Here's another chapter. I guess we're closing in on the actual event, but who knows what time will do with what it has left.
Phoebe sat down at the lunch table with Nadine. The Sadie Hawkins dance was a week away and Rhonda was still dateless. It wasn't for lack of a guy, that was for sure. Nadine and Phoebe had spent the last week giggling about all the guys who seemed to throw themselves into her path in hopes that she'd ask them. But Rhonda couldn't seem to work up the nerve to ask Thad and Phoebe suspected it had something to do with the unusual friendship he and Helga had struck up. And watching Rhonda stalk into the cafeteria alone confirmed that thought.
"Nadine, why do you suppose Rhonda didn't wait to walk with Helga and Thad today?" Nadine glanced to up to see her best friend stalking towards them.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. Let's find out, shall we?" Phoebe held up her hand to silence the other girl for a moment.
"I wonder…" Phoebe trailed off as Rhonda came into greeting range. "Hello Rhonda, Nadine and I were just discussing the fact that Helga finally asked Arnold to the dance last weekend and couldn't be bothered to inform us. I had to find out from Gerald last night. I can only assume that she expected me to know since I was technically there when it happened, but I was also asleep. What do you think about that?" Phoebe watched as Rhonda visibly relaxed.
"Helga finally worked up the nerve to ask Arnold? That's a relief. I thought they'd never work things out between them." Phoebe smiled at the girl and glanced over her shoulder to see Helga and Thad walking up.
"Geez Princess, why couldn't you wait for us today? Are you in that much of a hurry to not eat?" Rhonda scowled at the blonde girl before gesturing Thad into the seat next to her.
"I wanted to discuss plans for next weekend with Nadine and Phoebe. Heaven knows you're hardly interested in fashionable appearances. And for your information, I do plan on eating; I just hadn't decided what I wanted yet." Rhonda stood up and moved toward the lunch line. "Thad, would you like to accompany me through the lines?" Thad grinned and followed his raven haired crush across the cafeteria.
"What was that all about?" Helga turned toward Phoebe and Nadine. "She's been prickly to me all week." Nadine chose this moment to draw her conclusions.
"Helga, did you plan on informing the rest of us that you had asked Arnold to the dance?" Helga blanched. "I mean, I assumed you had when you showed up excited for the shopping trip last weekend, but Thad dropped you off and you spent a good deal of time talking about hanging out with him that morning."
"Oh no, you can't think that Rhonda thought I asked him! I would never do that to her or Arnold. I need to go explain to her that Thad and I are just convenient friends." Helga started to get up, but Phoebe pulled her back down.
"Stop Helga, I think Rhonda understands now. But if I were you, I'd give them some time to talk. I know that you and Thad have similar free time available, but this friendship seems to be taking its toll on Rhonda. Wait until she feels more secure about his interest. She still doesn't know who he is."
Before Helga could argue, a set of hands covered her eyes.
"Guess who?" Helga grinned and spit out a sarcastic remark about her vacation boyfriend. "Helga!" Arnold stepped back and grinned at the girl he was finally taking to a dance.
"Oh, it's just you." The table laughed as the tall boy sat down next to his not quite girlfriend. "So apparently I've been stirring up the pot. You know how Thad and I are early risers?" Arnold groaned.
"How could I forget? With Phoebe being away at camp for a good portion of it you called me every morning at 9 o'clock on the dot. I didn't want to tell you, but I hate waking up that early. I was super glad that you had swim meets on Saturdays and I got to sleep until you were finished."
Helga poked the boy good-naturedly. "You should have told me you didn't like being up that early. I guess that's one of the things that makes Phoebe and I such good friends. When she isn't studying, anyway. But that aside, Thad and I found we have that in common and it's helping to form a new friendship between us." Phoebe watched her friend draw things out like she tended to do.
"Arnold, I think what Helga is trying to say is neither one of you felt the need to inform the rest of us that you would be attending the dance together and that, in combination with Helga's new friendship with Thad, was making Rhonda exceedingly jealous." All attention turned toward Phoebe, the normally quiet one of the group. "What, Helga was taking forever and Rhonda and Thad are heading this way."
All eyes turned toward the lunch lines to see that the two were indeed closing in on their friends. And all eyes could tell there was something making Rhonda quite excited.
"Thad and I are going to the Sadie Hawkins dance together!" Phoebe chuckled. That didn't take any prying at all to get that information out of her.
"So we're mostly all dated up then?" Nadine looked around the table. "Rhonda and Thad, Helga and Arnold, Phoebe and Gerald, Sid and I (of course), Harold and Emily. Stinky, do you have a date?"
The lanky farm boy blushed and nodded. "I'm going with Greta, you know the cute girl from Ag Club?" Stinky glanced toward Sid for confirmation.
"Oh, the one with all the freckles? She is cute." Sid glanced toward his girlfriend. "But not as cute as you Nadine." Everyone laughed.
"Harold, I wish you and Stinky had told us your dates sooner. They could have come shopping with us last Saturday. Now they might not coordinate with the rest of us as well. Or what if they aren't planning on attending with us as a group?" Leave it to Rhonda to think about the fashionable side of someone else's date."
"Rhonda, it's the Sadie Hawkins dance. Tradition around here has us guys going in nice jeans and button up shirt of the girls' color choice. And you girls aren't supposed to wear full formal dresses." Phoebe grinned as Arnold fell into his comforting mode.
"I know, but we all have a designated color and our dresses are the same style. I was hoping Harold could wear yellow and Stinky could wear green." At this, all of the boys turned to Rhonda.
"You have us all matching? And not just to our date?" Sid looked like he might be sick. "What color are we?" Sid looked back and forth between Rhonda and his girlfriend.
"Orange. Helga will wear pink and Arnold will wear red, you and Nadine will wear orange, Harold and Emily can wear yellow, Stinky and Emily are green, Thad and I will wear blue, and Phoebe will wear lavender and Gerald a dark purple." They boys at the table looked a little bit ill that someone had them looking like a rainbow, but since Rhonda undoubtedly would supply them with their proper shirts; it wasn't really a big deal. It was the unspoken rule of the group that if Rhonda wanted them all to coordinate, she would supply the clothing.
Before too much more could be said, the lunch bell rang. Phoebe gathered her stuff to leave with Nadine and Thad while she listened to Rhonda make Harold and Stinky agree to get their dates into contact with her.
As the trio left for their science classes, Phoebe decided it would be wise to warn Thad about Rhonda's insecurities.
"Thad, have you spoken with Rhonda about what's going on between you and Helga?" Thad jumped and started to deny everything. "Stop, I don't think you understand me. I know that you and Helga are friends, but I also know your history with Rhonda as well as Helga's with Arnold. Rhonda doesn't know everything." Nadine picked this point to throw in her two cents.
"Thad, when everything went down between Helga, Arnold, and Lila last spring, it became common knowledge that Helga had a major crush on Arnold. But not everyone in the group knows just how major that crush was. Rhonda spent more than a little time assuming that Helga was only after Arnold because she hated Lila. For all she knows, Helga has turned her attentions to you. Now we know that's not the case, but maybe you should pay attention to how much time you're spending with Helga until you and Rhonda have a solid foundation."
Thad looked back and forth between the two girls. Phoebe had been watching him the entire time. She saw when Nadine's words really clicked in his head.
"What do I do? I don't want to hide my past from Rhonda, but I don't want to scare her off either. At least not before she has a chance to see who I really am."
"Don't worry so much about Rhonda knowing about Curly. You use your time wisely to help her get to know Thad and when that time comes, we'll be were to support you. It's good that you have Helga's friendship. Rhonda respects her more than just about anyone else. Just watch how much time you're spending with her for the time being."
Nadine reached over and patted the worried boy on his back. Phoebe smiled at him before turning into the class she and Nadine shared this period. She hoped things would turn out right between Thad and Rhonda. Helga had spent the past summer trying desperately to grow up. Phoebe knew her best friend assumed she was the one lagging furthest behind, but Phoebe suspected that Rhonda might be a little further back these days.