The rain was still pouring down when the Imaginaries and I got home, looking at the roof of my house, where a complex home stood at the top.
While hearing it creak, Boo cuddled close to Sulley, who comforted her, saying. "It's OK, Boo. It'll be safe in here."
"Some idea you came up with." Jim said to SpongeBob and Patrick. "Putting your houses on top of the Krusty Krab on the roof."
"I told them, back then, during spring break, that it was a bad idea." I said.
"But, of course, you know how they are." added Squidward, who said, alongside me. "They wouldn't listen!"
We turned to Patrick and SpongeBob, who said. "At least it's supported, right?"
"That may be true," said Mike. "But, suppose it breaks loose and kill somebody."
"Well, if that's the case," said Jim. "My money's on...the spider pyscho."
As he spoke, Morph shapeshifted into Scroop, repeating. "Spider pyscho! Spider pyscho!"
SpongeBob and Patrick flinched while Jim chuckled. "A little uglier."
As Morph complied, laughing crazily while making his Scroop self look zany, assuming what just happened that afternoon, Mike asked. "Friend of a certain somebody we know?"
"Pretty close." replied Jim.
"Jim! Hello!" hollered a voice.
We turned to see a dog-like man named Dr. Delbert Doppler hurrying towards us.
"Oh, friend of yours?" asked SpongeBob.
"Friend of my mom's, actually." replied Jim. "What are you doing here, Doc?"
"Well, when your mom heard about your new job and where you were staying." explained Doppler. "She sent me out here to check on you."
"Gee, Doc, that's...very nice of you." Jim said sarcastically, before he and the rest of us heard whimpering coming from Mike's car, which we walked to, cautiously, and opened, revealing...
"Dorothy?!" we all said with surprise.
"What are you doing in my car?" asked Mike.
"Just trying to...um...get out of the rain?" said Dorothy.
"All right, now you're just being silly." said Mr. Krabs. "Get out of there!"
"No, please don't send me away." begged Dorothy. "If you do, Miss Gulch will try to take Toto again."
Jim looked at her with sympathy, then turned to us, saying. "It's only fair that we let her stay with us. Just until we get this whole Gulch thing sorted out."
Dorothy sighed with relief as we looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.
"Oh, fine." said Mr. Krabs. "But we're gonna have to charge your rent!"
"What? No!" I said. "Nobody's charging anything. This is my house!"
"And do you own everything that's in there?" asked Mr. Krabs.
"Well, not all of it, but..."
"That's all I wanted to hear."
"Mr. Krabs, you're not being fair!"
"Fair, shmair. I say she pays the rent and that's the end of..."
As Mr. Krabs and I argued, Boo's crying interrupted us.
"WHAT?!" we shouted together.
Boo pointed at the roof, where the support beams that held the Krusty Krab broke loose, causing the resturant to tilt...then slide backwards with the other houses on top of it.
We all ran inside my house through the open garage and into the kitchen, where we could see the Krusty Krab crash into the backyard, along with SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward's houses.
We stared at the rubble in shock through the kitchen windows.
"What will Mom and Dad say when they see this?" I asked.
"Don't worry, Nate. We'll clean all this up before they notice." assured Mike.
"Somehow." added Sulley.
"Well, that won't excuse the fact that this is coming out of tomorrow's pay!" Mr. Krabs said bitterly.
Jim and Squidward frowned at what he said, looking at each other while Morph blew a raspberry.
"Look on the bright side." assured Dr. Doppler. "As long as we're safe and warm inside, this could be a wonderful opportunity for all of us to get to know one another. You know what they say: familarity breeds...uh...well, contempt. But in our case..."
"Look, Doc, if you're gonna stay with us," interrupted Jim. "Just ease up on the talking, OK?"
The sound of the garage door closing loudly got our attention. In stepped B.E.N. and Sandy, who asked. "Have y'all seen Spirit anywhere?"
At the mention of his name, Jim, SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and I looked at each other, gulping nervously.
Back at Foster City School, Rain lay under one of the play structures when she saw Eliza and Darwin walking up to her.
"What do you want?" she frowned.
"Rain, we're really sorry we lost Spirit." said Eliza. "But we might be able to get him back."
"Look, Eliza, you've done enough." Rain said, turning away. "Just leave me alone."
"Rain, please, hear what I have to say..." Eliza said, but Rain snapped in front of her. "NO! I don't want to hear another word out of you! If I said you've done enough, you have done enough! Now, go!"
As she turned away again, Darwin whispered. "We better do as she says, Eliza."
Eliza took one last glance at Rain, then walked away with him.
Behind the Omega fence, as Spirit looked through the boarded windows, he hung his head in remorse.
