

"This is so beautiful!" Meg commented, relaxing on a rock in jellyfish fields.

Patrick was chasing wildly after a jellyfish, while Spongebob gave Meg more of an update about Bikini Bottom.

Spongebob sighed. "Isn't it?" he gazed past her for a moment, as if she were invisible against the enchanting background.

Meg smiled broadly, the left side of her mouth curving up slightly higher than the right. She looked at Spongebob for a moment. "So...I never figured out how old you are," she said, playfully.

At the sound of the sea nymph's voice, Spongebob seemed to come-to out of his trance. "Huh? Oh, well, I uh...I'm 25," he told her, timidly. "And I know I hardly ever act my age, but...it's the truth. I moved out about 8 years ago, right before my 18'th birthday...I'll be 26 in two months. How about you?"

Meg grinned. "I don't act my age, either. I'm 23. My birthday's in December."

Spongebob looked shocked. "23? Really? I--I was thinking more like 17 or 18. I mean--that's not a bad thing! It's just that--"

Meg giggled. "Don't worry about it, people say that all the time. I can act kinda...immature sometimes." she pushed Spongebob's shoulder in re-assurance. "And you're one to talk," she teased.

Spongebob smiled sheepishly, his face starting to turn pink.

This made Meg laugh even harder. "I'm messing with ya, Spongebob!" she said, still laughing.

Spongebob also laughed, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Heh, yeah, I knew that..."

Meg stood up and stretched. "Well, you said we were supposed to be jellyfishing, so...let's jellyfish!" she raised her net.