Summary: A My Life as a Teenage Robot fanfic one shot. Takes place in between "Labor Day". Jenny doubts her ability to save herself and her mom from her large debt. Lucky for her, she has friends who are willing to help out.

Disclaimer: My Life as a Teenage Robot characters and plots belong to Nickelodeon and Rob Renzetti.

Stupid, Impulsive Things

Jenny knelt alongside the stretched couch within the Carbunkle's living room after Skyway Patrol evicted the Wakeman family. She insisted she sleep there for her first night in. She plugged in a portable charger that she managed to salvage from her now impounded home. While grateful that Brad and Tuck offered their own home, she worried about her mom and herself and what was to become of them.

"How are we ever gonna pay off that debt? Why did I have to go and do something so stupid and impulsive? Maybe I do have an addiction problem with electricity. And shopping for shoes when I don't have feet, but that's another issue for another day."

Her arms sprawling out, Jenny lied against the ground. She had reclined across the floor before, when she was enjoying a lazy afternoon or racing across the carpet while playing with her friends before mischances struck. However, seeking shelter, this was the result.

"What more can I do? I can't stay here forever. I don't want to burden Brad and Tuck. But three-hundred-million dollars? That's more than all my trips to the auto shop put together. Plus some extra wax I got a couple of times."

She tightened her eyes and placed her fists over them. Though only a robot, guilt overran her system. Her reckless actions had cost her and her mother their home. Her countless acts saving humanity from myriad calamities denied them any lodging. Frustrated, she grunted.

"Having problems recharging your batteries," a welcoming voice asked.

Unlocking her eyes, Jenny spotted her redheaded neighbor had stopover. He wore his new amber robe with matching dark goldenrod pants and a pair of black slippers. She sat up and muffled, "Oh, hey, Brad."

"I came to make sure that you're settling in OK," Brad noted, taking a seat next to her. "You are, aren't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Really? Because your despondent expression says different."

"Just having trouble sleeping. Usually when I do, Mom tells me to count electric sheep."

"How far do you typically get?"

"Three million and fourteen thousands."

The high number surprising him, Brad smirked, "You better get started."

Her true attitude clashing her friend's, Jenny scrunched her face and groaned, "I can't. With all this debt and getting kicked out and wondering what to do, I can't even get passed two hundred."

"Easy now," Brad directed, using a calming approach. "I get that you're stressed; this is a lot to take in at once, so let's handle this one thing at a time…. Skyway Patrol is holding up your home, but at least you and Dr. Wakeman got a place to stay. That's one less thing to be on your mind, isn't it?"

"I guess… But I don't want to stay here forever and burden you guys."

"Don't sweat it; me and Tuck are glad to have you and your mom as guests. Now, for the debt—"

"You and Tuck helping me out with everything really means a lot to me, but we got less than a month to pay off this balance. We tried the whole renting-me-out thing, and we didn't even make twenty bucks!"

"Yeah, we should have re-thought the whole per hour vs. per day."

"I've worked my socket joints to the bolt about every job out there, and we're still so short! How are we ever going to make up that three-hundred-million dollar debt?!"

Brad sympathetically sited his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Relax, Jen. Relax."

Jenny's mechanical body prevented her from experiencing her friend's soft touch; however, she was aware of the kind gesture. Slowly, she reclined her tensed shoulders. She fixed one hand over her eyes and mumbled, "All those jobs… Working as a blocking sled for the school's football team, used as a drill for a construction site, testing those chemicals for Mogg, being a buoy in the ocean and getting covered with seagull droppings… I'm not sure which was worst."

"Welcome to the world of the many jobs we teenagers do."

Pulling her hand away from her face, Jenny recalled in horror, "That bathroom at Mezmer's."

"You're telling me."

Sharing an awful experience, the two shuddered in revulsion.

"Most of those were minimum wage jobs," Jenny morosely brought up. "If I don't want to surrender my home… digging ditches sounds pretty good right now."

"No need to get so glum. We're not gonna let Skyway Patrol push you around. Not the one who goes and saves us from Vexus and her Cluster team."

Jenny dropped her shoulders while remorse embraced her. "Some hero I am. Mom designed me to save Earth from disasters. I'm a Global Response Unit! I could fly over to Belgium, stop a flood, and come back to Tremorton in time for the last matinee showing at the movies. But thanks to this disaster, I wrecked several school walls, caused a fire at the Matchstick Warehouse, emptied and knocked over the water tower, and caused major damage to quite a lot of famous landmarks—including Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty! I'm such a mess!"

"Jen, you shouldn't feel this low about yourself."

"But I'm what created these fiascos! It's why we're all here in the first place!"

Brad shifted to his knees and firmly established his arms over the girl's shoulder. He turned her upper body to face him. "Jenny, listen to me."

The robot ceased her outbreak and gave her friend her attention.

"Yes, there were one or two major destructions that happened, but you're forgetting something big: You're a teenager. We do stupid, impulsive things all the time." Brad released himself from his neighbor and sat back down. After giving her a moment to process his statement, he continued, "Me and Tuck are just as much guilty as you; we encouraged you to overindulge as much electricity as you could, which was actually pretty cool."

Jenny delivered a brutal glare at Brad.

"Look, we all gotta accept the consequences of our choices," Brad reminded, his tone straying from giving a lecture. "Remember when Tuck broke your window right before we met? I made him go apologize for that, and Dad had him do extra chores. And the night before my mom's company picnic, I stayed up all night playing my new videogame Legends and Temples. My parents forced me to go even though I was so tired; I almost took a nap in my lunch."

Despite the inspirational speech, Jenny acerbically replied, "That's dandy. All aboard the stupid train heading for stupid town. Whoo whoo."

She submissively positioned her hands underneath her round chin. "Maybe this is the final excuse for Mom to dismantle me."

"I doubt she will," Brad quickly assured.

"How would you know?"

"Because you're taking responsibility for your action."

Jenny remained silent, so Brad took the opportunity to explain. "Sure it's tough working all these extra hours, but you're committed. You feel guilty about what you've done, but that isn't stopping you from trying to fix everything. I'm sure your mom will give you a sappy talk about how proud she is that you're maturing… maybe after lecturing you for a bit first."

"Mom hasn't lectured me yet. She seemed so unhappy after we got evicted. You think she'll ever trust me again?"

"Since you are trying to amend things, I know she will."

Jenny faced forward with her eyes facing slightly down, lost in her own mind. She turned quiet for a moment before responding, "Thanks for all the reassurance, Brad."

"It's what neighbors do."

"I want to fix everything I broke and pay off that debt… But in the end if something doesn't come along soon, Mom and I will need to move. Maybe out of this neighborhood. Maybe out of Tremorton."

"Jen, you aren't gonna move out. We'll figure out something. Something will come along."

"But if nothing does, and if I do need to move, promise me that we'll stay in contact with each other. You'll write to me about whatever reckless acts Tuck has done, and what the Curst Cousins are wearing. And I'll write to you about… wherever me and Mom go. I'll be attending a different school with different peers. Maybe I'll finally get a chance to meet a nice robot boy. Promise you'll write to me?"

Brad hated seeing his friend deeply contemplate a hypothetical situation. He tried to snap her out of it. "Jen—"

The girl faced her redheaded friend and fiercely yelled, "Promise me that!"

Brad froze. He gazed into her mechanical eyes. He spotted the girl who had saved him, his brother, and the Tremorton citizens now needing some comfort. He could only deliver his own pledge his own way. Coming back, he whispered, "I can't."

"What?! Why?! I'll still tell you about all my adventures saving the world! Assuming Mom hasn't sold me for scrap!"

Despite Jenny's outburst, Brad remained collective. "I can't promise something that I don't support. Dr. Wakeman isn't gonna sell you for scrap. You'll return to saving the world right here in Tremorton. You'll be able to pay off that money and move back home. I just know something will come along."

He finished wearing a proud smile, "It sure would stink if you had to move. I'd hate to lose my best friend."

Feeling touched, Jenny smiled back. "I don't know how you can be so positive."

"I can be positive because of you. I've seen you battle hostile aliens in between classes. You even continue to save Earth after everyone else treats you so badly."

"It is my job."

"Yet you do it with pride."

The mechanical girl designated to be Earth's hero closed her eyes and happily sighed.

Returning to the imaginary idea, Brad chuckled, "Sending you reports about the Crust Cousins' fashion. If you went to a new school, you'd find someone just as malicious and unpleasant as them. And you'd be bored to death without me around."

Jenny playfully rolled her eyes. "And Tuck would still be driving you up the wall. You wouldn't have me to switch shifts around with him."

The two shared a much needed and lighthearted laugh.

Knowing that she needed recharge herself, the girl finished setting up her portable battery charger.

"After all those hours you pulled, for now you should solely focus on getting a good night's sleep," Brad directed. He then winked, "You may get the job you need tomorrow."

"Won't that be a miracle," Jenny lightly cackled.

Considerate of the other house members, the two adolescents had tried to control their voices; they downcast disturbing anyone else. However, two affiliates disagreed on that view. From upstairs, Mrs. Wakeman proudly cackled, "After tinkering with it for a bit, I have improved this toaster!"

And they heard Tuck whined, "But must you use the lightbulb from my nightlight?!"

The sporadic arguments disgusting him, Brad grumbled, "The real miracle is if Dr. Wakeman and Tuck get along."

Jenny giggled, all her worries discharging from her shoulders. She felt comforted that her friends had helped, and she vowed that she return to work to save her home.

Finding his friend settling in for the night, Brad stood up and was prepared to leave. Though only friends, two teenagers should be apart after dark.

Before he left, Jenny believed she needed to note something imperative to her host. "Oh, since we'll be staying here a bit, I should warn you about Mom's bathroom habits."

"Please. Can she be any worse than two boys?"

The End

A/N: I was watching "Labor Day", and I thought this would be a little fun idea to write.
I meant to keep it a little shorter;however, my writing persona took a little more control.
But I hope you all enjoy it anyway.