(Helga puts on her purple jacket and walks to the city park. It's a very windy she arrives, she sees Phoebe near the lake.)
Phoebe
Hi, Helga! Glad you came!
Helga
Yeah, yeah. Let's just finish this right away.
Phoebe
Oh.. OK. So, you start. Tell me about your last year's summer holidays.
Helga (blushing)
Well...so...me, Bob and Miriam stayed in a house near the beach. And...
Phoebe
...and?
Helga (blushing even more)
You see, a friend of mine was also there.
Phoebe (pretending she's curious but knows exactly whom she's talking about)
REALLY? WHO?
Helga (with her cheeks as red as pepper)
For a really bizarre coincidence, Arnold also was there. I told him to stay away from me. Then, when I was ready to apologize him, I saw him doing a sandcastle on the beach, talking with a blonde 13 year-old girl, and I freaked out.
Phoebe
Then what happened?
Helga
I did the craziest things to keep her away- first, I popped their boat, then, put a live lobster in her plate, and finally, I put pieces of bread around them, so the pigeons would bite her.
Phoebe
Why did you do that, Helga?
Helga (angry)
Because...Because I HAD TO, OK?
Phoebe
Well...OK. So, what happened next?
Helga
He heard me talking about all the things I did to keep Summer away...
Phoebe
Summer?
Helga (laughing)
Yeah, the girl's name! And he was really mad at me. I felt...a little regret. But then I heard Summer and her little boyfriend talking. Summer said she really fooled Arnold on her scheme. She wanted Arnold to help her on the sandcastle contest so she and her boyfriend could appear on "Babewatch". I ran to tell Arnold what was happening every way I could, but he didn't trust me...Until the sandcastle contest began: he heard them talking and then realized I was right.
Phoebe
Wow! Well done, Helga!
Helga
Haha, thanks. We both participated on the sandcastle contest and won it! And guess what? WE appeared on "Babewatch"!
Phoebe
Really? I wish I had seen it!
Helga
So...what do you think?
Phoebe
It is a really good story, Helga. We can turn it into poetry!
Helga
That would be great! All the things we can do in Brazil! All my life dreaming about it!
Phoebe (taking her notebook off of her purse)
Yeah! And just writing a little poem WE can win! So, Helga... (takes her pen off of her purse) Let's start!
Helga
OK, ahm... so it can be like this (...)
(On the next day, Mr. Simmons announced the winners of the Yahoo contest.)
Mr. Simmons
Today I received another letter from the Yahoo company, but I didn't open the envelop: it has the winning school of the contest.
(A moment of silence. Helga starts to snoar and everyone giggles.)
Phoebe (poking Helga)
Helga...hum...Helga?
Helga
Let me sleep, Miriam.
Mr. Simmons
Helga! You're at school!
Helga (waking up)
Hummm? What? Oh, sorry.
Phoebe
Why were you snoring, Helga?
Helga
Well... I...I... I was so busy writing the poem last night, that I didn't even notice that it was 4 in the morning.
Phoebe
Oh, that's terrible!
Helga
Yeah, but it worth it. The poem is great. I sent it to Yahoo.
Mr. Simmons
That's good, Helga. Let's see if your effort leads PS 118 to the winning school. (Finally opens the envelop with dramatic flare.)
Gerald
Here it goes... (crosses his fingers.)
Rhonda
Oh, shopping paradise god named Brazil, please make PS 118 win the contest, PLEASE!
Mr. Simmons
*ahem*! The winning school and authors are below. I'll start by reading the poem:
Oh Arnold, you are one of Love's favorite fools.
You don't play the game, you don't know the rules.
The wise boy knows he knows nothing, but that's a lie.
You're so trusting, so pure. It makes me want to cry.
I could not see you hurt. Your kind heart unsteady.
Though it meant you'd see me as childish and petty.
For you I play the villain. That's my armor, my mask.
I'd tell you the truth. I'd sing it! If only you'd ask.
Brief Summer, a false promise for what the year will bring.
I am a girl like winter, but you could make me spring.
Please, just this once let me find the words I need
To make you see the truth. My heart is yours to read.
(Helga smiles.)
Arnold (astonished)
Who must've wrote this?
(Helga giggles.)
Phoebe
Oh my...
(Mr. Simmons and the 5th graders clap their hands.)
Mr. Simmons (emotional)
And now, here it goes: the winning school is...
(The drum hits. Everyone is excited.)
Phoebe
I can't believe it!
Helga
Yeah, I knew it... I knew it all the time. It was...
Mr. Simmons (screaming)
PHOEBE HEYERDAHL & HELGA G. PATAKI, PS 118, 5th GRADE!
Phoebe (jumping off of her chair)
WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY DID IT!
Rhonda
OH, THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU, BRAZIL!
Gerald
Congratulations, Phoebe.
Phoebe
Thank you, Gerald. But I must confess, ALL the credit goes to my best friend with the poetry in her heart...HELGA G. PATAKI!
(Everyone cheers and claps.)
Helga
Thank you, everyone! It has been a pleasure. Well, I didn't write the poem alone. Phoebe did it with me, and did a great job.
Arnold
You know, Helga? Makes me remember something...
Helga
*laughs* Yeah, that's why I wrote it.
Arnold
I don't understand...
(Helga laughs.)
Arnold
What's so funny?
Helga (laughing)
Oh, nothing...
Rhonda
Oh my gosh! It's gonna be sooo great! I'm going to shop 'til I drop! The only thing I need to do now is turn my dollars into reais!
Gerald
Shop? There are so much better things to do in Brazil...
Rhonda
Oh yeah? Like what?
Gerald
Like...Go to the beach and meet some Brazilians.
Rhonda
Is that all what you think about?
Phoebe (pulling a chair next to Helga's desk)
Aren't you excited, Helga? The entire class is going to BRAZIL!
Helga
What, are you kidding me? All my life dreaming about it!
Phoebe
Me too, Helga.
Helga
Just tell me one thing that I don't know about the contest: what the heck is a Carnaval festival?
Phoebe
*laughs* A Carnaval festival is a special day like Halloween. Everyone dresses up as someone the'd like to be. In Brazil the Samba classes rehearsal all year to the big day: the Carnaval festival, in which WE are going to.
Helga
Yeah, and it better be good.