A/N/ Disclaimer: Arthur belongs to Marc Brown and PBS, not me, I'm just an Arthur fan.

The Story

Chapter 1: One Possibility

One morning, Arthur goes to his window.

He says "Ahhh, what a beautiful morning! It seems like it's going to be a perfect spring day. Life just couldn't get any better."

After a singing little blue bird flies away from a tree in front of the Read house, the jolly, happy Arthur goes downstairs to the kitchen, where his mother Jane and father David are. As he enters, he's happily whistling his way to the table.

"Well someone's in a good mood this morning," says David.

"How can I not be?" asks Arthur. "There's less than one month of school left and Muffy's already planning her first pool party! Oh how I look forward to going I can't wait!"

But then Jane puts down the newspaper and says to her two male aardvarks, "Oh that reminds me: this Friday afternoon, nobody make any plans."

Arthur's smile disappears upon hearing what his mother just said.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear?" Arthur asks himself quietly.

David asks, "Why, what's up?"

"It's..." says Jane.

"Here it comes..." Arthur thinks to himself.

Jane finally says, "...DW's Spring Pageant!"

Arthur gasps with devastation.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screams, forgetting his parents are there.

"Is there a problem, Arthur?" asks David.

Arthur thinks to himself, "Mom just said the three most terrible words in the English language!"

"Arthur?" asks David.

"This….Friday...Afternoon?" Arthur says?

"Yes, Arthur," says DW, "I don't care if you're not there.

A little later, DW is in her room happily playing with one of her dolls. But then she overhears her brother complaining to his mother.

"But the pool party is this Friday," says Arthur, "why do I always have to do EVERYTHING D.W. wants? EVERYTHING, mom."

But D.W. quickly opens the door and comes out of her room and without hesitation says to Arthur "That's not fair, I do things for you all the time."

Annoyed, Arthur says to her, "Oh yeah, like what?"

DW goes on about how she gives Arthur free advice, letting his silly dog lick her feet, and defending her when the Tibbles say he looks like a banana.

"DW," says Arthur, "those things don't count! And you don't always do things for me, in fact you make my life miserable!"

"Arthur," says DW, "that was not a very nice thing to say to your sister."

"But she does, mom," says Arthur, "she's always getting her way and I always have to sacrifice for her and I don't like that."

"Arthur stop exaggerating!" says DW, "I order you to go to my Spring Pageant, Mr. Selfish!"

Arthur turns to his mother and says with his hands together, "Mom can I please skip this one?"

Jane first says to both of her children near her, "Both of you, calm down!"

Jane then says to her son, "Arthur, you're going to the pageant and that's final! "

Jane walks down the stairs.

"But," says Arthur, "it's going to be boring."

"Enough, Arthur Read," says Jane sternly, "not one more word about this from you. You're not getting out of going to the pageant!"

And Jane continues her way down the stairs and thereafter Arthur walks away to his room upset as DW watches him.

After watching her brother, DW goes back to her room and Nadine appears.

"Can you believe it?" she says to her. "Arthur only cares about himself! He is so selfish."

"You have to admit, DW," says Nadine, "Arthur always has to do what you want and you always make him do things he doesn't want to do."

"Nadine, who's side are you on?" DW asks. "Besides, we all have to do things we don't want to do and my brother needs to stop thinking just about himself."

"Well," says Nadine, "I can't argue with you on that."

"And besides," says DW, "You're supposed to be my friend, not Arthur's."

"I can't argue with that either," says Nadine.

DW's mad face goes away but she's silent for a moment. Then she get's to thinking.

"You know something, Nadine?" asks DW nicely.

"What?" says Nadine?

Later, while Arthur is out playing basketball with Francine, Buster, and Binky, DW, still at home, goes to her parents.

"Mom, Dad," she says.

"What is it, DW?" Jane asks.

"I've been thinking," DW goes on, "maybe we should let Arthur skip this."

"What?" asks Jane and David.

"Arthur's right," she says, "he always has to do everything I want to do. I mean sure he can be selfish, but maybe we should give him a break. He doesn't have to come to my pageant if he doesn't want to. I think we should let him go to Muffy's pool party."

Jane and David look at each other for a moment before turning back to DW.

"DW, are you sure about this?" asks Jane.

"Yes," says DW, "Yes I am. Besides, to tell you the truth, I don't like always having Arthur with me. In fact, no offense, but sometimes his presence does upset me and I cannot always stand being in the same room as him."

DW goes on to say, "Plus, I can't keep making him do things he doesn't want to do. So why don't we spring him?"

"You," asks David, "want to spring your brother from the Spring Pageant?"

"Yes," says DW, "Yes I do. Please, Mom and Dad, let Arthur miss this one, it's fine by me."

If DW was old enough or knew enough, she's probably say "No pun intended."

Later when Arthur comes back home, David and Jane come to him.

"Arthur," says Jane with a smile, "we have some good news!"

"Huh," says Arthur, "what good news?"

"And we know you're going to love this," says David, also smiling.

"What?" Arthur wants to know.

"DW," Jane calls to her.

DW steps in front of her parents behind her and talks to Arthur.

"Arthur," says DW, "I've been thinking, and I decided..."

Arthur is waiting to hear what his sister has to say.

"You don't have to come to my Spring Pageant," DW finishes.

"Huh?" asks Arthur, who cannot believe his ears.

"That's right Arthur," says DW, "you are free to go to Muffy's Pool Party."

Still in disbelief at what his sister just said to him, he says "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

"I'm still your sister, Arthur," she says to him. "Thank goodness you're not Buster, he would have called me an alien! Anyway, Mom, Dad, and I got to talking and we decided you don't have to come to my Spring Pageant, in fact, and don't take this the wrong way, but I don't really want you to come."

"I appreciate this, DW," says Arthur, "but are you sure about this?"

"Of course," says DW, "we can't always have what we want and you're right, you always have to do what I want and I can't keep doing this to you."

"But DW," says Arthur, "I would have come."

"No, Arthur," says DW, "I want you to go to Muffy's Pool Party. It would make me happy if you did, and it will make you happy too. So please Arthur, go to Muffy's Pool Party."

Arthur looks up at his parents. Jane and David shrug at him with smiles.

Arthur approaches his sister and crouches down to her, puts his hand on her shoulder and says, "DW, this is the nicest thing you've ever for me. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," says DW, "but don't get used to it!"

Arthur chuckles just a little.

So in the end, Arthur is happy and excited that he doesn't have to go to DW's pageant and gets to go to Muffy's Pool Party. And DW is happy too!

A/N Of course, we all know this didn't really happen. And this is not all, wait until you see what I have for chapter 2!

R&R please.