Hello! Before you read this, I would appreciate it very much if you read MeganKoumori's "The Jungle Fanfic" first. A lot of the brilliant scenes in here are thought of by her, and she was nice enough to give me permission to use them. I may have also been inspired by other stories, which I've sadly lost track of. If you notice that I've accidentally used your idea without your permission, tell me to either give you credit or remove it from the story. I'd appreciate it very much!
If you don't figure it out while reading, this is meant for a comic This is not finished, as you may have realized. Only about half way. I've got the whole thing set out, but I've still got to finish the last half of the outline.
Oh, yes, and the disclaimer, which none of us must forget: if I owned Hey Arnold, I'd be rolling in all of your money right now.
We begin the comic with a row of pictures, starting with Miles and Stella, and ending with a few pictures of a nine-year-old Arnold, including a particular picture that greatly resembles the picture in Helga's locket. This transitions into an exact copy of the picture in Helga's locker, where Helga angrily shoves in a few books, and slams the door. She marches to the classroom, pushing a large sixth grade boy out of her way and out of the shot. Meanwhile, in the fifth grade classroom, everybody's conversing as usual. Rhonda has a particular scene where she's showing off a blue bracelet around her wrist.
Rhonda: "It's a brand new, one of a kind, genuine, blue crystal bracelet!"
The door opens, and in enters Helga. The "camera" is from slightly below to add dramatic effect. As Helga passes, Lila, Sheena, and Nadine, who were listening into Rhonda's conversation, look terrified.
Rhonda: "Daddy got it for me after realizing just how inexpensive that shiny new cell phone he bought me was—."
Rhonda doesn't seem to notice Helga right away, until she completely passes by her. Rhonda throws Helga a smug smile.
Rhonda: "Well, well, Helga, looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
Helga glares at Rhonda...
Helga: "Aw, put a sock in it, Princess."
...and sits down behind Arnold and next to Phoebe. Phoebe turns and asks what's wrong. Helga explains that it's her "stupid parents" getting on her nerves because they've been obsessing over Olga coming in to visit the next week. Arnold turns and claims that it wont be too bad. Helga says it's none of his business. Arnold shrugs and turns back around.
Everybody is now sitting in the fifth grade classroom. Mr Simmons rushes in and apologizes for being late, making the excuse that he was sidetracked by an essay competition that he had found. He explains that several classes are competing against each other writing essays on Latin America. Whoever wins, them and their own class get to take a trip to San Lorenzo. Nadine gets excited, naming several rare bugs found in particular parts of Latin America. Rhonda gags at her friend.
At this news, Arnold is surprised. Mr. Simmons looks at Helga, asking her to write about it because she's the best writer in the class. Helga waves him off, saying she wouldn't want to bother writing an extra essay. Arnold, however, quickly raises his hand and asks to do it. Mr. Simmons agrees.
Later that day, Helga, Gerald, and the rest of the gang are at Gerald field.
Sid: "We just can't do it, Helga."
Helga: "What the heck are you talking about? This is probably the easiest strategy I've ever learned!"
There's some scattered complaints from the rest of the kids. Helga turns from them, arms crossed, rolling her eyes.
Helga: "Yeah, yeah, quit your whining."
Gerald walks up to Helga. Helga keeps her arms crossed and back to the gang, side glancing at him.
Gerald: "Give them a break, Helga. This is thought to be one of the hardest moves in history."
Helga: "Huh! What makes you think that you would know anything about the Padinski strategy?"
Gerald steps up onto a bench to get higher up, and smiles at Helga.
Gerald: "You'll see, Pitaki. Lead me in, Sid."
Sid is placed in front of a dark background and given shadowing for dramatic effect.
Sid: "The all famous Padinski strategy has been passed down from kid generation to kid generation, and-."
The moment and background is ruined by Helga's outburst.
Helga: "Yeah, yeah, we all know the story. Created by Padinski, guaranteed home run, blah, blah, blah, who cares? The important thing is that nobody else on this team can use it!"
Gerald: "That's funny, Helga, because I remember you assigning me first at bat because I'm the only one who knows how to do it."
Helga: "Oh, don't flatter yourself, Gerald-o, I only let you be first because your shrimp of a friend wouldn't stop bugging me about it until I let you. Wait a minute, where is that little football head?"
Meanwhile, Arnold is writing the essay. He takes a quick glance at the photo of him and his parents. Gerald, Stinky, Helga, Harold, and Sid walk up to Arnold's boarding house. "Hey Arnold!" Arnold opens the door. Gerald asks him why he missed baseball practice in Gerald Field. Arnold says that he couldn't because he's working on the paper. Gerald asks why he's working so hard. Arnold explains that that's where his parents were traveling to last, and he believes he could find them in San Lorenzo. When Helga asks what his parents would be doing in San Lorenzo, Arnold answers. Everybody exchanges glances and excuses him. Later, when Arnold hurries back up to his room, they say how far fetched his story sounds. Helga, however, sneaks off, saying another one of her Arnold poems about how she pities him. Brainy shows up, and Helga punches him.
The next day, Arnold, sitting next to Gerald on the bus, pulls out his father's journal. Gerald looks at him and asks what it is. Arnold replies, and continues by explaining one of the passages. The rest of the gang is listening in from the back of the bus.
Sid: "Hah! Can you believe it?"
Harold: "Yeah, what a bunch of crap."
Phoebe: "I must say, his story does seem rather far fetched."
Helga, however, is listening to her friends in shock. She stands up on her seat, and begins lecturing them.
Helga: "What are you guys saying? Listen to yourselves! This is Arnold we're talking about! You don't expect him to straight out lie to us, do you?"
Rhonda: "Oh, please, Helga, out of all of us, you should be the one to care the least about what we say.
Stinky: "Yeah, Helga, I reckon you're the only one who ever picks on him and calls him names."
Rhonda: "So tell us, Helga. Why the sudden change in heart?"
Helga stares at her friends, perplexed. She scratches the back of her neck.
Helga: "Well, uh..."
Helga suddenly goes back to her bully facade.
Helga: "Well, it's not like I'm standing up to the dumb football head! I'm just sick and tired of you people yapping on about how a story is fake when I know for a fact it's true!"
The gang stares at her.
Harold: "You mean... Arnold really isn't lying?"
Helga: "That's what I'm saying, Pink Boy."
The bus lerches to a stop. Helga has jumps off her seat and marches out of the bus, waving on to Phoebe, who is getting out of her seat to follow.
Helga: "Come on, Phoebs."
Phoebe: "Coming!"
The rest of the gang sticks behind.
Stinky: "Well, fellas, I reckon Miss Helga has also taken a liking to fibbing."
Cut to a scene with Miles and Stella. They're walking through the forest. Miles is ahead, and Stella is behind.
Miles: "We should be there before noon. Eduardo says these people are very friendly and love visitors, so we should have no problems."
Stella: "Eduardo also says eating three packs of beef jerky a day is good for your heart."
Miles: "Speaking of beef jerky, did you pack any?"
Suddenly, a figure leaps from the trees in front of them, blocking their path.
Stella: "La Sombra!"
Miles: "Get out of our way, La Sombra! We don't have time for games today!"
La Sombra: "I'm not playing games, Senor. Now, the medicine, if you please."
Stella: "What do you want with it?"
Miles: "If you have dysentery, all you have to do is ask and we'll…"
La Sombra: "I don't have dysentery, you fools! That medicine is worth a fortune to me!"
Stella: "A fortune?"
La Sombra: "Yes. I'll make sure it gets to your friends in the village, Senor and Senora. But it will cost them a pretty penny as you Americans like to say!"
Miles: "Let me get this straight! You plan to make them pay for the medicine?"
La Sombra: "Pretty good plan, huh?"
Miles and Stella cross their arms and give him an annoyed, half lidded look.
Miles and Stella: "No!"
La Sombra makes a dive for Stella.
Stella: "Miles, catch!"
She rears back and throws the drugs like a football. Miles jumps.
Miles: "Got it!"
La Sombra is heading right towards him. He steps aside and leads the villain to fall to the ground.
Miles: "Oops! Come on, Stella let's go!"
Miles grabs his wife's hand and they take off.
Stella: "Look ahead!"
Miles nods. There's an old-fashioned rope bridge hanging over a canyon. He gives her a lop sided grin.
Miles: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Running behind the couple, La Sombra stops in his tracks. In the tree just beyond him sleeps a back panther.
La Sombra: "Oh no. Not a black cat! Oh, shoo! Go away!"
He waves his hands at the sleeping feline. Stooping down, he picks up a rock and hurls it at the tree.
La Sombra: "Vamoose!"
The panther lifts his head and gives him an angry stare. It jumps down off the branch and starts towards him. La Sombra screams and begins to run, the angry cat on his heels.
La Sombra makes it to the edge of the canyon, just in time to see Miles cutting the ropes on the other side. The bridge falls down the narrow valley.
Miles: "Such a shame when that happens!"
La Sombra: "AGH! I swear I'll get you someday! Then! Then you'll be sorry!"
Miles: "He always says that."
The bell rings, and Arnold looks up from his father's journal. He's standing in front of the class, indicating that he had just been reading it aloud for them. Everybody leaves the room, all except for Helga, who is packing up her stuff. She listens to the last of the people, Rhonda and Nadine, whispering to each other about Arnold and his journal as they're walking out. Nadine's giggling.
Rhonda: "Hey, Nadine, you think he wrote all of those journal entries out by himself?"
Helga glares at them and snaps her pencil in half from her tight grip.
Helga: "Criminy! What does it take to get those numbskulls to believe me?"
Helga's eye spots Arnold's desk, and her face brights up considerably. Helga walks over to his empty desk.
Helga: "That's it! All I have to do is borrow his journal; once they see the writing inside it, they'll know he's telling the truth!"
Helga opens his desk, and pauses, looking inside of it. She closes it and pulls out her locket.
Helga: "Oh, Arnold! Dare I soil one of your most prized possessions with my own fingers? Shall I borrow this journal merely to prove a point?"
Helga stuffs her locket back in her shirt and shrugs.
Helga: "Eh, it's for a good cause."
Helga gets the journal from Arnold's desk, but then hears noises. She quickly hides under Mr. Simmons's desk. Arnold and Gerald are walking into the classroom. Arnold explains that he forgot his father's journal. Arnold opens his desk, and once he notices that his journal is missing, he begins freaking out. Gerald attempts to calm him down, saying that he must have left it in his locker. Arnold disagrees, saying that he remembers putting it in his desk. Several minutes of searching later, Arnold finally gives up and leaves, Gerald patting him on the back.
Arnold: "I can't believe it, Gerald... I've lost my father's journal."
Gerald: "Don't worry, buddy. It'll turn up somehow."
Once they leave the room, Helga looks at the journal, then back to Arnold's desk. After thinking things over, she realizes that she can't just put it back in his desk; he's already realized it's missing. Helga frowns, stuffing it in her locker, wondering how she can give the journal back, with another dramatic soliloquy added to show her misery of making her beloved miserable. After seeing the date on the calendar on one of the boards as she stomps off, she brightens up considerably. She realizes that today's Arnold's birthday! Praising herself for her idea, she runs off.
It's in the afternoon, and there's a view of Arnold's front door. Somebody knocks on it, and the door opens, revealing Arnold. Helga and Phoebe turn out to be the ones at the door. Helga has a hand on her hip, frowning gently. Phoebe's by her side, smiling. Both are holding their own present. Arnold smiles (obviously fake) and says that he's glad they could have made it.
Helga: "Yeah, yeah, move it, bucko."
Helga pushes past Arnold, while Phoebe gives him an apologetic smile. All three go to the rooftop, where everybody in their class is, as well as almost everybody in Hillwood (Arnold has always been known to throw large parties, after all). There are several background scenes, including Curly doing something crazy, Eugene getting hurt, or anything else. Arnold just sits down, looking sad once again. Gerald notices this, and walks over to him. He asks what's wrong. Arnold explains that it's just his journal. Helga checks her watch, and looks over the side of the roof. The mailman, Harvey, is walking down the street. She smiles.
As Arnold continues to talk to Gerald, he hears a knocking on the front door. He looks over the side of the rooftop, and sees Harvey standing in front of the boarding house.
Harvey: "Yo, Arnold, get down here! You've got a present in the mail."
Everybody in the gang exchanges glances, and follows Arnold downstairs. When Arnold opens the door, he signs the paper, "Arnold Shortman," and takes the package, saying goodbye to Harvey. He closes the door, and sees that everybody's staring at him. They urge him to open it. Arnold smiles and does as told. Once he's finished unwrapping it, he gasps, seeing that it's his journal. He looks around, and states that whoever sent it to him, he's very thankful. Helga hides in the back, beaming. Phoebe looks over at Helga, and smiles, as though knowing what she did.
A few days later, Mr. Simmons, with a piece of paper, congratulates Arnold, saying that he's won the whole class a trip to San Lorenzo. Everybody breaks out into conversation...
Lila: "Thank you ever so much for working so hard on that essay for us, Arnold."
Gerald: "Nice work, my friend."
Nadine: "I wonder if I'll be able to see the Mexican Bean Beetle"
Rhonda: "The first thing I do when we get there is go to the gift store. I would just love to buy a new South American outfit! "
Mr. Simmons: "N-now, quiet down, class."
Principal Wartz enters the room, wondering what all of the noise is for. Mr. Simmons explains that Arnold had won them a trip to San Lorenzo. Principal Wartz, excited, asks if he can come along as well. Mr. Simmons looks at the paper, which says...
"Congratulations! One of your students has won the writing contest out of the twenty-one classes that have participated! Your departure will be October 15, 1998 at 3:00 pm at the Seattle Airport. Your student, along with the rest of the class (which may include teachers, assistant teachers, and principal), will spend one week in the beautiful city of San Lorenzo, Mexico. The plane trip to and from San Lorenzo will already be payed for. When you get to your destination, you will not..." (The rest of the note is cut off by the edge of the panel.)
...and tells the principal that principals seem to be allowed to come if wished. Principal Wartz runs off to pack his bags, popping on a sombrero and singing some spanish song.
Helga, however, crosses her arms. She says that she would rather jump off of a cliff (oh my god foreshadowing!) than go to San Lorenzo. Mr. Simmons mentions that the trip is the next week. Helga, noticing that that's when Olga's visiting, smiles and agrees that the trip wouldn't be so bad.
The next week everybody is on the plane. Because Phoebe and Gerald are paired up, Helga and Arnold are stuck with one another. Helga has her arms crossed, complaining about being stuck with Arnold. Arnold says that if she hates it so much, then she should just switch partners with someone else. Helga says not to bother, as they're about to take off. Arnold pulls out his father's journal. Helga rolls her eyes and pulls out a game-boy-like console to play Wrestle Mania.
Meanwhile, Olga comes home. There are a few time-lapse panels—one of her happilyy entering the front door of the Pitaki residence, another of her hugging a drunken Miriam, forcing her out of herunconsciouss state, another of her kissing Big Bob on theforeheadd as he's watching television, and a last one of her cooking... She knocks on the door to Helga's bedroom.
Olga: "Baby sister?"
When there's no reply, she asks her parents where she is.
Bob: "Oh, she's on some class trip to San Lorenzo or something..."
Olga: "You mean, in Mexico?"
Bob: "Yeah, yeah, something like that."
Olga: "Oh, Daddy, I've always wanted to go to San Lorenzo! I've heard the views are amazing. You know what? I think I'll pay a surprise visit for my baby sister and her little friends."
Bob:"Huh? You're leaving already, Olga? But you just got here!"
Olga: "Oh, it will be just fantastic! I'll take a plane tonight."
Miriam: "But, Olga—."
Olga: "Oh, don't be such a silly little spoil sport, Mummie. I'll take a few days off when we come back to spend some time with you and Daddy."
And with that, she leaves to get packed.
A few hours later, everybody's becoming antsy. Rhonda is trying to push Brainy off of her as he's fallen asleep. Harold's wondering when they'll be eating lunch. Eugene's puking in a paper bag. Sheena, who is sitting next to Eugene, looks at him, disgusted. Surprisingly, Helga and Arnold are the only two who are sitting still. Mr. Simmons, who is sitting with Principal Wartz, attempts to calm them down, saying that it will only be another hour, but gives up.
They land, and Arnold is looking out of the window excitedly. When they get off, Rhonda is carrying several large suitcases with the help of Nadine. Arnold asks Rhonda why she brought all this stuff. Rhonda laughs, asking if he expected her to leave her wardrobe behind.
Rhonda: "Besides, when we get to the hotel, I can put all of this stuff down."
Helga walks up next to her, puts her hands on her hips and reminds her that they'll be away from any civilization. Rhonda drops her luggage, eyes wide, and screams.
They begin backpacking around the mountain. Rhonda is very far behind the rest of the group. Nadine is standing with her as she stops to take another break. Nadine is excitedly examining a bug. While Rhonda is breathing heavily, Nadine picks it up and takes it over to her.
Nadine: "Rhonda, look at this! This is a one of a kind rare species called the—."
Rhonda: "Ugh! Get that away from me!"
Rhonda asks how long they've been walking. Nadine says for 20 minutes. Rhonda returns this with a look of despair.
Meanwhile, Arnold is way ahead of the group. Mr. Simmons is breathing heavily, asking him to slow down. Principal Wartz is right behind them, although he looks very red in the face. Arnold apologizes, and stops to wait for them. Helga is catching up to Arnold along with Phoebe, complaining that she never wanted to go on this stupid trip anyway. Gerald is breathing heavily in the background. Eugene's foot is stuck in a hornet's nest. Sid is whispering to Stinky, wondering why he's so content on finding his parents.
Stinky: "Garsh, if I didn't know any better, I'd reckon he's telling the truth."
Sid: "Hah! No way! His story is way too fishy for my liking.'
Harold is seen in the background breathing heavily with a red face. Meanwhile, Curly is swinging, laughing maniacally, from a tree vine. He's wearing nothing but underwear. Mr. Simmons pleads him to come down, but is interrupted mid-sentence by Principal Wartz. Curly swings off, and the two adults bold after him. The other kids follow slowly behind, rolling their eyes at their classmate. Soon, Mr. Simmons, who is holding down a cackling Curly, turns around to everyone, saying that it seems like everybody's tired and should take a break. Mr. Simmons directs them to stay put while he and Principal Wartz go ahead and see if they can find a path. When they leave, Curly laughs, claiming his freedom and swings off once again. Helga rolls her eyes, making some snide remark.
Harold begins begging for water.
Rhonda: "Well, I guess it's up to Moi to save the day!"
Helga puts her hands on her hips.
Helga: "What are you talking about, princess?"
Rhonda: "Well, it just so happens that in my beverages suitcase, that under the Yahoo! and next to the imported Canadian Cherry Soda, I packed enough sparkling Mineral Water to supply us all!"
Arnold: "Rhonda, that's great!"
Rhonda: "Great nothing! You all said that I was crazy! You made fun of me for bringing so many suitcases! You wouldn't help me carry my things in spite of my upbringing! You all laughed at me! Well, now it looks like I've got the upper hand, doesn't it? Doesn't—."
Gerald: "Uh, Rhonda, the water?"
Rhonda digs into one of her suitcases, blushing.
Rhonda: "Oh right. Let's see. Cosmetics, dresses, jewelry... here we go!"
Rhonda puts her hands on a smaller suitcase.
Rhonda: "Beverages! Behold..."
Rhonda flips the clasps.
Rhonda: "Lovely, refreshing water!"
Rhonda has a look of surprise, before laughing slightly, turning back to everyone.
Rhonda: "Oh, hey! What do you know? It, uh, leaked. Funny thing about water. It does that sometimes."
Arnold sighs.
Arnold: "Now what?"
Eugene: "I know, how about a song?"
Helga: "Don't even think it!"
Eugene: "Sunday, Monday, Happy Days! Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days! Thursday, Friday, Happy Days! Saturday, what a day! Grooving all week with you!"
Arnold sighs.
Arnold: "Eugene, this isn't the time..."
Eugene: "These days are ours, these Happy Days! These days are ours, these Happy Days! Share them with me!"
Helga: "That tears it!"
Helga jumps at Eugene, knocking him into the bush.
Eugene: "Ah!"
Helga comes walking out from behind the bush, brushing off her hands.
Helga: "That's better!"
Eugene: "I'm okay..."
Arnold crosses his arms.
Arnold: "Helga..."
Helga: "Oh what? Don't tell me you didn't want the little twerp to shut up!"
Arnold grabs Helga's arm and looks at her happily.
Arnold: "No! Listen! Did you hear the noise when you hit Eugene? It sounded like... like..."
Arnold rushes over to look behind the bushes.
Arnold: "Helga, you found water!"
Helga: "I did?"
Arnold: "And not just water... a whole waterfall! It's huge!"
Arnold waves his hand to get everyone to follow.
Arnold: "Come on, let's go!"
Everybody crowds around the bushes to see Eugene swimming in the middle of clear water, with a large waterfall.
Eugene: "Come on in, guys! The water's great!"
Everybody dives in except for Rhonda. Rhonda's searching through her suitcases.
Rhonda: Oh, what should I wear? The stylish yellow sequined one-piece, or the hawaiian flower design bikini? Oh, choices! Choices!
Mr. Simmons and Principal Wartz return a while away.
Mr. Simmons: "I can't believe it! We were on the right track after all! Ok, my very special students, sorry it…took…so…long…Oh my gosh!"
Mr. Simmons notices that the students are gone.
Mr. Simmons: "My students! They're gone! Oh dear! What could have happened? They could have been kidnapped by natives, or devoured by jaguars, or…or…"
Principal Wartz stops him with his hand and shushes him.
Principal Wartz: "Shush. Do you hear something?"
There's laughter. The teacher and principal appear from behind the bushes. Harold has his eyes closed, his arms stretched out, trying to feel around.
Harold: "Marco!"
Everybody: "Polo!"
Mr Simmons rushes forward.
Mr. Simmons: "My class! I was so worried! Class, come over—!"
Principal Wartz: "Now, Simmons, you have to be stern with them. Watch and learn."
Principal Wartz pushes Mr. Simmons out of the way as he walks forward. The kids swim over.
Principal Wartz: "Didn't we…Wait. Where's Miss Lloyd?"
Helga points to the other side of the waterfall, where Rhonda is still picking out her swimsuit.
Rhonda: "Yellow is one of my best colors, so I should wear yellow sequins! But on the other hand, the bikini does make me look more grown up, and it is the rage this season, but then again…"
Principal Wartz: "Oh. Didn't we say to stay put?"
Everybody: "Yes, Principal Wartz."
Principal Wartz: "Didn't we say we'd be back?"
Everybody: "Yes, Principal Wartz."
Principal Wartz crosses his arms.
Principal Wartz: "Well, what do you all have to say for yourselves?"
The class was silent for a moment. Harold then closes his eyes and turns around.
Harold: "Marco!"
Everybody: "Polo!"
Mr. Simmons sighs, smiling at Principal Wartz.
Mr. Simmons: "Well, if you can't beat 'em…"
Mr. Simmons does a cannon ball into the water, splashing Principal Wartz. Hours pass, shown by the position of the sun and the color of the sky. Rhonda holds up a swimsuit, looking satisfied with herself.
Rhonda: "Aha! I'll wear my darling pink and black tankini! It's trendier than both the yellow sequined one-piece and the Hawaiian Flower bikini, and it was especially designed for me!"
She stands up, but soon a shocked look is on her face.
Mr. Simmons: "Ok, everyone out the water! It's time to go!"
Rhonda: "Time to go? B-but Mr. Simmons, I haven't had a chance to go swimming yet!"
Mr. Simmons: "Well, I'm sorry, Rhonda, but it's getting late, and you spent so much time picking out a bathing suit…"
Rhonda twists her bathing suit in her hands.
Rhonda: "This is so unfair! So completely and utterly unfair!"
They walk on. Eventually, Helga bumps into Arnold, and, to her dismay, makes him lose the Journal. Arnold yells at her.
Arnold: "Helga, you've done some terrible things to me, but now you've gone too far!"
Helga attempts to explain that the last thing she'd want to do was lose Arnold's journal, yet he's too caught up into his anger to listen. He storms off, and Helga frowns. A mysterious figure picks up the journal, and looks up, seeing Arnold storm off.
Arnold spends the rest of the time storming off ahead of the group, while Helga remains with Phoebe, having intensions of kicking every flower and small animal in the way.
La Sombra attempts to throw a poisonous dart at Arnold. Arnold bends down to pick something up, and it misses him. Instead, it hits a black panther. The panther chases him away.
They set up camp. Arnold continues to mourn over the lost journal. The gang confronts him. Arnold gets upset, but doesn't yell. He drags himself off to bed. In the background, you can see La Sombra with a large net. When Arnold reaches the tent, he realizes his flashlight is out of battery. When he turns back to grab a battery, a black panther steps onto the camp. La Sombra, thinking that it's Arnold, throws the net on the panther. The panther growls at La Sombra, and chases him off.
Meanwhile, Helga begins yelling at them. Gerald takes a part of this, also, though he does more to defend Helga for defending Arnold when the rest of the class begins to interrogate her as to why she cares so much about the football headed boy. Arnold, who had turned back to get more batteries from Mr. Simmons, listens to this, surprised by what she's saying. Insert crappy love music and pink lighting, and that's the scene.
The next morning, everybody awakens and is captured by La Sombra and his gangsta friends. They're all taken on a boat and are taken down the river. As Helga ducks away from the crowd on the boat, she begins to do her hundredth soliloquy of the movie comic. After Brainy pops up behind her, she socks him, throwing him off of the ship.
Helga's stomping off towards the rest of the class. Eugene's getting sick, to the displeasure of one of La Sombra's men. Harold's clutching a stuffed dinosaur doll, looking scared. Arnold's sitting with Gerald, both looking defeated. Rhonda, however, has found a way to enjoy herself on the ship.
Rhonda: "You know, this isn't so bad... no more hiking, no more sweat..."
She's in her bathing suit, tanning, though her hair is still ruffled greatly. Seeing this, a guard yells something in spanish and grabs her by the wrist, making her bracelet fall off and into the water. She runs to the wall of the ship, motioning to jump. Arnold quickly stands up and stops her, explaining that it's too dangerous. Finally, Rhonda snaps in somehow the funniest way possible.
The children all begin to talk. Everybody seems worried. Arnold gets up high to draw attention, telling them that it will all be okay, and they'll get through this. After a long pause of silence...
Helga: "We're all gonna die!"
This causes more chaos between the students. Arnold sighs, and shakes his head. Gerald pats him on the shoulder, an annoyed yet calm expression on his face as he raises an eyebrow at the class.
Gerald: "Well, you tried, buddy."
Arnold walks up to Helga and places a hand on her shoulder to help her calm down, though looks at the rest of the class to show that he's addressing everyone. He tells everybody that if they just stay calm, they can get through with it. When Arnold takes his hand off of Helga's shoulder and walks off, Helga sighs, holding a hand to her heart. She hears breathing behind her. Brainy is climbing up on the ship's wall, soaking wet from the last time Helga socked him. Helga scowls and punches him again, knocking him back into the water.