Chapter 7: The First Date(s) (continued)

"Patrick? Mindy? What are you doing here?" asked SpongeBob, confused.

"Don't you get it?" Patrick answered. "This is my dinner with Princess Mandy."

"Mindy," the princess corrected. "Princess Mindy."

SpongeBob was very shocked to find out that by pure coincidence, his date with Sandy was happening at the exact same time and place as Patrick and Mindy's! But he was actually more concerned than surprised. Sure, Patrick is a good friend, but he can cause problems sometimes, thought the sponge. He was especially worried that this could really ruin his incredibly special night with the true girl of his dreams.

"Tri…pul…dee…loox…" Patrick said, trying to read one of the menu items. Mindy helped him out. "That says 'Triple Deluxe Special'," she said.

"What's that?" asked Patrick.

"That's like a normal burger, but with triple bacon and tomatoes."

Already, SpongeBob, as well as Sandy, was annoyed – and slightly disturbed – by Patrick. "Can we sit at another table?" SpongeBob asked his date, rather anxiously.

"No, we can't!" Sandy answered. "We have to be supportive of our friend! We want to be nice to our friend, right?"

"I guess so," SpongeBob answered, disappointed.

"Besides, we've got such a nice view outside!" Sandy encouraged him.

Just then, the waiter appeared. "What would you guys like to order?" he asked Patrick and his date.

"I'd like one Krabby Patty, please," Patrick answered.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have anything called a 'Krabby Patty' on the menu," the waiter said.

"Patrick, this isn't The Krusty Krab!" SpongeBob yelled to him.

"SpongeBob, be quiet!" Sandy told him.

"Patrick, you have to order something that's on the menu at this restaurant, Johnny's Bar and Grill," Mindy said to her date. "Why don't you try a regular hamburger?"

"Okay, I'll have that."

"And what would you like, your highness?" the waiter asked Mindy. Mindy always felt good when someone recognized her as royalty.

"I'll have whatever Patrick's having," Mindy happily replied.

"And what would you two like to have?" the waiter asked the sponge and squirrel.

"I'd like a Triple Deluxe Special burger," SpongeBob answered.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Sandy asked.

"I'm as sure as my pants are square!" confidently remarked SpongeBob.

"And I'd like the steak, medium-rare, Texas-fried," Sandy said.

"Very well, then," the waiter said, and then left.

SpongeBob was excited to eat his dinner, especially with Sandy, but he felt a little angry and worried about Patrick. Already, he had had enough of Patrick for disrupting his special night and was worried that things would only get worse.

About 15 minutes later, Sandy asked SpongeBob, "Excuse me, but do you mind if I go to the restroom?"

"I don't mind at all," replied SpongeBob. Sandy left to go to the restroom, and SpongeBob could see, coming towards their tables, their food!

"Here's your food," the waiter said, delivering several plates to Patrick and Mindy's table. "Looks delicious!" Patrick said, excitedly.

"And here's yours," he said again, delivering the food to SpongeBob and Sandy's table.

SpongeBob thought about digging in, but he then remembered how it's polite to wait for everyone at the table to be there before starting eating. So he patiently waited.

However, he then saw Patrick eat his food, and he ate his food very fast! He gave a loud belch afterward. "Uh…Patrick?" Mindy said to Patrick, surprised and slightly weirded out by what had just happened. Then Patrick saw the food on SpongeBob and Sandy's table. "More food!" excitedly exclaimed Patrick. He then rushed over to the table.

"Patrick, don't you – " SpongeBob tried to warn Patrick, but before he could finish, Patrick quickly gobbled up and swallowed SpongeBob's Triple Deluxe Special burger! "Patrick, why did you just – "

Again, he got cut off as to his horror, Patrick quickly ate Sandy's steak! Patrick happened to be such a messy eater that some bits of food had landed on SpongeBob's shirt, as well as on the table.

"Patrick, that was SpongeBob and Sandy's food," Mindy told Patrick. "You don't eat anyone else's food."

"Oh," replied Patrick, seriously. "Sorry, SpongeBob!"

Just when SpongeBob didn't think it couldn't get any worse, Patrick led Sandy out of the room, excitedly. "Come on, I'll show you where to get some good ice cream!"

"Uh, don't we have to pay before we leave?" Mindy asked, confused.

"Nonsense! We can do it later."

Just a few seconds after Patrick and Mindy unexpectedly left the restaurant, SpongeBob was planning to abandon it, too, but Sandy returned from the restroom.

"Hi, SpongeBob!" Sandy happily said to the sponge. "Is my food here yet?" Then she saw SpongeBob at his table, with noticeable food stains on his shirt, and equally noticeable crumbs on both hers and SpongeBob's plates, as well as additional food stains on the table. Sandy gasped, shocked at the scene.

"My food came here and you ate it?! And yours?! And you ate it very quickly?!"

SpongeBob was just as worried as she was. "No, it's not what it seems! Patrick did it!"

"Yeah, right," Sandy responded, annoyed. "He's not even here anymore! And neither is Mindy!"

"But they just were! And they left the building in a flash!"

"I just can't believe…you would lie to me like that," said Sandy in a concerned voice. "It's obvious that you did it. Just look at your shirt!"

"But I didn't!" Then SpongeBob looked at his shirt, and saw all the food stains. "I guess I could use some freshening up," he said. "So…uh…why don't we both order another burger?"

"I've kind of lost my appetite now," Sandy dully responded.

"Uh…me, too," said SpongeBob. They then both left the restaurant.

The waiter returned afterwards, only to see that everybody had left!

"Hey, where did everybody go?" he asked, confused. Then his confusion transformed into anger. "You'll pay for this!" he then said. "Literally!"

SpongeBob and Sandy walked to Sandy's treedome. Although Patrick had basically ruined the couple's night out, he knew that Sandy still would love him.

"So, Sandy, you want to, you know?" SpongeBob happily asked Sandy, pulling his arms towards her.

"SpongeBob, I hate to say this, but…" Sandy nervously replied, "I'm kind of not in the mood for kissing tonight." SpongeBob's heart sank. "You were…should I say, a bit of a slob at dinner."

"As I said, that wasn't me, that was Patrick!" SpongeBob corrected her.

"Patrick may be weird and all, but I know that y'all did it. Good night, SpongeBob," she said to SpongeBob, annoyed, as she closed the door as she walked into her home.

Shortly after, SpongeBob then saw Patrick and Mindy, laughing as they walked past, with ice cream. And they were holding hands!

"Hi, SpongeBob!" Patrick greeted him.

"Hi, Patrick," SpongeBob greeted him back, in a sad voice.

SpongeBob slowly, and quite sadly, walked the way home.

Things aren't looking good for SpongeBob and Sandy, although they are for Patrick and Mindy, but will they get better? Stay tuned!