Authors' note: I forgot to mention last time that I do not own the Hey Arnold! Universe or any of its characters. I'm just playing in Craig Bartlett's sandbox here.

A few shout-outs:

Number6: Thanks for your continued support! Don't sweat your English, it's probably a lot better than I'd sound in your native language. As for why there's no mention of Brainy, it's because Rhonda's barely aware he exists. They never, ever interact, so he never crosses her mind. Rest assured, Brainy's still lurking about somewhere. As for what's coming... well, I want that to be a surprise.

HunGuy: We'll be seeing lots more of the PS118—excuse me, the Dino Spumoni Memorial High crew.

Demile: I'm glad you liked my first Rhonda story. I think you'll like what I have in store for the second.


RHONDAGENESIS II

Chapter 2: Resurgence

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

Rhonda rolled out of bed, cursing the inventor of that annoying noise that all alarm-clock manufacturers seemed to like. Why couldn't they replace it with something you'd actually want to wake up to, like, say, Chip Skylark whispering sweet nothings in your ear...

Oh well... it was off to another day at school. Rhonda hurriedly showered, dressed (a red baby tee and black jeans, and her favorite Caprini go-go boots), did her hair and makeup, and ran downstairs to grab something to eat before running to catch the bus to school (she had the feeling that her Sweet Seventeen would bring a new car with it, but until then she was still at the mercy of Hillwood's mass transit system).

You wouldn't be if you could still fly, a thought bubbled up.

Yeah... because I really want to be a freak again, Rhonda's common sense asserted. Senior year would be way better hiding in my room taking classes via webcam. Get real.

She was almost out the door when she felt something latch on to her ankle. "Don't go!" it whined.

Rhonda sighed and carefully pried her sister off her leg. "We've been over this, Rhia. I'm just going to school. I'll be back later. Same as every other day. Okay?

"But you said we could play today!" she wailed. "And you promised you'd tell the dragon story again!"

"I will. Tonight. I promise." She gave her sister a kiss on the forehead and rushed off for the bus.


"Rhonda!" Nadine waved from the seat she had saved for the two of them. Rhonda slid in next to her best friend. Nadine had long ago abandoned the "spider braids" she used to wear for a sensible cornrow style. Today, she wore a blue T-shirt, a short black skirt, and sneakers.

Rhonda mused on their friendship. Nadine had always been like the sister shed never had (before she actually HAD a sister, anyway). The two had shared very few interests, but somehow managed to remain close even to this day. The trick was, they were always there for each other. Even during the worst times... Nadine had been the first to stand by her during her days as Genesis, and Rhonda had been there to provide moral support for Nadine when she told her parents she was gay.

As the bus moved on, the two got to talking about the usual stuff. The topic du jour was Rhonda's recent breakup.

"I can't believe he was going out behind my back with that... that... I'm sickened just thinking about it!"

"See... this is why I stick to girls. And bugs." Nadine fished around in her backpack for a jar. "Check it out. It's a Japanese Stag Beetle."

"Didn't you show that to me already?"

"No," Nadine said with the weary look of someone who had expected better. "That was a Korean Stag Beetle. They're two completely different things!"

"Oh, who cares!" Rhonda cried out. "How can I trash Sid and Lila when you keep changing the subject?"

"You've been trashing Sid and Lila for a week now. I'm your best friend and all, but it's really starting to get old."

"Nadine, the accepted period for trashing your ex-boyfriend and the vapid tramp he's cheating with is a full two weeks. I've got six days left."

"Fine... but you go one day over that, and I break out the pictures."

"You... you wouldn't dare."

"You know I would."

Their voices dropped to a whisper. "I can't believe I let you drag me to circus camp two summers ago."

"You were gonna have to get over your fears sooner or later. Besides... you DID end up having fun. Admit it."

"Never."

"You did, and you know it. Just like you've enjoyed all those anime movies I dragged you to."

"I didn't like Ghost in the Shell II."

"Yeah, but NO ONE liked that. The fact is, you always complain when I make you do something new, and you wind up enjoying yourself in spite of it. Where would you be without me?"

"Somewhere, I'm s- speak of the she-devil."

Lila was boarding the bus now. At one time, the sweetest girl in class, the years had twisted her into a cold, manipulative she-bitch. No one had figured out exactly when the change had occurred, but some thought it could be traced back to the moment Arnold and Helga had gotten together. On some level, Lila had enjoyed his attention, and now that it was gone, something had changed within her.

Now, she strode down the aisle with a haughty smirk on her face. As she passed by Rhonda, she gave her a knowing wink.

Rhonda waited until she passed by and took her seat with her two latest sycophants (she rotated them on a regular basis to make sure they knew their popularity was entirely dependent on her; it didn't make much of a difference, though, since they were generally lacking in the personality department). "Did you see that?" she whispered to Nadine. "She's literally shoving it in my face!"

"Let it go, Rhonda... you're better than her."

"sigh You're right, Nadine. I shouldn't let her get to me. I should just ignore that vapid little bitch."

"That's the spirit," her friend replied.


The morning classes passed by unmemorably. At a quarter to one, Rhonda and Nadine took their seats at their favorite table; the others would soon arrive.

Helga was the first. The girl had long ago abandoned her pink dress for jeans and sweatshirts, and her bow now served to hold together her ponytail. She still wore almost no makeup, and frankly, didn't need it.

"S'up, Princess, Spidergirl..."

"Usual... Rhia's still sweet enough to give you cavities," Rhonda replied.

"Not much here... I reached 20,000 hits on my website, and that's pretty much it," Nadine volunteered.

"Well, my mom's planning something big. She's officially clean now for four years. She wants to throw a party for the occasion, but Bob thinks we should skip the party and use the anniversary as an excuse for a huge sale. Can you imagine that? 'Come on down to Pataki Electronics! In honor of my wife's fourth year of sobriety, half-off on all Wacko Margarita Machines!' Can't you just see him doing that?"

Rhonda giggled. "Yeah... when they were handing out sensitivity, your dad was probably busy sticking flyers in people's windshield wipers at the impound lot."

The next to arrive was Sheena. These days, she favored peasant dresses and sandals, and her hair was the same as ever. Today, she slid in next to Nadine, pulling her bagged lunch out. As she unwrapped it, the gathered teens stared at it, unsure of what they were looking at.

"Is that... grass on a bun?" queried Helga.

"It's called a 'turfwich'," replied Sheena, and it's a staple of the ultrarecyclo-vegetarian diet."

"Ew," Rhonda commented with a disgusted expression. "My cousin eats that garbage all the time. It's gross when she does it, and it's gross when you do it."

"It's not garbage!" objected Sheena. "It's 100 recyclable veg-"

"It's garbage," Nadine and Helga replied simultaneously.

"Like the cafeteria food's better?"

"At least it's not grass and dirt."

Helga tapped Rhonda on the sleeve. "Hey... look who's here."

"Oh, no she didn't," commented the dark-haired teen on the newest arrival.

"She did," Helga responded.

Phoebe, clad in a ripped grey tank-top, a black leather skirt, fishnets, and army boots, and sporting multiple earrings and enough eyeliner to mace a raccoon nervous, slid in next to Helga.

"So," said the blonde, "you actually went and did it."

"Indeed I have, Helga. I've fully shed my bookish exterior and embraced my inner goth."

"Good for you," Nadine said approvingly. "It's great when you can finally express who you are inside."

"Well, well," came a cold, amused voice passing by the table. "It seems the 'freak table' has just gotten a little bit more freaky."

"Hey, take a good look, Lila," retorted Rhonda. "See, these are what the experts refer to as 'friends.' I know you don't really have any, so you might not recognize them... "

"Oh, cute, Lloyd. You know, I've always liked your sense of humor. So does Sid. He told me in between putting our tongues down each others' throats."

She's not worth it, she's not worth it, she's not worth it...

"Don't you have other people's days to ruin?" asked Helga of the redhead.

"No... just yours." Her smug expression was unchanged. "I mean, where else can I find such a collection of losers? We've got a hippie who eats grassburgers... we've got Beatnik Poet Girl... we've got the World's Nerdiest Goth..."

Just ignore her, she's a vapid little nothing who'll be barefoot and pregnant within a month of graduation...

"And there's the homo. Well, I guess that'll be convenient for you in case you never get a boyfriend. I guess you've still got a free ride back he-"

Rhonda's were around Lila's throat before anyone could act. "What did you just call her? C'mon! Say it!" Her blood felt like it was starting to boil. "Well? Got something to say to me, bitch?"

Lila's only response was a wordless, terrified gasp. Still angered, Rhonda shook her even harder. "Answer me!"

"Rhonda, let her go. This is stupid." Nadine tried to pry Rhonda's hands off. "Really... this just isn't like you. Maybe you should go get a—" She trailed off as she got a look at Rhonda's face.

Finally calming down now, Rhonda dropped the intimidated Lila and turned toward Nadine. "What's the matter?"

"I think you should find a mirror, Rhonda."

"Mirror? What are you talking about?" She took out her compact and took a look.

The eyes that stared back were green, with catlike pupils.

"Oh, no..."

It was starting again.

Next: "Metamorphosis"