Once SpongeBob and Squidward were both seated in front of Mr. Krabs' desk with SpongeBob looking anxious and Squidward looking impatient, Mr. Krabs began, "Well, boys, you know what time of the year it is."
"Oh yes, Mr. Krabs," SpongeBob answered happily. "It's Christmas tomorrow: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
"Aye lad," Mr. Krabs replied as he looked at a large stack of coins on the side of his desk, "And the time of the year where I can get rich."
"And just what does that have to do with us?" Squidward asked.
Mr. Krabs answered, "Well, I'm gonna need you tomorrow, boys. I'm opening the Krusty Krab on Christmas Day!"
"WHAT?!" Squidward asked in shock as well as SpongeBob, only the sponge had a smile on his face.
"That's right, boys." Mr. Krabs said, not noticing their expressions. "I figured I'd make even more money if I leave the restaurant open even on Christmas."
"You can't do this to me, Mr. Krabs!" Squidward yelled, getting up from his seat. "I work 364 days a year at this dump, and on my one day off, you're making me come to work anyway?"
"Oh, but Christmas at the Krusty Krab is a dream come true." SpongeBob told Squidward happily. "What could be better?" But then SpongeBob seemed to realize what he was talking about. "Though, I did promise Gary I would give him his special fruitcake flavored snail-nip…and me and Patrick were gonna exchange presents tomorrow…Not to mention me and Sandy were gonna bake gingerbread cookies, too."
SpongeBob's former excitement seemed to die there and then, and he turned to look at his boss. "Frankly, Mr. Krabs, I don't think I can come to work tomorrow on Christmas."
"Well, you are and that's the end of that!" Without any further ado, Mr. Krabs pushed them both out of his office. "Come in tomorrow OR YOU'RE FIRED!"
When he slammed the door, Squidward glared at it like he was still looking at his boss. "Why does Mr. Krabs have to act like such a Scrooge?"
SpongeBob turned to Squidward with curiosity as he asked, "Squidward, what's a Scrudge?"
"Scrooge, not Scrudge!" Squidward snapped, "A scrooge is someone who acts like a cheapskate on Christmas."
"Ohhhh…" SpongeBob said, finally understanding. "So if acting cheap on Christmas makes Mr. Krabs a Scrooge, what does that make him every other day?"
Squidward frowned until he dully answered, "A Scrudge."
SpongeBob laughed his all-too-cheesy, dolphin-like laugh, only stopping to speak. "Now I get it. Thanks Squidward."
--
The rest of the day was duller than usual for the Krusty Krab employees. On most days, Squidward looked forward to when his shift ended...but not today. He spent the rest of his shift thinking, "I REALLY wish I worked somewhere else right now".
Such was not the same for Spongebob, who was both excited and bummed on having to work on Christmas Day. His life revolved around fry cook work, but he made all those promises to Gary, Patrick, and Sandy that he wouldn't be able to keep.
Either way, it was a lose-lose situation for both.
Finally, six o'clock came and Squarepants and Tentacles trudged their way to the doors. For now, they were united in bum-ness...
"Good night, me boys! Merry Christmas!" Mr. Krabs called as he, too, went his own way, laughing his traditional pirate laugh.
Ignoring each other for the full evening, Sponge and Squid trudged home. On reaching their doorways, they stared at the door, knowing they would be out it first thing in the morning.
Squidward sighed. "Well, Spongebob...never thought I'd say this, but...good night."
"You, too, Squidward. You, too..." Spongebob mumbled.
Spongebob slumped down on his couch, remote in hand, and was currently watching the current Christmas Special that was on TV.
"And now we give you Frosty the Snowfish..." the announcer advertised.
At that point, Gary, Spongebob's beloved snail, slithered over to his side. On seeing the look on his owner's face, the snail mewed, catching his attention.
"Hey, Gary..." Spongebob said, unenthusiastically.
"Meow?" Gary asked.
"Oh, I just can't get that fruitcake snailnip, that's all." Spongebob responded with just as much enthusiasm as he did before: none.
Gary's eyes widened. "Meow?"
"I'll be busy." Spongebob answered.
"Meow?"
"No, Patrick didn't forget how to eat again." Spongebob corrected, "I have to work at the Krusty Krab on Christmas. I won't have time to do stuff with you, Sandy, or Patrick..."
Gary looked shocked, which was odd for a snail, then slithered up the chair to rest in Spongebob's arms. The snail's eyes dropped in a sad manner and the meow he emitted was just as similar.
"I know, Gary. I know..." Spongebob said, stroking his snail's shell.
Off in the Easter Island Head that Squidward called home, he was undergoing a similar thought pattern, though his was a little more…vengeful.
Said squid growled as he paced his bedroom floor angrily in his nightgown. "That cheapskate, Krabs, making me work on Christmas…and worst of all, he's making me work on Christmas with SpongeBob. When I see him…" he caught himself, then asked in a defeated manner, "Oh, who am I kidding?"
He crossed the room to his bed to lay down, trying his best to get some comfortable sleep. His trusty clarinet, Clarie, laid right beside him, and he spoke to it like the woodwind instrument was some kind of friend.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to have that solo with you, Clarie. Work will call. Now to get the only few hours of sleep I'll get." He yawned and went to sleep while muttering. "If only someone would teach that Scrooge a lesson…"
Surprisingly, all that went through Clarie's mind was "Oh, not again".
Here it comes…next time.