Here's the next chapter! Anyway, enjoy!
Over near the entrance of PS 118, Helga was sighing in relief as she was coming out of the bus, Phoebe following behind her. Helga laughed. "What a fight that was."
"Thank you, Helga. I think you traumatized a smart girl quite enough today." Phoebe rolled her eyes.
As Helga and Phoebe were heading upstairs to go inside, Helga started hearing something about Arnold.
"So, I really think I have a crush on Arnold."
Helga stopped dead in her tracks as she just heard the words she wished she would never hear from anybody... ever.
"Uh, Phoebe, you go straight ahead and get your things, and wait for me in Mr. Simmons' classroom." Helga said as Phoebe turned with a confused expression.
"Going!" Phoebe chirped adorably with a smile as she walked straight off to her locker.
Helga then started to hide as she peered from behind the trash can conveniently placed at the door. She saw Rhonda and Nadine coming in as she started to overhear them talking.
"What should I do about this?" Rhonda groaned to her best friend. "I mean, obviously, me and Arnold have a lot of chemistry going on with each other, but if people saw us, they'd label me as 'desperate'!"
"Why is that?" Nadine asked.
"Obviously, Nadine, I'm the rich girl and Arnold's in the middle class." Rhonda explained. "I'm just nervous, that's all! I know I have a big crush on Arnold... question is, will he like ME back?"
Helga, watching from nearby, was crossing her fingers, praying to God her beloved didn't like Rhonda like that.
"Look, Rhonda, why don't you just be direct?" Nadine asked. "Just try dating Arnold for... maybe a week or so. If it goes great, then good for you! If it goes bad, well, there's always other fish in the sea."
Helga calmed down a little as she gave a little smile. This is Rhonda Wellington Lloyd she was watching, there was no way that she would even CONSIDER-
"You know what? I think I'll give it a try. I'll get Arnold alone and talk to him, maybe he'll like to give it a try, and if he doesn't... well, it was a thought." Rhonda smiled.
Helga's face nearly dropped at what she just heard. She couldn't believe her own ears. Helga was now worried as Rhonda and Nadine walked along their way, probably to their lockers.
Helga yelped as she pulled out her locket. "Oh, cruel fate, why, why did Rhonda CHOOSE this time to have a crush on my own beloved?"
She sighed. "There could possibly be NO WAY Rhonda likes Arnold, the most interaction they ever had were the geography projects, where they had fun together, her inviting him to that cool party she leaves the geek-baits out of, their interest in Dino Spumoni, the time Rhonda and Nadine were fighting over what project they were going to do with Arn-"
Helga's eyes widened in realization. "CRIMINY! How did I not make this connection until now!"
Helga took a deep breath to calm down. "Okay, okay, calm down... Arnold probably just sees Little Princess as a friend at most. He probably doesn't like her like her!"
Helga smiled. "So I should probably have nothing to worry about!"
Helga then paused as she looked around, but to her surprise, nobody was behind or to the side of him. "What, no Brainy?"
Helga looked around, then snapped her fingers. "Oh, right. He's in bed with the flu for a couple of days. Forgot about that."
Outside at recess, Helga looked around until she spotted Arnold sitting nearby a bench as Rhonda approached him. Helga frowned as she ducked nearby a dumpster and pulled out her binoculars.
Around the same time, Curly was writing down a plan to get together with Rhonda as he smiled. "Best plan I have ever made..."
Curly looked up as he saw Rhonda walking past by him. He smirked as his gaze followed his beloved. He couldn't wait to...
Curly raised an eyebrow at what he was witnessing next. Why was she approaching Arnold, shyly? Why was she sitting down next to him?
Curious, he started to sneak around and hide in a good place nearby the bench to overhear what she wanted to talk about with Arnold.
"Hey, Arnold. Mind if I sit with you for a while?" Rhonda asked as Arnold looked up.
"Oh, sure, Rhonda." Arnold smiled.
Rhonda smiled as she started to get comfortable in his seat. "So, I was wondering, out of curiosity, how is your pining for Lila?"
"Lila?" Arnold asked, surprised she was even asking about it. "Well, to be honest, we're just friends now. I stopped being in love with her about a month or so ago. It was a little hard for me at first, but I got over it pretty easily. Why do you ask?"
"Well, no reason, but I guess some of the girls have noticed you haven't talked about Lila lately." Rhonda shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to get the facts."
"You, wanting the gossip from me?" Arnold smiled. "I guess it's just one of those things, huh?"
"You might say that..." Rhonda said as she looked up to the sky. "Arnold, I'm curious. What do you think of the other girls of PS 118, aside from Lila?"
"Well, Helga, even though she may be a bully at times, she's not all that bad, but she is a complete enigma, Phoebe's one of the smartest girls I know, Nadine has her perks, Sheena has QUITE an interesting personality when you hang around her..." Arnold started to think.
"And... me? What do you think of me?" Rhonda asked.
Arnold paused. "Well, what's to say? You have what I think is an interesting personality. You're always in the rich girl position, yet you like going out with us on our adventures. You've always found a way out of situations, even when it looked bad for you... of course, you needed a little help, but you used that help to make yourself a better person. And you throw good parties..."
"Aside from you, of course." Rhonda smiled. "Arnold, have I ever told you you're a cool guy?"
"Yeah, you had a cool list that proved it." Arnold said.
"Well, aside from the way you dress, you're really a nice guy. Sure, you like hanging out with the guys, but you're not as brash as Harold or as weird as Sid. I'm surprised you're not in the rich community, Arnold." Rhonda said.
Arnold raised an eyebrow. "What is this all about?"
Rhonda nodded. "To the point, huh? Okay, I'm going to be completely honest with you, Arnold... and promise me you won't react funny to what I'm about to tell you... but... Arnold, I think I have a crush on you."
A banging sound was heard, but Arnold and Rhonda ignored it. Arnold just stared in surprise. "You have a crush on me?"
Rhonda sighed. "Yeah, since about third grade. I don't know why, I guess it's because you're the nicest guy I know, and I found you really interesting. We both know each other more than the other, and..." Rhonda smiled. "You have a really nice smile..."
Arnold stared in surprise. "Wow, Rhonda, honestly, I don't know what to say... I feel flattered, but... what about your parents? Won't they be worried that you... well, like me?"
"Not really." Rhonda shook her head. "I've dated Sid and Harold in the past... a couple of times. I don't think they really care about who I date, just so long as it's the right guy."
"Don't get me wrong, Rhonda, I think I like you too, but... a crush, I'm not sure on that." Arnold paused.
Rhonda paused. "Tell you what, Arnold... how about this? How about we go out for a week, just you and me, as an experiment? Who knows? Maybe we'll have more in common than we think."
"Just between you and me?" Arnold asked. "Aren't you worried word will get out?"
"At this point, I'm not REALLY worried about that." Rhonda shrugged. "If word gets out, word gets out. What do you say, Arnold? Just for a week?"
Arnold paused... and smiled. "Why not. One week wouldn't hurt."
Rhonda smiled as she hugged him. "You won't regret it, Arnold. After school today, I'll treat you like a prince."
"You don't have to do that, Rhonda." Arnold smiled. "Just treat me like you would treat someone like Nadine."
Rhonda nodded. "Okay..." She hugged him. "...buddy!"
Curly could not believe what he just heard from his beloved as he rubbed his head after bumping into the bench, hearing that shocking piece of news. She just asked ARNOLD out and HE accepted. He growled as he muttered. "Arnold, you are off my Christmas Card list..."
Helga didn't catch all of what Rhonda and Arnold talked about, but what she did hear was horrifying, at least to her. Arnold, her beloved, JUST ACCEPTED a date with Rhonda... to be boyfriend and girlfriend for a week. Helga groaned. "How did this day turn to the worst day of my life?"
Helga frowned. "All I gotta do is break up these two!"
"Yeah..." Curly nodded as he was pacing, Arnold and Rhonda left long ago. "I need to break those two up, maybe the experiment will fail, and they won't be interested in each other!"
Helga smirked as she rubbed her palms together. "Operation: Break-Up..."
"...will now commence!" Curly smiled evilly, rubbing his palms. Then he paused as he said, "Uh, right after school, of course."
"Wouldn't want to get my hands dirty IN school without getting in trouble." Helga said as she heard the bell ring to get back in class.
And that is the second chapter! How was it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest!