A/N: Obviously I don't own Arthur...or anything associated with the show...anyway, let's get on with it. :)
Sun streamed through the teen boy's window's. The light bounced off the bright green walls, further brightening the room. The irritating beeping of an electric alarm clock could be heard over the bird's chirping. Arthur rolled over in bed, groaning at the sight of morning. His arm swung over, blindly swatting at the clock. Finally he sat up, and hit the snooze button. Rubbing his eye's sleepily, he slowly climbed out of bed and trudged to his closet. He removed a white t-shirt with a splattered paint design on the front, then a green zip up hoodie, along with a pair of loose-fitting jeans. Throwing his clothes over over one shoulder, he shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. Grasping the handle, he turned it and walked forward simultaneously. The door didn't open and Arthur walked smack into it.
"Oww.." He moaned, rubbing his throbbing forehead, "D.W.! Hurry up!" He called, banging the door with his fist.
The door opened a crack, D.W. stuck her head out, "Mom! Arthur's bugging me!" She yelled downstairs.
"Arthur leave your sister alone." Droned their mother from the kitchen.
D.W. stuck her tongue out to prove her victory and quickly slammed the door in his face.
Walking back to his room, now fully awake, he tossed his chosen outfit onto his unmade bed and peered out the window. His mind drifted to the dream he'd just had. It has centered around an unexpected girl. Molly MacDonald, the rough bully with shaggy red hair that hung over her eyes. In his dream she had been wearing a frilly pink dress, and had been running wildly through a blacked out Elmwood City, from a gigantic squid-like thing with laser guns firing off white hot beams. Then, just as the squid had her cornered in a dark alley, Arthur had flown in, dressed like bionic bunny and saved the girl. Then they did something completely unforeseen, Molly had leaned in and kissed him. Then of course, the alarm had woken him and removed him from Molly's warm arms.
Suddenly, D.W. burst into his room, wrapped in a bright yellow towel, her hair also tied up in a towel.
"Arthur, you slob!" She cried, "The bathroom's free, and mom said if you're not downstairs in 10 minutes, she's leaving without you." She shrieked with laughter and skipped from his room, leaving a watery trail.
"Oh great." Arthur mumbled, retracing his steps to the bathroom.
He showered quickly and returned to his room and dressed. Placing his black, square rimmed glasses on he reached for his bag.
"Arthur!" His mother called, "Can you please bring Kate down with you?"
"Yes mom." He sighed, and headed for the room Kate & D.W. shared.
Thankfully Kate had turned out slightly different from D.W. Instead of always harassing him, Kate was more interested in drawing and singing or just day dreaming. She loved when Arthur read to her, and spent most of her time writing her own stories. Her 5th birthday was fast approaching.
"Kate?" Arthur swung open the door. She was sitting on the floor, colouring.
"Yes, Arthur Read?" She replied. She'd recently gotten into calling everyone she knew by their full name.
"It's time to go, put your crayons away." He waited while she cleaned up.
Then they both padded downstairs for breakfast.
The Read mini van rumbled along the quiet streets toward Lakewood Elementary, Arthur occupied the front seat, D.W. and Kate sat in the back. The car approached the side walk in front of the school.
"Okay, D.W. I'll pick you up after school, have a nice day honey." Arthur's mom chimed as the young girl hastily jumped out of the van.
"Yeah, sure, okay, bye mom!" She called, racing to-wards her long-eared friend, Emily.
"I sure hope 4th grade is treating her well." Arthur quipped, sarcastically, "Mr. Ratburn is such a disease..not to mention he gives out enough homework to ruin a kid's whole night." He added.
"Arthur!" Mrs. Read scolded, "Mr. Ratburn is a nice teacher. I heard he's going out with Ms. Morgan." She gasped, her hand shot to cover her mouth.
"I shouldn't't have said that." She stated, further exaggerating her mistake.
"Jenna's mom?" Arthur cried. "Ew. That is so wrong." He shuddered.
"Don't say anything, I didn't meant to say that." She whined, thinking of the possible consequences of her little slip up.
They'd since pulled away from the school, and were headed to Mill Creek High, a few blocks away.
Once they were only 2 blocks from the school, Arthur hopped out and met up with Buster.
"Hey Arthur." Buster gave him a lop-sided smile.
"Did you know Mr. Ratburn and Jenna's mom are going out?" Arthur blurted.
"What? Who's Jenna?" Buster asked, pulling absently at his large black sweater.
"Never mind." He mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Recently Buster had been a little distant, possibly because he and Rattles were becoming very good friends. Rattles was Mill Creek's resident dealer, and the closer him and Buster got, the more Buster had a glazed look in his eyes, and smelt of pot.
They were passing Francine's apartment, when they spotted her coming down the pathway.
"Hey Francine!" Arthur called to her.
"Hey Arthur, Buster." She smiled brightly.
Today she was wearing a knee-length pink dress. It was an odd sight, because Francine was such a tomboy. Back in the fourth grade she was the best at every sport, ever. Now she was the ultimate girly girl. It seemed like all she wore was pink, and she flirted like it was a disorder. Nearly all the guys at Mill Creek noticed her.
"You know Jenna's mom is dating Mr. Ratburn?" Arthur asked, repeating his earlier words.
"Oh my gosh! Ew. That's gross. I guess hooker's run in the family." She joked.
Buster & Arthur joined in the laughter, although Francine had gotten considerably more catty since she'd started dressing completely girl, at the beginning of the year.
"Anyway--" Francine began, but was cut off by a sleek black limo pulling up beside them.
The tinted window rolled down, "Francine!" A girls voice squealed.
Muffy's face appeared from behind the dark glass, she smiled. Her face pulled tight, her eye's looked different.
"Why are you walking? It's sooo passe." She snorted, glancing at the two boys.
"Oh..I wasn't. I was just waiting for you." She replied, circling the back of the car, and leaving the boys behind.
The car pulled away, "How rude." Buster stated.
"I know. Hey..did Muffy's face seem weird?" Arthur asked, as they began their walk once more.
"No.."
They were nearing the school now, they could hear the shrieks of all the girls seeing one another. Arthur looked to Buster who was gazing off at the sidewalk, his hood pulled over his head, his feet dragging.
Whatever happened to the old Buster? Now he's constantly strung out..I bet he's high right now.
The school's front doors were in their sights, the yard was full of people conversing, Arthur noticed someone had carved the words Suck My Kiss into the doors of the school.
Real Mature.
They entered the school and began to walk to their separate lockers, when Arthur saw her. Standing at her own locker, peering at her flawless image in her mirror. Molly. She'd really changed since he'd last saw her. She'd grown out her long bangs that had obstructed the view of her cerulean eyes. Now her hair fell in graceful layers around her heart-shaped face. She puckered her pink lips to apply an extra coat of shimmering gloss.
"Uh...uhhh.." Arthur began to stutter and stare.
His dream immediately played over in his mind, Molly's terrified image, him swooping in to save her. It all replayed as he stood there, staring. He grabbed Buster and shrunk down beside him.
"Arthur?" She suddenly asked, looking right at him as if he were crazy, "What the hell are you staring at?" She snapped, slamming her locker door and stomping away.
She may have looked different, but she's still a Tough Customer.