Squidward was enjoying the only thing he did enjoy on a workday - his morning shower. As he lathered up, he hummed a song.

"Doo, doo, doo...doo, dee, dee, dee..."

Suddenly Squidward felt a hand on his back. He opened one eye to see SpongeBob standing next to him in the shower.

"SpongeBob! What are you doing in here?"

SpongeBob grinned. "I have to tell you something, Squidward."

But Squidward wasn't in the mood to listen. "Whatever it is, can't it wait until work?"

"There's no shower at work," SpongeBob replied.

Squidward wiped the soap out of his eyes. He was getting angrier by the minute. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say I'll be thanking you in my managerial acceptance speech today," said SpongeBob.

Squidward replied by throwing SpongeBob out of his house. SpongeBob flew through the air and landed with a loud squish next to a big rock.

The rock popped up - and there was Patrick stuck to the bottom.

"That sounds like the manager of the new Krusty Krab 2," said Patrick in his sweet, dopey voice. "Congratulations, buddy!"

Patrick gave SpongeBob a high five.

"Oh thanks, Patrick," SpongeBob replied. "And tonight after my big promotion we're gonna party till we're purple!"

Patrick clapped. "I love being purple."

"We're going to the place where all the action is," said SpongeBob.

Patrick's eyes bugged out. "You don't mean-"

"Yes, Patrick, I mean - the Goofy Goober's Party Boat!" cried SpongeBob.

Patrick clapped so hard, the rock came down and squashed them both. When it popped up again, SpongeBob and Patrick were both wearing their favorite headgear: peanut-shaped Goofy Goober hats!

"I'm a Goofy Goober, yeah!" sang SpongeBob.

Patrick sang back, "You're a Goofy Goober, yeah!"

Then they put their heads together. "We're all Goofy Goobers, yeah! Goofy, Goofy, Goober, Goober, yeah!"

Then SpongeBob glanced at his watch and gasped. "I'd better get going!"

SpongeBob pulled off his Goofy Goober hat.

"Bye, Patrick. I don't want to be late for my big promotion."

"Good luck, SpongeBob," said Patrick.

As he ran down the sidewalk to the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob broke into his shower song again.

"I'm ready! Promotion. I'm ready! Promotion!"

"Hey!" Patrick called. "Look for me at the ceremony. I've got a little surprise for you."

*S*S*

Meanwhile the excitement was building at the Krusty Krab. The whole place was decorated with balloons. There was a big banner that read GRAND OPENING. And right next to the restaurant was a big tent.

Inside the Krusty Krab, residents of Bikini Bottom crowded around a big stage. And standing onstage was everybody's favorite newsman. He was talking in front of a television camera.

"Hello, Bikini Bottom. Perch Perkins here, coming to you live from inside the Krusty Krab restaurant."

The news anchor smiled into the camera. His teeth sparkled.

"For years this was the only place to get a delicious and mouthwatering Krabby Patty - until today, that is!"

Everybody cheered.

"That's right, folks. Longtime owner, Mr. Krabs, is opening a new restaurant called the Krusty Krab 2," said Perch Perkins as Mr. Krabs walked onto the stage, waving to the crowd.

The huge tent was pulled off the building next to the Krusty Krab, and there stood the Krusty Krab 2. It looked exactly the same as the original restaurant, and it was right next door!

Everybody cheered again.

"First of all, congratulations, Mr. Krabs," said Perch Perkins.

Mr. Krabs stepped up to the microphone. "Hello," he said. "I like money."

"So tell us, Mr. Krabs, what inspired you to build a second Krab restaurant right next door to the original?" Perch Perkins asked.

"Money."

*S*S*

But not everybody was happy. It was a very different scene at Plankton's restaurant, the Chum Bucket, across the street.

The place was a gloomy little shack with walls that needed painting and tables that wobbled. As usual, the Chum Bucket was empty.

Plankton, the teeny-eensie-weensie owner (and longtime enemy of Mr. Krabs), stood at the window. He was watching the opening ceremony at Krusty Krab 2 through a long telescope.

"Curses," Plankton cried. "It's not fair. Not fair at all! Krabs is being interviewed by Perch Perkins and I've never had even one customer."

Plankton got so angry that the big vein on the back of his head nearly exploded.

"Don't get all worked up again, Plankton. I just mopped the floors," said Karen the Computer, his wife.

Plankton shook his head sadly.

"Oh, Karen, my computer wife," he sighed. "If only I could have managed to steal the secret to Krabs's success - the formula for the delicious Krabby Patty."

Plankton wanted the secret formula so much that he imagined the bottle was floating over his head. He tried to reach for the bottle. But it faded away before his eyes.

"Ahhhhh!" Plankton screamed. He began to pace across the room, back and forth.

"Ohh, if I had that secret formula, then people would line up to eat at my restaurant. Lord knows I've tried."

As he spoke Plankton moved to the back of the restaurant, where his Evil Laboratory was hidden.

Inside the Evil Laboratory energy crackled from huge metal rods and chemicals bubbled in big beakers. On the wall hundreds of bottles were lined up. Each bottle was marked:

Failure Number 87

Miserable Failure Number 190

Really Tragic and Horrible Failure Number 262

Plankton ignored the equipment and the bottles. He walked over to a big metal cabinet and opened the bottom drawer.

"I've exhausted every evil plan in my filing cabinet, from A to Y."

"A to Y?" said Karen the Computer.

"Yeah," Plankton replied. "A to Y. You know, the alphabet?"

"What about Z?"

"Z?"

"Z," Karen said. "The letter that comes after Y."

Plankton scratched his head. Then he flipped through his files. "W...X...Y..."

He froze.

"And Z!"

Plankton pulled out a thick folder marked with a big Z.

"Plan Z!" he said triumphantly. "Here it is. Just like you said!"

Karen the Computer rolled her eyes. "Oh, boy."

Plankton gloated as he flipped through the pages, reading all about Plan Z. When he was finished, he hopped around the Evil Laboratory. He was so happy, he was practically giddy.

"Ohhh...it's evil," sang Plankton. "It's...it's...diabolical!" He stuck his nose in the folder and sniffed. "And it's lemon scented! This plan has got it all!"

When Plankton closed the folder, his eyes glowed with an evil light.

"This Plan Z can't possibly fail!" he exclaimed.

"Where have I heard that before?" said Karen the Computer with a sigh.

But Plankton was too excited to hear Karen. He left the Evil Laboratory and slid through the dining room.

"So enjoy today, Mr. Krabs," Plankton cried, "because by tomorrow I'll have the formula. Then everyone will eat at the Chum Bucket, and I will rule the world!"

Plankton slid out the front door and shook his fist at the people of Bikini Bottom.

"All hail Plankton! All hail-"

Then a giant foot came down on Plankton's head and squashed him flat, like he was nothing more than...well, plankton.

End of chapter. SpongeBob has worked for the Krusty Krab for at least 31 years, according to his 374 consecutive Employee of the month awards. He is considered a kid because sponges can live to be 500 years old. Until next time. Ciao.