Kindness, Don't Cost Nothing
by sorrowXdarkness
oooOOOooo
Synopsis: A week before Rhonda returned to her well comfortable life, she learned the kindness given by a boy with a football shape head. A kindness that came with the price tag of zilch.
oooOOOooo
"Rhonda? Are you there?" Spoke the voice as they knocked once again at her wooden door. Her none decorative door. A wooden barrier without the golden trim of luxury in each bindings. No doubt it was refined pine rather than the typical solid cherry wood she was accustomed to. It was poorly constructed, that a good kick to the board and the door would fall. What was the point, thought the raven hair girl as she turned her body to the side. Glancing at her partly opened window, she sighed. Even her bed didn't feel right. There was no memory foam padding within. Instead, a bunch of springs and wooden boards hardly make for a good support. No doubt, her back would feel it the next day like it did yesterday and today. "Rhonda? Please open the door." The soft-spoken voice said as the knocking ceased.
She wondered, how on earth could he live in such a matter. Every day without the morning ray, the freshly squeezed oranges, the one-of-a-kind dresses and even a bath tub. Apparently, it was more cost-efficient to use shower stalls. It was also easier to clean and maintain.
Just as the boy from the other side was about to leave, the girl spoke out. She turned her body back, looking at the door. "You can open the door, you know. The door lock still doesn't work."
"I know...but I still want your permission."
Rhonda sighed. Getting up, she dropped herself to the floor and walked towards the door. Opening the door, her eyes fell on the boy. He had a tray of food in his hands. "What is this?" She asked. The boy gave a smile as he presented the meal to her.
"It's breakfast. I know it's almost noon, but you can't start your day without a well-balanced food." Seeking permission, the girl moved to the side. Allowing passage to her room as the boy made his way in. She then walked to her bed as the boy followed. Putting the tray on her lap, the boy beckoned for her consumption.
The girl was at a loss. "Arnold, why are you doing this?"
"Well, I know it's has been quite hard for you since your family became p-... unfortunate." He nearly said the taboo that should not be spoken within this boarding house. Since her arrival, she made it quite clear to everyone that the word should not be spoken at any given moment. Sad to say, it was said a couple of time throughout her stay. Mainly from the boarders, like Mr. Hyunh and Mr. Potts. Then there was Oscar Kokoshka. Nearly every day, the guy would come to her father and asked for some money once they returned to their wealthy life.
"Thanks..." Rhonda said, looking down at the sunny-side up eggs and strips of bacon. It was pretty generic stuff along with the orange juice. No doubt it had pulp in it content as she slowly took a sip. Definitely taste the pulp. "
As she ate, Arnold spoke about an upcoming fashion contest. He heard about it from Suzie, Oscar Kokoshka's wife. They were going to have it at the public library and it was directly for up-and-coming fashion designers around town. He took out a flyer from his pocket and displayed it to her. Eating her bacon, she took a glance. It did look appealing, but still impossible.
Rhonda gently took the paper from his hand and crumbled it. "Thanks Arnold, but it's not going to happen. What chance do I have in winning when I can barely have enough to do anything."
Arnold thought about it, and smiled. Snapping his fingers, he spoke out. "I think I have an idea."
That caught Rhonda's attention as she was all ears.
oooOOOooo
It was about an hour later as the children were now outside. Rhonda was now dressed in a simple summer dress along with a pair of sandals. Both of which were from Arnold's grandmother. Apparently, she bought them a while ago when she went shopping. They were only partly used and in great conditions. They were intended for Arnold, though Gertrude later realized that Arnold was a boy. Still, she decided to keep them just in cases. Rhonda still felt bad in taking them from her, but Arnold assured her that she was doing him a favor. No doubt his grandma was still planning to give it to him.
"Um... Are you sure this is going to work?" She said, not sure this was going to work.
"Trust me." He said as he got the sign up. Gesturing her to do the same. Sighing, she flipped the sign stand to 'OPEN'.
Here was Arnold's plan: Rhonda Wellington Lloyd was well-informed in area of fashion. Something she once prided herself in as she read and pointed out the discolor coordination from other people. They didn't get it. There was a system in placing an ensemble together, and she wasn't afraid to point them out. That was the old Rhonda. The new one hasn't look at a magazine for several weeks now. No doubt she was behind the game, but Arnold reassured her that she still knew a lot more than most people. Believing in his words, Rhonda agreed to have a fashion consultation business right outside the Sunset Arms.
Several minutes passed and not a single taker. Rhonda felt discouraged as the idea of giving up became apparent to her.
"Just give it a few more minutes. Look, why don't you give a freebie."
"A freebie?"
"Yeah, like..." Arnold looked around and noticed an old lady walking by. Running towards her, he spoke a few words from what Rhonda could see. After that, the old lady began to follow the boy as she now stood at Rhonda's stand. Rhonda stood there, not a word came out. This was her first chance to make a good impression, but she couldn't get the words out. There was so much wrong with what that lady had. The lady's purse was definitely a fraud, her skirt had several patchworks done, the coat was for a man and her skin was dehydrated.
There were more, but they were minor compared to what she listed. A list she made as she presented the lady with her recommendations. She tried to speak calmly and with a positive tone as she explained the issues the lady had.
"...and make sure to apply lotion on your skin every day. Your skin would thank you." Rhonda smiled as the lady thanked her. Before she knew it, another person came to her stand with need of help. This time a boy around her age that wanted to impress a girl. Rhonda took a quick glance and smiled. There was so much work to do as she began jotting down her recommendations.
Each time Rhonda finished with a client, Arnold would collect the fee. The satisfaction was tremendous as she received handshakes and hugs. It felt good as she just finished helping a pair of lovers with their looks. Nearly spending their whole afternoon on this task, she made enough to begin buying supplies. As she looked at the money, a thought occurred to her.
Taking the stack, she presented Arnold with half of the earnings. "Here Arnold. You definitely deserved half. After all, without you I wouldn't have started this business."
Arnold took the amount and returned it back. "You take it. You did all the work anyway. And besides, I just wanted to see you smile again."
That took the raven hair girl by surprised as she felt a pang around her chest. It was subtle, but she definitely felt it for a moment. After a bit, Rhonda took back the money after she failed to convince Arnold to take his share. For now, she was going to use them to buy some supplies. Something Arnold was more than happy to help her with. Seeing as the sun was about to set, Arnold made sure to stay close to her side throughout the walk to and from the store.
She looked through the selections of threads and needle. It was good that Gertrude had a sewing machine, or else she couldn't make a thing. She knew that it was still possible, but if she did it by hand then it would have taken too long and too much of herself to make.
As they shopped, she spotted a boy. A sixth grader that used to ask her out once in a while. Thinking it was alright to make pleasant conversation with, Rhonda walked toward said boy.
"Beau! Hello, it certainly has been a while since we talked." Rhonda said, waving at the young teen. Beau took a simple look at Rhonda before returning his sight on some chains. "Um...hello?" She waved awkwardly at the boy. Beau simply sighed.
"Look Lloyd... You're pretty and all, but you're not rich no more."
Rhonda took a step back. "What does that have to do with us talking?"
"I'm only interested in rich girls. And you're no longer rich." He placed his hands in his pockets and walked away. Leaving the girl to fall to despair. Every time he stood next to her classroom door, waiting for her departure to lunch, he would welcome her to a question. Would you go out with me? Something she would reject, but found to like. It was nice to be asked out. It made her proud of herself. The beauty and characters she possessed attracted boys and that only made her confident in herself. Now that she knew that Beau simply was interested in her family's fortune, the fall could commence.
Only that, it didn't. She felt a hand conjoined with hers as she turned to the owner. Arnold. He stood there, holding her hand and smiling at her. Arnold was there, despite her losing nearly everything.
"He's not worth your time." Arnold said, pulling her to what they were doing before. Weirdly enough, he never let go of her hand even after they left the store. Despite this, she didn't do anything about it as they walked to the boarding house. The moon was alright out and about, as they arrived at their block.
oooOOOooo
Nearly a week passed, and Rhonda was close to finish with her selections. She spent nearly all her free time on her dresses. She even spent an hour or two to resume her consultation business outside the boarding house. It was a decent earning as she got enough to pay for her lunch and then some; discounted shoes, pants, shirts and books. She learned of buying things on sale and being conscious with her spendings. Arnold even suggested for her to start a saving account at their local bank.
Then came the surprise to Arnold. As the day finally came for the fashion contest, she surprised Arnold with her request. She did two sets of clothes: one for boys and one for girls. Meaning she needed a boy to model her clothes for her.
"No... I mean... I couldn't." Arnold began. "Uh-um. You're doing it." Rhonda said through his refusal as she pushed the clothes to him, reminding him that her turn was coming very soon.
Arnold looked at the clothes before looking at Rhonda. He didn't think he would be taking part in the contest himself, but as the clock continued to tick he found himself without a choice.
As the announcer called out Rhonda, Arnold got ready along with Nadine. Both were taking one big breath before walking out to the runway. Arnold walked through the spotlight as people took shots of his appearance. Rhonda spoke about each one of her models's ensemble as they waved to the crowd. After two hours, Rhonda returned with Arnold with a trophy in hand. Opening the door, they were greeted by their folks.
"Shortman! Heard the wonderful news." Arnold's grandpa hugged his grandson. "Second place is still a win!" His eyes turned to Rhonda's direction as he spoke.
"Thank you, Mr. Shortman sir." Rhonda said.
"Please, call me Philip."
"Philip." Rhonda said with a smile. By then, her parents came in to hug their daughter.
"We're so proud of you, pumpkin! I know these last few weeks has been rough on you, but to think you made something positive from this, makes this even the more better to tell you the exciting news." Her father spoke out.
"What news, daddy?" Rhonda said. Her mother took hold of her hands as she kneed to her level.
"Sweetie, we're rich again." Her mother spoke out as she turned to her husband, as did her daughter. Buckley smiled.
"We can leave tomorrow morning, sweetie."
That was certainly wonderful news. Just as she was getting used to living in poverty, she could return to her old life. Bringing along what she learned through her experience at the boarding house. As she embraced her family, she felt bittersweet. After dinner, she made her way to Arnold's room. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on his door.
"Arnold?" She knocked some more, waiting for a response.
The door opened, revealing the boy that spent his entire time helping someone like her cope with her lost of status. He had on his pajamas as he looked like he was about to go to sleep. Rhonda, too, was in her pajamas as she tried to cough up what she wanted to come out. Fiddling with her fingers, she tried the conversation with something simple. A thank you. She thanked him for everything. From helping her with doing her own laundry to preparing breakfast. She owed him so much. The very least she could do, was to thank him.
"Thank you, Arnold. Thank you for everything. You made this experience a pleasant one." Oh no. She felt her face lighting like a Christmas light. No doubt he could see the cherry marks on her face. "And..."
"You're welcome, Rhonda. I'm just happy that everything turned out fine for you."
"Right...well night buddy." She said sheepishly. Perhaps it was better to leave it for another time. Besides, it was stupid and spontaneous. No reason to act on something without first assessing the consequences, right?
"Night, Rhonda." Thank Arnold paused for a moment. "Guess this would be the last time I say 'good night' to you. Honestly, I'm going to miss saying that to you. Night." Arnold was in the midst of closing his door when Rhonda put out her leg.
"Wait! There is something I want to get off my chest." She said, pulling her self together. She needed a deep breath, preparing her heart for what was to come. "You see, Arnold... I want to thank you...which I did...but more than that... I want to say... Um... that I l-l... Maybe this would help." She said, leaning toward the football shape head boy before bestowing a kiss on the side of his cheek. "I like-like you."
That took the boy by surprise as he touched the spot where she kissed him.
"Wow. R-Really?" He found himself saying.
"Really." She said, both of which weren't sure what to do next.
"Um... I guess you need help packing tomorrow. Need a hand?"
Rhonda smiled. "I could use two."
-End
oooOOOooo
Author's Notes:
A quick one-shot fanfic between Rhonda and Arnold. What did you think? Please leave a comment/review. See you in my next work!-sorrowXdarkness