Here's the next chapter! Anyway, enjoy!
Helga and Phoebe were now near the side of the boarding house as Helga was opening up the grate that lead to the air vent. It was fortunate for her that she found this the one day she decided to follow Arnold home, without him knowing, of course. She figured that one of the boarders that lived in the house must have had this installed that year. It made spying in case she accidentally sent the messages of her confession to Arnold and deleting them before she found out a lot easier.
"Remind me again what I have to do." Phoebe said, holding the walkie talkie.
Helga sighed. "Let me go over it one more time." Helga turned to Phoebe. "I'm going to go up in the boarding house air vents, and I'm going to try to get as close to Rhonda and Ice Cream as best as I can. If they're about to do something that I don't like, I'll let you be the first to know on the walkie talkie. I'll talk to you and tell you to come get me in case something is compromised."
"Okay." Phoebe nodded.
"You sure you got that?" Helga asked.
Phoebe nodded as she sat to the side. "Waiting."
"Good. I'm going in. I'll call you if anything pops up." Helga said as she went in the air vents. As Phoebe sat down to wait, unbeknownst to her, Curly was watching a few feet from her.
Curly smirked as he had his own walkie talkie prepared. He coughed as he tried to get a convincing Helga voice down. "Football head!"
Curly nodded. That was a close Helga voice he can get. He was ready for this.
Inside the boarding house, Arnold was taking a deep breath as his grandmother was, once again, dressed up in some random costume. This time, she was dressed up as a Western cowgirl as she was twirling a rope.
"So, little partner, when is your little friend arriving?" Grandma Gertie smiled as she smirked. "I know servin' meat and grits will have the people running."
"Well, Rhonda should be coming in a few minutes. I'm sure she remembers the way to the boarding house." Arnold said, used to his grandmother's antics by now.
"Though it is kind of strange, I always thought you and Eleanor..." Grandma Gertrude muttered. "...well, silly me, I've got to get myself going. I can't wait to meet your new friend."
Arnold didn't catch the first part of the sentence, but he just nodded as he said, "She is one special girl, I can say that much."
Both of them then heard the doorbell ringing as Arnold gasped in excitement. "That must be Rhonda now!"
Arnold immediately got up as he started to run off. From the vents, Helga peeked out in concern. This could only be the cause of trouble.
Outside the door, indeed, Rhonda, in her best cherry red shirt, was ringing the bell to the place as Arnold answered the door. Arnold smiled. "Hi, Rhonda."
"Hey, buddy." Rhonda smiled as they both hugged each other. "So, mind giving the lady a wonderful tour of your home?"
"Rhonda, you know you've been here before." Arnold said. "Plenty of times, in fact."
"Please, Arnold? For me?" Rhonda asked as she kissed him on the cheek.
Arnold smiled as he knew Rhonda wanted to play around with him. "Well, how could I say no to a cute and adorable little lady like yourself?"
"You flatter me, buddy." Rhonda giggled as the two went inside.
Meanwhile, back near the side of Arnold's house, Phoebe was waiting in the vents as she hummed a bit. She sure wish she brought her homework with her... it would help pass the time.
"Phoebe! Phoebe, come in!" The worried voice of Helga said.
Phoebe blinked in confusion as she picked it up. "Yes, Helga?"
"I'm in deep trouble! I think I've been seen. I need you to get in the vents and help!" Helga said through the walkie talkie.
Phoebe smiled. "Coming, Helga!"
As Phoebe put her walkie talkie in her little shirt pocket, she started to climb up the vents. Curly peeked out, chuckling to himself.
Inside the vents, Helga was watching outside the vent leading to Grandpa Phil's room as he and Gertrude were sitting down, nodding to each other.
"Okay, Pookie, you ready for this?" Phil said.
"As ready as I'll ever be, partner." Gertrude smiled.
"Great." Phil nodded. "Let's meet Arnold's new sweetheart!"
"Gee, I wonder if they're going to go through the same thing if I ever confess to Arnold." Helga muttered to herself.
"Helga, there you are."
Helga yelped. "What the-?"
Helga saw Phoebe waving as Phoebe said, "What's the trouble?"
"What trouble? And what are you doing here?" Helga frowned.
Phoebe blinked in confusion. "Didn't you send me a message saying you were seen and in trouble!"
"No, I didn't!" Helga frowned. "Phoebe, I told you specifically to stay put and I'd call you if there's trouble. Did I call you? No, I didn't!"
"But-" Phoebe started.
"No buts, Phoebe! Go back and wait until I give you a reason to come up!" Helga frowned.
"Going..." Phoebe yelped adorably as she went back.
Helga just shook her head as she went back to viewing the show as she saw Arnold and Rhonda coming in. Arnold coughed. "Grandpa, Grandma, this is my girlfriend-for-a-week, Rhonda. You've met her before a few number of times."
"So we have." Grandpa Phil said. "Okay, young lady, take a seat."
"Okay..." Rhonda said as she sat down.
Curly hummed a little as he was waiting for the next round. He pretty soon saw Phoebe about to climb out. He was ready.
As Phoebe was about to put her first leg down, she heard her walkie talkie.
"Phoebe! What are you doing?"
Phoebe picked up the walkie talkie. "I'm going back to position, like you just said."
"I said nothing of the sort!" Helga's voice complained.
"But... you just said..." Phoebe said in confusion.
"I need you to be with me to help me out! Do you understand!" Helga's voice demanded.
"Uh, sorry, Helga. Coming back." Phoebe said as she started to crawl back.
Curly let go of the button as he chuckled. Curly then pushed the button as he said in Helga's voice. "And be sure I'm okay!"
Curly let go of the button and laughed.
Helga, needless to say, was enjoying the show. Rhonda was a little nervous as Arnold's grandmother was walking around her, examining every detail.
"Hmmm... hm-mm..." Grandma Gertie nodded. "Well, little prairie dog, you seem to be okay by most standards."
"Tell me something, Miss Lloyd." Grandpa Phil frowned. "If you were to break our grandson's heart because you had an interest in other men, would you betray his trust?"
Rhonda sighed as she said, "I admit my past of dating hasn't been... good. In fact, some of the dates I had with a couple of boys I knew ended badly. But I feel my crush on Arnold is genuine, Mister... er... Phil."
Helga shook her fist. Blast, she was really hoping she'd hear Arnold's last name.
"Hi, Helga. What's the trouble?"
Helga yelped as she turned to see Phoebe. "Phoebe! What are you doing back here?"
"You called me." Phoebe said, simply.
"No, I didn't!" Helga growled. "What is wrong with you! Get out of here and don't come over unless I need something!"
"Sorry..." Phoebe said as she started to go back.
Helga shook her head. She really liked Phoebe, but what is with her annoyance today?
Helga went back to focusing on Rhonda talking with Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertie.
"In the past, Arnold has had several crushes. None of them returned the feelings, or maybe they tried, but they just weren't interested." Grandpa Phil said. "What makes you different from the other girls?"
"Well, like I have mentioned, Arnold and I have been friends since pre-school. We may be of different social classes, but I would be willing to sacrifice my own rich lifestyle, if it meant being with Arnold." Rhonda explained. "But as I've explained, we're both not sure on our feelings yet."
Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertie whispered to each other as Helga was looking a little worried. So far, Rhonda does not seem to be bombing with Arnold's grandparents. She knew she couldn't do anything without being exposed, but she knew she could get them at dinner.
Outside, as Curly saw Phoebe about to get out, he started talking in the walkie talkie again.
"Phoebe!" Phoebe heard Helga's voice on the walkie talkie.
Phoebe looked at the walkie talkie, annoyed as she picked it up. "What is it, Helga?"
"Phoebe, I'm in trouble! I need you right now!" She heard Helga's voice say.
Phoebe groaned. "I'm on my way."
Phoebe went back inside the vents. Phoebe was starting to get annoyed with this by now.
Over at the dinner table, Arnold and Rhonda were sitting near the kitchen table as the meat and grits were being served.
Rhonda smiled as she said, "I have to say, buddy, being over at the grandparents' place is a really..."
"Unusual experience, but enjoyable?" Arnold smiled. "Yeah, that's what Gerald said to me the first time he personally visited the boarding house without going straight to my room."
"Still, it's actually pretty fun." Rhonda smiled. "I think your grandparents like me."
Near the vents, Helga looked ready to barf.
"Okay, Helga!"
Helga yelped as she saw Phoebe. "Phoebe, what-"
"Wait!" Phoebe glared at Helga. "Don't tell me! You're going to ask 'oh, what are you doing here?', and I'm going to be like, 'you called me over, Helga. You said so yourself'. And you're going to say..." Phoebe then started imitating Helga. "'No I didn't. You're freaking crazy! I didn't even call you!' And I'm going to say..." Phoebe then started squeaking a bit as she was a little mad. "'But Helga, you did call me. I'm following what you said! You said so on the freaking walkie-talkie!' And then, you're going to order me to go back and just as I'm about to get out of the vent, you're going to call back with another message, saying 'Oh, I'm in trouble, come get me right now', and the cycle repeats! Helga, I'm getting sick of this! Do you want me here or do you NOT want me here? ANSWER ME THAT!"
Helga stared in shock as Phoebe started to take deep breaths. Helga had to admit, this is the first time she ever saw Phoebe lose her cool. "Okay, okay, calm down. Okay, let me go over this one more time. I don't want you with me at this time. However, I will need you when the situation calls for it. If you're bored and lonely, I'll leave my walkie talkie on." Helga then turned on her walkie talkie. "If you want to talk to me, do it within outside. And if I need you, I'll call you? Okay, Phoebe? Okay? You okay with that?"
Phoebe started to calm down a little. "Okay... I guess so..."
"All right, if you're feeling better then, you just wait outside, okay? If you need to talk to me, go ahead and do so." Helga said.
"I'll do that. Thanks, Helga." Phoebe said as she started to crawl off.
Helga sighed. At least that was taken care of.
Helga then peeked out to see Arnold and Rhonda were with the other boarders as they were enjoying dinner and talking amongt themselves. Helga noticed that Arnold and Rhonda's hands were close to touching one another's. She then had the crazy idea to throw a chickpea she found in the vents (how that got up there she'd never know) and get them to start a food fight. Helga smirked. Of course, the boarders would be crazy and childish enough to do that. No way Rhonda would want to hang out with Arnold after that.
Helga was about to release the chickpea when...
"PHOEBE!"
Helga jumped a bit as she noticed her walkie talkie had chimed... with her voice? She picked it up in confusion. "What are you doing? I said I needed help!"
Helga frowned in suspicion. Something wasn't right here...
"It seemed to me you didn't, Helga." Phoebe said as she was fully getting out of the air vent. "Is it a real emergency?"
"CRIMINY, PHOEBE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Helga's voice yelled.
From the other side, Curly was chuckling to himself. Oh, how he was enjoying this! He then heard Phoebe's voice. "Helga, this better be a real emergency this time, or I'm walking out on you!"
"Who are you to judge me, Phoebe!" Curly said in his best Helga voice. "If you don't want to be my friend, fine!"
Phoebe just shook her head as she said, "You know, Helga, you're a witch! Why don't you make up your mind?"
Phoebe then felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Helga, but it didn't quite register as she let of the button. "Oh, I'll be with you in a minute, Helga. I'm giving Helga a piece of my mind." Phoebe then started talking in the walkie talkie. "Now you listen here, Helga!"
Phoebe stared in shock as she turned to see Helga, who pointed towards her walkie talkie, which was now turned off. Phoebe looked at her walkie talkie as Helga's voice came on. "You listen HERE, Pheebs! Either help me or walk! It's your choice!"
Phoebe then finally caught on to what's going on. "Oh, uh, sure thing, Helga, I'll help you out."
"Well, see that you do!" "Helga"'s voice said.
"Before I do, I want to ask you something honestly." Phoebe said.
"Okay, shoot." "Helga"'s voice said through the walkie-talkie.
"What code-word do we use when talking about Gerald?" Phoebe asked as Helga smirked.
Curly was thrown for a loop. He honestly wasn't prepared for this. "UH..."
He picked up his walkie-talkie as he said in Helga's voice, "Codewords?"
Helga noticed the trash can shaking as she nodded. Phoebe then said in her walkie talkie as Helga slid down. "Yes, the code word we use for Gerald, my crush? Do you know it?"
"Uh..." Curly frowned as he picked up his walkie talkie, saying in Helga's voice. "Why would I care about stupid code-words! Just help me!"
"Not until I hear the code-word." Phoebe's voice sung.
"Uh..." Curly paused nervously. He smiled as he held up his walkie talkie and said, in Helga's voice. "Sport Guy?"
Curly then felt his neck being grabbed as he heard the REAL Helga's voice. "Wrong answer."
Helga picked up the walkie talkie as she said, "This is the real Helga, Phoebe. The answer is Chocolate Cake."
"That's right, Helga!" Phoebe's voice smiled as Helga dragged Curly out.
"THIS is the guy who's causing you trouble, Phoebe!" Helga glared.
Curly chuckled nervously as Helga glared at him. "Okay, buck-o, you've done crazy things in the past, but this just takes the cake. Phoebe, wait to the side! I'll be done with this guy in a minute!"
"Waiting nearby!" Phoebe smiled as she walked off to a distance.
"Come on, Helga..." Curly chuckled nervously.
"Out with it, crazy boy! WHY did you try to confuse little Phoebe?" Helga glared. She then thought to herself, "And ruin my opportunity to sabotage Arnold and Princess?"
"For revenge!" Curly glared.
"Typical." Helga rolled her eyes. "Okay, what did I do? The underwear glued to the seat trick? Gluing your glasses to your face? The rubber band static hair trick?"
"No, it was none of those things." Curly said. "In fact, I enjoy those practical jokes you do. No, it was for what happened YESTERDAY!"
"Yesterday?" Helga frowned. "What did I DO to you yesterday?"
"Do you recall the movie theater?" Curly frowned.
"I don't recall seeing YOU, but yeah, I watched a movie, and saw some scratched film in the middle! I don't see your point!" Helga frowned.
"Well, that film you scratched happened to be a JUMPSCARE I prepared especially!" Curly glared.
Helga blinked. "Wait... why would you go through the trouble to sneak into a theater and replace a part of a film with a jumpscare?"
"You ruined my sabotage for Arnold and Rhonda! I was planning to break them up!" Curly frowned.
Helga stared in surprise. "Wait... you're breaking them up?"
"Yes, I'm breaking them up! I can't stand seeing MY sweetheart going near THAT football head!" Curly frowned.
Helga paused. "Oh right... I forgot you're obsessed with Rhonda, for whatever reason..."
"Don't deny it, you know it's true." Curly smirked. "I'm assuming you're here for the same reason!"
"What?" Helga frowned. "No! Like I even care what the football head's relationship with princess is like."
"That's not what your love poems for Arnold say." Curly frowned.
Helga jumped in shock. "What-"
"Yeah. Word of advice, Helga. If you don't want people discovering your love poems in your pink book, put a combination lock on your locker!" Curly advised.
Helga growled as she glared at Curly. "You tell anybody about these love poems, I will make sure your future children will never be conceived because of my foot on your groin!"
"So, you do admit you love Arnold, hm?" Curly raised an eyebrow.
Helga frowned. "Well... I gue- fine, sort of!"
"Sort of?" Curly raised an eyebrow.
Helga sighed as she let out her romantic feelings. "Okay, fine, I confess! I love Arnold. I love him more than the rising sun in the sky! His cornflower hair shapes the perfection of his handsomeness! His green shirt is a symbol of goodness and unity! If I had a chance with Arnold, alone and together, I would say, "Yes, I love Arnold..." Helga paused. "What was his last name?"
Curly nodded. "Thought so..."
"Uh, Helga? You may want to see this." Phoebe called.
Helga and Curly raised eyebrows as they started to go over.
"Thanks for inviting me over to your grandparents' place. It was fun." Rhonda smiled to Arnold as she was walking out.
"It's my pleasure, Rhonda." Arnold smiled. "So, where do you want to go tomorrow?"
"Actually... since we're doing a 'Meet the Parents' thing, my parents want to meet up with you tomorrow." Rhonda explained. "That is... assuming you want to..."
Arnold smiled as he put a hand on Rhonda's shoulder. "Meeting your parents formally will be great."
Rhonda smiled. "Thanks buddy."
Arnold then got this crazy idea to maybe kiss Rhonda on the cheek as he looked closer into her eyes.
Rhonda decided to go for another kiss on Arnold's cheek as the two leaned closer and closed their eyes.
What both of them didn't realize was that they missed their cheeks... but they didn't miss... their lips.
The two shared a sweet, soft kiss together as they both opened their eyes in shock.
Arnold and Rhonda then parted lips as they started to blush and smile as they both said, "Uh... well..."
Rhonda smiled. "Thanks, Arnold. See you at my parents tomorrow!"
"See you, Rhonda." Arnold smiled as he closed the door. He sighed as he thought, "I kissed Rhonda Lloyd on the lips... I really, REALLY like her... she's a sweet kisser."
"I kissed Arnold on the lips..." Rhonda smiled as she giggled to herself. "He's definitely the one for me... he's such a sweet kisser, too."
Rhonda sighed, lovingly as she started to skip off, merrily.
Phoebe was now getting worried as she saw BOTH Helga and Curly twitching violently. Both of them obviously saw the kiss as they were now getting worried.
"My sweetheart... KISSING another!" Helga and Curly both said. "This has gone too far! I need to do something big!"
Helga and Curly looked at each other before saying at the same time, "Look, we're after the same thing, obviously. And since Rhonda's house is obviously kept watch at all times, there's nothing we can do there, so you just want to meet up and we can discuss plans on further dates they could possibly go on? Sure. You will? Yes. Great! Meet me at the park tomorrow! We'll talk more there. Phoebe, you're free to go."
"Uh... going..." Phoebe smiled as she walked off. She was now getting worried. If Helga and Curly are working together... this could only mean something big...
And that is the tenth chapter! How was it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest!