Chapter 17 – Cindy's Past Story (When Somebody Loved Me)
Now that SpongeBob is all fixed, Happy can now remain focus on his task. For examples of the complete SpongeBob's Roundup collection, he takes various pictures of SpongeBob, Sandy, Cindy, Spirit, and Farquaad in different poses and backdrops. Truthfully, most of the pictures have SpongeBob; considering that he is the main star. Happy chuckled gleefully as he looks at the photos. He is going to be rich beyond his wildest dreams. "It's just like printing my own money." His cell phone rings, and Happy answers it.
"Yeah, what?!" Happy shouted. His face turned mild and respectful as he replied, "Oh! Oh, Mr. Watanabe, yes. Uh, I have the SpongeBob's Roundup pictures right here. In fact, I'm in the car right now, on my way to the office to fax these to you." He exits the apartment as he continued, "Uh, I'm going through a tunnel! I'm breaking up…."
The door closes, and the Roundup gang toys sprang to life. SpongeBob is extremely happy on the work Carl, the cleaner had done on him. Not only did he fix his arm, he also gave him a cleaning and touched up his paint. Cindy is still not happy with what happened last night.
"Oh, wow! Will you look at me! It's like I'm fresh out of a box!" SpongeBob laughed triumphantly. He showed his fixed arm to Farquaad and Sandy, who nod in approval. "Check out this stitching! Michael's gonna be having a hard time rippin' THIS!" SpongeBob gloated. He then waved his new arm to the glaring Cindy. "Hello! Hey, there! Hi! Hello!"
"Great! Now you can go!" Cindy scoffed sarcastically. She jumped down from the table, and angrily walked to the window.
'Well, what a good idea!" SpongeBob added with a matching sarcastic expression from Cindy's. The pull-string sponge walked over to the edge of the table and stopped, overlooking the air vent. He was happy that he has his arm back, and can finally unscrew the air vent, but his triumph began to fade into an awful look, with all of the animosity, fury, and rage last night, then the pull-string sponge began to show doubt. Suddenly, he felt a nudge and SpongeBob turned to see a saddened Spirit and a sympathetic look crossed Sandy's face.
"SpongeBob, don't be mad at Cindy." Sandy responded.
Farquaad added, "Sandy's right, SpongeBob. She's been through more than you know. Why not try to make amends before you go, huh? It's the least you can do."
SpongeBob glanced over to Cindy sitting on the windowsoll, overlooking the city outside, then he turns back to Spirit, who looks up at him with sad eyes. SpongeBob reluctantly aquiesced, "All right. But I really don't know what good it'll do." The pull-string sponge jumps down to the floor. Sandy, Spirit, and Farquaad watch SpongeBob climbing up the wooden chair.
Cindy stared out into the sunlight obscuring the image of the city. She doesn't seem to notice SpongeBob climb onto the wooden chair and her mind seemed to be focused on something else. SpongeBob asked her curiously, "Hey, whatcha doing way up here."
"I thought I'd get one last look at the sun, before I get packed away again." Cindy said, her fingers gripping on her knees, slightly trembling to experience a very bad future awaiting her. Feeling a pang of guilt at her words, SpongeBob responded, "Look, Cindy, I know you hate me for leaving. Also accusing you for what happened last night, but I really have to go back. I'm still Mike's toy. Well, if you knew him, you would understand. You see, Michael's a really…."
Cindy interrupted morosely, "Let me guess, Michael's a real special kid. And to him, you're his buddy, his playmate, his best friend, and when Michael plays with you, it's like..." Her face began to slowly alleviate,"…even though you're not moving, you feel like you're really alive, 'cause that's how he sees you." She concluded wistfully.
A hint of realization hit SpongeBob's face. "Wait. How did you know that, anyway?"
"Because, Susie Carmichael was just the same. She was my whole world." Cindy responded. Her anger washed away, leaving her despondent. She gazed out into the sky as piano music begins to play in a montage of Cindy's past life. Her past began to flash back to the story of Cindy as a cherished possession to a certain little girl.
Many years ago, Cindy is now sitting on 5-year old Susie Carmichael's bed. Cindy was Susie's favorite toy and she had the same imaginative behavior like Michael. Ever since Susie Carmichael received a SpongeBob's Roundup Cindy Vortex doll for her birthday, Susie began to show deep love and care for her.
When somebody loved me, everything is beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart
Cindy is now on a ceramic horse toy, as Susie pretends that Cindy's riding on the horse amongst a majestic horse backdrop. One night, both girls play around as they're under a makeshift tent made with Susie's bed and blanket.
And when she was sad
I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy, so was I
When she loved me
Cindy Vortex and Susie Carmichael had been best friends ever since, and Susie shared feelings with her, laughed with her, cried with her, and have loads of fun. Cindy knew what it was like to be a cherished possession to Susie. Together they go everywhere together, to amusement parks, to birthday parties, to ballparks, everywhere. Even Cindy had been showing deep love with the girl. In a car, Susie cuddled next to Cindy. Susie, carrying Cindy in one hand, ran up to a tire swing hanging from a tree on a nearby bluff.
Through the summer and the fall
We had each other, that was all
Just she and I together
Like it was meant to be
Susie span around on the swing and Cindy's hands are in her hands. Though she remained inanimate, Cindy was still laughing inside. She was still happy to have Susie with her. Cindy also felt like she is a family member to the Carmichael family.
And when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
And I knew that
She loved me
One day, Cindy sat against her pillow again, expecting a playtime from Susie. But things are now different. 11 year- old Susie takes the pillow from her bed, causing Cindy to fall under the bed. Confused, Cindy catches a glimpse of Susie painting her fingernails with her best friends from school. Cindy began to realize that Susie is growing up and maturing to the point where she can't play with her any longer. She had already made new friends from school, and Susie began to socialize with older kids. Cindy watches in sadness as things begin to change.
So the years went by, I stayed the same
But she began to drift away
I was left alone
Crestfallen, Cindy couldn't believe her eyes. Susie's ceramic horses, the horse painting, and other things based on Cindy's likeness change to teenage stuff, such as rollerskating posters, pop music albums, a record player, nail polish, lipstick, powders, etc. Cindy lies down on the floor.
Still, I waited for the day
When she'd say "I will always love you."
Many years passed, and all of Susie's childhood stuff are now crammed under the bed. Cindy and the merchandise are covered with dust. Susie, now a teenager, drops her bag of makeup stuff under the bed. Susie picks up one of her makeup stuff, and feels a lock of blonde hair. She takes out the dusty Cindy doll out from under the dusty bed and looks at it with a grin. Lost memories began to resurface.
Lonely and forgotten
I'd never thought she'd look my way
She smiled at me and held me
Just like she used to do
Like she loved me
When she loved me
Susie Carmichael is now a young woman aging from her late teens, preparing to leave for college. For a second, Cindy felt like Susie still loves her. And before Cindy even knew it, Cindy rode in the car with Susie, like they did many times before. She closes her eyes, feeling like Susie loves her so much. But that was not to last, and she couldn't be more wrong. The car stops at the path where the tree with the tire swing is still there. Susie has now grown up and is too big to ever fit through the tire swing. She walks over to a charity box and puts Cindy, and the other Cindy-themed items inside. Cindy comes to life and walks over to a hole in the box.
When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart
When she
Loved me
Cindy's jaw drops as the lower lip quivers as Susie gets back in the car and starts to drive off. Cindy is extremely saddened and heartbroken as the car drives up the hill and disappears into the horizon. Cindy wanted to cry, especially if the future of being put in goodwill charity broke her little toy heart. Her friendship with Susie and Susie's childhood years are now done. Forever.
Back in the present day, SpongeBob is now sitting next to Cindy. SpongeBob is overwhelmed by Cindy's past story with surpise, but mostly sadness. Like SpongeBob, Cindy had an owner until she eventually grew up and gave her away to goodwill charity. Also Cindy faced with her true nature. Even all children recall such loving and tender moments, until those memories fade into oblivion.
Cindy locks her hands around her knees, looking like she is about to cry again. In fact, she could feel the tiniest hint of tears locking against the plastic. "You never forget kids, like...Susie Carmichael or Michael Wilson." She sadly paused to let it sink in, "But they forget you." Cindy can't seem to bear the thought of storage, and the hardships of being in goodwill. Nature can be cruel.
SpongeBob tried to talk, "Cindy...I...I didn't know..."
"Just go." Cindy bowed her head deeper in her legs. Glancing one last time at Cindy, SpongeBob reluctantly slides off the windowsill, climbs down onto the wooden chair, then drops to the floor. SpongeBob walks over to the air vent, then unscrews the screw using both arms. He then opens up the grate, holding the cover above his head.
"How long will it last, SpongeBob?" Farquaad asked. "Do you really think Michael is going to take you to college? Or on his honeymoon?"
Farquaad expected a response from SpongeBob, but the pull-string sponge doesn't know what to think.
"Michael's growing up, and there's nothing you can do about it." Farquaad continued. SpongeBob looks down wordlessly. Michael will be growing up soon, so he might be off into bigger things.
"It's your choice, SpongeBob: you can go back. Or you can stay with us and last forever. You'll be adored by children for generations."
Quietly holding up the grate, SpongeBob began to ponder. Already he can't allow Mike to bring him out into public, and he is just several years away from being a teenager ever since that accident with the rip a few days ago. Piece by piece, be began to clue evidence that the same thing will happen to SpongeBob ever since he heard about Cindy's story. Being given away to a new kid or being donated to another place would be two of the choices that he would have to cope with. The pull-string sponge stares down the long dark air duct. SpongeBob turns and looks back at Spirit, who hangs his head low and the horse trudged over to SpongeBob, along with Sandy.
SpongeBob then reached for the horse's mane. "Who am I…" His face broke out into a broad smile, "...to break up the Roundup Gang?"
Mandible grins widely. SpongeBob rubbed the horse's mane playfully. Sandy happily said, "It's good of you to make your mind."She then wraps her arms SpongeBob in an adoring hug, the latter recopriating it. SpongeBob closes the grate, then looks up and smiles at Cindy encouragingly. Cindy perks up and smiles back at him, now that his decision of going home is overruled.