It was hard to tell between the dingey lighting and strobing lights but sure enough a hairy figure with a circular bowl head was on stage. It seemed like she was holding onto a pole too, jiving her hips to the rhythm of the beat.
"Is she…POLE DANCING?" Spongebob shouted
He threw down his pool stick onto the table and stormed ahead. Patrick and Squidward were right after him trying to hold him back. The crowd started becoming denser and much harder to navigate. People were bumping into one another, sticky drinks littered the floor, and someone's hot ass vape breath fogged the air up. Squidward was holding onto Patrick as they elbowed their way through the crowd to Spongebob just a couple feet ahead doing the same.
"Spongebob! SPONGEBOB!" Squidward exclaimed.
"He can't hear you… here, let me in front of you!"
Patrick grabbed Squidwards wrist with one arm and started absolutely gorilla swinging his other arm through the crowd. "Move, bitch, get outta the WAY!"
"Hey, Spongebob!" Patrick exclaimed while finally able to grab his yellow friend's shoulder. But Spongebob didn't acknowledge them. His eyes were glued on stage to the squirrel he loved dressed in a sexy Viking outfit matching high black heels and a braided blonde wig. She was swinging around the pole with one leg and arm sticking out straight. Kinda like the letter 'K' backwards. Her eyes were spaced out into the distance while she contorted her body into different movements and mouthing the lyrics to the music.
"...slamming bottles, n' smokin weed, don't wanna live past age 33…"
Spongebob balled up his fist and started to climb up stage
"Spongebob, STOP!" Squidward and Patrick lunged for the fry cook's scrawny arms and held him back to the dance floor. The crowd around them started to notice and blacked up a bit. Sandy looked down at the commotion to see her man being restrained.
"What the…"
Sandy got off the pole and walked over to get a closer look. Spongebob stopped struggling and peered up to lock eyes with Sandy for a second and went limp. Sandy gasped then turned and ran backstage.
"Let me go guys I'm going to the bathroom"
"We'll walk you, Sponge"
Spongebob walked ahead of his friends while they pushed through the sea of people again to the bathrooms on the right. The three entered the bathrooms to find all the stalls surprisingly empty. The sponge ran to the handicap stall, locked the door, and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Squidward knocked on the door.
"Are you ok, Sponge?"
"Ya…I just wanna be alone"
Patrick nudged Squidward and pointed his head to the entrance
"We'll be at the bar"
"Ok"
Spongebob waited for the door to slam shut before taking the few last pills from his pocket. He stared at them intently, considering to just end it all right here right now. He figured he would pass out and drift off into the eternal sleep.
Nah.
He stood up and wiped the dirt of the back of his pants, putting the pills back in his pocket. He's gotta try and keep going, no matter how hurt and empty he feels inside. The sink tap water rinsed off his hands before he went back out to the scene. He turned left to see his friends sitting at the bar and made his way over. As he got closer, he saw that Sandy was sitting by them and he halted in his tracks. His chest started aching while his palms sweat. They noticed him as he continued approaching.
"Hi Spongebob…" Sandy whimpered
He shook his head "What the fuck is THIS?" he pointed to the sexy Viking outfit.
Sandy sighed and looked at Patrick and Squidward. They then proceeded to get up and close their tabs. "We'll meet you at the car, Sponge"
SpongeBob took a seat next to Sandy.
Sandy scratched her head and looked sideways "Spongebob…I didn't want you to see me like this…"
Spongebob sighed "I don't even know what to say…you're stripping for people?! How long has this been going on for?"
"Well, it's not exactly stripping, I just dance on the pole a bit...it's not like I get naked or anything"
"Why? Why are you doing this?"
Sandy looked back at him, seeing his furrowed eyebrows and scrunched up lips
"Money, Spongebob. I need the money"
He looked away and placed his head on his knuckles. He took a deep breath.
"Do you see how ridiculous you look up there? Whoring your body out for the public to ogle, to violate, and to touch?"
Sandy shook her head "It's not like that Spongebob…no one's touching me like that. Those creeps get kicked out quicker than the devil from heaven!"
He looked back at her "It's wrong. There are other ways to make money"
Sandy straightened out her back and elevated her voice
"YOU are no one to talk! Your crazy ass assaulted and robbed a guy BLIND!"
"It was a mistake! One time! I'm not consciously choosing to do this day in and day out!"
Sandy crossed her arms "My job is LEGAL and OK, Spongebob. I don't need YOUR permission to do what I want with MY body and MY time" she continued "It's not like I'm cheatin' on ya!...you're actually part of the reason why I am doing this in the first place!"
She stood up and pointed her finger to his face.
"One grand down the hole for what…being insulted and called a whore? By who…some washed up self-pitying asshole who's an addict? Like who the fuck do you think you are? I'm trying to better myself and our relationship, Spongebob and I don't feel like I'm getting the appreciation I deserve!"
Spongebob stared at her fiercely. He was upset but also feeling a tinge of guilt for hurting the girl he loved. He glared down to the bar counter.
"I just don't want the woman I love doing this to herself…it feels dirty"
Sandy shook her head again "Spongebob, I appreciate the concern but this approach at 'helping me' was horrible…I don't want you coming into the club again alright?"
Spongebob, not looking up, nodded his head. Sandy stood for a few seconds as if waiting for something else but smacked her lips and stormed off. He stayed there for a few minutes. Damn, how could he be so careless and horribly rude? How can he be such a fucking piece of shit to girl he loves? He doesn't deserve someone like her.
With that he slowly stood up and headed out to the car.