Chapter 4: A Strange Date
HEY ARNOLD, HEY ARNOLD!!! SLAM!!!
Arnold: Yaaawwwwnnnn.... Ahh..., no school.... Oh, It's Sunday, heh heh, then why'd I set my alarm... Whatever... mmmm.... Nadine....
Arnold had spent practically all of Saturday with Nadine. They walked through the park together, eating on the boardwalk, caught bugs in the swamp... etc. He had never held a girl's hand for that long before... it gave him a very comforting feeling.
Downstairs...
Grandpa: Good morning shortman! Gonna take your little girlfriend out again?
Arnold: GRANDPA!!
Oscar: Hey Arnold, since you're so good with the ladies now, I have to ask you, how do I get Suzy to let me sleep on the bed again?
Mr. Potts: HAH! She's got you sleeping on the couch, that's hilarious!!
Oscar: No it isn't, I want the bed, she can sleep on the couch!
Arnold: Are'nt you supposed to be working today, Mr. Kakashka?
Oscar: Oh, yeah... Why do I have to work on the weekend, everyone else has off!!
Arnold: You only deliver paper fours days of the week...
Grandpa: Hey Arnold, she's on the phone...
Arnold: Yeeeeaaah!!!
Grandpa: Calm down shortman, girls don't like it when you're too excited to see them! It makes you look weak...
Oscar: No Arnold, don't listen to him. Just keep telling her that you love her till she actually believes you and wants to get married. That's what I did.
Arnold: (picking up phone) Alright everyone, be quiet!! Um, hello?
Nadine: Hey Arnold.
Arnold: Hey...
Nadine: So... what are you doing today...
Arnold: Uhhh... Grandpa?
Grandpa: Just help me set up some rat traps and you can go out.
Arnold: Uggghh.. Nadine, I have to do some um, chores f,f,first and then I can go out.*cough*
Nadine: Ok, can Rhonda come with us this time?
Arnold: Yeah, I, I, I, guess so...
Nadine: So, meet me at Gerald's field around eleven, all right?
Arnold: Ok, cya then...
Nadine: Bye Arnold.
(click)
Mr. Potts: Real smoothe lover boy!
Oscar: Yeah, you sound like you actually have a crush on this girl.
Arnold: I do.
Oscar: Oh, so you're not in it just for her money?
Grandpa: Shut up, both of you!!! Don't you people have better things to do than hang around her all day!?!
Oscar and Mr. Potts: No.
Nadine had just hung up the phone.
Rhonda: Well?
Nadine: He said yes, oh Rhonda, I'm so in love with him, he's just so perfect.
Rhonda: So whe...
Nadine: I mean he's smart, sort of cute, very sweet, and noble...
Rhonda: Nadine...
Nadine: I'm sure lots of girls like him, but he only likes one and its me!
Rhonda: NADINE!!
Nadine: What?
Rhonda: Haven't you thought about Lila?
Nadine: Huh, well, yeah, kinda. He told me that he doesn't think she's ever going to really like like him though...
Rhonda: You don't know that. Just think about this question: Would he still be liking you if Lila started liking him?
Nadine: Why are you telling me this!! You're always so mean!
Rhonda: I don't want you to get hurt, so I'm telling you to just be prepared and not go killing yourself over him.
Nadine: Geeze, Rhonda...
Arnold was happily making his way towards Gerald's Field when he made his traditional bump into Helga.
Arnold: Oh, sorry Helga.
Helga: Whatever...
He looked at her confused. She was in one of her non-bully moods it seemed.
Arnold: So, where are you going?
Helga: Umm... no where in particular.
Arnold: You wanna walk with me to Gerald's field and meet with Rhonda and Nadine.
Helga(thinking): *groan* I don't want to have to watch those two again. But anythings better than wondering around doing nothing, and plus Arnold will be near me...
Helga: Yeah, all right Arnoldo, let's go.
Down at Gerald's Field, Gerald had decided to start up a little game with some friends. It was helping to take his mind off the rat situation.
Gerald: All right everyone, for once, Helga isn't with us, so I'm gonna be giving out positions.
Stinky: Why you?
Gerald: Why not?
Sid: Can't beat that logic.
Phoebe: Here comes Helga anyway. Hey Helga!
Helga: Hey Pheebs...
Gerald: *groan* All right, Helga, whose doing what today?
Helga: I don't feel like playing today...
Gerald: Whaa....
Phoebe: But Helga, you love baseball!
Helga: Not today Pheebs...
Arnold and Gerald did their thumb thing.
Gerald: Hey man, where were you all of yesterday?
Arnold: With Nadine...
Gerald: Oh. Well, I have something important to tell you...
Nadine and Rhonda got there and Nadine ran up to Arnold and gave him a hug.
Nadine: Arnold...
He took a look at her again. He liked the way she looked, her skin was a perfect color, tan with some darker tones. He loved the feeling of her blonde braided hair touching his shoulder. She didn't have to dress fancy for him, a t-shirt and running shorts, always wearing sandals during the warmer parts of the year. She gave him a very comfortable feeling, but still, he thought that something was not right...
Nadine: ARNOLD! Wake up!
Arnold: What, oh...
Nadine: So, where do you want to go?
Gerald: Hey man, come here for a sec.
Gerald led arnold away from the rest of the crowd.
Gerald: There's been some baaaad things happening around here man. I contacted fuzzy slippers yesterday while you were with Nadine. I'm sure you've noticed the rats...
Arnold: Yeah...
Gerald: Well, turns out our old buddy the Sewer King has been training them. He's been plotting to come to the surface himself.
Arnold: But I thought he was afraid of the light.
Gerald: I guess he found some way around it cause Fuzzy Slipper's doesn't lie.
Arnold: Shouldn't we tell the poli...
Gerald: Yeah, like their gonna believe some story about a whacko that lives in the sewer and is coming up to take over the world with an army of rats...
Arnold: So what, you're saying we should go down there!
Gerald gave Arnold a confused look.
Gerald: Arnold, usually its me who objects to your crazy ideas, not the other way around.
Arnold: So you admit your ideas crazy?
Gerald: Woah, woah, slow down boy.
Arnold: Look, I don't think Nadine would appreciate it if we went down into the sewers on our third date.
Nadine: Maybe you should ask me first.
Arnold and Gerald: *gasp*
Gerald: Did you hear what we said?
Nadine: Just about going down into the sewers, are you going on some sort of adventure? I love adventures.
Back at Gerald's field.
Helga: Oh Phoebe... Its horrible, I lost my locket in the sewer.
Phoebe: *gasp* You mean the one with...?
Helga: Yeah.
Phoebe: Oh no...
Helga: And can you believe this, some rat took it.
Phoebe: I've seen lots of rats around recently. They're very intelligent and are capable of being trained...
Helgs: So you're thinking someone trained a rat to take my locket?
Phoebe: Not your locket in particular, just shiny objects.
At that moment, Gerald, Arnold, and Nadine reappeared. Gerald stood on a box and started speaking to all the fourth graders.
Gerald: Attention everyone!!! If you want to go with me, Arnold, and Nadine, into the sewer on a dangerous mission to find the source of all of the rats and stop, please come foward.
Everyone looked up questioningly and then went back to baseball without a second thought. Well, almost everyone...
Helga: Me and Phoebe are going.
Phoebe: What!
Gerald: Helga! Oh no, you're not coming with us.
Arnold: Come on Gerald, we need all the help we can get.
Gerald: Like she's gonna help...
Phoebe: Helga, I'm not so sure..
Gerald: (Phoebe's coming?) Uh, wait, I guess Arnold's right, we do need more people.
Sid and Stinky: We'll come too!!!
Arnold: Why do you guys wanna come?
Sid and Stinky: Comic Relief!
Arnold: Oh, ok. Anyone else?
Nadine: Rhonda?
Rhonda: No Nadine, I don't know why you even asked.
Voice: I'll come too...
Sid: Who said that?
Stinky: Look up there!!
Standing on top of one of the buildings was a caped figure. He made a motion that he was going to fly over the edge, but then had second thoughts and decided to use the fire escape...
Harold: It's Monkeyman!
Monkeyman: Yes it is I, MONKEYMAN!! If you're going on a mission to defeat a villain, then I'll be with you, Monkeyman.
Arnold: I guess that's enough people.
Gerald: Come evryone, to the Construction Site!!!
Gerald and Arnold lead the crowd to a Construction Site. They stopped when they reached a large pipe with a steel door.
Arnold: Here's where we came out of last time, its probably the easiest route to his lair.
Gerald: Eeerr... I can't get it open.
Monkeyman: I'll help you with that, Monkeyman.
Gerald stood aside.
Monkeyman: Allow me to use my Super-Gorilla strength, Monkeyman!
He tugged on the lever for a few seconds, stopped to catch his breath, and then tried again.
Monkeyman: Uhh... My strength seems to be failing me...
Helga: Shutup moron, its obvious we're all gonna have to do it.
Everyone put their hands on the huge lever.
Arnold: All right everyone, one, two...., three!!!
They pulled and pulled and pulled, till finally the lever went down and the door opened and a huge pile of black fur came out from inside.
Sid: I hate rats!!! You didn't say anything about rats!!
Stinky: Uh, fellers, I'm having some second thoughts about this adventure...
Helga: Be quiet country boy!!! We're all going, you had your chances to back out, now everyone get down there!!
After the swarm of rats had passed, Arnold and Gerald edged closer to the pipe.
Gerald: I'm starting to have second thoughts too...
Monkeyman: I smell something coming from down there. The stench of evil!!! Come, let us enter the villain's lair, Monkeyman!!!
Everyone went down, with Helga in back...
Helga: *snicker* All I smell is a sewer...
HEY ARNOLD, HEY ARNOLD!!! SLAM!!!
Arnold: Yaaawwwwnnnn.... Ahh..., no school.... Oh, It's Sunday, heh heh, then why'd I set my alarm... Whatever... mmmm.... Nadine....
Arnold had spent practically all of Saturday with Nadine. They walked through the park together, eating on the boardwalk, caught bugs in the swamp... etc. He had never held a girl's hand for that long before... it gave him a very comforting feeling.
Downstairs...
Grandpa: Good morning shortman! Gonna take your little girlfriend out again?
Arnold: GRANDPA!!
Oscar: Hey Arnold, since you're so good with the ladies now, I have to ask you, how do I get Suzy to let me sleep on the bed again?
Mr. Potts: HAH! She's got you sleeping on the couch, that's hilarious!!
Oscar: No it isn't, I want the bed, she can sleep on the couch!
Arnold: Are'nt you supposed to be working today, Mr. Kakashka?
Oscar: Oh, yeah... Why do I have to work on the weekend, everyone else has off!!
Arnold: You only deliver paper fours days of the week...
Grandpa: Hey Arnold, she's on the phone...
Arnold: Yeeeeaaah!!!
Grandpa: Calm down shortman, girls don't like it when you're too excited to see them! It makes you look weak...
Oscar: No Arnold, don't listen to him. Just keep telling her that you love her till she actually believes you and wants to get married. That's what I did.
Arnold: (picking up phone) Alright everyone, be quiet!! Um, hello?
Nadine: Hey Arnold.
Arnold: Hey...
Nadine: So... what are you doing today...
Arnold: Uhhh... Grandpa?
Grandpa: Just help me set up some rat traps and you can go out.
Arnold: Uggghh.. Nadine, I have to do some um, chores f,f,first and then I can go out.*cough*
Nadine: Ok, can Rhonda come with us this time?
Arnold: Yeah, I, I, I, guess so...
Nadine: So, meet me at Gerald's field around eleven, all right?
Arnold: Ok, cya then...
Nadine: Bye Arnold.
(click)
Mr. Potts: Real smoothe lover boy!
Oscar: Yeah, you sound like you actually have a crush on this girl.
Arnold: I do.
Oscar: Oh, so you're not in it just for her money?
Grandpa: Shut up, both of you!!! Don't you people have better things to do than hang around her all day!?!
Oscar and Mr. Potts: No.
Nadine had just hung up the phone.
Rhonda: Well?
Nadine: He said yes, oh Rhonda, I'm so in love with him, he's just so perfect.
Rhonda: So whe...
Nadine: I mean he's smart, sort of cute, very sweet, and noble...
Rhonda: Nadine...
Nadine: I'm sure lots of girls like him, but he only likes one and its me!
Rhonda: NADINE!!
Nadine: What?
Rhonda: Haven't you thought about Lila?
Nadine: Huh, well, yeah, kinda. He told me that he doesn't think she's ever going to really like like him though...
Rhonda: You don't know that. Just think about this question: Would he still be liking you if Lila started liking him?
Nadine: Why are you telling me this!! You're always so mean!
Rhonda: I don't want you to get hurt, so I'm telling you to just be prepared and not go killing yourself over him.
Nadine: Geeze, Rhonda...
Arnold was happily making his way towards Gerald's Field when he made his traditional bump into Helga.
Arnold: Oh, sorry Helga.
Helga: Whatever...
He looked at her confused. She was in one of her non-bully moods it seemed.
Arnold: So, where are you going?
Helga: Umm... no where in particular.
Arnold: You wanna walk with me to Gerald's field and meet with Rhonda and Nadine.
Helga(thinking): *groan* I don't want to have to watch those two again. But anythings better than wondering around doing nothing, and plus Arnold will be near me...
Helga: Yeah, all right Arnoldo, let's go.
Down at Gerald's Field, Gerald had decided to start up a little game with some friends. It was helping to take his mind off the rat situation.
Gerald: All right everyone, for once, Helga isn't with us, so I'm gonna be giving out positions.
Stinky: Why you?
Gerald: Why not?
Sid: Can't beat that logic.
Phoebe: Here comes Helga anyway. Hey Helga!
Helga: Hey Pheebs...
Gerald: *groan* All right, Helga, whose doing what today?
Helga: I don't feel like playing today...
Gerald: Whaa....
Phoebe: But Helga, you love baseball!
Helga: Not today Pheebs...
Arnold and Gerald did their thumb thing.
Gerald: Hey man, where were you all of yesterday?
Arnold: With Nadine...
Gerald: Oh. Well, I have something important to tell you...
Nadine and Rhonda got there and Nadine ran up to Arnold and gave him a hug.
Nadine: Arnold...
He took a look at her again. He liked the way she looked, her skin was a perfect color, tan with some darker tones. He loved the feeling of her blonde braided hair touching his shoulder. She didn't have to dress fancy for him, a t-shirt and running shorts, always wearing sandals during the warmer parts of the year. She gave him a very comfortable feeling, but still, he thought that something was not right...
Nadine: ARNOLD! Wake up!
Arnold: What, oh...
Nadine: So, where do you want to go?
Gerald: Hey man, come here for a sec.
Gerald led arnold away from the rest of the crowd.
Gerald: There's been some baaaad things happening around here man. I contacted fuzzy slippers yesterday while you were with Nadine. I'm sure you've noticed the rats...
Arnold: Yeah...
Gerald: Well, turns out our old buddy the Sewer King has been training them. He's been plotting to come to the surface himself.
Arnold: But I thought he was afraid of the light.
Gerald: I guess he found some way around it cause Fuzzy Slipper's doesn't lie.
Arnold: Shouldn't we tell the poli...
Gerald: Yeah, like their gonna believe some story about a whacko that lives in the sewer and is coming up to take over the world with an army of rats...
Arnold: So what, you're saying we should go down there!
Gerald gave Arnold a confused look.
Gerald: Arnold, usually its me who objects to your crazy ideas, not the other way around.
Arnold: So you admit your ideas crazy?
Gerald: Woah, woah, slow down boy.
Arnold: Look, I don't think Nadine would appreciate it if we went down into the sewers on our third date.
Nadine: Maybe you should ask me first.
Arnold and Gerald: *gasp*
Gerald: Did you hear what we said?
Nadine: Just about going down into the sewers, are you going on some sort of adventure? I love adventures.
Back at Gerald's field.
Helga: Oh Phoebe... Its horrible, I lost my locket in the sewer.
Phoebe: *gasp* You mean the one with...?
Helga: Yeah.
Phoebe: Oh no...
Helga: And can you believe this, some rat took it.
Phoebe: I've seen lots of rats around recently. They're very intelligent and are capable of being trained...
Helgs: So you're thinking someone trained a rat to take my locket?
Phoebe: Not your locket in particular, just shiny objects.
At that moment, Gerald, Arnold, and Nadine reappeared. Gerald stood on a box and started speaking to all the fourth graders.
Gerald: Attention everyone!!! If you want to go with me, Arnold, and Nadine, into the sewer on a dangerous mission to find the source of all of the rats and stop, please come foward.
Everyone looked up questioningly and then went back to baseball without a second thought. Well, almost everyone...
Helga: Me and Phoebe are going.
Phoebe: What!
Gerald: Helga! Oh no, you're not coming with us.
Arnold: Come on Gerald, we need all the help we can get.
Gerald: Like she's gonna help...
Phoebe: Helga, I'm not so sure..
Gerald: (Phoebe's coming?) Uh, wait, I guess Arnold's right, we do need more people.
Sid and Stinky: We'll come too!!!
Arnold: Why do you guys wanna come?
Sid and Stinky: Comic Relief!
Arnold: Oh, ok. Anyone else?
Nadine: Rhonda?
Rhonda: No Nadine, I don't know why you even asked.
Voice: I'll come too...
Sid: Who said that?
Stinky: Look up there!!
Standing on top of one of the buildings was a caped figure. He made a motion that he was going to fly over the edge, but then had second thoughts and decided to use the fire escape...
Harold: It's Monkeyman!
Monkeyman: Yes it is I, MONKEYMAN!! If you're going on a mission to defeat a villain, then I'll be with you, Monkeyman.
Arnold: I guess that's enough people.
Gerald: Come evryone, to the Construction Site!!!
Gerald and Arnold lead the crowd to a Construction Site. They stopped when they reached a large pipe with a steel door.
Arnold: Here's where we came out of last time, its probably the easiest route to his lair.
Gerald: Eeerr... I can't get it open.
Monkeyman: I'll help you with that, Monkeyman.
Gerald stood aside.
Monkeyman: Allow me to use my Super-Gorilla strength, Monkeyman!
He tugged on the lever for a few seconds, stopped to catch his breath, and then tried again.
Monkeyman: Uhh... My strength seems to be failing me...
Helga: Shutup moron, its obvious we're all gonna have to do it.
Everyone put their hands on the huge lever.
Arnold: All right everyone, one, two...., three!!!
They pulled and pulled and pulled, till finally the lever went down and the door opened and a huge pile of black fur came out from inside.
Sid: I hate rats!!! You didn't say anything about rats!!
Stinky: Uh, fellers, I'm having some second thoughts about this adventure...
Helga: Be quiet country boy!!! We're all going, you had your chances to back out, now everyone get down there!!
After the swarm of rats had passed, Arnold and Gerald edged closer to the pipe.
Gerald: I'm starting to have second thoughts too...
Monkeyman: I smell something coming from down there. The stench of evil!!! Come, let us enter the villain's lair, Monkeyman!!!
Everyone went down, with Helga in back...
Helga: *snicker* All I smell is a sewer...