August 31, 2012
Modern Philosophy
2:43 P.M.
Walkerville was a small town, and as in any small town, not much happened. So when something did happen, the town tended to get pretty enthusiastic about it. Maybe it was because of this spirit, maybe it was the poor economy, or maybe it was the fact that Principal Adams always had trouble adjusting to the new school year- whatever the reason, every year on Labor Day weekend, a fair visited Walkerville and all the students got off of school that Monday.
Sitting in Modern Philosophy on Friday afternoon, a three-day weekend laying just beyond, Arnold Perlstein was ready to leave. That Saturday, he and the rest of the group had decided to visit the Walkerville Fair, and it was there that he planned to finally ask out his long time crush—Phoebe Terese. If all went according to plan, he could get her alone on the Ferris wheel, and at the very top, he would pop the question. Now all he had to do was make it through 8th period.
Modern Philosophy was an unusual class. Most students never even entered the classroom as most opted to take a more interesting elective. Arnold, however, figured that the class had to be safer than Band, which was full of heavy instruments, or Theatre with its splintering wooden sets. The teacher, Mr. Robinson, loved his job and his students. He was passionate about philosophy and worked hard to make his class fun (of course, not Frizzle fun). Arnold would've adored Mr. Robinson except for one small detail— Mr. Robinson was, much like every other teacher in this school district, insane. Undeniably, off his rocker, crazy. And Mr. Robinson was out to drive his insanity into the heads of his beloved students.
"Chaos Theory," Mr. Robinson lectured, "is simple enough to understand. It explains that one action can be the trigger to an unruly chain of events. Basically, Chaos Theory tells us that the blame can always be pushed onto someone else, and thus, nothing is ever your fault. For example, Ms. Kayla here," Mr. Robinson motioned to a brunette girl in the front of the room, "looks like crap today. Can someone tell me why Ms. Kayla, who is clearly a very beautiful individual, looks like crap? Anthony?"
A toned wrestler behind Arnold stood up and cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Robinson," Anthony began, "Kayla looks like crap because she failed to select a pair of pants that flatter her physique, and her shirt does little to pull the viewers attention away from her horrid case of acne."
"Yes, good job Anthony. But it's not Kayla's fault that she is a fashion nightmare. In fact, judging by that pack of tissues on her desk and that chocolate she's been devouring like a starved wolf, I would guess that Ms. Kayla is PMS-ing, which isn't her fault at all! Therefore, Kayla's fashion flub can be blamed on Biology and/or whichever deity you choose to follow."
Just as Mr. Robinson finished his lecture, the final bell rang. The class began packing their belongings to leave, and Mr. Robinson made a few final remarks. "Have a good afternoon class! And remember-" Mr. Robinson turned to make direct eye contact with Arnold.
"Nothing is ever your fault."
August 31, 2012
Arnold's Front Door
3:27 P.M.
When Arnold arrived at his house that afternoon, he found Carlos and Tim already waiting at his front door. Seeing their friend approach, both boys leapt up from their seat on the doorstep.
"About time you showed up!" Carlos cried. "We've been waiting here for 15 minutes, and some of us desperately need to go to the bathroom!"
Arnold frowned. "The door wasn't locked."
"… You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
Carlos thought for a moment before exclaiming "too desperate to care" and running inside.
Hearing Tim chuckle, Arnold turned to his friend. "You knew it was unlocked?"
"Not all of us are too stupid to check," Tim responded, smiling smugly.
Laughing, the two boys entered the house and walked down to the basement, where Tim collapsed onto the sofa to read his book and Arnold pulled out his homework, hoping to get some done before his other, more rowdy friends arrived. After a few moments of silence, Arnold looked up at Tim.
"Hey, Tim?"
Tim looked up from his book. "Mm-hmm?"
"Have you ever… You know… Liked a girl?"
"…As compared to liking a guy?" Tim frowned.
"No! Just a… general… wondering…"
"Oh…" Tim remained silent for a second. "You, uh… Do know that I'm not-"
"I know, I know!"
"Good…" More silence. "Are you-"
"No-"
"Cause if you are, I'm totally here for you."
"Really? Aw, dude- Wait," Arnold shook his head, "I'm not- No, I was just…" Arnold sighed, realizing that this conversation wasn't going how he'd planned. "I'm going to get some food." Arnold stood up and rushed out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Tim.
Relieved to be out of the basement, Arnold hurried to the kitchen, hoping his other friends would arrive soon. On his way to the kitchen, Arnold ran into a content looking Carlos.
"Dude, you have the best bathrooms!"
"Um… Thanks." As Carlos began to walk away, a goofy grin plastered on his face, Arnold turned to face his friend. "Carlos, have you ever liked a girl?"
Carlos' face immediately darkened. "What did Mikey tell you?"
"Nothing, I-"
"Because it's not true, we're just friends-"
Arnold threw his hand over Carlos' mouth. "Just- nevermind, okay?" Carlos nodded, and without another word, the two parted ways.
September 1, 2012
Arnold's Bedroom
9:42 A.M.
The rest of the day passed by with little other occurrence, although Arnold couldn't help but notice Tim carefully eyeing him when he thought he wasn't looking and Carlos occasionally muttering "he doesn't know" under his breath. The next morning, Arnold sprang out of bed. Looking outside his window, he happily noted that the sky was a clear blue, and only a gentle breeze blew. The day would be perfect.
September 1, 2012
Arnold's Front Door
3:35 P.M.
"SHE'S SICK?"
Keesha shrugged her shoulders. "Her dad stopped by this morning, said she didn't feel too well. No big deal."
"No big deal? No, Phoebe HAS to be here tonight!"
The six others teenagers shot Arnold a look of confusion. "Arn…" DA spoke slowly, "it's the Walkerville Fair. As far as fairs go, it's not that great."
Wanda nodded enthusiastically. "I heard that three kids died there last year from sheer boredom!"
DA rolled her eyes. "Wanda, that was the Walkerville Rodeo. The bull's name was Sheer Boredom."
"Ya, but still, scary stuff man."
Before DA could argue with Wanda any longer, Tim snapped his fingers, a knowing look coming over his face. "That's what you were talking about yesterday! You-Mmph!" Arnold threw his hand over Tim's mouth and laughed nervously.
"Hey, Tim," Arnold said awkwardly, "Ole' buddy, ole' pal, can I talk to you? Alone?" Tim nodded, and Arnold pulled the boy away from the rest of the group. Once they were a good distance away, Arnold removed his hand from Tim's mouth.
"You like Phoebe!"
Arnold groaned. "Yes, but-"
"I knew it! You love her!" He sang.
"Look, dude," Arnold grabbed Tim by the shoulders and looked at him, his eyes serious. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"
Tim nodded. "Sure, man, whatever you need."
"I was hoping you would say that," Arnold shot Tim a genuine smile, "because I need a favor…"
September 1, 2012
Arnold's Front Door
3:42 P.M.
As Tim and Arnold walked back the group, Tim cleared his throat.
"Friends," Tim spoke loudly, his words clearly forced, "It has come to my attention that the Walkerville Fair is…" Tim paused to not-so-subtly peek at some messily scrawled notes on his hand. "…An important tradition that must be up… up…" Tim squinted at his hand. "Um… Upheld! Must be upheld at all times. Therefore, it is important that we bring Phoebe with us to the fair, regardless of ale… er, ailment."
"But the fair sucks."
"Wanda!" Arnold growled, only to realize that all eyes were now on him. "What I meant was…" Arnold sighed before speaking again. "It just doesn't seem right to go without Pheebs. You know, because we're a group and all that…"
DA smiled knowingly. "I think I see what you're saying." Delicately, she put a reassuring hand on Arnold's shoulder. "If it's that important to you, we'll go get her."
Arnold gave DA a small smile. "Thanks, DA."
Dorothy Ann grinned. "No problem. Now, where does Phoebe live?" DA glanced around only to be met by six blank faces. Groaning, DA massaged her temples with one hand. "Really? No one knows?"
Wanda frowned. "We always go to Arnold's house…"
"You've known her five years and don't know her address?"
"Well, do you know it?" Carlos retorted.
"Well, uh… We're… not that close?" DA offered.
Keesha rolled her eyes. "Chill guys, I'll just call her." Keesha pulled out her phone and quickly dialed a number. After listening for a few minutes, she nodded. "Just as I thought…"
Arnold perked up. "You got the address?"
"No, her phone's not working."
"Dammit." Arnold whined. "What now?"
Ralphie looked up at his friends and grinned, speaking for the first time. "Well gang, how about we split up and look for clues?"
September 1, 2012
Street
4:36 P.M.
Wanda groaned. "This sucks!"
"We know!" Keesha snarled. "You don't have to keep saying it!"
"But it really sucks! We shouldn't even be here," Wanda pouted, "the fair opened half an hour ago!"
"Well, blame Ralphie and his stupid idea!"
Ralphie threw his hands up defensively. "Hey, this always worked on Scooby-Doo!"
"Whatever." Keesha glanced around the peaceful suburb the three had wandered into. "Where are we, anyway?"
Wanda looked at the houses thoughtfully. "I don't know, but these houses look kinda familiar…"
After a few seconds, Keesha's face became blank. "Wanda," she said quietly, "isn't this your neighborhood?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Well," Keesha continued, her voice murderously low, "don't you think you would know if you and Phoebe lived in the same neighborhood?"
"Oh…" Wanda laughed awkwardly, "I guess so."
"So for the past hour, we've been looking around your neighborhood and you DIDN'T REALIZE IT?"
"Well, I never come down to this part of it…" Wanda responded weakly. "I forget why-"
BARK BARK BARK BARK!
"Oh yeah…"
September 1, 2012
Street
4:45 P.M.
"Why couldn't the skeleton go to the party?"
"…"
"He had no-BODY to go with!"
DA groaned. "Carlos, that's not funny."
"Huh." Carlos grew silent, and Dorothy Ann mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait, I got one!"
Rolling her eyes, DA groaned once again. "And you're going to tell it even though I'm moments away from strangling you?"
…
…
…
"Yes."
September 1, 2012
Street
4:51 P.M.
Tim looked down at his map of Walkerville. "So, if Clinton Avenue is here, then that must mean…"
"We're lost, aren't we?"
"We can't be lost, Arnold, we have a map!"
Arnold rolled his eyes. "Then where are we?"
"At the intersection of Clinton and- ya, we're lost. You know, Walkerville seemed a lot smaller when we were 8."
Sighing, Arnold sat down on the curb. "Dammit…" he cried softly, his voice hopeless, "This is pointless."
Tim sat down beside his downtrodden friend. "I'm not gonna lie, Arn, tonight sucks. But there will be other chances to ask Phoebe out."
"You think so?" Arnold looked to Tim expectantly.
"Really?" Tim glared at Arnold, his voice tired. "You see each other every day."
"I guess…" Arnold muttered reluctantly. "It's just, tonight was going to be perfect, you know? And now it's ruined…"
Tim stood up and looked down to the ginger. "Dude, it could be worse-"
Just as Tim finished his sentence, a hawk swooped down and snatched the map from Tim.
"…Correction—NOW we're lost."
September 1, 2012
Street
5:06 P.M.
"So, Wanda, remind me again—why are we running?"
"Because I'm an idiot, I know, I know. Can't you let it go, Keesha?"
Keesha stopped running to turn to Wanda. "We are being chased by the most terrifying poodle I've ever seen in my life—what do you think?"
"You'll forgive me because experiences like this build character?"
Keesha rolled her eyes and looked around. "Crap," she murmured, "I think we lost Ralphie."
"Maybe Fluffy ate him," Wanda replied bluntly, also eyeing the scenery now surrounding the duo. "Anyway, looks like we got away; I don't see that mutt anywhere."
"Great," Keesha muttered sarcastically, "What do we do now?"
Wanda thought for a second. "The fair's open."
"Works for me."
September 1, 2012
Street
5:13 P.M.
After getting split up from Wanda and Keesha, Ralphie found himself running for another 15 minutes, an angry poodle right on his heels. At long last, he leapt over an old wooden gate, just tall enough to keep out the pest, and landed face first on a road he had never seen before. After catching his breath, Ralphie slowly looked around the street he now stood on. Unlike the suburb he had just come from, the houses lining the cracked road here were decrepit and weak, with chipping paint and dying lawns. Wincing, Ralphie pulled out his phone, hoping that his friends would know where he was and would be able to pick him up. With his luck, however, the phone's battery had died.
"Shit…" he muttered, evaluating his situation. He was definitely lost—he could try retracing his steps back to the Li's house, but he really didn't want to risk running into Fluffy the Carnivorous Poodle again. Maybe one of the homes around here would have a phone he could use. Then again, he didn't know what kind of people lived here and he wasn't sure he wanted total strangers knowing that he was lost. Walking aimlessly didn't seem like a great option either; the sun was setting and Walkerville was apparently larger than Ralphie had realized.
"I'm going to die here…" Ralphie breathed. "I'm going to die and my face will be eaten off by vicious dogs and no one will know it's me and-"
"Ralphie?"
September 1, 2012
Street
5:34 P.M.
"Alright, this is a good one—what do mountains hear with?"
After walking all over town listening to Carlos' endless supply of unimpressive jokes, Dorothy Ann had had enough. "Carlos, let me make this clear for you—either stop talking, or I will rip those vocal chords out of your throat and you will never tell a joke again, got it?"
"Chill, DA," Carlos glared at the girl. "I'm just trying to have some fun."
"Well, it's not working." DA stopped walking and sat down on a nearby bench.
"Well, maybe if someone would lighten up…"
"I do not need to 'lighten up'!" Dorothy Ann glared at Carlos. "I just need to spend some time with someone who isn't a pain in the ass!"
"Whatever." Carlos sat down beside DA. "We wouldn't even be stuck here if it weren't for you."
DA's face turned from anger to shock. "Excuse me? How is any of this my fault?"
"You were the one who had to promise Arnold that we'd help him search!"
"That's what friends do!"
"No, friends let each other go to fairs instead of leading them on wild goose chases! Besides, Arnold's been crushing on Pheebs for years, he would've been fine for one more night."
Suddenly, DA's face became sullen and she looked down at her hands, fidgeting in her lap. "This is pointless, huh?"
Sympathetically, Carlos placed his hand onto Dorothy Ann's. "Look, I know you had the best intentions in mind, but this is beyond pointless."
"I guess you're right." Sighing, DA leaned her head against Carlos' chest, oblivious to the deep red blush coming over his face. "I just wanted to make sure that everything worked out between the group. Like I said in Arn's basement—I'd be lost without you guys."
Carlos lifted DA's head, allowing himself to make eye contact with her. "Everything will work out," he promised, "You don't have to be so afraid."
For a few moments, the two teenagers simply gazed into each other's eyes, and in that second, Dorothy Ann knew that Carlos had told the truth. Finally, DA pulled her eyes away from the boy and stood up. "Come on," she said, holding a hand out to Carlos, "I'll make it up to you. Let's go to the fair—my treat."
Grinning, Carlos took DA's hand and the two began walking away.
"Mountaineers, DA."
DA shot Carlos a look of confusion. "What?"
"Mountains hear with mountaineers."
"Carlos!"
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
6:09 P.M.
After losing their map, Tim and Arnold decided to quit while they were ahead and head back to the fair. Luckily, the two hadn't gotten too lost and were able to locate Walkerville Fair pretty quickly.
"Do you think the others had any luck?" Arnold asked Tim, still not content with how quickly they had stopped searching.
"Yeah, sure," Tim replied, only half listening, "Hey, do you want some cotton candy?"
Arnold groaned. "What I want is Phoebe."
"I don't think they sell that."
"Look what the cat dragged in." Turning, the boys saw Keesha and Wanda approaching, hands full of tickets and junk food.
Arnold eyed the girls suspiciously. "How long have you been here? Did you find Phoebe?"
Keesha shook her head. "Sorry Arn, we got chased away by a poodle-"
"A German Shepherd," Wanda interrupted, eyeing Keesha closely. "A huge German Shepherd."
"Right," Keesha nodded her head, "A big, scary German Shepherd. Anyway, we've been here about an hour now."
"Wasn't Ralphie with you?"
Wanda shrugged. "Who can really say that someone was with anyone else?"
"You lost him, didn't you?"
"Like an adventure drama on ABC."
Arnold groaned. "So you just came here instead of looking for him?"
"Look, you're the one who wanted us to go on some insane hunt for your crush, he'd still be with us if-"
"Wait, Arnold has a crush on Phoebe?" Wanda cut in once more, a blank look on her face.
Shaking his head, Tim grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her away. "Don't worry about it, Wanda."
"Okay!"
As the two walked away, Keesha and Arnold continued to glare at each other. "Look, this is not my fault!" Arnold shouted.
"How is this not your fault?"
Arnold thought hard for a second. "Well… I don't know… We haven't gotten there in class… But it's not!"
Rolling her eyes, Keesha shoved some tickets into Arnold's hands. "Just… Forget it, okay? Relax, let's have some fun."
Sighing, Arnold accepted the tickets. "Fine…"
Keesha smiled. "Good! Now come on, I bet Wanda that I could win one of those bears." Happily, Keesha dragged Arnold who was, as you guessed, wishing he had stayed at home that day.
September 1, 2012
Street
5:16 P.M.
"Ralphie?"
Quickly, Ralphie spun to find himself staring at a familiar figure leaning against a nearby mailbox.
"Phoebe?"
Phoebe furrowed her brow towards the boy. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, Keesha and Wanda and I were looking for you but we were in Wanda's neighborhood all along so Keesha got mad and then this angry poodle attacked us and we had to run for our lives and then the we got split up but the dog decided to keep chasing me and I was tired so jumped over that gate like James Bond or something except I was lost and my phone was out of power and I was freaking out but now you're here and—wait, you live here?" Slowly, Phoebe nodded her head. "Oh…" Ralphie shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Well, could I use your phone?"
"Sorry," Phoebe responded softly, "the phone isn't working right now."
"Right… Well, could I plug in my cell? I always carry the charger in case of—well, in case this happens." Ralphie laughed uncomfortably.
Phoebe glanced back to the house for a second. "Well… I suppose that'd be okay."
Silently, the two walked up to the small, dark house. Ralphie stopped at the door, unsure as to whether he should just walk in, and turned to wait for his friend. Watching Phoebe approach, Ralphie couldn't help but notice she was walking with a slight limp. Before he could comment, Phoebe pushed open the door and allowed Ralphie to walk inside.
On the inside, the home was nicer than Ralphie had expected. Only a few pieces of furniture lay about—a sofa and table in the living room, a bookshelf lining the wall, a small fridge and dining table complete with two chairs in the kitchen—but all were in good quality and worked well to create a cozy atmosphere. Looking towards Phoebe again, the girl motioned towards the kitchen, where the two sat down.
"You can plug your phone in there, if you want," Phoebe told Ralphie, pointing towards on outlet above the table.
Ralphie, who'd been lost in his own thoughts, looked confused. "Phone?"
"To charge?"
"Right." Ralphie gave out another awkward laugh. "Sorry, my mind was somewhere else…"
Phoebe nodded sweetly. "It's fine."
The room fell silent as Ralphie connected his phone charger to the outlet. Ralphie searched his mind for something to say.
"Did you know that cat urine glows in blacklight?"
Phoebe looked towards Ralphie, confused. "Um… No, I didn't."
Ralphie blushed and looked away. "I, uh… I don't know why I said that…"
"You recite random trivia when you get nervous," Phoebe replied, softly laughing. "Do you want some tea?"
"Oh, uh… Sure, totally. You know, if it's no trouble."
Now, Ralphie didn't actually like tea. He always thought the drink tasted like something that leaked from a car, and the appearance generally fit the part. However, Ralphie knew that tea was considered a dignified beverage of choice, and judging from the movies he had seen, men who drank tea instantaneously became more attractive. Even though Ralphie had no desire to seduce Phoebe with his manly, tea-drinking ways, he knew that she might mention something to the rest of their friends, and having a good reputation never hurt, right? Besides, he was a stereotypical teenage boy, and his chances of getting some were severely reduced if the school heard about him turning down sexy tea for a childish juice box (his preferred drink of choice).
Phoebe shook her head and smiled towards Ralphie. "It's no trouble, I was going to make some anyway." Slowly, she stood up from the table and wobbled over to the counter.
Ralphie frowned. "Is your leg okay? You kinda looked like you were limping earlier."
"It's fine," Phoebe answered quickly, "I just tripped before you showed up. Speaking of which," she turned towards Ralphie, "You never said why you were here."
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
6:43 P.M.
DA sighed contently. "This is actually kinda fun, Carlos."
Carlos grinned at the girl. "I told you it would be!"
Currently, the two sat atop the Ferris wheel enjoying the view of Walkerville. Originally, Dorothy Ann had had her doubts seeing as she'd be riding with the least funny comedian she knew (except maybe Dane Cook), but Carlos had been surprisingly tame. DA glanced over at Carlos, who seemed to be deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?"
Carlos sighed. "What do you think about this whole Arnold and Phoebe thing?"
DA frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? There's nothing going on between them…"
"I know that," Carlos paused for a second, collecting his thoughts. "What I mean is, Arnold wants to ask her out, right?"
"Well, that better have been the plan or else we just ran all over Walkerville for nothing."
Carlos gave a small smile before continuing. "Well, what do you think of two people who have been friends for such a long time suddenly… Well, you know… Just…"
"Dating?"
"That's the word."
Dorothy Ann thought for a moment. "I don't know," she finally responded. "I guess it's kind of sweet."
Carlos' demeanor perked up significantly. "Sweet, huh?"
"Yes, I suppose," DA replied, still deep in thought. "But it's also kind of stupid. I mean, you'd be risking that whole friendship because of a couple passing glances and the occasional brushing of hands."
"Oh." Carlos quickly looked away.
DA continued. "Still, I guess that you can't help who you have feelings for. And maybe it's worth it. Trading in friendship for something better—if it works out, it's completely worth the gamble." DA shook her head quickly. "I don't know, what do you think?"
"I think that you should always go after love, no matter where it is."
DA stared at Carlos in shock. "That was… Surprisingly deep."
Carlos grinned. "I'm a pretty deep guy."
The two continued to stare at each other, simply taking in each other's features. Slowly, they began to lean in closer to each other.
"Carlos! DA!"
Groaning, Carlos and Dorothy Ann leaned over the edge of the Ferris wheel to see Tim and Wanda standing on the ground. Wanda had her hands cupped around her mouth to help shout up to her friends, while Tim seemed to be trying to walk away.
"What is it, Wanda?" Carlos yelled back.
"Are you going to make out now?"
Awkwardly, DA and Carlos looked away from each other and willed the ride to end.
September 1, 2012
Terese House
5:29 P.M.
"So you came out here looking for me?"
"Well, technically I came out here because poodles are unnecessarily violent. But ya, that's the gist of it."
Phoebe looked down at her feet. "I didn't think you guys cared enough about me to go searching aimlessly through Walkerville for me."
"Neither did I." Ralphie shrugged his shoulders. "I thought we were all pretty selfish, but Arnold heard you were sick and freaked out- Wait! You're not sick!"
Phoebe's eyes widened as a blush came over her face. "I, er… I got better?"
"No! You lied to us!" Ralphie gasped. "For shame!"
"Well, technically my dad lied to you…" Phoebe responded weakly. "But he didn't know he was lying, so don't be mad at him!"
Ralphie sat down, clearly disappointed. "You're supposed to be the honest one, Pheebs. What's wrong? Don't you like us anymore?"
"No!" Phoebe answered, her voice sounding offended. "Of course not! You guys are my best friends, you know that!"
"Then why don't you want to come to the fair with us?"
"Because I can't afford to!"
Immediately, Ralphie lowered his voice. "What?"
Phoebe looked away ashamed. "Look, my dad lost his job, okay? We're a little short on cash at the moment—that's why we have no phone line."
"Why didn't you just say something? We could've given you some money-"
"No." Phoebe sighed and looked towards Ralphie. "I don't want to cause you any trouble. Besides," she looked away again, "You've seen Arnold's house- hell, they all live pretty extravagantly. It's kind of embarrassing…" Phoebe took a step towards the table before quickly falling to the floor, grasping her ankle in pain.
"Oh shit!" Ralphie rushed over to Phoebe. "Are you okay?"
"I've been better..." She muttered, teeth clenched.
"Right, of course. Um…" Ralphie gently grabbed Phoebe's leg and rolled up the pants cuff. "Well, there seems to be some swelling… What were you doing?"
Phoebe groaned. "I was just walking home from school and slipped."
Ralphie looked at Phoebe surprised. "You walk to school? You're, like, three miles away!"
"That's your biggest concern right now?"
"Oh, right." Ralphie shook his head and refocused. "Well, you probably sprained your ankle. We have to take you to the hospital-"
"I can't go to hospital!" Phoebe cried. "I can't even afford to go to the fair, remember?"
"Do you see any choice?"
Phoebe sighed dejectedly. "Fine… How do you propose we get there? My dad's out, and we don't have a car anyway."
Once again, Ralphie turned to Phoebe surprised. "You don't have a car?"
"I'm a broke 13 year old girl who lives with her blind father- what do you think?"
"Sheesh, no need for the sarcasm."
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a lot of pain right now! My first priority isn't being friendly!"
"Chill!" Ralphie stood up. "I'll call my mom. Geez, you're kind of a bitch when you're lying on the floor in pain."
"Ralphie!"
"Sorry!"
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
7:00 P.M.
At the fair, Keesha finally allowed Arnold to sit down and relax at a picnic table in an empty corner. Relieved—the two had been walking around the random booths for quite a while now—Arnold fell onto the table. After having wandered the fair grounds for a good hour or two, he wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in his bed with a cup of hot cocoa and forget the whole evening had happened.
Sensing his dismay, Keesha quietly sat down beside Arnold. "You're not very good at having fun."
"I'm sorry," Arnold sighed, "I'm just a little out of it right now."
"You still wish Phoebe was here?"
Arnold looked away from Keesha. "I know you're trying to cheer me up," he said in a soft voice; "I've just been looking forward to this for a long time."
"Why was this such a big deal to you?" Arnold turned to Keesha, surprised. He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the girl. "I know you like her and everything, but we're only in high school. We've got our whole lives to worry about dating and relationships."
For the first time that evening, Arnold let out a small smile. "I guess you're right," he said slowly.
Keesha grinned. "I always am."
Laughing, Arnold stood up. "Come on," he said playfully, pulling up Keesha, "Let's go win you a bear and show Wanda whose boss."
Blissfully, the two friends headed back out into the fair.
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Hospital
7:03 P.M.
An hour and a half later, Ralphie and Phoebe were sitting in the hospital, the latter with a cast now placed on her leg. Despite much protest on Phoebe's part, Dr. Tenelli had promised to deal with all the expenses and had left the teenagers to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Ralphie decided to stay back with Phoebe despite the initial awkwardness and now sat beside the bed she lay on. Noticing that she still seemed upset, Ralphie placed a hand on Phoebe's shoulder, just as he'd seen DA do for Arnold earlier that day.
"Don't be upset," Ralphie said reassuringly, "Always look on the bright side of life."
Phoebe looked to Ralphie sadly. "I know, but-" Stopping mid-sentence, Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to cheer me up through lyrics from a 1979 British comedy film?"
"You got that?" Ralphie asked, genuinely surprised. "No one ever catches that."
"Any Monty Python fan could catch that reference."
Ralphie suppressed a gasp. "You're a Monty Python fan? Why don't we hang out more?"
"You've never wanted to hang out before…" Phoebe responded sadly. "No one ever does."
Gently grabbing her hand, Ralphie looked into Phoebe's eyes and began to sing.
"Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad;
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best..."
Chuckling, Phoebe squeezed Ralphie's hand and began to sing along.
"And... Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life..."
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
7:05 P.M.
At the fair, Wanda ran from booth to booth excitedly. Tim chased after the girl, worried that she would get lost in the world of lights and bright colors.
Panting, Tim caught up to Wanda at a booth advertising balloon darts. "Do you have to run so fast?"
"I can't help it!" Wanda screeched, clearly suffering from a sugar rush after all the candy she had eaten. "There's just so much to see—Lights!" Excitedly, a hyper Wanda ran off to the next booth, leaving Tim to take one last deep breath before chasing after her.
"If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.
And... Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life..."
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
7:06 P.M.
A few feet back, Carlos and Dorothy Ann walked side by side, looking up at the starry night sky and blushing whenever their hands accidentally brushed. Bringing her attention back down to Earth, DA caught sight of Tim and Wanda running about and let out a light, airy laugh. Carlos smiled at the noise, and the two continued to walk in silence, blind to the world around them.
"For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.
So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath"
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Fair
7:09 P.M.
"Yes!" Keesha threw her hands up in victory after finally landing a ring around the bottle she'd been aiming for. She quickly picked up her prize and rushed over to Arnold. "I got one!"
Arnold smiled at Keesha's excitement. "I knew you would, Keesh."
Keesha cocked her head to the side. "Oh yeah? How'd you figure that?"
"Well, if you didn't win a prize, you would've just threatened that man to hand one over." Arnold smirked at Keesha. "Besides, statistically speaking, there has to be something in this fair that you're good at."
Playfully, Keesha shoved Arnold. "Whatever, Pretty Boy. You couldn't win a prize if you wanted."
"Oh yeah?" Arnold looked around the fairground. "I'm pretty good at the Milk Bottle game."
Keesha crossed her arms and glared at Arnold. "Prove it."
Laughing, the friends rushed over to the nearby game.
"Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you."
September 1, 2012
Walkerville Hospital
7:14 P.M.
Finally, Ralphie's mom finished with the paperwork. After some debate with Mr. Terese, who'd arrived 10 minutes earlier, the adults agreed that it would be best if Phoebe stayed with the Tenelli's until her leg healed. Tiredly, Ralphie and Phoebe got into the back seat of Dr. Tenelli's car, while their parents sat in the front, making plans for the next few weeks. Soon after sitting down in the car, Phoebe fell asleep, leaning her head onto Ralphie's shoulder.
Smiling to himself, Ralphie looked out the window, careful not to move his shoulder, and sang to himself.
"And always look on the bright side of life..."