2:01 PM - The Lunch Rush.
"Can I Get a Krabby patty, with No cheese-" another day another nickel at the Krusty Krab. Squidward stood behind the register doing his usual, it was surreal. Everything was a blur, almost as if his head was stuck inside a fuzzy bubble.
Every sound was magnified, the moving of the chairs. The patterns of foot steps, was it him? He lived in terror not knowing when he would appear.
….
"Ugn.." Squidward moaned in pain as he laid in his bed while Spongebob wrapped his wounds.
"Sponge." Squidward gasped for water, it was hard to breathe and he was sure he had broken a rib or something.
"I need to go to the Doctor." Squidward pleaded as the sponge wrapped his legs with an elastic bandage. Spongebob chuckled at his plea.
"A doctor huh?" Spongebob asked as he pulled the wrap a little hard which caused Squidward to wince in pain.
"P, Please. I think my ribs broken and-"
"You're being a Baby, you always have been. You need a doctor, bitch I am A doctor." Spongebob informed him as he finished tightening the wrap.
"I guess you never took the medical classes Mr. Krabs forced us to take seriously. I think I am the best suited for taking care of you." Spongebob said as he sat besides Squidward's head on the bed.
"I'll take care of you, in ANYWAY I need." Spongebob said with a deeper meaning in his voice. Spongebob let out a sigh, "I don't know what I'm going to do with you Squiddy. You don't seem to get how this works, I assure you. This isn't a game." Spongebob began to pet his head.
"You can leave me alone, I won't say anything." Squidward began to try and convince the sponge, hoping that somewhere in that deranged head of his there was that simple sponge that he had always known.
The look on his porous face however, "You're not gonna let me go, are you?" Squidward asked.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Spongebob asked as he stood up from the bed, "If I had really let you go, what would stop you from actually going to the police?" Spongebob asked, "I won't I, I promise!"
"Your promises are as empty and fake as we both are." Spongebob spit as he rolled his eyes.
"So what are you going to do to me then?" Squidward asked as he tried to shift in the bed but found it to be painful.
"If you think I want to kill you, I don't. At least, not right now anyways, i'm getting kind of bored with the old routine, this seems like it might be fun. I mean, you're the only one who really knows who I am, and could possibly understand what it's like." Spongebob said.
"Everyone in this town can all go to hell, everyone of them. I know that none of them ever liked you. In fact, They were willing to murder you to save their own lives." Spongebob reminded him.
"SO! I was thinking!" Spongebob said as he sat back onto the bed with Squidward.
"Maybe we could get to actually know each other, ya know? Of course there will be Rules, Squiddy." Spongebob pointed out.
Get to know each other? This guy is fucking nuts, as if Squidward would want to know someone as dark and fucking twisted as him.
"Rules?" Squidward asked as Spongebob got off the bed and ran over to a bag he had sitting in a chair before returning with a small item.
"I got this from a friend." Spongebob said as he showed it to Squidward. Was that a Collar?!
"I know what you're thinking. Is this a collar? The short answer is, "Yes." Spongebob said as he showed it off, it was a smooth black collar.
"What are you going to do with it?" Squidward asked as he tried to scoot away, "What am I gonna do with it? Heh Nothing, You're gonna do something with it, and put it on." Spongebob laughed as he extended it to him.
Squidward looked down at the small item, "N, No. I can't, that's humiliating, people will think I'm crazy
."
"I Really Don't want to have to tell you twice, Squiddy." Spongebob shook his head as he started to become more irritated, "and YOU really don't want me to tell you Twice." Spongebob warned as he continued to hold it out for him.
Just Do it Squiddy, Do it and get it over with. Don't make him Angry.
"That's a Good boy." Spongebob praised with a smile as he began to tighten a watch onto his wrist while Squidward fastened the collar around his neck before Spongebob reached over to help tighten it before he pulled out a key.
"What's that for?" Squidward asked as the sponge grabbed him by the collar and inserted the tiny key into a small hole.
"You ask too many questions." Spongebob noted.
"Now, Rest up. We have work in the morning." Spongebob said
….
Squidward stared down at the wet spots on the register before an Angry fish started to snap at him. Squidward had completely forgotten where he was and how he even got here.
"Do You work here or not!" The angry fish Tom yelled at the octopus.
"Huh? What?" Squidward asked, genuinely confused, "Oh yeah, Sorry. The register was having some connection issues."
"Whatever, just take my order we don't have all day." the angry customer said.
"R, right." Squidward nodded gently, although it proved to be difficult with a cast.
"ORDER UP!" that usually annoying voice that used to cause him so much anger, and would make him jump out at any chance to yell at that annoying sponge, no longer had the same effects, it was terrifying.
Squidward began to feel his heart race throughout his core, his heart became loud and his breathing became disturbed.
"Well, aren't you going to hand me my order, or not?!" The angry fish shouted at Squidward who in response ducked behind the register, frozen in his terror.
"Here you go sir, I hope you enjoy it." Spongebob said as he handed the customer their food.
"There's no Pickles in these, right?" the angry fish questioned the sponge who only smiled, "No pickles or tomato, just like you ordered." Spongebob assured. "Whatever, You need to hire better people." the angry fish spat before he turned to go to his table where his family was sitting.
"Hey, are you ok Squiddy?" Spongebob asked, pretending to be concerned it was the perfect facade and his voice was so fake and obvious now.
"Sheesh, get a load of that guy." Spongebob whistled as he watched the angry fish share his food with his family as Squidward slowly stood up.
Spongebob began to look more into the little family, "A man with a wife and two kids, the seemingly perfect nuclear family." Spongebob sighed as he began to look at the wife who he noticed had bags under her eyes where she tried her best to hide with make up.
"I bet she stays home with the kids and he works and provides. While she does all the typical wife duties, cooking and cleaning. Child care. The children are so happy they don't even know that their parents' relationship is falling apart." Spongebob shook his head, it was a shame.
"A man that mistreats his once loving wife. A man that was well into his thirties while she was only a child fresh out of highschool, and on her way to college to become a nurse or something. when they met, and he charmed her with his seemingly good looks, and wise words." Spongebob sat down on the railing of the boat as he continued to read the family.
"He groomed her, took her away from her parents and got her pregnant and Proposed and convinced her to take a break from college to focus on their kids and he would provide. Two kids later she is still a stay at home mom, who has let herself go, unable to take time for herself like she used to. While he works late and comes home smelling of the night club and cheap perfume."
"While she stays up at night and drinks her cheap wine and wonders where things have gone wrong." Spongebob sighed as he continued to stare at the exhausted woman.
"Gosh, I hate men like that, don't you?" Spongebob asked Squidward, who only looked at the woman, "How can you get that from just staring at someone?" Squidward asked and Spongebob shrugged.
"I guess I'm pretty good at reading situations." Spongebob said before he looked at Squidward,
"Just like yours, throwing yourself down the stairs. The next time you feel like jumping the rope, Squiddy. Call me, I'm your friend to the end and that's what I am here for." Spongebob said as he pat Squidward on the back before going into the kitchen.
Squidward sighed as he looked at the floor of the restaurant, this was all so surreal and felt like he was in a bad dream he couldn't wake up from.
"Hey! I asked for No lettuce!" the familiar angry fish shouted as he marched up to the register to complain. While Squidward remained in his frightened trance, "You useless cashier, are you even listening to me?!" the angry man shouted.
"Oh, uh yeah sorry, no lettuce uh, anything else?" Squidward asked, "Yeah I want a refund! I want to talk to whoever is in charge!" the angry man shouted.
"REFUND?!" Mr. Krabs shouted as he ran from his office to see what the commotion was about.
"Are you the man in charge?" the angry fish asked the concerned crab before he started to complain about his food.
"Mr. Squidward! What's the meaning of this, you get in there and fix this mess and don't come out until you do! I'm sorry about that sir, we'll get that fixed fer you, just have a seat and Squidward will bring it out to you once it is done." Mr. Krabs said as he walked the man back to his table.
"Ok here you go, A krabby Patty with no lettuce, tomato or pickle." Squidward said as he handed the man his food.
"Wait! There's cheese On this patty!" said the angry fish.
"So?" Squidward shrugged, not sure what the problem was now.
"Well, I'm lactose intolerant, which means I can't eat cheese ya ding dong! Bring me another or give me back my money" the man shouted at Squidward which resulted in a death glare from his boss who had poked his eyes out from the office.
"Ok, here's your Krabby Patty, no cheese No lettuce tomato or pickles, anything else?" Squidward asked, becoming slightly annoyed.
"Yeah, I thought I told you to remove the crust! And there's too much ketchup and I can only eat wheat buns!"
Later after shift
Squidward grumbled to himself as he walked through his front door, Spongebob had stayed back a little to clean the kitchen a little and told Squidward to walk ahead but of course to be careful.
With Spongebob gone, Squidward could use this time to call the police, he should while the sponge was out of distance. Yet, how would he explain the body in the house, wherever Spongebob had hidden her.
Surely they would believe him if he showed them the bruises, right? Knowing Spongebob he wouldn't be back home for at least another couple hours until he finished cleaning.
Squidward's heart began to pound in his chest as he began to pull his phone out, what if what Spongebob said was right? What if he really did hack his phone, would it be wise to use this phone to call for help?
What can the sponge do? He wasn't here to stop him.
Squidward trembled as he began to fumble with the dial pad, slowly dialing the number which proved to be harder than he had thought with a broken arm and with him unable to control his shivers.
DING
Squidward yelped as a text notification went off on his shellphone, causing him to drop his phone in the process.
Was it him? Was he watching him? Who could have messaged him at this hour?
As Squidward picked up his phone he was prepared to see a message from his neighbor, but instead he received a message from Squilva.
Squilvia: Can we talk? I miss you.
Squidward's stomach dropped after reading her message, he hadn't heard from her in months, why now of all times would she want to patch things now? Squidward wiped a few tears from his eyes.
It didn't take long for him to make the decision to dial the three letter number until he got a notification from Squilvia again.
It was a picture of his upstairs bathtub with a hot bath drawn.
Squilvia: I hope you don't mind, I let myself in. I could use an extra set of hands.
Squidward's face darkened a few shades of red, he only knew what that implied and the idea of his hot ex in his bathtub.
Squidward was pulled from his thoughts as he received another text message, he quickly turned to read the message when he felt the feeling of dread.
Spongebob: I'm on my way home
Squidward shrieked as he ran towards his house, completely forgetting to call the police, but instead Messaging Squilvia to leave. If Spongebob got home and saw Squilvia, what would he do?
Now that Squidward knew what kind of sick shit was into, there was no telling what he would do to poor Squilvia who after all this time, was the love of his life. Spongebob could use her against him.
Squidward looked back down at his phone, and saw that Squilva had sent another message. Refusing to leave before sending him a small video of her touching herself in the bathtub. If he knew anything about her, he knew that she was stubborn and wouldn't leave unless he made her.
As Squidward approached his house he noticed the lights to his house were on and his front door was left cracked open.
Squidward's heart raced as he ran up the stairs to his room where the master bathroom was located. He listened closely to see if he could hear any familiar voices or footsteps, relief hit as he realized that Spongebob hadn't made it here yet.
As Squidward stood behind his bathroom door he couldn't help but let a feeling of disbelief and relief wash over him. Squidward hadn't seen Squilvia since she left him without a word, after all of those fights he had put her through, was she really back? Did she really want to work on things?
Why now of all times?
Squidward picked up on the sound of someone humming, the familiar feminine sound he missed so much, it really was her.
A smile crossed his lips as he began to tear up, all while he wanted her and how he wished he could join her, he had to make her leave, before Spongebob got home.
"Squilvia?" Squidward softly said her name as he entered the bathroom which was filled with the hot steam from the shower, the smell of lilac soap.
"Heh, using my fancy soap huh, and I thought you said you hated the smell of it." Squidward chuckled as he reached for the shower curtain before he opened it and found the man from the Krusty krab in his tub, wearing nothing but his boxers and a few ropes tied around his wrist.
He had a cloth in his mouth and had clearly been beaten, he was terrified and once he saw Squidward's face it was like a realization dawned on him and he thought that Squidward was his captor.
To Be Continued