EVERYONE HAS ARRIVED RIGHT ON TIME.
BRAINY:Thanks alot for this (BREATHES) Helga.
HELGA:Oh its nothing, I'm sorry I forgot about it that day.
SMITTHY:come on everyone, we can go inside now.
EVERYONE GOES INSIDE.
10 MINUTES LATER VERONICA ENTERS THE THEATRE AND FOLLOWS THE INSTRUCTIONS WRITTEN ON THE PAPER HELGA EMAILED TO HER, SHE WALKS THE PATHWAY LINED FLOWERS MADE FROM CLOTH. SHE FINALLY REACHES THE STAGE WHICH WAS LIT BY A SINGLE SPOTLIGHT. AS SOON AS SHE STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT ANOTHER SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON THE PATHWAYVREVEALING BRAINY WALKING TOWARDS HER HOLDING A SMALL BOX, AND GETTING ON ONE KNEE.
BRAINY:This is for (BREATHES) faithfully loving me (BREATHES) for the last (BREATHES)
SMITTHY: (WHISPERING TO HELGA) Does he always have to breathe after saying a couple of words?.
HELGA GIVES HIM A NUDGE.
VERONICA:Oh Brainy.
THE GLITTER DUST FALLS ON THEM AND EVERYONE CHEERS AS BOTH OF THEM FINALLY SHARE A KISS.
ARNOLD LOOKS AT HELGA WHO WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE COUPLE, HE'S KEEPING THE PROMISE HE MADE TO HIMSELF THE OTHER NIGHT. TONIGHT, HE'S COMING CLEAN WITH HIS FEELINGS FOR HER.
SMITTHY: K everyone, sorry to cut this little party short but we gotta leave now before someone comes and catches us and I get my butt kicked.
EVERYONE STARTS TO LEAVE.
RHONDA:That's a pretty neat idea you had for Brainy's tri-niversary Helga.
HELGA:Actually it was Smitthy's idea.
RHONDA NOTICES SMITTHY WALKING AT A DISTANCE.
RHONDA:So, you two goin' out?.
NADINE:We saw you at the book fair yesterday.
HELGA:Rhonda Lloyd actually went to a book fair?.
RHONDA:Don't change the subject Helga, so what is it? Yes or no?.
HELGA:(UNCONCERNED) No (WALKS AWAY).
RHONDA:Ugh! She-is-so-lying!.
ARNOLD APPROACHES HELGA.
ARNOLD:Helga.
HELGA:Oh hey Arnold.
ARNOLD:(SCRATCHES THE BACK OF HIS HEAD NERVOUSLY) Uh, there's something I've-
LORENZO:Hey everyone let's celebrate this special occassion with Brainy at Slausen's. It's on me.
EVERYONE:Yeah!.
AND THEY ALL HEAD TO SLAUSEN'S.
HELGA:What did you wanna tell me Arnold?.
ARNOLD:Yeah, you see-
SMITTHY:(PULLS HELGA BY THE ARM AND STARTS RUNNING)Come on Helga let's go.
WHILE HELGA WASN'T LOOKING A COUPLE OF GUYS STEP OUT FROM A CAR, GRAB ARNOLD AND SPEED OFF.
HELGA: (PULLS HER HAND AWAY)Hold on Smitthy Arnold was gonna tell me something, Arnold? Where'd he go?.
ARNOLD:What do you want from me Wolfgang?.
WOLFGANG: Two things-one is a favour for a friend and the other is revenge.
ARNOLD:Revenge for what?.
WOLFGANG:Oh Arnold that hurts, but then again I forgot about it too ... that is till I saw your football face a few days ago. You're gonna pay for sending me to juvie a couple years back, and as for the favour, leave blondie alone.
ARNOLD:Leave her alone?.
WOLFGANG:Yeah, a good friend of mine has his eyes on that tough blonde and he wants you out of the way. Man just a few years ago she looked like a monkey and now she's got the guys hot for her.
ARNOLD:Helga? No way Wolfgang!.
WOLFGANG:You sure? (PLAYS THE RECORDING HE TOOK OF ARNOLD AND GERALD ON HIS CAR'S CD PLAYER).
*After my break up -I realized Helga -is the rebound girl-I just needed some kind of comfort-I think-I can get -her to -love me again -I think it might work.
*Whatever you say man.
*Trust me, it'll work and I'll prove it.
WOLFGANG:So what do you think? I'll probably make an awesome DJ being able mix those lines together to make them sound like a real convo.
ARNOLD:Where'd you get that?.
WOLFGANG:I got eyes and ears everywhere boy, so what's it gonna be? leave blondie and just get beat up for sending me to juvie or get a combo?.
ARNOLD:Never!.
WOLFGANG:You asked for it.
HELGA LOOKS AROUND THE PARLOUR.
HELGA:Howcome Arnold's not around here?.
SMITTHY:Maybe he had to run an errand or something.
HELGA:He was gonna tell me something a while ago. Hey Sid have you seen Arnold?.
SID:No I haven't.
GERALD:I noticed he was missing too, I'm gonna give him a call.
_
MEANWHILE WOLFGANG HAS ALREADY REACHED THE DOCKS.
WOLFGANG:O.k football face, I'm gonna make this quick so we can all go back home for dinner.
HE PUSHES ARNOLD AGAINST A CABIN AND IS ALMOST READY TO BEAT HIM UP WHEN HIS PHONE RINGS.
WOLFGANG:So yor friends have already noticed your absence (TAKES HIS PHONE AND THROWS TO MAURICE). Stand still, this won't hurt a bit, heck it's gonna hurt a whole lot!.
WOLGANG GETS READY TO PUNCH HIM TILL ARNOLD KICKS HIM IN THE 'DING-DONG' AND STARTS RUNNING. WOLFGANG IS ROLLING ON THE GROUND IN PAIN.
WOLFGANG: (IN PAIN)
MICKEY AND MAURICE START RUNNING AFTER ARNOLD.
HE TRIES TO SLOW THEM DOWN BY THROWING EVERYTHING IN HIS WAY AT THEM, EMPTY CARDBOARD BOXES AND MOTOR OIL CANS. PUSHING EMPTY CRATES TO BLOCK THEIR WAY AND SUDDENLY 'WHAM!' HE RUNS INTO A A BOX OF CRATES STACKED AGAINST A CABIN AND FALLS UNCONCIOUS.
35 MINUTES LATER HE REGAINS CONCIOUSNESS AND FINDS HIS HANDS AND LEGS TIED.
ARNOLD:(GROANS) oh ...
MICKEY:Hey boss he's wakin' up.
WOLFGANG:Thought you could run away huh?.
ARNOLD(SMIRKS):The pain's gone now?.
WOLFGANG GRABS AND ALMOST PUNCHES HIM RIGHT IN THE FACE WHEN HE CALMS DOWN A BIT.
WOLFGANG:But first, (THROWS ARNOLD TO THE GROUND AND PULLS DOWN HIS T-SHIRT'S COLLAR) See this scar? It's something the 'welcoming commitee' at juvie gave me on my first day there. That's what you're gonna pay for whimp!.
HE STARTS TO BEAT THE LIGHTS OUT OF ARNOLD FOR A GOOD TEN MINUTES AND THEN LATER THEY ALL THROW HIM ON THE STOOP OF THE SUNSET ARMS AND DRIVE AWAY.
MICKEY:Why'd wehave drive him all the way here Wolfgang?.
MAURICE:Yeah we should've left him back at the docks for someone else to find him.
WOLFGANG:He's helped me face another bully once ten years ago. I only made him pay for when he sent me to juvie ... dropping him home was an added bonus.
MEANWHILE, A FANCY CAR SEEMED TO BE PASSING BY ARNOLD'S HOUSE, STOPS IN ITS TRACKS AND REVERSES.
A GUY STEPS OUT AND RUNS TO ARNOLD.
BIG GINO:Arnold, is that you? What's wrong? Arnold!.
ARNOLD JUST MUMBLES BEFORE PASSING OUT COMPLETELY.
A FEW MINUTES LATER ARNOLD REGAINS CONCIOUSNESS. HE'S LYING ON THE SOFA IN THE LIVING ROOM AND ALL THE BOARDERS ARE GATHERED AROUND HIM.
SUZIE:He's waking up!.
GRANPA:Hey Shortman can you see me?.
ERNIE:Boy he got beaten up pretty bad.
ARNOLD:(GROANS)Where am I?.
GRANPA:Home Shortman! You're friend here found in a pretty bad state on the stoop.
BIG GINO:Hey Arnold.
ARNOLD GETS UP BUT THEN A SHARP PAIN BRINGS HIM BACK TO THE SOFA.
ERNIE:I think we should take him to the hospital.
BIG GINO:I'll take him.
_
AT THE HOSPITAL.
GRANPA:So what is it Doc? will he make it?.
DOCTOR:He'll be fine sir, he's just got a couple of broken ribs. He'll have to stay a few days in the hospital. What exactly happened to him?.
BIG GINO:I was just passin' by the neighbourhood and say him laying down beat up at the stoop. It's like he got into a fight.
GRANPA:But Arnold never gets into fights ... atleast not the physical ones. I don't know who'd do such a thing to my grandson.
DOCTOR:He looked like his arms and lets were tied and he got beaten up that way.
GRANPA:Oh who would do such a thing?.
ARNOLD(WEAKLY):Granpa?.
GRANPA:Arnold! You ok Shortman?.
ARNOLD:I'll be fine granpa.
BIG GINO:Yo Arnold what happened? You were pretty messed up when I found yous.
ARNOLD:Big Gino.
GRANPA:Yeah, your little friend found you left for dead at our stoop. What happened Shortman? Who did this to you?.
ARNOLD:I ... I got mugged.
DOCTOR:Your legs and hands were tied.
ARNOLD:Yeah I kept struggling and made it hard for them to mug me so one of them knocks me out and they tie me up and beat me.
GRANPA:Well we're glad you're alive Shortman, that's what matters now.
ARNOLD JUST SMILES AT HIM.
SO MUCH FOR COMING CLEAN WITH HIS FEELINGS FOR HELGA, NOW HE HAS TO FIGHT FOR HER. AND SMITTHY'S GONNA PAY.