On a bright Monday morning, Jake and the Steins were sitting at the table eating breakfast while engaging in conversation about random stuff. The convo then shifted, but not drastically.
"Did you get up to use the bathroom last night, son?" Viktor asked.
"Nope!" Jake said happily.
"Good! We're glad." Frankie said, smiling.
"As long as you keep monitoring how much fluids you drink, Jake, then you should be good." Viveka said with a grin.
"I'm keepin' my fingers crossed." Jake said.
"Hopefully this won't happen again." Viktor said.
Jake, Frankie, and Viveka were in agreement to that.
After finishing breakfast, Jake and Frankie got ready for school and headed out, with the elder Steins saying bye to them as they did.
Jake and Frankie got in the car and drove off in a jiffy.
"I can't believe it's the third week of school already. It seems like the year just begun yesterday." Frankie said.
"I know, right? It's crazy. But at least we're having a good year so far, for the most part anyway." Jake said.
"True!" Frankie agreed.
XXXXXXX
When he and Frankie arrived at Monster High, Jake parked his car in the parking lot and the two of them got out. They went up to the steps of the school where Draculaura, Clawd, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Gil, Cleo, Deuce, Ghoulia, Slo Mo, Jackson, and Heath were sitting; the friends greeted one another accordingly.
Jackson looked at Jake. "Jake, we heard you went the doctor yesterday."
"Yeah, I had another bladder issue. I did a urine test and there wasn't any sugar in it." Jake said.
"That's great, bro. We've been told you just need to not drink anything all at once." Deuce said.
"Yep, so I'll try to make it work. Frankie's parents paid for my doctor visit since they weren't comfortable with me paying for it myself, which is understandable." Jake said.
"He couldn't've afforded it anyway." Frankie added.
Jake chuckled in response.
"Did your doctor say anything else?" Clawd asked.
"I did tell him that I get extremely thirsty every now and then, but that was it. He said it could be dehydration or dry mouth." Jake responded.
Clawd felt guilty now. "I feel like this is my fault. I gave you a bottle of water while we were driving to the movies the other day, Jake."
"Hey, it's not your fault, Clawd. You didn't know what was gonna happen to him." Draculaura reassured.
"Yeah, don't blame yourself, man. It's no big deal." Jake reassured.
All Clawd did was nod with a bummed out look on his face.
Jake changed the subject. "I've been thinking about this recently, and, uh, I haven't had a job in a while. I need to work so I can pay off my car."
"What about that fast food place you told us you worked at?" Frankie asked.
"I quit after I got my car. I've thought about reapplying there but I don't really like those types of conditions." Jake said.
"You could get a job at the Coffin Bean. It's at the Maul." Lagoona suggested.
"Is that a coffee shop?" Jake asked.
"Yep! They've got all kinds of coffee and snacks and stuff. We go there all the time." Clawdeen said.
Jake smiled, his curiosty piqued. "Alright! I'll consider it. Thanks for the suggestion."
"Oh, you're welcome. And Jake, don't worry about car payments. My parents can handle them for you." Frankie said.
"Are you sure they'll be up to it?" Jake asked.
"Yeah! Why wouldn't they be?" Frankie asked, confused.
"You know what? I don't know. I guess I was just second-guessing them. Thank you, though. I really do appreciate that, Frankie." Jake said gratutitously.
"Of course." Frankie said with a smile.
Jake then chuckled and pulled out his phone, amused at what he was about to do.
"You know, there's a song that describes my situation perfectly." Jake said.
"What song?" Heath asked.
"This one." Jake replied. He opened Musi and selected Get a Job by the Silhouettes.
Jake, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Jackson (now transformed into Holt), Clawd, Gil, Deuce, Heath, and Slo Mo started dancing to the song. They also clapped along during the breakdowns.
After the song was over, Jake closed out Musi and put his phone away. His friends were elated.
"That was such a fun song! Who sang it, Jake?" Draculaura asked him.
"A group called the Silhouettes. They're a doo-wop group from the fifties." Jake said.
"I gotta say, I didn't expect that level of catchiness. It's already stuck in my head." Jackson said, grinning with delight. He had turned back into his normie self.
"Mine too! The 'Sha-na na' parts were so catchy, and the saxophone solo was just voltaigious." Frankie said.
"Now I feel like I'm gonna be singing 'Sha-na na na' all day." Lagoona said with a giggle.
Heath swooned. "That's the kind of music I love right there! Music you can dance to."
The conversation was cut short as the bell rang. The gang got up and went inside the school, with Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Jackson, Clawd, Gil, Deuce, Heath, and Slo Mo repeating "Sha-na na na..." on their way to first period. Jake looked at them and smirked slyly.
XXXXXXX
In Study Howl, the ghouls and Jackson were still singing Get a Job. Jake was happy that they loved the song so much. He had a similar experience the first time heard it.
"I'm glad you guys loved that song. When I first heard it, I couldn't get it out of my head for a week." Jake said, chuckling.
"It's just such an earworm. The fifties have some great tunes." Cleo said.
A moment later, Operetta came in and sat down with the gang.
"Hey, y'all!" Operetta greeted.
"Hey, Operetta!" Jake, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, and Jackson greeted back jovially.
The gang, except for Jake and Operetta, kept singing Get a Job.
Confused, Operetta asked, "What in ghoul's name are you guys singin'?"
"This song that Jake played for us called 'Get a Job'. It's by the Silhouettes." Clawdeen said.
"Interestin'. When did it come out?" Operetta asked.
"1957." Jake said.
"Wow! That sure is old!" Operetta said, blinking in surprise.
"You should check it out, Operetta. Once it's in your head, it won't leave." Frankie said.
Operetta's curiosity was piqued. She smiled. "Alright." She pulled out her iCoffin and searched for the song on FrightTube; when she found it, she put on her headphones and pressed play.
Jake, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, and Jackson watched Operetta listen to it; she was moving to the beat and snapping her fingers the whole entire time.
When she finished the song, Operetta took her headphones off and set her iCoffin on the table. She was quite satisfied to say the least.
"Well, I can definitely see appeal of that song now!" Operetta exclaimed happily.
The gang laughed endearingly.
"How'd y'all get into it the first place?" Operetta asked.
"Jake was talking about how he needed a job and there just so happened to be a song about, well, getting a job." Draculaura said.
"I'll be darned. That was one swingin' tune. It's goin' on my playlist for sure." Operetta said.
"I thought you listened to music on vinyl." Jackson said, confused.
"I do! I go back and forth between vinyl and FrightTube. It depends on my mood, really." Operetta said.
Jake chimed in. "My grandpa used to have this giant record player in his basement at his house. He and my grandma were really into Elvis Presley."
"Didn't you say he was the king of rock and roll?" Lagoona asked.
"Mm-hmm, that's what he was known as back in the day. He was a superstar, way before the Beatles and especially before Michael Jackson. He's been dead for over forty years but his legacy still lives on." Jake said.
Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Jackson, and Operetta became instantly intrigued.
"Wow! I guess we gotta check out this Elvis guy. From what you've described, Jake, he seems like he made great music." Frankie said.
"He definitely did. To be honest with you, I'm not the most diehard fan of his music, but I love a lot of his albums." Jake said.
"Did your grandparents annoy you with how much they played of him?" Clawdeen asked, amused.
"Not really, I just don't love him as much as Michael Jackson or the Beatles. I still think he's an amazing artist, though." Jake responded with a smile.
"That's good. We feel the same way about a lot of artists sometimes." Jackson said.
"Yeah." Jake said.
After the Elvis Presley discussion, the topic switched to a more serious one.
"Jake, we need to talk to you about something." Cleo said.
Jake became concerned. "About what?"
"When Toralei, Purrsephone, and Meowlody come back, we're makin' sure they don't set foot near you ever again." Operetta said.
"That's been our number one priority ever since they attacked you. We can't risk it." Frankie said.
At first, Jake didn't know what to say. He was grateful his friends were there to protect him, but at the same time, since Toralei, Purrsephone, and Meowlody apologized to him, he felt they were no longer going to bully him now that they knew about his problems.
"Guys, I appreciate you trying to protect me, but they apologized. They're not gonna hurt me anymore." Jake said.
"We don't care. What they did to you is absolutely unforgivable." Draculaura said.
"Besides, what if, many months down the road, they do something like this to you again?" Clawdeen asked apprehensively.
"They won't because they know it'll lead them to severe consequences. Bloodgood taught 'em that lesson well." Jake said.
"Yeah, she did, but Jake, you don't know Toralei like we do. She's mean, she's nasty, she's petty, and when she wants to be, she can be really cruel." Lagoona said.
"And Purrsephone and Meowlody just go along with everything she says, which only makes things worse." Cleo said.
Ghoulia moaned in agreement.
"I believe you, but people can change, you know." Jake said.
"True, but people don't change overnight." Jackson said.
"I know. Look, it's really sweet that you guys are looking out for me, and I couldn't be more grateful for that, but I promise you, nothing is going to happen to me. I'm not going to get hurt." Jake said, very sincere.
Jake's friends smiled, happy for the reassurance. They admired his optimism and positive outlook on life.
"You know what we like most about ya, sugar? Your positivity." Operetta said.
"You always look on the bright side!" Frankie said happily.
"Well, there's a certain group of people that may have made a gigantic impression on me!" Jake said with a grin.
At that moment, Jake, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Jackson, and Operetta all shared a group hug, showing a strong bond.
(1 hour later)
When lunchtime arrived, the gang got their food and sat down, followed by Abbey, Robecca, Spectra, Rochelle, Venus, Iris, Howleen, Clawd, Gil, Deuce, Heath, Manny, and Slo Mo joining them. Jake was catching the ghouls (minus the main 6 and Abbey) and Manny up on his visit to the doctor.
"So, my doctor found no sugar in my urine, he just told me to not drink any fluids all at once." Jake said.
"That's great, Jake! It's a miracle you don't have any diseases." Robecca said, smiling with relief.
"Indeed. I gotta tell you, I was scared, man. I had no idea what was going on with me. I didn't know if I had a urinary tract infection, I wasn't sure if it was diabetes, it was spooky." Jake said.
"I'd be scared, too. Especially if it came out of nowhere." Manny said.
"At least you're all good now for the time being." Spectra said.
"I just gotta monitor my fluid intake." Jake said.
Rochelle chimed in. "As they always say, it is better to be safe than sorry."
The gang agreed to that.
All of a sudden, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Operetta, Jackson, Clawd, Gil, Deuce, Heath, and Slo Mo started singing Get a Job, much to the confusion of the others (save for Jake).
"What are you guys singing?" Abbey asked.
"A song called 'Get a Job'. Jake played it for us this morning." Frankie responded.
"Is that what you were singing in Mad Science class? I kept hearing 'Sha-na na na' and I couldn't really make out what you were saying." Robecca said with a giggle.
"I recommend checking it out. It is just ear candy." Clawd said.
"I'll wait a little while. I feel like I just got Michael Jackson out of my head!" Iris exclaimed.
Howleen was confused. "Michael who?"
Jake's face perked up. "I see we haven't introduced Howleen to Michael Jackson yet!"
"Sorry, little sis, Clawd and I were gonna tell you about him but we forgot." Clawdeen said apologetically.
"Well, now I wanna listen to him!" Howleen said, getting excited.
"Go for it! You can find him on FrightTube." Draculaura said.
"If you type in his name, he'll be the first thing that comes up." Gil said.
Howleen nodded and pulled out her iCoffin, then opened FrightTube and searched for Michael Jackson; she was able to find him easily.
"Found him! I'll check him out after school." Howleen said.
"Trust us, Howleen, you won't be disappointed." Jake said with a smile.
Howleen grinned as she had high expectations for what she was about to get into.
The gang continued conversing until lunch was over. After throwing away their food scraps, they left the creepateria and endured fifth and sixth period.
XXXXXXX
Jake and Frankie left the school after saying bye to their friends. They got in the car and headed home where they were greeted by Viktor and Viveka.
"Hey, kids!"
"Hey!" Jake and Frankie greeted back.
"How was school?" Viktor asked.
"Good, as always." Frankie replied.
"Good!" Viktor said, jovial in his tone.
As Frankie sat down on the couch, Jake looked at her for a quick second and then at her parents, wanting to ask them an important question.
"Um, Mr. and Mrs. Stein, can I talk to you guys alone? It's important." Jake told them.
Viktor and Viveka, as well as Frankie, became worried.
"Sure, Jake. Is everything okay?" Viveka asked with a perturbed look.
"Everything's fine. I just need to talk to you." Jake said.
"Okay." Viktor said, nodding.
Jake then looked at Frankie and said, "Frankie, this has nothing to do with you. You're good."
"Oh, alright." Frankie said.
At that moment, Jake, Viktor, and Viveka walked down the hallway and stopped in the middle of it.
"What's going on?" Viktor asked.
"At school, I was thinking about what I could do for work since I haven't worked in over a month and my car needs paid off. I was wondering if you two could handle the car payments for me. Frankie told me you would, but I wanted to hear it from the two of you personally." Jake said.
The elder Steins smiled. They were already planning on taking care of Jake's car payments even before he mentioned it to them.
"Of course we can, honey! We were already planning on handling them before you brought it up, but we appreciate you telling us." Viveka said.
"We'll worry about those so you don't have to." Viktor said.
Jake smiled gratefully. "Thank you, I appreciate that!"
"You're welcome! And you said you were looking for a job, too, right?" Viveka asked.
"Yeah. My friends suggested the Coffin Bean at the Maul, so I might look into that." Jake responded.
"That's a good start!" Viktor said.
Jake grinned. "Thanks again."
"Anytime." Viktor and Viveka both said.
Jake went into the living room and sat next to Frankie on the couch; her parents went to the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
"I asked your parents if they'd be willing to handle my car payments." Jake said.
"What'd they say?" Frankie asked.
"They said yes. In fact, they were already going to do it before I talked to them about it." Jake said.
Frankie smiled. "See? I told you they would come around!"
Jake smiled back endearingly.
Meanwhile, as Viktor and Viveka started on dinner, the two of them talked about what Jake just let them know.
"I'm glad Jake asked us about paying off his car." Viktor said.
"Me too. He's just a kid, he doesn't need to worry about that kind of stuff. Not yet anyway." Viveka said.
"Well, he'll be grown up before we know it, Viv. Just wait 'til he and Frankie reach college." Viktor said, chuckling.
Viveka smirked mischeviously. "It's too early to be thinking about that, Vik."
Viktor also had a smirk present on his face.