A/N: A small side story is involved here just to clarify.
Chapter 10: Pick n' Choose
Down in the Intellect side of town a State school is near the end of the day. In an average classroom a young teacher is instructing a class about world history.
"So Communism was thought of by a man named Karl Marx and was later carried on in real government by Lenin."
The teacher continued "Then a man named Stalin came to power after Lenins' death and made Soviet Union to a dictatorship."
"This is sooooo lame" A big gray whale in the back of the room thought.
Children ages 5 to 18 are required to go to public school that is controlled by the national department of education directly.
Pearl is now 18 and is almost done with school after that the students are required to take a test to predict their future careers.
The teacher smiles at the class "Now since you are all seniors it's time to prep for the careers test!"
Pearl hasn't really had a goal of what her future would hold she always wanted to be an actress or a designer but none of that is offered anymore.
"Well thanks to the new school standards, since no one is a higher rank than others you all will have an equal shot at your goal!" The teacher cheered.
"Whatever! Why do you keep repeating that?" Pearl mentally whined.
"As you know our four groups not counting Protectors as the Capitol chooses random people for the job no matter skill, I want all of you to pick a group and try your hardest to focus on those strong suits!"
Pearl got nervous, her friends all knew what they wanted to do and she felt alone because she has yet met a decision. The teacher starts calling out children's names to know what their goal is so she can work with them before the test.
"Harrington?"
"Manufacturer!"
"Westcott?"
"Intellect totes!"
"Krabs?"
Pearl froze in her seat she had o make a decision now but was afraid of the getting the wrong one "Undecided? Is that a thing?"
The whole class laid their eyes on the big whale including the teacher "Well this is just a goal, the test technically decides so for now its OK."
A wave of relief fell upon Pearl she didn't have to worry about her life until the test chooses for her.
One of Pearls friends turned to face her "Pearl! What was that?"
Pearl rolled her eyes "I want to be an actress! Not be in some smelly field, factory, store, or school!"
"I can't even, Pearl!"
"Get off my case girl! Would ya?"
The friend crossed her arms "We've been on this planet for 18 years and in this new nation for 1 you should have been prepared!"
Pearl started raising her fists "Oh when did you ever care about school anyways? We're like teenagers!"
"Grow up Pearl!"
Pearl turned her back on her friend and looked at the door "I just wanna go home."
"Girls, soon y'all be women contributing to this perfect society stop acting like some toddlers!"
"Yes ma'am" The girls replied.
The teacher glanced at Pearl especially then proceeded pack up then followed the students. Usually as any basic teenage girl, Pearl would go chatting for the next minuet but, today is different.
"What do I wanna be? What should be my goal? I just wanna act."
One boy leans over his desk to Pearls' "Why did you choose Undecided? All you had to do was choose one of the four."
Pearl got furious "It's because the whole system is stupid! Kk? Like I don't wanna do that crappy work."
The boy laughs "Who thinks like that anymore?"
"Many fish do ya piece of turd."
The boy chuckles again " You might be on the watch list now."
Pearl shifted her eyes to the ceiling "As if, I'm just a teenage girl."
"Ok think what you want! I won't tell the cops." The boy winks at her.
The boy turns to a group of friends leaving Pearl to herself.
The bell rings and Pearl alone walks down the hallway. She notices people looking at her strangely and whispering in each other's ears.
"What an outcast!" One kid giggles.
"Still hasn't gotten over it!" Yells another.
"I can't believe in this day in age there's still people who can't accept change yet!" A girl hollers.
"Are they talking about me? Is it because I just said undecided? What salty people."
Fish started crowding around her slowly blocking the exit.
"I can't believe Pearl would be one of them!" A girl judges.
"Be one of what?" Pearl asks the crowd.
"Has she lost her common sense?"
"The ignorance is strong with this one!"
"Uneducated swine."
Pearl started hyperventilating at the crowds harsh comments.
"Let me through people!" Pearl screams.
"What is going on? No one was ever like this until now! Is the world mad!?"
Pearl starts shoving fish out of her way thanks to her big size and finally catches the door.
As Pearl leaves the school a kid shouts from the crowd "Backwards!"
She couldn't believe her classmates on how they treated her, she just gave her own opinion. "I mean honestly did some nuclear explosion happen at a certain point? 'Cause I remember teens like me wanting to be like football players, chefs, actors, and politicians!"
" And like what did backwards mean anyways? Like I am racist? But I'm not though...fish suck."
Pearl traveled through the streets avoiding people's glances and hurryingly crossing streets. She looks up and down at the posters hanging on the walls of buildings then cringing at the eerie feeling they give her. She finally hits the suburbs and turns right onto her street panting from the many miles walk. She walked into her house alone as she always did, walked up stairs to her room and relaxed on her bed.
"And to think I was popular..."
The sky is partly cloudy and a mild wind blows through the streets as a cars zooms to the suburbs. The car turns left onto a road, slows down as if looking for something and parks in a driveway.
Spongebob comes out of his car as Sandy follows. "So yeah now Mr. Krabs knows"
Sandy frowned a little "You shouldn't be tellin' people at work about this! There's surveillance there!"
"Eh, they probably didn't notice."
Spongebob looked at his wife then to the concrete, he never would have thought Sandy was a traitor and still liked their old ways. Sandy straightens out her dress and enters the house while Spongebob still stands.
"My own wife..."
Spongebob still smiled though since he loved Sandy but, of course he has a different perspective of her.
"Aren't y'all comin' in?" Sandy asks.
Spongebob looks up "Oh, why yes!"
Spongebob proceeds to walk inside as the smell of his belongings hits his nose.
"So what now?" Sandy asks.
Spongebob was confused "I don't know relax a bit?"
Sandy crossed her arms "No I mean like what now? We know the State is up to sometin' and we can't just let it slide!"
"Well maybe for now we should just let it slide."
Sandy widened her eyes "So the State gets to drug people with a truth serum and you're fine with that?"
"No! I mean I see what you were telling me is true but have some faith!" SpongeBob replied.
"I do have faith just not faith for the State." Sandy retorted
"Look some things you have to sacrifice for equality and even though this is kinda wrong, alcohol and cigarettes are drugs anyways..."
Sandy shook her head "I can't believe that after yesterday you still trust our government, It ain't all sunshine and rainbows sir!"
"Look it will take a while for me to not accept but for now I've had enough talk about politics." SpongeBob smiled.
Sandy looked at her husband in an angered look "Fine I'll give you some time alright..."
Sandy went into the kitchen to get some water savoring every drop as if its the last.
"Just remember one thing though, As long you're married to me, as you said you're a traitor too."
Spongebob looked at his wife and shrugged "I trust you and you are right but, for now I want to save our skins."
Spongebob goes sit on the couch kicking his feet up on the coffee table turning on the news. Sandy goes to the phone and starts dialing.
"Hey is Squidward there?"
"Ya he's on the couch I'll get him!" Squilvia cheerfully replied.
Sandy heard mumbling and then silence "What?"
Sandy fidgeted her hands "Hey um can we talk? Like outside I need to talk to you about my bathtub drain ya! It's like not working as it should."
Squidward at first didn't get the hint but, awkwardly played along. "Oh yeah! sure I can help I love helping out the community see you soon!" Squidward hung up the phone quickly.
"So who were you talking too? It was an awfully short conversation." Spongebob asked politely.
"I have to ask a friend about something I'll be back in a minute."
Spongebob shrugged and continued watching the news as Sandy headed out the front door. She walked down the sidewalk and up Squidward's porch then she knocks twice.
Squidward came out and closed the door quietly "So what is going on?"
Sandy choked up a bit "Spongebob trusts me but...still has faith in the State."
Squidwards' mouth dropped "You're kidding! What an idiot!"
Sandy ignored the harsh comment and started to tear up "We need to do something at the birthday party!"
"But what?" Squidward worriedly asked.
"I don't know Squidward! We can't warn people because we'll get turned in but maybe we can ruin the food supply!" Sandy smiled.
Squidward looked at Sandy to see if she was joking "That's a pretty dumb idea."
"Oh come on, It can work! All we have to do is make the drinks taste really crappy and then no one will drink it!"
Squidward leaned against the door "Not a bad plan but ,I think we can do better."
"Destroy the supply?"
Squidward thought about this for a moment "Eh that can be our last resort."
Squidward continued "Look I know we have to do something but really there's nothing we can do..."
Sandy looked at Squidward with disappointing eyes "But...but everyone will be drugged"
"This one time we're going to have to let it slide and just observe." Squidward replied.
Sandy perked up "To find their weaknesses... But what if the State doesn't have one?"
"Every one has a breaking point Mrs. Squarepants." Squidward insured.
Sandy and Squidward waved each other off leaving Sandy to her thoughts "Soon everyone I know will be under the influence". Sandy walked up to her door and slowly walked inside to see Spongebob passed out.
"Well I guess it's dinner time." Sandy giggled.
She got busy boiling two potatoes in a pot "I wonder what my mother would say right about now"
Sandy wished at this moment she was back in Texas with her childhood family, she yearned to breathe air normally and be able to swing on the trees like she did as a kid. Sandy teared up at the thought of home and took a look at her place.
"Probably some generic quote like: "With that American heart of yours you can defeat anything."
Sandy can just hear her mother say those words and brought a bit of nostalgia to her.
"Do I smell potatoes?" A sleepy Spongebob asks.
Sandy lost her nostalgia and looked at her husband "You betcha! You seem wore out!"
"Ya the workdays are catching up to me real fast." Spongebob giggled.
He then continued "So how did your conversation go?"
Sandy lost her smile "Oh just peachy"
Spongebob took note of her expressions and the kitchen. The smell of potatoes and bubbling water distracted him from further more suspicion and left. The evening was quiet as the couple ate their potatoes quietly just listening to sounds of each other breathing. Spongebob finished last and saw Sandy folding her hands and looking down at her plate with a questionable expression.
"You alright Sandy?" Spongebob questioned.
"Huh?...Oh ya I'm fine!" Sandy half smiled.
Spongebob took the dishes and placed them in the sink looking back to see his wife heading up stairs groggily. Soon Spongebob shut off all the light and followed Sandy to their room.
Sandy got into her night clothes and slipped into bed "Spongebob where are you doing?"
"Shaving!"
Sandy giggled at the thought of that hairless sponge shaving "That's my dork!"
She took out the Bible from under her bed and starting reading for some answers. "Oh Lord! What should I do? Should I let everyone drink or do I intervene? Please give me a sign!"
The footsteps of Spongebob came into hearing and Sandy rushed to place her book under the bed just in time.
Spongebob jumped onto the bed excited to be next to his wife he loved very much. He got snuggly under the covers and whispered a...
"Goodnight darling."
Sandy shut off the lights "Night Spongebob"
Sleep had already taken away Spongebob at an almost instant leaving Sandy alone in the dark. As Sandy was drifting off she saw a glimpse of light from the outside night and went to investigate.
"What in the world is that?"
The light grew larger from the streets and swore she saw a figure. A shadow came through the light and spread its wings.
"That's impossible..."
The angel-like shadow flew away and Sandy thought she was dreaming.
"I know what I have to do"