"That's your plan?" Squidward asked as he, SpongeBob, Patrick and Mr. Krabs watched me pack up my guitar case. "You're just gonna…run away?"
"It's not far where I'm going." I said, going past them through the bridge to the arch window.
Realizing I was going back to Foster City School, Mr. Krabs groaned. "Oh, you're killing us, lad."
"I'm not killing anyone. I just want to go back to the way things were!" I said, sitting on a tube, which I rode down the water slide through SpongeBob's house and into the kiddie pool, from which I hopped out, leaving the backyard through the fence door, which Silver had opened on his way in, when the Imaginaries came down the slide and caught up.
"Nathan, we understand you're still upset about this, as much as I am for not being hall monitor anymore." said SpongeBob. "But if you try harder..."
"I tried, OK?!" I snapped at him. "I tried to give Bowditch a chance! I tried to fit in! But it's clear that I don't belong there. So there's nothing left to do but...Odette?"
To my surprise, there she was, outside my house.
"But...how did you know where I..."
"They offered me a ride." Odette explained, taking a step back to reveal Amelia, Mr. Arrow, and Dr. Doppler, who said. "Oh, thank goodness. And I thought we were too late to..."
"Oh, tish-tosh." shushed Amelia.
"Nathan, we understand what you're going through," said Odette. "But, running away is not going to solve anything."
I took a step back from her, asking. "What else is there do? Stay at a place that doesn't feel like home?"
On seeing me cry, Odette kneeled down, placed her hand on my shoulder, saying. "Look, we all know Bowditch isn't the same as it was back at Foster City School. As your friends, we want to help, but...we can't if you won't let us."
I sobbed even harder as Odette wrapped her arms around me.
Taking notice of Squidward sniffling as he watched, Mr. Krabs and Silver comforted him.
While watching as well, SpongeBob looked up at Amelia, who looked back also.
But before she could speak, a voice said. "Sorry to interrupt, but my sister owes you an apology."
We all turned to see Linus dragging Lucy, whom he had wrapped up with his blanket, towards us, with the Urban Rangers beside him.
"Let me loose, you blanket-carrying blockhead!" Lucy demanded. "I owe him nothing!"
Woodstock pecked on her head, then, landed on top of Snoopy, who growled at Lucy, who frightened him by gnashing her teeth.
"If I wasn't bundled up, I'd slug all of you!" she said.
"We're the ones who'll be doing the slugging unless you apologize for what you did last night." warned Charlie Brown.
"No, I will not..." Lucy said, only to be hit by Plank, held by Jonny, who said. "Plank says 'You better say you're sorry or you're getting another whacking!'"
"Pfft!" scoffed Lucy. "Whack me all you want. I'm still not apologizing."
"You're right, Mowgli." said Shanti. "She does sound like Jane."
"But more selfish." Mowgli added as he glared at Lucy, who said. "I prefer the term self-empowered. And as student body president..."
"Silence, you!" ordered Rolf, who whacked her with his staff. "Your entitlement has enflamed Rolf's nostrils much too much!"
"TROUBLE! BAD! BIG!"
At the sound of Ed's voice, we looked up to see him biking speedily towards my house, with Double D and Eddy on tow, crashing into the front tree in the haste.
"Eds? How did you know where I live?" I asked.
"We live in different parts around Antigua." explained Double D. "Haven't you noticed?"
"That ain't as important as what we saw, Nathan." Eddy said as he came up to me. "Those stories you were telling us about the Alphas and Omegas taking over Foster City School, they're all true! In fact, the same thing is happening at Bowditch right now!"
"What's happening at Bowditch?" asked Mr. Krabs.
"It's those Crust girls." explained Eddy. "We overheard them earlier, saying they're tearing down all of Bowditch right after..."
"The ball!" realized Odette.
"No, it's not a ball anymore." said Double D. "It's a forced wedding in which they're marrying Prince Daniel so they can take his fortune."
"What? When?" asked Amelia.
"As we speak, it's happening now, this very evening." replied Double D.
"FETCH THE POLICE! CALL 911! SEND IN THE..." Ed panicked before Mr. Arrow slapped him hard.
"His shrieks rip through Rolf like Nana's cabbage stew!" said Rolf.
"Well, what'd you expect?" replied Mr. Arrow. "He's just as crazy as the Thornberry boy."
"Tear down Bowditch, will they?" Amelia said, storming towards her car. "I'll see to it they're put behind bars."
"Ha! Like that's gonna do any good." Eddy said as he and Double D helped Ed up. "The chances of us getting Bowditch back are a kazillion to one."
"Although, it's hardly an actual number, I have to concur with Eddy on this one." said Double D, whose eyes turned to me, as well as everyone else's.
"The choice is yours, Nathan." said Odette. "You can either go back to Foster City School or help save Bowditch."
I started to take a step back until Double D said. "Nathan, please. We need you just as much as Foster City School did."
His words echoed inside my head as more memories came to me, but this time, they were of Bowditch and those I have met and befriended during my first few days.
As I saw them flash before my eyes, another tear trickled down my cheek, landing on my guitar case, which I started to reach for, but pulled away, knowing that Double D was right.
Bowditch was starting to feel like home and I wasn't going to let the Crust Cousins take it away.
I looked back at the Imaginaries, asking. "Who's in, too?"
Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Silver grinned with equal determination, but SpongeBob turned away, replying sadly. "I'm out."
"No, you're not, Mr. Squarepants." Amelia said, walking up to him.
SpongeBob looked back to see her holding his belt and cap.
"But...you said I..."
"I know, SpongeBob...but I was wrong." said Amelia. "You have proven yourself worthy for the task at hand. I tried to show the proper procedures, but what I should've done in the first place was let you be your own hall monitor."
She held out the belt and cap in front of SpongeBob, who didn't know what to say.
But Charlie Brown did, for he asked. "So, what do you say?"
SpongeBob turned to the other Imaginaries, who all nodded at him...including Mr. Krabs.
He, then, turned to face Amelia, taking back the belt and cap which he put on again, saying with a salute. "I reaccept the responsibility, Captain, understanding the consequences that you've bestowed against me!"
"Then, let's go, rangers! There's not a moment to be wasted!" Rolf said, leading his troops to Silver's truck.
"We'll meet you there once we require Dexter's assistance." Double D said as he and his fellow Eds got on their bike.
"And I'll call the rest of the Bunch for backup." added Linus.
"Very good." said Amelia. "Full speed, Mr. Arrow!"
"Aye, Captain!" Mr. Arrow replied, stepping on the gas of her car, which he drove in a furious pace, with Amelia, Dr. Doppler, Odette and I inside.
Silver was not far behind, with the Urban Rangers, the Imaginaries, and Linus & Lucy riding in the back of his truck.
"Hey, what about me?" called Lucy.
"You shall not interfere...because you're grounded!" Ed called back as he rode the bike to the right, then made another right.
"Ed, Dexter's the other way!" said Eddy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Arrow drove Amelia's car past Foster City School, which I looked at through the back window, which Odette did, too, while comfortingly placing her hand on my shoulder again.
"EE-YAH! WHOA!" exclaimed both Dr. Doppler and Odette as Mr. Arrow turned the corner, going as fast as he could to Bowditch...
