Chapter 7 – What About Michael?
The toys hear the joyous shrieks resonating from outside. The toys see that the kids are still outside at recess. The children playing outside made the toys feel excited about this. "Sounds like kids to me!" Cody said excitedly.
The toys walk over to the window, except for SpongeBob and Sandy. "Oh, I want to get played with! Like, why can't time go faster?" Alex said impatiently.
"How many do you reckon are out there?" Cindy asked curiously.
"Oh, they sound so sweet!" Grundgetta said.
At the same time, SpongeBob looks around the room uneasily. The other toys wanted to have a better life than being with Mike, in which they believed under the pretense that Mike not even want them anymore and called junk. SpongeBob heaves a sigh, and the sponge and squirrel walk to the toys. "Look, everyone, it's nice here. I admit." SpongeBob said. "But we need to go home."
"We could have a whole new life here, SpongeBob! A chance to make kids happy again!" Cindy added, while twirling around like a ballet dancer.
"Why don't you two stay?" Clifford asked.
"Yeah, SpongeBob. Stay with us!" Alex pleaded.
"Come on, guys!" Cody said.
As the toys begin asking him continuously, SpongeBob denied, "I can't. No, no! G-guys, really."
"You can make a new kid happy." Cindy stated.
"NO!" SpongeBob shouted. SpongeBob's tone drew the toys quiet, and their smiles faded. "Me and Sandy, we have a kid! YOU have a kid: Michael!"
"And if he wants us at college, or presumably in the attic, well, then, our job is to be there for him!" Sandy pointed out.
"Now we're going home!" SpongeBob said sternly. "Anyone who wants to join us are welcome!" He starts to walk off as Sandy said, "Come on, Jimmy."
As the two toys walk off, SpongeBob turns to see that Jimmy's still with the others.
"Jimmy?" SpongeBob asked, confused.
"Any reason why you're staying here?" Sandy asked.
Jimmy glances at Cindy with sympathy, then walks up to the sponge and squirrel. He broke the ice, "Our mission with Mike is complete, guys."
"What?" SpongeBob asked, still confused.
"What's important now is that we stay together." Jimmy said.
"W-We wouldn't even be together if it weren't for Michael!" SpongeBob interjected. For emphasis, the pull-string sponge doll lifted up his black loafer, where Mike's name is written on the gray sole, proof that he and Sandy are Mike's possessions. "Look under your shoe, Jimmy! You too, Cindy! Whose name is written there?"
Jimmy just stares at the ground, and Cindy just balls up her fists and glares at him. SpongeBob may be the boss, but she never seems to listen to SpongeBob's warnings.
"Maybe Mike….doesn't care about us anymore.' Alex muttered despondently.
"No, don't be absurd!" Sandy said.
"Sandy's right. Michael cares about you! He was putting you in the attic—me and Sandy saw—you just can't turn your back on him now!"
"SpongeBob, Sandy, wake up! It's over!" Cindy angrily shouted. "Mike is all grown up!"
SpongeBob looks shocked, but his face changes to an angry scowl. "OK, fine! PERFECT! I can't believe how selfish you guys are!"
Cindy looks appalled, but she glares at him. All SpongeBob was trying to do was convince the toys that they were thrown out by mistake, but nobody would ever believe or listen to him. Even Cindy was the one who never believed the sponge the most. The pull-string sponge, still scowling, looks at his friends in silence. SpongeBob finally uttered, breaking the silence. "So this is it? After all we've been through."
Sherman pleaded, "SpongeBob, you can't leave your friends behind. Mike's grown up and it's time that we get on with our lives.
SpongeBob held up a hand indignantly, "No, Sherman. You're not seeing the big picture here: we're Mike's beloved toys and we are meant to be in the arms of our beloved owner."
Agnes protested, "But my brother's right, we can at least make the daycare room our new home."
SpongeBob shook his head, "I'm sorry, Agnes, but my decision of staying with you is being overruled. I. Am. Leaving. And this time, I don't even care if I ever see the rest of you guys ever again!" Sherman and Agnes could feel slight heartbreak starting to take over them.
Cindy watches Jimmy walk up closer to SpongeBob and extends a hand. SpongeBob just looks at it, and is too angry to even think about it. SpongeBob lifted up his hands to adjust his mask with a stern face. He turns away as SpongeBob walks on, along with Sandy following suit. Suddenly, panting is heard, and the two toys turn to see Spirit.
"Spirit, no. You need to stay." SpongeBob insisted. SpongeBob and Sandy kept on walking as Spirit keeps following them. "Spirit, no—I said STAY!" SpongeBob's tone of voice was harsher than it was before, and that hurt the horse's feelings.
SpongeBob sighs and rubs his forehead. He walks up to the horse. "Look, I don't want you to be left alone in the attic, OK? Now stay."
Spirit nods and sadly walks back to Cindy, who caresses his mane, with Jimmy watching in sympathy how hard SpongeBob has scolded him.
"Bubbles? Bubbles!" Merida called out.
"W-We gotta go!" SpongeBob said. "Come on Sandy!"
SpongeBob and Sandy run toward the door, as the toys go in different directions. As soon as SpongeBob and Sandy arrive at the door, Lucy came into the room. 'Bubbles? You in here?"
SpongeBob gazes wistfully at his friends then he and Sandy exit the room, closing the door behind them. Jimmy and Cindy watch that in saddened silence.
