March 16, 2013
Arnold's Basement
10:31 A.M.
Whistling chirpily, Ralphie descended the stairs leading to Arnold's basement. Lately, life seemed to be going brilliantly—the weather was beautiful, his birthday was fast approaching, and Jake, his mom's new boyfriend, strongly believed in buying people's love with chocolate and baseball memorabilia. All in all, freshman year was turning out to be a breeze.
At the bottom of the stairs, Ralphie froze in confusion. It suddenly occurred to him that all the lights were turned off. Was the basement empty? Where were his friends? Had they suddenly developed interesting lives? Ralphie chuckled to himself at the thought. No, that wasn't it. Shrugging, he flipped the light switch. From the basement, seven pairs of eyes were watching Ralphie's movements.
Ralphie let out a high-pitched scream. And then he fainted.
When he woke up a few minutes later, Ralphie found his friends standing over the sofa where he lay, looking on in concern. Groaning, Ralphie slowly sat up, holding his head with one hand. "Did I scream?" he asked quietly.
The faces nodded.
"Was it masculine?"
The group exchanged a few awkward glances before murmuring a noncommittal "sure." From the sofa across the way, Wanda simply shook her head. Keesha punched Wanda in the arm.
After Ralphie regained his bearings, he looked up at the gang. "You know how defensive you guys get when I call you losers? Well, I wouldn't have to call you guys losers if you didn't spend your Saturdays locked away in dark basements."
"Ralphie," Arnold began seriously, sitting down on the coffee table in front of Ralphie, "This is an intervention."
Glancing up, Ralphie noticed a large white banner hanging above the basement. On it, the word 'Intervention' was written in large, red letters. "We thought the 'How I Met Your Mother' reference would make this easier for you," Phoebe explained.
Ralphie nodded. "It kinda does." He stopped to think. "What is this an intervention for, anyway?"
"You've been abusing the I-Might-Make-You-My-Bitch power you won last Thanksgiving," Tim replied.
Ralphie looked around the group, surprised. "I have not been abusing-"
"Yesterday, you took my muffin saying that I was your bitch," Keesha pointed out. "Then, after you finished, you told me that since you never ran it past Phoebe, it didn't count as your prize."
Dorothy Ann nodded. "You used the same logic to copy my homework 3 days ago."
"And last week, you used it to get me to give you a foot massage," Carlos added on.
Arnold looked towards Carlos, nose crinkled. "Why would you even consider doing that without Phoebe's consent?"
"He said it was a foot emergency…"
"I said it was a pedi-dilemmi!" Ralphie corrected. "And so what? That just proves that you guys are gullible; there's no way that counts as abuse!"
"As the official judge, I say making anyone touch your feet qualifies as abuse," Phoebe dictated, glacing down at his feet and grimacing.
Ralphie subtly moved his feet away from the group.
"However," Tim added, "You can regain the power."
Ralphie quickly sat up in his seat, no longer worried about his feet. "How? I'll do anything!"
"We're putting the power back up for grabs," Tim explained. "In a town-wide game of Hide and Go Seek. We're all going to go to Town Hall. Then, starting at 11 o'clock, you have one hour to find a hiding spot anywhere in town; the only rules are that you have to remain within city limits and you have to stay outdoors. However, I suggest you hide somewhere comfortable. Phoebe will have 24 hours, beginning at noon, to find all of us. If she finds us all before 12 o'clock tomorrow, she wins. However, if one of us evades her, whoever remains hidden for the longest wins. Got that?"
Thoughtfully, Ralphie nodded his head. "I think so… So, stay hidden until Phoebe finds me?"
"Pretty much."
"I think I can remember that."
Dorothy Ann looked down at her watch. "We'd better get going; it's getting pretty close to 11."
"I won this power once, I can do it again." Ralphie commented as the group headed for the door. "Bring it on."
March 16, 2013
Walkerville Town Hall
10:58 A.M.
"You guys ready to spend the next 24 hours squatting in bushes and lying under benches?" Keesha commented as she stretched.
Phoebe giggled slightly. "Nope!"
Keesha rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Phoebe." Noticing Phoebe's doe-eyes, Keesha quickly gave the girl a hug. "I'm sorry, Pheebs! I didn't mean it!"
Carlos gave Ralphie a nudge. "Did you see that?" he murmured, gesturing to the display.
Ralphie nodded. "That's her superpower; her eyes have the ability to induce guilt in anyone, even the most heartless of souls."
"We can hear you, you know," Keesha replied to the boys. Nervously, Ralphie and Carlos took a few steps back.
Dorothy Ann glanced down at her watch once more. "Okay… It's almost time." She looked over to Phoebe. "Will you be okay, hanging out here by yourself for an hour?"
Phoebe grinned. "I'll be fine; I can go play with the ducks," she explained, gesturing to the pond in the park across the street.
"Alright then…" Dorothy Ann removed her watch and passed it to Phoebe. "Use this to keep track of time."
"Thanks!"
"And give it back when we finish," DA added, sounding slightly annoyed. "Buying you food all the time is one thing, but I'm not giving you my watch."
Phoebe let out a quiet sigh. "I'll return it," she promised. DA stared at her skeptically for a few moments. Phoebe gave her a reassuring smile. "Really. Now, get ready to hide, in 3… 2…1…Go!"
Everyone shot off in different directions.
After waiting a few moments, Phoebe glanced around; everyone was gone. Satisfied, she walked across the road to the duck pond. "Quack quack, guys!" She called cheerily. The ducks glanced up for a moment before returning to their own business, ignoring the intruder.
"Just like my real friends," Phoebe murmured as she sat down beside the pond, waiting for the hour to end.
March 16, 2013
Street
11:13 A.M.
Groaning, Arnold glanced over his shoulder. Behind him, Wanda was following closely.
"Leave me alone!" He cried desperately for the umpteenth time. "We're supposed to hide separately!"
"But you're going to find the best hiding spot!" Wanda argued, running to the boy's side.
Arnold turned to her in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you're used to running and hiding." Arnold stared at Wanda, irritated. "Because you're a wimp-"
"I got it."
Defeated, Arnold resumed walking. Wanda jogged alongside him, struggling to keep up with his brisk pace. "Do you think you could walk a little slower?" Wanda grumbled.
"Not for my stalker."
Wanda grabbed Arnold by the arms and forced him to face her. "Look, you either let me hide with you, or I tell everyone about what happened at summer camp."
A dark look came across Arnold's face. "You wouldn't."
"I'm competitive and have no morals—try me."
Arnold rubbed his temples as he always did when he was annoyed (which seemed to be positively correlated to the times when Wanda was around). "Fine…"
Wanda pulled Arnold into a tight hug. "I knew you'd come around!"
March 16, 2013
Walkerville Woods
11:15 A.M.
Dorothy Ann walked down a hiking trail, analyzing the trees for a good hiding spot. She wasn't sure she wanted to spend the next 24 hours in the forest, but she was more outdoorsy than people gave her credit for, and she really did want to win that prize. If this was the way to do it…
"Hey!" DA turned and was surprised to see Carlos walking alongside her.
"What are you doing here?" She didn't think anyone else would have wanted to hide in the forest; that was primarily why she had come here.
"I saw you get on the trail," Carlos explained. "I thought maybe we could hide together."
DA crossed her arms. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Because 24 hours is a long time to hide, and you might get lonely," Carlos pointed out. "Or because you have no way of tracking the time. Or maybe because you're secretly in love with me," Carlos added on, raising a brow in what Dorothy Ann assumed was supposed to be a seductive manner.
Blushing, DA gave Carlos a playful shove. "Fine. But only for the first 2 reasons," she replied firmly.
Carlos sighed. "Whatever you say. Try to deny the Ramon charm while you can; but don't blame me when I've gotten myself a lovely lady and you're left watching from the sidelines."
"I won't be watching," DA retorted as the two resumed walking. "I'll be too busy making out with one of my many suitors."
"How many suitors are we talking?"
"Dozens."
Carlos let out a small laugh. "It'll take that many guys to get over me, huh?" Dorothy Ann rolled her eyes, still grinning. "I don't blame you; I'm pretty difficult to get over."
"How would you know? For as long as I've known you, you've never been able to get over yourself." DA responded smugly.
Carlos opened his mouth to continue the banter, but was rendered speechless as he and Dorothy Ann stumbled upon a large meadow, deep within the woods. Towards the edge sat a gazebo with a clear view over the blue waters of the lake.
"That could work," Carlos commented, nodding towards the gazebo.
"Beats sitting around in the woods," Dorothy Ann agreed.
The two began heading towards the gazebo. As they walked, Carlos couldn't help but notice the colorful flowers blooming all around. For a second, he considered picking a few to give to Dorothy Ann, but he quickly shook the thought from his head.
"You coming?" DA called from the gazebo.
Rubbing his eyes, Carlos realized that he'd stopped walking while he was caught up in his thoughts. Looking up, he grinned at the image of DA, standing in the gazebo overlooking the lake, calling for him.
"Definitely," he called back.
March 16, 2013
Street
11:59 A.M.
Frantically, Keesha looked around the town, desperate for a place to hide. She knew she was nearly out of time, and she hated cutting it this close. She'd had a few ideas of where to hide prior to the game, of course, but at each location, she'd bumped into the resident jock, Ralphie. She figured that if Ralphie could find a hiding spot, it wasn't a very good one, so she'd been forced to evacuate each one. Now, however, Keesha would settle for any hiding spot, good or bad.
As she looked up the street, Keesha's eyes met with a familiar face. "Dammit!" She cried, frustrated. "Why are you always around?"
"I could ask you the same thing!" Ralphie snapped, crossing his arms.
Suddenly, the bell on top of one of the local churches started to chime.
"Shit!" Quickly, Ralphie grabbed Keesha and pulled her into a nearby alleyway.
Keesha glared at the boy. "What are you doing?"
"Saving your ass. We're only a few blocks from town hall; Phoebe could walk down that road any minute."
Angrily, Keesha sat down on the ground. The alley was as good a place as any to hide, she figured. The 2 were quite for a moment. Keesha's face then contorted in confusion. "If Phoebe could hear the bell ring at noon, why did she need DA's watch?"
Ralphie thought for a moment before letting out a laugh. "DA's not going to see that watch again, is she?"
"It's doubtful." Another silence fell across the alley. "Do you think we spoil Phoebe?"
"It's those damn eyes!" Ralphie answered frantically. "I can't say no to her! Besides," he added after a moment of thought, "We pick on her so much that it's only fair."
"To let her steal watches?"
"Sure."
Keesha cracked a small smile. "Someone in this group is going to be a felon by the time we're adults. I'm not sure who it's going to be, but it's going to happen."
"It's unavoidable," Ralphie agreed. "Right now, my money's on Wanda."
Keesha looked at Ralphie, eyes glinting. "I bet you $50 that Carlos is the first one to run into trouble with the law. He's just stupid enough to do it."
Ralphie shot Keesha a mischievous smile. "You're on."
March 16, 2013
Street
1:26 P.M.
"Hello?" Phoebe called as she wandered down the street.
Over the past hour and a half, she hadn't managed to find any of her friends. Sighing, she poked her head around the corner of one of Walkerville's residential neighborhoods. Phoebe had never realized how big the town was. She was just calculating how lost she was when an all-too-familiar voice called her name.
"Hey, dork!" Well, not her real name. Dork was more of an affectionate pet name Janet had given Phoebe. Sometimes, Phoebe wondered if Janet actually knew her real name. "You look like more of a lost puppy than usual. Did you lose your mommy and daddy?"
"I don't really have time, Janet," Phoebe answered, moving around the girl. "I'm in the middle of something really important."
"Arnold said he was playing Hide and Go Seek all day."
Phoebe paused for a moment. "Well… Yes. But it's really important."
Janet gave an obnoxious laugh. "Oh, I'm sure it is. You losers would never waste your time on something unimportant, like a snowball fight or a game of The Weakest Link."
"Please leave me alone, Janet." Phoebe begged, looking up and down the street. "I really need to win the prize."
Janet's ears seemed to perk up at the word 'prize'. "There's a prize, hm? What is it?"
"Why do you care?"
"As class president, I have an invested interest in all of my classmates."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Of course."
"So about this prize…"
"Whoever wins has the power to make anyone in the group do whatever they want—within reason. And you only get one request."
"It's like winning the world's lamest genie," Janet commented with a snort. "So why do you want to win so badly? You don't really strike me as the type to aspire towards absolute power."
"I don't," Phoebe responded curtly. "I just don't trust anyone else with that kind of power."
Janet nodded. "I would laugh, but I've seen the imbeciles you hang out with."
"You've certainly seen Tim…" Phoebe mused quietly.
Janet glared at Phoebe. "I don't know what you mean."
"Of course not."
Janet rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be so rude to me. I might be able to help you."
Phoebe turned to Janet, eyes narrowed. "Why would you want to help me?" She questioned.
"That prize intrigues me," Janet explained.
"The prize isn't for you."
"But you could use it for my benefit." Janet replied smoothly. "See, as much as I enjoy being class president, I constantly find myself butting heads with that bitch of a vice president, Jessica Hill."
Phoebe stared at Janet, clearly confused. "I'm… Sorry?" she offered weakly.
"Shut up; I know you don't care." Janet snapped at her. "I will help you find all of your lost little duckies if you use the prize to make my cousin run as my Vice President next school year."
Phoebe frowned at the suggestion. "I don't think Arnold would go for that."
"But it wouldn't be his choice, correct?" Janet smirked. "I need the vice president to be someone I have complete control over; you and I both know that my cousin fits the bill perfectly."
Phoebe gave a large sigh. "I… I can't. Arnold would be really upset if I did that…"
"He's your boyfriend, he'll forgive you."
"Really?"
"Don't know, don't care." Phoebe rolled her eyes. Janet grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "But is Arnold's hissy-fit really worse than whatever Wanda would do with ultimate power? The greatest heroes have to make sacrifices, dork. Let this be your sacrifice."
Phoebe glared at Janet. "I really hate you, Janet."
"I know."
March 16, 2013
La Bella Luna, Back Courtyard
4:15 P.M.
"Hey, Arnold? Oh, wait…" Wanda chuckled. "That was the name of that TV show!"
"Very funny, Wanda."
"Anyway, Arnold?"
"What is it, Wanda?"
"Will you tell me a story?"
Arnold growled and scooted away from Wanda. "No, Wanda. Shush."
"But I'm bored!" Wanda moaned, falling onto Arnold's lap, dramatically placing her hand to her forehead. "Talk to me! We've been sitting in silence for ages!"
Arnold shoved Wanda off of him. "No, I've been sitting in silence for ages; you don't know the meaning of the word silent."
Wanda crossed her arms, pouting. "Yes I do."
"Then prove it. Please."
The 2 were quiet for moment until Wanda let out a large sigh, provoking a face palm from Arnold.
"Come on! Let's talk!" Wanda begged, growing more frantic with every passing minute. "It'll be fun, trust me!"
Looking up at Wanda, Arnold realized that the girl wasn't going to stop pestering him any time soon. With a sigh, he turned to face his friend. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"
A thoughtful look came across Wanda's face. "Well… How're you and Phoebe doing?"
"Me and Phoebe? We're fine…" Arnold's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you care about our relationship?"
"Oh… I don't…" Wanda rushed as she turned away from the boy. "I was just asking."
"No, now you're acting weird," Arnold pointed out, trying to get Wanda to face him once more. "What's going on, Wan?"
"Nothing."
"Wanda, please; talk to me."
Looking back towards Arnold, Wanda was surprised to see his concern-filled eyes. "Fine…" she murmured reluctantly, taking a deep breath. "A few days ago, Ralphie asked me about where we stood, relationship-wise."
"I thought you guys were only fake-dating."
"That's what I thought," Wanda continued, pulling her eyes away from Arnold's. "So I kinda blew him off. But then I asked Keesha for some advice, and she started asking me all these questions about what kind of guys I like…"
Arnold frowned at the story's pause. "And…?" he pushed.
"And it's you, Arnold!" Wanda blurted, looking him in the eyes once again. "I like you."
Eyes wide, Arnold leaned back against the building. "Oh…"
March 16, 2013
Lakeside Gazebo
7:34 P.M.
"…and that's the meaning of life," Dorothy Ann concluded, leaning back comfortably.
Eyes wide, Carlos moved to sit beside his friend. "Wow… And you figured that out in 5th grade?"
DA nodded. "I had a lot of free time in English."
A comfortable silence fell across the gazebo as Carlos and Dorothy Ann looked out across the lake. The sun had just set, and the moon sat low on the horizon, almost completely hidden by the surrounding trees. Dorothy Ann was suddenly grateful that Wanda wasn't around—this was around the time that she would start telling scary stories, and while DA knew that the stories were unrealistic, she didn't want to hear about the terrible beast of Walkerville woods before spending the night in the forest.
A cool breeze began to blow across the lake, making DA shiver slightly. Noticing the action, Carlos took off his jacket and draped it across the blonde's shoulders. With a small grin, DA pulled the jacket tightly around herself.
"It's a good thing we're alone," DA commented, her shivering lessened. "Everyone else would be telling us to kiss."
Carlos quickly looked away, hoping the girl hadn't noticed his face flush. "Ya, that'd be pretty dumb… Who says I can't lend my friend a jacket platonically?"
"Exactly!" DA chuckled. "They'd be gushing about how romantic this all is!"
"Nothing says romance like a dirty gazebo and a creepy forest," Carlos quickly agreed.
Another silence fell, although this one was much less comfortable than the first. Sneaking a glance at DA, Carlos was shocked to see her face was a slightly brighter shade of red than normal. Before he could analyze what any of this meant, the silence was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Game over, I guess," Carlos sighed. With a shrug, both stood up and turned to leave. To their surprise, however, they were face to face not with Phoebe, but with a short, angry man carrying a large basket.
The man shoved the basket to Carlos forcefully. "Here, have a candlelit dinner," the man sneered. "Maybe you'll appreciate it more than a certain someone!" he shouted, glancing out into the woods. A loud grunt came from somewhere in the forest.
"Um… Thank you?" Dorothy Ann answered nervously, scooting behind Carlos slightly.
"Don't thank me—thank my now EX-wife!" The man shouted. He then turned and stormed off down the hiking trail.
Back at the gazebo, Carlos flipped open the basket and peeked inside. "This is a really nice picnic," he mentioned, pulling out a large, checkered blanket. "We've got sandwiches, fruit, what looks like an apple pie-"
"And candles," DA added, pulling out 2 ornate candelabras. "Maybe we should light these—you know, because it's getting dark."
Carlos nodded and began to set out the picnic. Once all the food was laid out on the blanket, Carlos and DA sat down across from one another. "This is nice…" DA commented, admiring the set up.
"Yup… Not weird at all."
"Not even a little," Dorothy Ann agreed, hoping Carlos didn't notice her voice waiver slightly. Without another word, the two began eating, being careful to avoid eye contact.
They had only just begun to eat when a large gust of wind blew, carrying a bouquet of red roses right to Carlos's hands. Confused, Carlos looked up at DA.
"Okay… Maybe just a little weird."
March 16, 2013
Alleyway
11:10 P.M.
"Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?" Ralphie questioned, voice sounding bored.
Keesha shrugged. "Doesn't matter; neither are real."
"The point of Questions is to answer the question—it doesn't matter if it's realistic or not."
"But what's the point in wasting time thinking about things that'll never happen?" Keesha argued.
"We're in a giant game of Hide and Go Seek; I don't think wasting time is a major concern of ours!"
Rolling her eyes, Keesha moved to the opposite wall and lay down. "I'm going to get some sleep."
"You're going to sleep in a creepy dark alley in the middle of the night?" Ralphie questioned, brow raised. "That seems safe."
"If you're so worried, keep watch, Tennelli," Keesha retorted, eyes shut.
Pouting, Ralphie slumped against the alley wall. "If you were a vampire, you wouldn't need sleep." When Keesha didn't respond, Ralphie crossed his arms. "Of course, if you were a vampire, you'd be pretty."
Ralphie ended up with rock to the head.
March 17, 2013
Street
1:00 A.M.
Janet grunted in annoyance as the bell chimed once. "This is taking forever!" she screamed, kicking a nearby trashcan.
"Maybe we should just sit down and think," Phoebe suggested tiredly, leaning against one of the closed stores.
Janet rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that's the best way to find someone; by sitting completely still in the middle of the street," she answered sarcastically.
Phoebe shrugged as she sat down. "I don't think shouting is going to help much either," Phoebe pointed out. "You're going to scare away anyone hiding around here. If we just take a moment to get into their heads and figure out where each one of them would hide-"
"I've got an idea," Janet cut in sternly, "How about we split up? That way, we can cover more ground, and I won't have to put up with you any longer."
Phoebe thought for a moment. "Actually," she mused, "That's not a bad idea."
"Don't sound so surprised," Janet scoffed. "I am in all of the highest classes. In fact-"
"So we should get going," Phoebe interrupted, quickly standing and walking down the street.
Janet glared down the road Phoebe had just taken, mouth agape. "How rude!" She murmured, heading in the opposite direction.
March 17, 2013
Lakeside Gazebo
2:02 A.M.
Carlos grimaced at the dull pain forming in his shoulder. A few hours ago, Dorothy Ann had fallen asleep, her head resting upon him. As much as Carlos was enjoying the contact, he hadn't been able to move in quite some time, and he was beginning to worry about whether there was any blood following through his arm anymore. Carefully, trying to avoid any sudden movements, Carlos attempted to shift his shoulder to a more comfortable position.
Unfortunately, the motion was enough to wake DA, and her eyes slowly flickered open. For a minute, she simply sat there, dazed, as she tried to work out where she was. As her eyes flickered to Carlos, she suddenly realized the position they were in, and she quickly sat up straight.
"I-I am so sorry!" She stuttered, unable to hide the blush on her cheeks.
Carlos offered a reassuring grin. "It's fine," he promised. "It's pretty late; you were tired."
DA nodded slowly. "Right…"
As Carlos looked on at DA, the moonlight bouncing off her hair, a strange thought came across his mind—why not ask her out? This was as good a time as any, and it seemed the universe had been sending them signs all night. Furthermore, they were all alone—if she said no, there wouldn't have to be any awkward tension amongst the group.
Dorothy Ann frowned as she noticed Carlos's staring. "What's wrong?" she asked, immediately fiddling with her hair. It must look like a mess from her unexpected nap, she figured.
"Nothing," Carlos answered thoughtfully. "I was just thinking-"
He was cut off by a knocking from the gazebo's entrance. Both turned, and Carlos felt his heart sink—at the door stood Phoebe, a smug grin on her face. "Sorry to interrupt," she commented.
With a sigh, DA stood up. "I guess we can go home, then."
"Actually, I think you guys have to go wait by town hall."
"Right…" As Phoebe turned away and resumed seeking, DA looked down at Carlos. "Were you saying something?"
Carlos's stomach flipped, and he was quiet for a moment. "Uh… No…" he finally answered dismissively. "It wasn't important…"
Dorothy Ann watched him in concern for a moment before shrugging and exiting the gazebo. Carlos watched after her sadly, mentally kicking himself for backing out.
March 17, 2013
Alleyway
3:39 A.M.
"Dumb ground…" Keesha murmured, rolling over on the pavement.
Ralphie jumped a little at her words. Keesha raised a brow. "I thought you were asleep…" he explained sheepishly.
"I was trying," Keesha moaned, reluctantly sitting up, "But the ground isn't as comfortable as you would expect.
Ralphie looked down at the ground longingly, eyes drooping. "You sure?"
"What was that game you wanted to play earlier?" Keesha asked, ignoring his comment. "This is pretty boring."
"Strip poker?"
Keesha glared. "Not that one. Questions, right?"
"Oh, yeah."
"So, how does it work?" She continued, moving beside Ralphie. "I just ask something, and you have to answer?"
Ralphie nodded. "And then I get to ask you something. Like Truth or Dare, but without the daring."
Keesha considered the game for a bit. "I guess that could kill a few hours…"
"Great!" Ralphie perked up and turned to Keesha. "So, to start off—vampire or werewolf?"
Keesha resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at the question. "Um… Vampire, I guess. Though I still say it's a pointless question."
"No, you're breaking the flow!" Ralphie groaned. "Just give your answer, then ask a new question!"
Keesha's eyes widened. "This game has a flow now?"
"Just ask me something."
"Fine… Favorite kind of sandwich?"
"Meat."
"Meat?"
"Sure." Keesha shot Ralphie a condescending glance. "It's a real thing!"
"Uh-huh. And what's on it?" Ralphie opened his mouth to answer, but Keesha just shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. Just ask your question."
"Which one of our female friends would you most like to make out with?"
Keesha's mouth fell open. "What kind of question is that?!"
"An important one." Ralphie answered briefly. "Now answer."
Keesha sighed. "Um… Phoebe, I guess."
"Not Wanda?" Ralphie asked, looking genuinely surprised. "You guys always hang out-"
"Right. So I know better than anyone where her mouth has been."
"Ah. Good point." Ralphie nodded in understanding.
"Would you rather meet Marlon Brando or Beyonce?"
"Marl-" Ralphie coughed as Keesha's brows rose. "Er… Beyonce. Which of the guys—including me—is the most bang-able?"
Keesha looked away, trying to conceal the faint blush on her cheeks. "Um… Tim…"
"Damn, I knew it."
"So… Are you and Wanda an official couple yet?"
Ralphie looked slightly taken aback by the question. "Well… I don't know…" he answered, frowning. "I tried asking her about it, but she didn't want to talk… She just changed the topic to World War 2 tanks…"
Keesha nodded in understanding. "World War 2 tanks are her go-to conversation topic when she gets uncomfortable. So, do you want to be an official couple?" Keesha urged hopefully.
"I… I would," Ralphie replied slowly, not noticing Keesha's shoulders fall. "I care about her a lot; she's attractive, of course, and she's fun, and-"
"Ya, she's great, I get it," Keesha cut in, leaning back against the alley's wall.
Ralphie mimicked the action. "So, it's my question, right?" Keesha nodded. "Why haven't you started dating? I mean, the fact the Phoebe has hit more bases than you is just shameful…"
Keesha cracked a small grin. "Ya, well… I guess I just haven't met anyone."
"I know a bunch of guys on the football team would kill to date you," Ralphie offered. "I could set you up with one of them."
Sighing, Keesha shook her head. "I don't want to date just any brain-dead jock."
"It's probably for the best," Ralphie smiled, putting a comforting arm around Keesha's shoulders. "None of them would be good enough for you anyway."
Keesha smirked at the sentiment. "Ya… Probably not…"
March 17, 2013
La Bella Luna, Back Courtyard
4:19 A.M.
Wanda looked over to Arnold, who was now sitting on the opposite end of the courtyard.
"Are you mad at me? You haven't spoken in…" She glanced down at her watch, "Over 12 hours."
Arnold rubbed his eyes and looked up at Wanda. "Mad? What makes you think I'm mad?" He retorted, voice sounding strained.
"Well, you haven't spoken in-"
"Why couldn't you have said something a year ago, Wanda?" Arnold shouted, standing up and beginning to pace. "Why wait until I'm in a serious relationship to say anything?"
Glaring, Wanda crossed her arms. "Stop yelling; we're still in hiding, remember?" Sighing, she forced Arnold to stop moving. "Why are you mad at me? I didn't suggest you break up with Phoebe or anything; you asked me what was bothering me, and I answered—that's all!"
Arnold grew silent, gathering his thoughts. After a few minutes, he walked over to the wall and leaned against it. "I'm not mad at you," he explained quietly. "I'm just… Confused." Seeing his anger had faded, Wanda approached the wall and leaned beside Arnold. "Why couldn't you have said something before?"
"I was nervous," Wanda confessed, looking down at the ground. "I wasn't sure if you felt the same way-"
"I did."
Wanda felt her heart skip a beat. "Really?"
Arnold nodded. "Ever since 3rd grade. It always amazed me that someone could be so brave."
"But… If you liked me, why did you ask out Phoebe?" Instantly, Wanda regretted the question; she had no idea how Arnold would react to it, and she didn't want him to start shouting again.
However, Arnold was surprisingly mellow. Perhaps exhaustion was taking over.
"Because Phoebe was—is—also amazing," Arnold explained. "She's the most sympathetic person I've ever met, and she'll do anything for her friends. I mean, she was willing to get lost in a jungle full of dinosaurs just to help me get back an egg!" Arnold grinned a little at the memory.
Wanda kicked a small pebble with her shoe. "Ya… I guess that was pretty nice… All I ever did was get rid of recycling and hire that logger…" She murmured sadly.
"So what?" Arnold asked, not used to seeing Wanda so down. "You also brought back recycling and… fired that logger… In a gremlin costume…"
Wanda chuckled. "You know, maybe that wasn't my best idea…"
"Who cares if you made a couple of mistakes? You learned from them, that's what's important."
Looking up, Wanda couldn't help but notice how close their faces were. "That's really cheesy," she commented with a small grin.
"Ya, sorry about that," Arnold replied quietly.
"No; I like cheesy." Against her better judgment, Wanda felt herself lean in closer to Arnold. To her surprise, he reciprocated the motion; did he want to-
"Well, well, well… Who do we have here?"
At some point during the conversation, Janet had entered the courtyard and was now watching their movements from the opposite wall.
"Why are you awake, Janet?" Arnold questioned, quickly jumping away from Wanda.
"I was hired by your girlfriend to help find you guys…" Janet's eyes shifted towards Wanda. "At least, I thought she was your girlfriend."
"Uh… Well…" Arnold stammered for a few moments. "She is my girlfriend!" he finally mustered.
Janet snorted in amusement. "Calm down, cousin. I won't say anything about your little moment. Maybe in the future you'll remember my generosity. Now come on; I believe I need to escort you back to town hall now."
Wanda narrowed her eyes at the girl. "You don't have to escort us-"
"I'm not taking my eyes off of you for a minute," Janet threatened. "Who knows what you 2 might get up to."
Silently, Arnold walked out of the courtyard. Janet raised a brow towards Wanda. "You might as well follow him, slut. I don't see anyone else to make out with in here."
Growling, Wanda exited the courtyard. With a smirk, Janet turned and followed.
March 17, 2013
4:38 A.M.
Town Hall
As Phoebe approached town hall, a sulking Ralphie and Keesha close behind (their talking could be heard clearly on the empty streets of Walkerville), she grinned to see Arnold and Wanda already back. As much as she hated Janet, Phoebe had to admit that the girl had been a huge help.
DA let out a large sigh once the trio arrived. "Looks like you found all of us," she commented, looking around at her tired friends.
"Who said you could hire help?" Wanda pouted, glaring at Janet.
Janet raised a brow at the comment. "I'm sorry; do you have a problem with me? Maybe you and I should have a long talk with Phoebe…" she threatened, glaring at Wanda.
Wanda crossed her arms and looked away. "That's okay…"
"So Phoebe wins?" Ralphie confirmed. "I definitely don't get the power back?" Everyone shook their heads. "Damn."
"On the bright side, we can finally head home," Keesha pointed out. "I don't know about you guys, but I seriously need some sleep."
In agreement, the group began walking down the road towards Walkerville's residential neighborhoods. As they walked, Ralphie continued to pout. "I still can't believe I lost. I never lose!"
Carlos patted Ralphie on the back. "It'll be okay, dude. Phoebe has the power now; what's the worst that could happen? We'll all have to adopt puppies?"
Ralphie sighed. "But still…" Frustrated, Ralphie kicked a soda can lying on the street.
Phoebe frowned at the can. "Who would just leave that in the middle of the road?"
"Um… Most people," Keesha retorted. "Litter happens, Pheebs."
Ignoring Keesha, Phoebe picked up the can before Ralphie could kick it again and ran to a nearby trashcan. As she dropped the can in, she heard a cry of pain. Phoebe let out a scream.
The group looked back at Phoebe. "What happened?" Arnold called.
"There's someone in there!"
Cautiously, Phoebe lifted the lid and peeked inside. In the can sat a very annoyed looking Tim. "Look before you throw things out, okay?"
Phoebe looked back at the group for a second, confused. "I thought I found everyone…"
Tim raised a brow. "You forgot about me?" he cried. "But… You're the considerate one! You never forget about anyone!"
"I'm sorry!" Phoebe pled, helping Tim out of the trashcan. "I'm just really tired…"
"It's fine, I guess…" Tim responded as he and Phoebe rejoined the group. "I'm just glad I can go take a shower now."
Seeing Tim, the group let out a collective "Oh, yeah!" Tim rolled his eyes at the gesture.
"You all forgot about me?" he complained. "All of you?"
"I remembered," Wanda offered with a hopeful grin.
"So why didn't you say anything?"
Wanda was quiet for a minute. "So, what did you guys think of World War 2? Did that war have cool tanks or what?"
As Wanda began to ramble, Arnold moved beside his girlfriend. "So, what are you going to do with that prize?"
Before Phoebe could answer, Janet moved between the two. "You haven't told him yet?" she commented with faux surprise.
"Told me what?"
Janet and Arnold both looked at Phoebe. "Well…" Phoebe began, "I, uh… I kinda made a deal…"
"With the Devil?" Keesha suggested, joining the conversation.
"Kinda…" Phoebe murmured.
Janet glared at Phoebe for a moment before turning back to Arnold. "She promised me that, if I helped her win, she'd make you run as my vice president for student government next year! Isn't that great?" Janet shot Arnold a large grin.
Arnold shook his head. "No… Phoebe wouldn't do that…"
"Well…" Phoebe looked down at the ground awkwardly.
"You accepted that deal?" Arnold groaned. "You know I have no interest in school politics! And I don't want to have to deal with Janet all of next year!"
"I had no choice!" Phoebe pled desperately. "You being vice president is nothing compared to whatever Wanda might have done with ultimate power!"
"Hey!" The group all turned to Wanda. "Ya, okay…"
Phoebe grabbed Arnold's hand. "Please don't me mad… It won't be that bad, I promise!"
Arnold pulled his hand away from Phoebe's. "Just… Don't talk to me for a while, okay?" Angrily, he walked away from the group. Carlos moved to put his hand on Phoebe's shoulder, but that girl turned and quickly walked in the opposite direction. Awkwardly, the rest of the group looked at one another.
"So… I'll see you guys at school," DA murmured. The group said a few quiet goodbyes before walking towards their own homes.
As the other's left, Tim looked at Janet. "These guys take Hide and Go Seek way to seriously."
Janet let out a small laugh. "Oh, Tim," she mused, "You naïve little boy. You have no idea." Grinning, she walked off down the road.
Tim frowned at the retreating figure. "Did I miss something?"