We're back with another chapter. I update this story every day with a new chapter. At least that'll way some readers who are new to the story will have time to read the whole thing and keep up with it. You'll like this one!
It was a beautiful sunny day, the ocean was a bright clear blue and clams could be heard chirping among the kelp trees. On this quiet morning, Lord Stripes came out to his garden in the castle courtyard to see how his pearl farm was doing. He'd had a restless night, ever since he received word that Drago the Hunter had failed to capture Squilliam Fancyson. Lord Stripes' surly mood has frightened the saw-sharks into staying away from him and right now he wanted some time alone to gather his thoughts. But all Lord Stripes could think about was wanting Squilliam dead… That unibrow octopus would pay dearly for causing him nothing but trouble. Unfortunately he needed Fancyson alive if he ever wanted to break into the vault. And once the vault was open…
Lord Stripes looked up when he saw Lionel Leo enter the courtyard and the lionfish wore a grim expression. "My lord, I hope this isn't a bad time," he said hesitantly. Lord Stripes nodded his head for Lionel to go ahead. "I've just gotten a new message from Drago. Squilliam Fancyson has escaped and the last place he was seen was at Tricky Tunnels."
"Tricky Tunnels?" Lord Stripes took a moment to ponder over it. "Tell me Lionel, what is the closest town that's near there?" he asked.
Lionel held out a map of the entire ocean realm that he'd been studying earlier. "According to this, the nearest town is "Paradise Shores." It's a good bet that Squilliam Fancyson will be heading there next." Lionel looked up when he heard unexpected chortling from the old tiger-shark. It was quite unnerving. "My lord…?" he questioned.
"Perhaps things will finally start going my way. For you see, "she" is living at Paradise Shores," Lord Stripes told Lionel. With an ominous toothy grin, Lord Stripes went on to explain. "She just got back into town after touring the seven seas with her acting career. Legend has it that no one can resist her and for good reason…"
"Oh ho… Fancyson's is in for it now," Lionel said, also smirking arrogantly. "She'll definitely capture him without fail. Looks like we've got nothing to worry about after all!" Both Lionel and Lord Stripes shared a villainous laugh together in the courtyard.
…
Meanwhile, Squidward and Squilliam have managed to safely make their way out of Tricky Tunnels. After having been chased by Drago, the two needed to catch their breath. Squidward kept rubbing the side of his leg and his stomach hurt from all the running and Squilliam stood resting his hands on his knees while trying to calm his beating heart. That was pretty scary. Drago almost killed Squidward and came close to capturing Squilliam. They would have to watch their step from now on. Squilliam took a deep steadying breath and then peered over at Squidward.
"Are you alright, Squidward?" Squilliam asked.
"I'll live…for now," Squidward replied. He looked down at his one leg that got crushed by the rock and saw how badly banged up it was. Worst of all, it wouldn't stop hurting. "Come on. Let's keep moving." Squidward tried walking on his injured leg but felt instant pain. It looks like he wouldn't be able to walk on that leg for a while.
"Squidward? What's wrong? You're walking kinda funny," Squilliam said. He stepped up beside Squidward and immediately noticed his injured leg. "That looks bad. You can't walk on it, can you? Here, lean on me. I'll gladly be your walking stick."
But Squidward stepped away from Squilliam. "I've already told you before. I don't need your help. I have three legs that still work. Let's go."
Squilliam became exasperated as Squidward turned and walked off. Frankly he was getting tired of Squidward's stubborn ways. What was it going to take to get the cashier cephalopod to accept help? Squilliam followed Squidward closely behind while Squidward walked on with three legs. He could see that Squidward was wincing from his injured leg, but Squidward held his head up high and seemed to ignore the pain. Squilliam had to admit, he really admired Squidward's resilience. Then again, Squiddy was always getting himself into all kinds of mishaps that perhaps it toughened him up a little. And as Squilliam watched his old high-school classmate, he began to feel very strongly for him. I'm not giving up on you, Squiddy, Squilliam thought warmly.
Now that they were out of those caves, they were in a much nicer part of the ocean. The waters here were a lovely sea-green and the sand was a bright gold. The ocean-floor was filled with beautiful coral reefs teeming with all sea-life. Spiny sea-urchins made their home among the stone corals; meowing sea-slugs were munching on nutritious seaweed, and even jellyfish made their home among the tropical fields. It was a lot warmer here too. Soon Squidward and Squilliam spotted a big sign that told them where they were.
"Paradise Shores…," Squidward read. "Sounds like a promising place to relax. Let's go check it out since we've got nowhere else to go." Squidward continued walking on with his one bad leg still hurting him.
"Right behind you, Squiddy," Squilliam said following Squidward. He couldn't stop glancing down at Squidward's poor leg and wondered what could be done about it. He couldn't help but worry.
After walking through the fields of coral reefs, the town of Paradise Shores came into view and the two octopuses took their time taking it all in. Paradise Shores was a lovely place from the looks of it. Filled with wooden huts and buildings, decorated with underwater palm trees, gold-sandy beaches, but what really stood out was a large breath-taking view of an underwater palace with impressive columns and a long staircase leading right up to it. Its structure was magnificent that Squidward and Squilliam stared in awe at the palace that seemed to sparkle like marbles from the sun above the ocean waves. Upon entering the sun-splashed town, the place looked like the perfect vacation spot.
"I wouldn't mind living in a place like this," Squidward said, admiring all the fancy gift shops, cafes, and tourist attractions. "I'd love to get me a condo down here. It'd make for a perfect summer getaway for me."
"A condo? You really are middle-class, Squiddy," Squilliam scoffed. "Why not think bigger? How'd you like it if I bought you a beach house?" he suggested excitedly. "Just picture it! A beach house with its own pool, a snack bar, ooh what about a nightclub? I've always wanted one of those; I hear they're pretty nice this time of year."
"Can't resist showing off that wealth of yours, huh?" Squidward said, crossing his arms and frowning slightly at his rival. "A beach house? Not a bad idea. Finally someone with good taste." Squidward was rewarded a pleased smile from the unibrow octopus.
After exploring the bustling town's locations and its sight-seeing spots, Squidward and Squilliam were hungry and decided to go get something to eat. They've found a place called the Tropica Diner and went inside. The family-friendly place was busy and packed with vacationers and their families. Seeing all the happy customers and the greasy smell of food reminded Squidward highly of the Krusty Krab. Maybe it wasn't the fanciest place but at least they would get something inside their stomachs for now. Squidward and Squilliam were able to get a table at a booth. Like everywhere he goes, Squilliam attracted a lot of attention because the other residents seemed to immediately recognize him and eagerly approach him.
"Is that Squilliam Fancyson? I don't believe it! I've seen him in music magazines but this is the first time I've seen him in person!" "Amazing! That's Squilliam Fancyson! I've always wanted to go to one of his concerts!" "Holy sea-cows! It's Squilliam Fancyson! Do you suppose he's here on vacation?" More and more fans came forward to greet Squilliam or just wanted to get a glimpse of him.
Squidward hid himself behind the menu and felt his jealousy rear its ugly head. "Can we please order in peace?" he said through gritted teeth.
Squilliam reached over and lowered the menu so that he could see Squidward's miffed face. "Come now, Squiddy. That's the price you pay when you're famous like me." Squidward harrumphs loudly. "It's nothing personal. People admire me for my brilliance and talents," Squilliam tried again. Unfortunately this wasn't helping. "I wasn't showing off, I swear," Squilliam insisted.
"Yes you were!" Squidward accused. "Every time you show up, you remind me of what a big loser I am! Well I'll show you! Someday they'll know the name Squidward Tentacles. Not only will I be a musical genius but also a gifted artist and a graceful dancer to boot. I'll be thrice the celebrity you ever were!"
"Good for you, Squiddy," Squilliam remarked. "Spoken like a true wannabe… I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Do you always have to take everything I say so seriously? Yeesh!"
Squidward ordered the spanish-omelet while Squilliam asked for bacon & eggs, and together the two octopuses enjoyed a quiet breakfast. Squidward was stilling stewing in his jealousy over Squilliam. For once in his life, Squidward wished he could attract a crowd of admirers to sing his praises. He'd give anything for a little recognition for his clarinet skills or artwork. Squilliam could see that Squidward was in a bad mood and he wondered what to do about it. The problem was Squidward still saw him as a rival. Squilliam wanted to change that, he had to show Squidward he could be more than that. But how? When they were finished their breakfast, Squidward paid for the meal and the two of them exited Tropica Diner and stepped out into the bright sunny day.
"So where to now?" Squidward asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.
"Let's go take a walk on the beach," Squilliam suggested. "We can go get ice-cream, check out the hypothermal vents on display there, or we can just talk."
"You mean talk about how great you are? Talk about how you're better than me? And while you're on the subject, talk about my mediocrity? No thank you…" Squidward said disinterestedly.
"Don't be like that, Squiddy. I'll let you talk about whatever you want. Why I'll even let you talk about you all day if that'll make you happy," Squilliam said. He cheerfully took Squidward by the arm and led him down the sun-splashed street. Squidward hesitated and then willingly allowed the unibrow octopus to lead him away. He's never seen Squilliam so carefree before. It kinda gave him a fluttering feeling in his heart…
The Sunshine Beach was filled with happy families. Little kids playing in the sand, beach-goers sun-tanning on colorful towels, a volleyball game was in session, treasure-hunters were scavenging the golden sands with their metal-detectors, and there was even a snack-bar where beach-goers could enjoy fruit smoothies. But the biggest attraction was the large field of hypothermal vents where hot water shot up from its tubes like miniature volcanoes. Squidward and Squilliam joined the crowd of onlookers and studied the hypothermal vents in awe. Even Squidward couldn't hide his curiosity; he's only ever saw hypothermal vents in books.
"I have to admit, this is really nice," Squidward said. "I can't remember the last time I was able to relax like this. I'm usually stressed most of the time. You know how it is with dealing with cheapskate bosses, crazy neighbors, and those annoying scallops that won't stop eating my kelp garden." And Squidward truly meant it. Being on this fun-filled beach was starting to lift his spirits.
"And it's all thanks to me of course," Squilliam couldn't resist pointing out. "I know we're supposed to be on the run, but I'm glad we're able to find some time to have a little fun. It can't be all bad, right?"
Squilliam was happy to share this moment with Squidward. But then everyone on the beach seemed to stop what they were doing because someone had caught their attention. When Squidward and Squilliam turned around to see what was all the hubbub about, that's when they both noticed her for the first time. The citizens of Paradise Shores had gathered around a very strikingly beautiful woman; a sea anemone. She was bright orange and had long hydra-like red-colored tendrils and had a very noticeable curvaceous figure. She wore a sapphire-blue evening gown with matching white-pearl necklace wrapped around her neck, blue dress-shoes and she possessed the most exotic blue eyes ever seen.
"She's quite the piece of work," Squidward said dryly. However he too couldn't hide his fascination with the lovely-looking woman. "She appears to be a celebrity too. Squilliam, do you know her?"
"I've never seen her before," Squilliam replied. He studied the sea anemone and couldn't recall ever seeing her at country-clubs, charity events, concerts or grand-openings. But Squidward was right about one thing, she was clearly very rich and famous. "Come on Squiddy; let's head to the snack bar. Drinks are on me!"
Squidward started to follow Squilliam but looked back over his shoulder to see the lovely sea-anemone still surrounded by her fans. And then he saw her turn her head and smile alluringly at him with those ruby-red lips. Was she staring at him or Squilliam? At the snack bar, Squilliam ordered them some mango smoothies to enjoy and together they chilled underneath the shade. Squidward never thought he'd be on a beach with Squilliam of all people. He was comfortable and feeling a lot friendlier.
"So tell me, Squilliam. What parts of the ocean have you visited so far?" Squidward asked. He mixed the ice in his drink and took a sip. "I'm sure you got to visit interesting places on your tours. Can you tell me?"
"Glad you asked, Squiddy," Squilliam replied, he took sip of his mango smoothie and sat cross-legged on the stool. "Let's see. Well I've been to the North and South of the Pacific Ocean. I traveled to the Caribbean Sea for vacations, I've toured the Jamaican seas and I've also been to the Atlantic Ocean."
Squidward sighed while leaning his arm on the counter and rested his cheek in his hand while listening to his rival's many glamorous trips. "I wish I could just up and travel to any part of the ocean whenever the mood hits me. It beats being stuck in the one-horse town of Bikini Bottom," he said gloomily.
Squilliam studied Squidward for a moment, then reached out and gently took Squidward by the shoulder. "Cheer up, Squiddy. If you want, I'll take you to see the whole ocean. Wherever you want to go, we'll hop on my private jet. You'll love it!" Squilliam assured him.
Squidward looked up at Squilliam and hardly dared to believe it. "You'd do that for me? You're not putting me on, right?" he said hopefully. He saw the sincerity in Squilliam's smile and realized that this was for real. And Squidward couldn't hide how genuinely happy this made him.
Suddenly an alluring feminine voice spoke to them. "Hello boys… Mind if I join you for drinks?"
Both Squidward and Squilliam turned their heads at the same time and saw none other than the beautiful sea anemone standing there. With a confident smile, she coolly approached the bartender and ordered herself a peach smoothie. Even the fish-bartender went red in the face at the sight of her. With the smoothie in hand, she sipped through a straw and then winked playfully at Squidward who nearly almost stumbled off the stool. Squilliam eyed the lovely sea-anemone and didn't feel quite as dazzled by her as everyone else was. He knew her type, just a shameless flirt who thrived on receiving attention and gifts and was never serious about anybody. Squilliam should know; he was constantly surrounded by women like her around the rich communities.
"Squilliam Fancyson III," she acknowledged the unibrow octopus and held up her glass in a little toast. "You look exactly as you do in the magazines but you're much handsomer in person. Oh I'm sorry. I'll bet you hear that all the time from your fans. I know I sure do."
"Well what can I say? Fame is both a blessing and a curse," Squilliam politely agreed. "You certainly know how it is living out there in the fast lane, miss uh… Forgive me but I don't know your name."
"Flora…Flora Flowers. You've probably never heard of me before because I travel a lot. I'm a famous actress, supermodel, singer and five-time winner of ocean beauty-pageants. I'm proud to say I come from a very prestigious family of sea-anemones bred for beauty and grace. But I've come back to my hometown of Paradise Shores here."
Squidward sat on the stool awkwardly sipping his drink. He honestly didn't know what to say and didn't think the lovely sea-anemone would pay any attention to him. Much to his surprise, Flora turned her vivid blue eyes onto Squidward and smiled brightly. "And who is your charming friend here, Squilliam?" she asked.
"The name's Squidward Tentacles, Miss Flowers. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Squidward even accepted Flora's hand and kissed it gentlemanly, causing the sea-anemone to giggle coquettishly. From next to him, Squidward caught the look of surprise on Squilliam's face and found it strangely satisfying.
"You're not from around here, are you? Where do you come from?" Flora asked Squidward. She sat on the stool and crossed her shapely leg while holding her smoothie in hand. She appeared very interested in the cashier cephalopod much to Squilliam's chagrin.
Soon Squidward and Flora were engaged in an amicable conversation. Squilliam sat on the side sipping his mango smoothie and grew more and more jealous of the attention Squidward was giving the lovely sea anemone. So much for spending some quality time with his Squiddy. Flora seemed to encourage Squidward to talk about himself. Squidward couldn't resist boasting about him being a patron of the arts and about being the most cultured person in Bikini Bottom. Squilliam shook his head and all he could think was that Squidward was so full of it. But for some reason, seeing Squidward trying to impress somebody else was starting to rub Squilliam the wrong way. He didn't like it…
"So tell me, Squidward. Just what is it that you do?" Flora wanted to know.
Before Squidward could answer, Squilliam couldn't resist jumping in. "He's a cashier…,"
"What? I am not! I mean…I'm not always a cashier…," Squidward protested. He threw a glare at Squilliam and then turned back to Flora. "He's just kidding. Actually I'm a well-known clarinetist. As a matter of fact, I have my clarinet on me right now!" With that, Squidward reached into his inside pocket and pulled out his prized instrument. "I'll prove it to you! Allow me to play a sweet serenade for you."
Squilliam leaned over and said to Flora in a hushed voice. "I wouldn't recommend it, Miss Flowers. Squiddy is a…erm…novice when it comes to the clarinet," he tried to warn.
"Oh don't be so critical, dear," with a smile, Flora dismissively brushed Squilliam's warnings aside. "Let me hear the poor darling play first before making judgments." Flora sat primly on her stool and kindly gestured for Squidward to go ahead.
Squidward raised his clarinet to his mouth and Squilliam automatically covered his ear-holes and hoped for the best. Five seconds later and Squidward's sour notes was already assaulting the ears of anyone within hearing-range. In a panic, the bartender plugged his ears with empty glass cups and tried to keep out the screeching notes. Bystanders on the beach covered their ears and buried their heads in the sand to drown out the horrible music. Squidward didn't give up and was determined to turn his musical notes into something melodious. But no matter how hard he tried, he was always lacking something… something that held him back…something that kept him from reaching his full potential.
Finally with a heavy heart, Squidward stopped playing and lowered his clarinet to look around to see everyone practically cowering. It depressed him and it frustrated him too. When it was safe to hear again, Squilliam removed his hands from his head and saw the anguish in Squidward's expression. This time Squilliam couldn't bring himself to make fun of Squidward because he wanted to be the better person. But before he had a chance to comfort Squidward, something unexpected happened. Flora clapped her hands and to the shock of both Squidward and Squilliam, she didn't appear effected by the nasty notes.
"Bravo! Bravo! That wasn't so bad at all!" Flora cheered for Squidward. "The determination, the boldness, the zeal! You're a very gutsy musician, Mr. Tentacles. It takes a lot of courage to put on a brave face and play the clarinet to the best of your ability. You're something quite unique."
Squidward was speechless at first but eventually found his voice again. "Um…thank you?" Squidward sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and felt very flattered by her approval. "I can't tell you how refreshing it is to finally meet someone who understands my music. You've got a delicate ear, Miss Flowers."
"More like a strong ear," Squilliam mumbled grumpily.
But Flora ignored Squilliam because she was too busy fawning over Squidward. "You're a true inspiration for aspiring musicians everywhere. You let nothing stop you from pursuing you dreams." Then Flora bashed her eyelashes flirtatiously while one of her tentacles slipped up to caress Squidward playfully under the chin. "Maybe I could invite you and your clarinet over to the Marble Palace. I'd love to listen to more serenades from you."
"I would love that very much, Miss Flowers," Squidward grinned infatuatedly while catching the whiff of Flora's intoxicating perfume which seemed to overwhelm him and make his mind go fuzzy.
"Please, call me Flora," the sea anemone said in her honeyed voice.
Squilliam had had enough. He really didn't like seeing Squidward going all googly-eyed at some simpering sea flower. He was taking back his main man. "What an enticing offer… But unfortunately Squiddy here has prior engagements. I believe he's promised to take me sightseeing in Paradise Shores. Isn't that right, Squiddy?" Squilliam hooked an arm around Squidward's waist and firmly pulled him away from Flora.
Squidward frowned and opened his mouth to say something angry but Squilliam cut him off. "It was such an honor to meet a beauty queen such as yourself but we need to get going. Say bye Squiddy!"
"What? No way! You can go throw yourself into Davy Jones' locker!" Squilliam quickly clamped a hand over Squidward's mouth to stop his insults and with a cheerful smile practically dragged Squidward by the ear away from the snack bar.
"How disappointing…," Flora called after them with a pout. "But perhaps you can always sneak away and come visit me?" She added with a wave at Squidward. Squilliam Fancyson hadn't been so easily taken with her, but Squidward Tentacles on the other hand…"
Once they were far away from the snack bar, Squidward turned around and confronted Squilliam. "What was that all about? Why did you do that? Are you jealous that Flora prefers me over you?" Squidward placed his hands on his hips and smirked smugly. "You always were a sore loser, Squilliam. You're just angry because Flora wasn't complimenting your fancy unibrow."
"Oh please. Flora isn't my type. And besides, I got over women like her years ago," Squilliam explained while still smiling that cheerful smile of his. "Trust me Squiddy, she was merely flattering you. She'll rear you in but then she'll toss you right back. Believe me, I know these things." Squilliam affectionately pinched Squidward's cheek. "Besides, to tell the truth…I'm not interested in women."
"You are such a jealous, petty, no-good…," Squidward stopped his tirade when he realized what Squilliam had actually just said. "Wait… You're not interested in women?" Squidward stared at his rival in confusion. "I don't get it. Then why did you…?"
But Squilliam only stared back at Squidward and he had that strange smile again. "Are you really that blind, Squidward? I don't handle competition very well. But if I must, I have every intention on winning. I won't let Flora have you. Stay away from Flora. You're here with me. Got it?"
Chuckling at the look on Squidward's face, Squilliam turned and casually strolled down the beach. Leaving Squidward to stand there and feel utterly baffled. For as long as he's known him, Squidward realized that he didn't know anything about his high-school rival's love life. And yet, Squilliam cozily came out to him like it was nothing. But why him? The more Squidward thought about it, that's when it dawned on him. Was it possible? Did Squilliam really feel that way toward him of all people? Squidward was usually too busy trying to look better than his rival but now things were different. Squidward was starting to have more clarity.
Squilliam stopped and looked back. "You coming, Squiddy?" he called. Squilliam was smiling at him in that alluring way too. And Squidward was seeing the unibrow octopus in a new light.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold your seahorses already," Squidward murmured irritably, hurrying to catch up with Squilliam. He wasn't quite sure what Squilliam wanted from him but Squidward was intrigued enough to want to find out.
I really had fun writing this chapter. This story will have a lot of funny moments one would expect from a SpongeBob episode. I hope it brought you a chuckle. Another thing I wanted to point out, I've always believed that Squilliam Fancyson's sexuality is gay, while Squidward Tentacles strucks me as someone who could be bisexual. Those are just my opinions so please don't skewer me for it, thanks! You've all been great readers! See ya next time!