"Here, give her these." Patrick said, holding out a handful of sea flowers to the sponge. They were inside Patrick's rock, and for some reason the star felt compelled to tell Spongebob what he should do while he was with Sandy.

"Ok, but...why?" Spongebob had forced himself to meet with Patrick, and he tried to shut out the memories of the video. He didn't want to destroy their friendship over some accident that had occurred. And although he was slightly uncomfortable, he felt better than he had previously that week.

"Well, if you want Sandy to like you again, you should give her a gift!" Patrick said, folding his arms. "Besides, girls love flowers."

"Patrick, she still DOES like me." Spongebob said. "She was never mad at me."

"That's just what she wants you to think, Spongebob!" Patrick exclaimed. "But on the inside, she's SEETHING with anger!"

Spongebob was almost positive that Sandy wasn't THAT mad at him, but just to be sure, he grabbed the flowers from Patrick. "Ok, what else should I do?" He asked.

"Well..." His forehead began to wrinkle as he thought hard. "You have to IMPRESS her."

"Impress her..." Spongebob repeated with deep contemplation. "How?"

"Well, Mindy..." He swallowed, stopping himself from a sob. "Used to like it when I told her nice things about herself. Oh! And hand-holding! And hugging!"

Spongebob raised an eyebrow. "Um...I never did this with Sandy before..."

"Spongebob." Patrick grabbed him by the shoulders. "Do you want her to like you again, or not?"

Spongebob nodded. "Yes! Of course I do!"

"Then hold hands with her you shall." His eyes narrowed. He then let go of his shoulders and opened the hatch of his rock. "Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready!" Spongebob declared, pumping his fists in the air with excitement.

"Then go, Sponge, go!" Patrick cheered loudly, doing the same movement.

They then heard the opening of a window. "What are you simpletons doing now?" They heard Squidward bellow from his second-story window.

Spongebob smiled and waved. "Hey Squidward, I'm going over to Sandy's so I can give her these!" He held up the sea flowers. "Plus I'm gonna hold hands with her."

Squidward burst out laughing at the thought of HIM being a romantic in any way. "I hope she has the paramedics waiting outside her treedome!" He laughed harder at his own joke.

"Well...ok then!" Spongebob called, oblivious to the insult. "See ya later, Squidward!" He ran off in the direction of the treedome.

"Hey, wait for me!" Patrick cried out, racing out after his best friend.

Spongebob stood outside the entrance of the treedome. The flowers in his hands shook along with almost every muscle in his body. He had never done anything with Sandy like the things Patrick was suggesting. But he wasn't going to lose her as a friend for anything in the world. He tried as best he could to calm his nerves with the deep breathing.

Patrick noticed this and patted him on the back. "You'll be fine, Sponge." He went over and opened the door to the dome for him. "I'll be watching."

Spongebob was surprised at this. "Wait, why do you need to wa-" Before he could finish, he was pushed inside the entrance by his friend forcefully. He turned back to see him dive behind some flower bushes near the center of the dome. He sighed and rang the little doorbell next to the door that led to her home. "Sandy? It's Spongebob."

"Oh hiya, Spongebob!" Her voice rang through the little speaker above it. "Hang on a sec, I'll let y'all in."

He heard the sound of draining water and quickly slipped on his water helmet. After the water slipped down the drain below, the door to Sandy's air filled dome opened and the squirrel in the purple bikini stood in the frame, smiling widely. "Spongebob! Glad you could make it."

Spongebob smiled. "Here, these are for you." He held out the sea flowers, shaky still. He tried as best he could to get himself to stop.

"Aww, flowers!" She gushed, taking them in her hand and sniffing them. "Ya really shouldn't have."

Patrick's words, 'impress her', rang in his head. He quickly tried to think of something to say. "Um... Anything for you, Sandy." He said with a slight blush.

Sandy smiled wider, revealing her big buck teeth. "Thanks, Spongebob! Well, c'mon in!" She took him by the hand and led him into the dome.

Spongebob breathed out in relief. She was doing the hand-holding for him. His eyes quickly caught a pink figure in the bushes outside the dome. Patrick giving him a thumbs up. He returned it subtly as he was dragged over to the picnic table.

"Hold on, I gotta put on my sandboardin' gear." Sandy said.

Spongebob paled. He had completely forgot they had planned to go sandboarding. Or snowboarding, since there was snow on the ground now. "Um...sandboarding...?" He whispered slightly.

"Yeah, we WERE supposed to go sandboardin', right?" She said, looking over him, studying his confused look.

"Um...Well, I thought that..." He tried to think up of an excuse as quickly as possible. If they went sandboarding, he probably would have no chance to try the things Patrick told him to do. "S-since we haven't hung out in a while, that we could just...stay here?" He smiled nervously.

Sandy, to his surprise, lit up. "Why, I thought you'd never ask! I actually was down at Muscle Beach yesterday and tuckerd' myself out. I've been meanin' to just siddown and relax." She looked down at the flowers in her hand and pointed to her tree house. "I'm gonna find these a vase. Be right back." And with that, she headed to the tree. She turned around for a moment. "Want some cookies, too?"

Spongebob nodded, and she winked at him before shutting the door to her tree. Suddenly he heard a light rapping on the glass coming from the far side of the dome. Patrick was pressed up against the glass.

Spongebob flicked his eyes over to the tree. He heard her rummaging around upstairs. He sighed and walked over to where Patrick was. "Pat, I'm kinda busy." He said lowly.

"I know." He said plainly.

"So what did you call me over here for?" He asked, glancing over at the tree a few more times.

"Just to say, you're doing great."

Spongebob sighed. "Please don't interrupt me.." He pleaded, hoping that the star wouldn't do this again.

"I'm just watching.." He said.

"For what?"

"Just in case...something happens." Patrick said, smiling a bit.

"Something...as in...?" Spongebob wasn't following.

"You know..." He looked at the ground slightly and blushed. "When...she reaches out...and...touches you...in that..."

Spongebob's eyes widened at this. "Eeeeeeeew, Patrick!" He recoiled in disgust at what his friend was suggesting. "I thought I was just here to make sure we were still friends!"

"Yeah, but what if something DOES happen?" Patrick questioned. "I want to be here to see it."

"Patrick, I would NEVER do ANYTHING like that!" Spongebob said, folding his arms and glaring.

"Whatever you say, Spongie." Patrick teased and smiled.

Spongebob was about to retort to this when he noticed that Patrick's had a blush that covered his whole face. Patrick saw the stare he was receiving and laughed nervously. Spongebob shook his head again. "Patrick, we're just here to-"

Before he could finish, he saw his friend had disappeared into the flower bed again. He froze in place when he heard a voice. "Spongebob? What are y'all doin' all the way ovr' there?" He heard Sandy call.

He turned around to see her holding the plate of cookies and vase. "Um...I was just checking the...flowers..." He looked to his right where some daises lay. He picked them up out of the ground and walked over and held them out to her. "So I could give them to you!" He finished his previous thought.

Sandy gave him a look, but took them anyway. "You sure seem to have a liking for flowers.." She murmured, slightly giggling. She put the vase in the center of the picnic table along with the cookies. She sat down at one end and motioned for the sponge to sit at the other end. "Ya know, I still have the flowers from the first time y'all visited." She held them out. They were dried up and brown. "I know I shoulda thrown 'em out, but...they reminded me of when we first met." She smiled warmly at the sponge.

Spongebob smiled back, looking oddly a bit at the dead flowers. "That's nice, Sandy. Thanks." He said.

"So, what made y'all want to just relax with me?" She wondered. "You always seem up for some good ol' snowboardin'."

"Um...y'know...it's a funny story..." He felt himself get nervous.

"Do tell, 'cause I got none." She looked at the sponge with interest. "And what's with all the flowers and compliments? You've been really sweet."

"Er...well you know how I called earlier this week, and I thought...you hated me...?" He tried to say this delicately.

"Oh yeah. I was wonderin' what all that craziness was about." Sandy said.

"Well...you see...I thought that...you hated me because I hadn't called you and I was kinda bailing on you a lot." He looked at the ground shamefully.

"Aww, you shouldn't have worried none! I was busy mosta this week, too." She patted his hand that had been resting on the table.

Spongebob felt his eyes flick to her and where her hand was. He grabbed it in his and held it tight. Sandy looked surprised at this but smiled nonetheless. "But it was mostly because Patrick told me-"

"Enough said." She stopped him. She sighed. "Sometimes I just don't understand that critter. I know he's yer best friend, but he's...none too bright."

Spongebob laughed. "Heh, that's ok.. I think that sometimes too." He twiddled his free hand slowly. "So, you don't hate me? For sure?"

Sandy laughed. "Spongebob, I have no reason to be mad at ya! Yer one of my best friends!" She squeezed his hand. "And I really like you."

Spongebob lit up and saw this as another opportunity. He got up from his side of the table and hugged Sandy tightly. She was more than surprised at this, blushing furiously at the gesture. "I really like you too, Sandy!" He cried out.

As he held her tight, he felt her arms go around his waist. He looked up at her to see she was gazing at him warmly. He also noticed her blush and giggled a bit.

Sandy smiled wider at this, as he loved his laugh more than anything in the world. And before she knew what she was doing, she thrust herself at the sponge, kissing him hard on the lips.

Spongebob was caught completely off guard and tried to push himself away, but Sandy had him on the board of the picnic table. She didn't get the message. He pulled his face away from hers and breathed heavily. He saw Sandy had stopped also. "S-Sandy?"

"Oh, Spongebob.." And she lowered her head for more.

Spongebob felt her lips graze against his and he squirmed free of her grasp and fell onto the grass with a plop. Sandy looked at him with question. "What's wrong, Spongebob?"

"W-why were you kissing me?" Spongebob asked, breathing up and down from fright. He hadn't expected Sandy to do what she did. He was beyond traumatized.

"What are ya talking about?" Sandy asked. "I thought you wanted me to kiss y'all."

"We...we were just...hugging..." Spongebob said.

Sandy sat up, still confused. "But ya said you really liked me, too." She said. "And y'all were holding my hand and hugging me like that."

"I was just making...friendly gestures..." Spongebob whispered.

Sandy suddenly glared a bit. "Y'all call hand-holding a friendly gesture?" She said, annoyed.

"Well, me and Patrick hold hands all the time..." Spongebob stated.

Sandy's eyes widened. She glared harder. "Well then, why doncha go off with yer little boyfriend Patrick and hold hands with him!" She shouted, hurt now in her eyes.

"B-boyfriend?" Spongebob repeated. "Patrick isn't my-"

"If y'all just came ovr' here to humiliate me and lead me on, y'all can take yer flowers..." She threw the vase at him, the glass breaking against his water helmet. "And give 'em to him! 'Cause I don't want to see ya here ever again!" She felt a lump in her throat as she glared at the confused sponge with hatred.

"B-but..." Before he could respond, Sandy had pushed him out of her dome. He was doubled back to see that there were tears running down her face.

"Don't come back!" She cried, not bearing to look at him as she slammed the door shut.

Spongebob stood in a daze as he tried to contemplate what had just happened. Then he heard cheering and whooping from behind him.

"Whoo! Way to go, Sponge!" Patrick cried from the flower bed and went over to smile at him. "You sure made up with her!"

Spongebob felt his fists tighten. 'Why doncha go home to yer little BOYFRIEND PATRICK and hold hands with him!' He felt a glare form. If it wasn't for Patrick forcing him to do all of that...

More images of the video came to him mind. Ones he had forgotten previously.

"What's wrong, Spongebob?" Patrick tapped him from behind. "Does she forgive you?

Spongebob whipped around and glared at him. "No, Patrick! She DOESN'T forgive me!" He cried.

Patrick sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, Spongebob. What did you do wrong this time?"

Now he was beyond enraged. "ME? If it wasn't for you telling me to...hold hands with her and...hug her... In fact she wasn't even mad at me to begin with! You were wrong, and now she thinks..." He couldn't even bear to say it as he felt tears form in his eyes.

"What? What does she think?" Patrick was oblivious to his friend's discouragement.

"She...She thinks that..." His breathing went rapid. "She thinks that we're...dating..." He whispered.

"W-what?" Patrick was taken aback by this.

"She thinks that we're dating, Patrick!" He repeated, turning away from him, tears flowing out. "You and me!"

"Wow..." Patrick murmured, thoughts filling his head. "Are you...?"

"Here. See for yourself." He took out the video camera he had in his pants pocket. He quickly felt a larger lump appear in his throat and he sobbed loudly as he ran for home.

"Sponge...bob...?" Patrick whispered as he watched his best friend run down the road. He took a quick look at the video camera and turned it on.

Spongebob had pretty much cried himself out by the time he had gotten back to his house. Sandy despised him. She thought him and Patrick were dating. Patrick had betrayed him. His two best friends either hated him, or he hated them. He let out a few more sobs, wanting tears to come out so he could drain out his pain.

As he approached his house he heard the soothing sound(to him, of course) of Squidward's off-key clarinet playing. Hearing Spongebob's sobs, Squidward stopped and stuck his head out the window. "Spongebob..." He then noticed the tears that stained the sponge's face. He hadn't even taken off his water helmet. "What, did Sandy reject you or something?"

Spongebob just sobbed louder at that thought. "Ohhhh...Squidward!" He cried out, and he fell to the ground face first, glass breaking around him.

Squidward saw the little pieces of glass that were now piercing the sponge's skin and raced out, trying not to step on them himself. "Spongebob, get up."

"I can't, I'm busy wallowing..." He murmured, face buried in the pavement.

"You have glass in your skin, now get up." Squidward commanded him.

Spongebob sniffled and reluctantly got up. His eyes widened at the little pieces wedged in his skin, as did Squidward. He shrieked in fear. "Squidward get them out, get them out!" He cried.

"Ok, ok! Calm down!" Squidward yelled and the sponge did immediately. He reached out and one by one plucked out the little pieces. There were barely any cuts on his skin when he was done. "There. You're fine."

He sniffed and smiled as best he could. "Thanks, Squidward."

"Alright well-"

Another sob burst out from behind him. "Oh, Squidward! They both HATE ME!" He cried out and he grabbed onto the squid's leg and sobbed at his tentacles.

Squidward sighed, knowing he should be used to the sudden mood swings the sponge had. He lifted his tentacle, trying to get him off, but he held on tight. "Who hates you? Besides me."

"Sandy...and Patrick..." He blubbered.

"Well, that's unfortunate." He said sarcastically.

"I know, it's awful! I have no one to play with now..." Spongebob wallowed. "Plus they'll never want to see me again!"

"Really sorry for ya."

"Thanks, Squid. You're always there for me." He murmured, sniffling a bit. "At least I still have you."

Squidward felt the tears and snot from the sponge leak on his tentacle and stepped away a bit, cringing.

Spongebob then suddenly lit up at what he had just said. He looked up at the squid with shiny eyes. "At least I still have you..." He repeated.

Squidward's leg shot up as he stepped away from the possessed-looking sponge. "N-no...No, you don't." He muttered, trying to back away.

Spongebob got up fast and ran to his side, smiling widely, biting his hands in anticipation. "Yeah! Squidward, you can still hang out with me! We'll be the best of friends!"

"No, no, no!" Squidward bellowed, glaring. He was going to have no part of this. "I'm not your-"

"Aww, Squid, this'll be great! We can play every day, blow bubbles, play your clarinet together..." His eyes shined at the thought. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"No, it doesn't. And we are not going to be-" He was cut off once again, however.

"We can start tomorrow!" Spongebob cried and he squeezed the squid's tentacle.

Squidward recoiled. "Spongebob, just because your two other friends don't want to hang out with you, doesn't mean you have to always come crawling to ME." He folded his arms.

Spongebob's face fell. "B-but... I don't have anyone else..." He murmured, eyes welling up again.

"Spongebob..." He then noticed the tears running down his face and felt somewhat guilty. He sighed, knowing he was going to regret what he was about to say. "Fine... Only for tomorrow, ok? I'll hang out with you, tomorrow only."

Spongebob gasped happily and grinned. "Thanks, Squidward!" He cried and he hugged his waist at a bone-crunching level.

Squidward doubled back with a groan. He tried to tap his head to get him to stop, but his arms were trapped under Spongebob's tight grip. "Spongebob...Can ya let go..?"

"Yeah, sorry." He squeezed tight once more before letting go. He smiled at him. "Be up early tomorrow so we can go to Jellyfish Fields!" He flicked his nose playfully before running to his house and going inside.

Squidward slapped his forehead. "You know that you're going to regret this, Squidward..." He muttered to himself.

"Is Spongebob home?" He was startled by a voice behind him, and he saw Patrick holding a video camera.

"Patrick, what are you-" His eyes suddenly caught a sight down below. Something sticking out from Patrick's pants. "Err...Patrick..." He pointed down disgustedly at the star's hard on.

Patrick just looked down and shrugged. He turned his attention back to the video playing and his eyes widened at the footage that was playing. Squidward backed away nervously and rushed inside his house.