A/N: Hello, just to clear any confusion this chapter is like a side story to the main plot :)

Chapter 11: Here's Your Life

"Beep Beep Beep..."

A big gray fist pounds the alarm causing it to shatter. The Birthday Party is in a day but today is the day teenagers like Pearl get to know their job.

Pearl gets dressed in a hurry as she has been waiting for this moment for a week now. She looks in her mirror and sees a whale in mundane clothes and horrible bags underneath her eyes, this definitely wasn't normal.

She walked downstairs to see her dad and step mom already eating "Good morning Daddy and Poppy!"

"Good morning me Pearly! Better eat up for this big day of yours!" Mr. Krabs ordered.

Pearl smiled as she put her hair in a ponytail "I'm kinda nervous about it..."

Poppy or better known as former Mrs. Puff (Now Mrs. Krabs) speaks up "Well do you have any of the choices in mind?"

Pearl froze at her step moms' question, she's been trying to avoid this all week but, there's no backing out of this one "Well I always wanted to act! But I have no clue what to do here, I'm just gonna let the test decide."

Pearl grabs and takes a bite out of an apple and looks at the concerned look on her parents faces. She shrugs it off and heads to the kitchen getting a sip of water. Oh so refreshing water.

"Well I'm gonna leave now and get this crappy test over with" Pearl rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Have a great time and I'll see you later as a mature woman!" Poppy Krabs smiled.

"You'll do just fine! Remember you're a Krabs, you can do anything me girl." Mr. Krabs encouraged.

Pearl gave a small smile, grabbed her backpack and headed out the door.

A fresh breeze blew across Pearl's face as the sunlight burns her retinas. She walks down the street and turns a left heading into town. She is starting to sweat as she sees the horizon of downtown up ahead.

"I can do this.."

Buildings start getting higher as an obvious sign she hit downtown. Bikini Bottom has significantly grown in a year which pleases Pearl as she always wanted to live the big city life.

Instead of going to school the seniors are set to meet at a warehouse near the fields. The warehouse is wooden and white with a simple black door in front surrounded by grass.

"Seriously? This is it? It looks like a shack."

Pearl adjusted her backpack and opened the door. The smell of mold and rotten wood hits her and brings tears to her eyes.

"Would it kill you to use Febreeze?" Pearl suggested at no one.

She looked around to see an auditorium looking place with long desks at each row going up and a desk filled with government officials talking. Most kids are already here and pay no attention to Pearl as she walks up the stairs to the very top next to a friend.

"Hey Pearl! How ratchet is this joint?" Her friend asked.

Pearl chuckled a bit "It smells like crap, Bianca."

Bianca was a blue fish with blonde hair that was probably one of Pearl's closest friends that she knew since elementary school.

Bianca starts playing with her hair "I wonder why we're here instead of the school?"

Pearl shrugged "Maybe so we don't cheat?"

Pearl looked at her desk, it was a long black one that stretched all the way from one end to another. In front of her was a touch screen tablet with a small hole above it.

"Ooooh a tablet! I haven't seen these in a while!" A purple fish with orange hair squeals.

"Wassup Cassie!" Pearl whaled.

Cassie sat down in a chair next to Pearl "I'm totes nervous about this!"

"Aren't we all?" Bianca replied.

A few more kids come in taking seats spotted out through the crowd, then a bell is heard.

The group of students are quiet as an official stands up to speak "Good morning class! I'm Official Nevin and I'll be your head supervisor for today."

The students wait for more words "As you see in front you there is a tablet on which you'll be testing, it is holographic but small so your neighbor can't cheat."

Pearl shifts in her seat anxious to get started "You'll have 1 hour to complete this assessment that will test you on school knowledge and...personal knowledge."

"Personal knowledge? I don't understand."

"As you might see now a green button has appeared on the screen, you'll press that button when I say so."

Everyone looks at the green button and waits for instruction, Officer Nevin talks to the other officials and sets a timer.

"You may begin."

Pearl as well as other students press the green button a holographic screen pops up with a box saying "Press here"

Pearl presses her fin on the box while it scans notifying her the test has started.

"Question 1: What is the capital of the USSP?"

Pearl rolled her eyes "Easy, it's Ovidigrad"

"Question 2: What famous trench is located in the Pacific Ocean?"

Pearl zipped through these easy questions as she learned about this constantly through her past year.

"But how does this determine my job?"

It was soon answered "Would you say you're good at planting foods?"

Pearl chuckled "Hell no..."

"What Is the difference between a proton and neutron?"

"Uhhhh..." Pearl knew that was Intelect but, was deffinatley not fit for that.

"What tool would you use to combine two metals together?"

Pearl sighed "Glue?"

The questions though started leaving the average textbook and into a very strange basket of thoughts.

"Which comes first, State or Family?"

Pearl had to re-read the question "What kind of question is this?"

Before she could continue a scream was heard down below her. A boy she didn't recognize had his head laying motionless on the table with blood spewing out of his head.

Students started crying and screaming along with Pearl "OMG! is that kid dead?!"

Official Nevin smiled and stood up "No worrying we'll take care of him just continue testing."

Pearl started breathing heavily as she tried to focus "Wait..."

A sudden realization came upon her, she looked at the hologram that belonged to the dead boy "Family"

Even a ditzy basic teenage girl like Pearl can figure this one out "We get punished for thinking differently"

She obviously clicked State and the fact no one else got shot she assumed everyone else did too. These questions were starting to ask about loyalty to State and how progressive you truly are.

"Equality or Personal Goal?"

Pearl thought about this for a while "Well the State obviously wants me to pick Equality so I suppose that."

A few more gunshots coming out of holes on the desks shot students. Students started screaming again as police took away two more bodies, one boy and one girl.

Pearl started mindlessly answering more questions about her personal mindset "Why does none of this have to do with my job? I feel like it's a loyalty test in disguise..."

She looked up at the timer and saw there was about 8 minuets left "I must be one of the last"

When she saw the question she was horrified "To preserve our nations code, in desperate times would you report any traitors or rebellious activity even if they're friends and family?"

Pearl is aware that she must click yes but just can't get herself to move along "I would never..."

Her heartbeat plays like a drum as she unwillingly presses "yes" and is notified the test is complete and the hologram shuts off. With a sigh of relief she looks at the timer.

"And with 6 minuets to spare"

She takes a good look around to see only 2 students haven't completed their test. She glanced at her friends to see them horrified and tired throughout this hour and she doesn't blame them. Pearl decides to take a quick snooze and lets slumber take over her body.

As if on cue the timer beeps in its obnoxious piercing screech "Pearl! wake up!"

Pearl woke to the faces of her friends "It's time..."

A rush of butterflies filled Pearls stomach as they together walk down the stairs. Everyone seemed to forgot the dead students as Official Nevin hands out slips of papers to various students.

"I hope we're in the same work force" Cassie screeches.

Bianca nods "Ya because since we're done with school we won't really see each other anymore..."

Pearl lost her smile as the sudden thought of never seeing her friends again "We can always see each other after work, my dad does it with his friends all the time"

Cassie is the first to get the sheet of paper then Bianca, and lastly Pearl before their excitement was shared Official Nevin spoke up "Attention all graduates! On behalf of the State we would like to congratulate all y'all for becoming the next generation of working men and women."

Silence filled the room and all people could hear was the excited heartbeats of others "Work will start the day after tomorrow as we have the party tomorrow, so remember be the best citizens you can be because we are watching!"

The room started to fill with cheer as everyone started exiting the warehouse.

"So girls what did you guys get? I'm a Manufacturer and will be making fabrics" Cassie asked.

Bianca looked at her paper slip and smirked "I guess I'm now an Intellect being a teacher aid for now, At least it's not hard work!"

Pearl looked at her slip with large amounts of confusion "Distributor? How gross! My dad is one too."

Cassie examined Pearl more "Well what job did you get?"

Pearl skimmed through the page "I'll be working at a grocery store...I would prefer clothing store but oh well"

"I didn't know you were a super selfless person, Pearl." Bianca asked sarcastically.

"Me neither..."

The three girls head into downtown leaving Pearl in her thoughts "I came in the warehouse as a immature student and came out now a member of the workforce..."

The images of the dead bodies yet again filled pearl's mind "How is the State going to cover up this one? It's totes amazing how far people will go."

"3 Innocent fish dead..."

Pearl's friends screamed in excitement at the signs a celebration will be held tomorrow. Buildings covered with banners, posters, and balloons. Tables set out for the food and drinks, and a stage of some sort for a band or an official.

"How awesome is this?" Cassie squealed.

"Like major cute!" Bianca squealed back.

Cassie turned to Pearl to see her looking mindlessly to the surroundings "Pearl what do you think?"

"Oh...Oh what? Um it's pretty cool I can't wait..."

Pearl's friends looked at each other and back at Pearl "You should go home you seem very tired and out of it." Bianca suggested.

"Ya might as well, I'll catch you girls tomorrow?" Pearl yawned.

"Absolutely! our squad will be fire!" Cassie enthusiastically shouted.

Pearl smiled and waved her friends off quickly heading home. The streets seemed shorter as Pearl was trying to keep herself awake and bumped into a stop sign.

"Shitsies! I could've like busted my head open!"

Pearl looked around in embarrassment to see if anyone was looking and rushed to her house. No one was home as her parents would come home after six so she plopped on the couch and closed her eyes.

The memories of the day got pushed to the back of her mind as sleep fought in.

"3 fish died today because of thinking selfishly..."