"Sandy! Pleeeeaaase don't go!"

"SpongeBob, I've told ya'll a million times! My bosses say I have to move. This ain't my decision."

"Then quit your job!"

"You know dang well I can't do that. Besides, if I did quit, I'd have to move anyways. They're the ones funding this!"

"What… what if I said…." Sandy gave a loud frustrated sigh.

"SpongeBob, those nonsense words didn't work last time, they ain't gonna work this time."

"What if I said I loved you?" Sandy quit packing for a moment and stared down at him for the first time. Tears were streaked down his face and his eyes were puffy and blood shot. His bottom lip was slightly cut from where he kept biting it. But he was just a kid. He couldn't be in love with her, it was just a little crush. If she stayed, it would eventually go away anyways, she figured.

"You don't even care do you? I just told you I love you and you don't even care!"

"SpongeBob… I-" He shook his head, cutting her off.

"Maybe it is better if you just leave!" He screamed. To make his point, he took off his helmet and smashed it against the ground before running out the door and disappearing into Jellyfish Fields. Sandy wanted to run after him, but what was the point? She couldn't just chase him down and tell him she was leaving rather he liked it or not.

Seven years later, Sandy could still remember that day like it had only just happened. At first, she had been happy in Texas. It was nice to have solid ground under her feet instead of sand. And the best part, she didn't have to wear an air suit to go places. But before too long, she started to miss her family in Bikini Bottom. Grumpy ol' Squidward, greedy Mr. Krabs, Pea-brained Patrick, even Plankton! But most of all, she missed sweet little SpongeBob. He was the closest thing to family she had.

Sandy regretted not going to find him. Maybe if she had, she could've kept in touch with him instead of leaving on a sour note. It HAD been seven years already, maybe it was time to pay Bikini Bottom a visit….

As she waited at the bus station, she looked around at all the pictures. There was a wall that had a picture of each town available to visit. Her eyes automatically went to where she knew Bikini Bottom was. To her surprise, it wasn't there. Her eyes darted all over the wall, but it just wasn't there. A young attendant, that Sandy swore she recognized, walked past her.

"Uh, Miss!?" Sandy called out. "Do you by any chance know what happened to Bikini Bottom?"

The small pink fish swirled around and stared at Sandy for a moment. "Hey, I know you. You're that land squirrel that used to live in a big bubble outside of town.

"I'm sorry… do I know you?"

"Doubt it. My names Suzy, I used to live out in Bikini Bottom before… it… happened. We never talked but I saw you around. You were always hanging with that sponge dude."

"SpongeBob?" Sandy asked as a sideways smile came to her face.

"Yeah, that's the one! Poor little guy. It's a shame what happened to him."

"What do you mean!? Is he alright?" The attendant gave a loud sigh and looked at her watch.

"No one knows." She replied with a slight shrug. "He disappeared about…" she paused to think. "seven years ago? No one's seen him since." Sandy gasped quietly and tried to hide the surprise on her face. "Actually, there was this one rumor going around that some guy had seen him chasing a bus. But it was just a rumor."

"Are… are you sure it was seven years ago… exactly?"

"Oh yeah, it was all over the newspapers. Apparently, he was the fry cook at some restaurant called 'The Krusty Krab'. Once he left, the place was forced out of business and a total riot started in downtown Bikini Bottom. You know, I really don't know what the big deal was. They should've just hired someone else." The girl rolled her eyes as if to say "The ignorance of some people" and glanced back at the wall.

"Oh hey! You wanted to know why the picture wasn't up here." Sandy looked up and nodded.

"Well you see, after all of downtown went crazy, they totally trashed the place! It was sooo not cool. Most of us went our own separate ways. I think a lot of them went down to Rock Bottom. But, I hear that some of the guys closer to that sponge dude stayed around there. Anyways, after pretty much everyone left, there was no need to drive a bus up there anymore. I'd be surprised if there was even still a road heading that way." Sandy nodded.

"Thanks for the help. I guess I'll be on my way."

"No problem, but I gotta warn you. Be careful if you're going up there. No one's been around that place for a couple years as far as I know. Neptune knows what it looks like." With that, she walked away, leaving Sandy alone with nothing but her bags, and her regrets.