Author's Note: Thank you SpongeFan SquareFiction! Your review was very nice. I'm glad you think that this is one of my best. You're right, if Plankton was as smart, the world would be doomed. I hope you readers enjoy!

Chapter 7

It was dark. But not as dark as it probably was in Spongebob's cell. Patrick was crying under his closed rock. His mournful sobs echoed off the sandy walls.

"How…why?" Patrick sobbed. Ever since he heard that Spongebob was in jail, he locked himself up, under his rock. He couldn't believe that his best friend was gone.

Sandy was worried. Spongebob was locked in jail, and Patrick hadn't come out from under his rock ever since the police arrived outside Spongebob's pineapple.

"Maybe I should visit the guy," thought Sandy to herself. It would be nice to go out. When she first came to her underwater tree-dome, it seemed inviting and friendly, now it just seemed cold and hollow. Sandy put on her air suit, and set off towards Patrick's house.

Sandy stopped outside Patrick's rock and tapped on the house lightly. "Patrick?" she asked. No answer. She tapped a little louder. "Pat? Are you home?" She waited a few minutes outside the rock. When she listened carefully, the she could hear small sobs. "Pat, come on," Sandy pleaded. "I know you're sad, but won't you talk?" The rock opened up a small crack.

"Sponge…sniff…bob in…sniff sniff…jail!" bawled Patrick from under his rock.

"I know, Pat," said Sandy sympathetically. "But we can't change anything. Spongebob is in jail, and we can't change that." Faced with this truth, the chubby, pink sea star started to cry harder than ever. He opened up his rock all the way, so the sobs seemed even louder than normal.

"Awww, Sandy!" cried Patrick. "I want Spongebob!" Patrick fell off his rock and fell to the ground. His crying was muffled by the sand.

"Pat, I…" but she was interrupted by Patrick's crying. "Patrick, maybe…" She was interrupted by more crying. "PATRICK!" she yelled. Patrick stopped crying. "Look," said Sandy. "The jail is allowing visiting hours for Spongebob in a few minutes. Do you want to go down there and talk? Patrick wiped his tears and nodded like a toddler would. The two set off for the Bikini Bottom jail.

"Hey, Squarepants," called the warden. Spongebob looked up towards his cell door. He saw the warden with Sandy and Patrick. Immediately, he ran over to the door. Sandy was the first to speak.

"Spongebob, I can't believe you're in here," she said. Her tone seemed half sad, and half confused. Spongebob didn't blame her. The past three days had been noting but crazy. "I don't know what to think," she said. Spongebob just looked down. He couldn't stand to face his friend, not when she half believed that he did the crimes. "Listen, I brought Patrick with me. I'll leave you two to talk." Sandy walked down the hall, through a set of doors. Now it was just Spongebob, Patrick, and the warden. Before Patrick laid eyes on Spongebob, he faced the warden.

"I'd like to be alone, please," said Patrick in the most serious tone Spongebob had ever heard him in.

"Sorry, pal, no can do. Jail policy," replied the warden.

"I said, I'd like to be alone." Patrick looked dead serious. He had a look that said, I'll kill to be alone with Spongebob. The warden took one cautious step back.

"Fine, but if you get hurt, it's not my fault," said the warden. He walked down the hallway and exited through the same doors Sandy stepped through.

Patrick faced Spongebob. "I know it wasn't you," said Patrick. Spongebob was taken aback. Did Patrick know about Squarepants? "I don't know how, but I know you didn't do those crimes." Spongebob faced Patrick. He saw how much his best friend missed him. Patrick's eyes were red from crying so much, and his skin was a little paler from staying in his rock for so long.

"How…" started Spongebob. "How do you know?"

"I've been with you ever since we were babies," said Patrick. "I know you well enough to tell that you're innocent." Spongebob was eternally grateful that Patrick believed in him.

"Thank you," muttered Spongebob in reply. The two friends stood facing each other for a while.

"I'm going to miss you, Spongebob," said Patrick.

"Me too," agreed Spongebob. "Just think," he said. "No more bubbles."

"No more ice cream," said Patrick.

"No more jelly fishing."

"No more fun."

"No more anything"

"Hey, times up!" yelled the warden from across the hall.

"Goodbye," said Patrick. He lingered a bit by Spongebob's cell, and then walked away.

Sandy and Patrick were standing outside of Patrick's house. "Thank you for bringing me there, Sandy," said Patrick.

"It was no problem," she replied.

"I just can't believe," he said. "No more friendship."