Responses to reviews:
Cre8ivelybankrupt87: Lol, glad you liked that part.
LOL, oh the guards. Well no, but they are being distracted by a highly beautiful socialite. Hence why only she was able to fully get their attention.
Yeah, that episode was what inspired me to write that scene about Sid accusing Rhonda of spying on them. Rodrigo doesn't have it easy when he has people like Sid or Curly in his ranks.
Yeah, Rodrigo, like Arnold, tends to have that ability to convince people to work together again…and also to split them apart.
Rodrigo and his group wasted no time when they got back to Rhonda's house. Upon arriving, Curly and Lorenzo immediately got to work and analyzed the data that they had managed to collect. They took their laptops and went inside the room where their other equipment was and closed the door behind them, leaving Rhonda, Rodrigo, Patty, Park, Sid and Stinky to wait outside.
Rhonda than directed everyone to go to the other room while they waited. She asked her butler to prepare some cold iced tea. The room was completely silent, with no one saying anything to each other. Everyone could feel the high tension and anxiety that was surrounding them. After what they have just been through, everyone felt exhausted. The blazing heat of that day really didn't help. It actually made them feel sleepy, but none of them opted to go home or rest on that day. Everyone was eager to know just what data they managed to collect. They knew that they didn't get all of the data that was stored for an entire year, so it was anybody's guess if anything remotely connected to Von Scheck and City Hall would have been found. Everyone had virtually risked their future by committing to this endeavor, with no strong guarantees that they would not be identified. For all they knew, someone may have seen their faces. Yet, everyone remained optimistic, hoping that they obtained something from their mission.
Despite having only gathered a very small portion of the data from City Hall, everyone was amazed at how long it was taking Curly and Lorenzo to analyze them. But then again, they did have to go through every, single, piece of email, telephone record and monetary transfers in order to find anything suspicious. Even though an algorithm was being used to detect any suspicious activity, Curly and Lorenzo still had to manually see other data that the system could not deduct. At the very least, it was hoped if they could just find any evidence that tied an employee with something illegal or unethical, perhaps they could use that to blackmail the person to get more information from them.
Finally, after a few anxious hours...
"Nothing!" Curly angrily cried out when he quickly swung the doors opened as he came out from the room.
So much for the optimism.
"What do you mean 'nothing'?" Rodrigo asked as he got up.
"I mean exactly that; nothing!" Curly again blared out. "We scanned through every email, telephone records, wire transfers and nothing seems to connect City Hall with Von Scheck!"
"There must be something." Rodrigo insisted. "Did we at least get any dirt on any employee that we could use to blackmail them?"
"We found some questionable calls and transfers that were made," Curly said, "but they are incomplete! Either the history is incomplete, or for some stupid reason, we are unable to see who the receiver is, which means that that piece of information must have been located in one of the other computers that we never got a chance to scan. So, there is nothing that we can use to blackmail anyone there."
"So, we went through all of this for nothing?" Patty asked with a frown and an irritated tone.
"Exactly!" Curly cried out in anger. "Utterly useless information, barely worthy enough to wipe our a***** with!"
While everyone than began to discuss among themselves, Rodrigo remained silent and just stared at the equipment that was on the other room. As he continued with his stare, anger began to slowly accumulate. His facial expression began to show just how furious this all was for him. He had risked everything to try and find proof to Helga's theory of corruption between elected political officials and Von Scheck, only to come up with nothing! He was not only back to square one, but he now had to deal with the very real prospect of the Hillwood police, if not the FBI itself, of possibly identifying them and arresting them, not to mention that the group was now in every real danger of becoming permanently split.
However, the latter mattered very little to Rodrigo at that point. No, whatever concern he once had for the whole group had quickly faded away. He was now not only fuming, but just angrily desperate to put the blame on someone, someone who should not have stuck his nose where it didn't belong, someone who was more interested in showing off and retaining control over the whole group rather than saving the neighbourhood!
"Arnold..." Rodrigo then angrily snarled out his name, prompting everyone else to go silent.
"What?" Sid asked.
Rodrigo said nothing and just began to walk out of the house.
"Where are you going?" Rhonda asked.
"To find that sniveling, football head and give him a taste of my fist!" Rodrigo angrily blared out while continuing to walk away.
Everyone initially just stood there, not really knowing what to do, or what to say. Suddenly, Sid, with a frown, then began to walk away also.
"Rodrigo's right." He said as he addressed the team. "Arnold should not have intervened in our mission like that. It was not only reckless, but utterly selfish on his part. He not only jeopardized our mission, but also put us at risk, including his best friend. We need to confront him about this."
Sid then turned around and began to follow Rodrigo. Rhonda then began to follow them.
"You too, Ms. Rhonda?" Stinky asked.
"Rodrigo will handle Arnold." Rhonda hissed. "I've got a score to settle with a former friend."
She then turned around and began to follow Rodrigo and Sid.
Lorenzo looked on, but then began to frown before he too started walking and following them. He had a personal score to settle with Gerald.
It didn't take long for everyone else to start following them, although there were still a hint of hesitation from some of the other members. Nevertheless, all were disappointed, if not also angry at Arnold for intervening in the matter that he did to stop them. Everyone did agree that it was reckless, if not stupid, of him to send Gerald and Harold inside and put everyone in jeopardy.
The group wasted no time and went straight to the nearest bust stop. They didn't have to wait for long for the bus to arrive. They immediately hopped on, took a seat and traveled for their inevitable clash.
Meanwhile...
Arnold and everyone else arrived back at the Sunset Arms. His grandparents and the boarding tenants had left with the crowd, so they arrived home early. For Arnold and his team, it was a demoralizing retreat. Throughout the entire trip back, no one spoke to each other. Not only did the whole experience exhausted them, the heat also played against them, making the burden that much more heavy to bear.
Even Arnold, who would often offer words of encouragement and optimism during such trails, made no effort to raise their spirits. Apart that he was still fuming over Rodrigo's reckless plan to interfere with his own, he really did not know what else to do. Only one possible option came to mind; protesting again, this time in front of the FTI building. The only two problems with that was that firstly, it will take time for them to get another permit approval and Arnold was not sure if the Mayor can speed up the process again. Secondly, Von Scheck would surely try to use another trick up his sleeve to neutralize it. His only hope now was that the protest that were held on that day in front of City Hall did the necessary trick to make their voices heard.
Arnold arrived back home and was on the verge of opening the door when he suddenly stopped.
"Arnold? You OK, man?" Gerald asked when he noticed Arnold standing completely still.
Arnold said nothing and just silently glared at the door. Feeling utterly frustrated over everything that has happened these last few weeks, he was on verge of completely losing it. Everything was now stacked against them and he was running out of ideas on how to beat Von Scheck. Worse still, he now had to deal with a renegade Rodrigo, who was only creating more barriers for him, hindering in his attempt to save his home rather than helping. To add insult to injury, the Latino kid even involved his own friends into his crazy and degraded plan.
As he continued to stand there, he began to think that everything he once thought he knew about Rodrigo was wrong. He thought he was a nice guy who only wanted to help. But now, he saw the real Rodrigo; a selfish, chaotic person who only masqueraded as a good, decent guy. He did not care about his friends, or about the neighbourhood. His only goal was to impose his own views on others and he did not care who he had to trample on in order to achieve his goal. This cannot go on.
"No..." Arnold finally said, albeit with a angry tone.
"What?" Gerald asked.
Arnold said nothing and just turned around and began to go down the building's stoop.
"Where are you going?" Gerald asked him.
"To find Rodrigo." was all Arnold said as he continued walking.
"Aw man." Gerald groaned and then began to follow him.
"You guys better stay here." Gerald then said to everyone. "This could get ugly." As he then began to follow his best friend.
"Gerald, wait!" Eugene said as he ran up to him. "What do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know." Gerald said. "But I got a bad feeling that it may not end well. I've never seen Arnold his angry at someone before. It's actually scary. I just feel I need to go with him in case things get out of hand."
"Then we are coming too." Eugene said to him. "Right, guys?" He asked everyone else, to which everyone nodded.
"Arnold is our friend too." Eugene then said to Gerald. "He was always there when we needed him. And now, he needs us to support him. So we're coming too, through thick and thin."
Gerald said nothing and just smiled, glad to know that they had his and Arnold's back. Then everyone began to ran to catch up to Arnold, who was still walking to find the person who was solely responsible for all the woes he and his friends have been suffering.
"Hey Arnold," Gerald said once he caught up to him, "what exactly are you going to do?"
"I'm just going to talk to him, Gerald." Arnold said with a glare, which didn't give Gerald much confidence in Arnold's word; a rare occurrence indeed.
"Really?" Gerald said with a suspicious raised eyebrow. "So, you're not going to confront him and get into a physical alteration with him?"
"No." Arnold said firmly. "I'm not like him. I won't stoop that low. I'm better than that."
That gave Gerald some reassurance that things won't get out of control. Nevertheless, he prepared for any nasty surprises.
Everyone else followed them. Although bitterly disappointed that their protest was cut so short, they were quite nervous about how this will turn out and were hesitant on getting confrontational with people whom they still considered to be their friends. The remaining group hadn't yet experienced that 'forced choice' that Gerald and Harold experienced back in City Hall, so it was anyone's guess what path Lila, Brainy, Nadine, Phoebe, Sheena and Eugene will choose to take. Right now, all that mattered was to support Arnold.
Meanwhile...
Rodrigo marched on towards the Sunset Arms, not saying anything to anyone. Rhonda was right next to him, also determined to confront a certain 'friend' who betrayed her. Sid was right behind them, as determined as Rodrigo and Rhonda on confronting his childhood friend. Curly was right next behind Sid, marching with the team. Lorenzo, Patty, Stinky and Park trailed right behind everyone else, although the last two members were following the group rather hesitantly.
When Park and Stinky joined Rodrigo, they only did so under the assumption that they were to fight against Von Scheck. They never would have imagined that they would now be confronting their own friends.
This was all rather confusing. Who was the enemy? Isn't it not Von Scheck? If so, why is Rodrigo focusing on Arnold? Did he only just ruin their one chance to send Von Scheck right back to prison? If so, did that constitute as a kind of 'indirect help' for Von Scheck? Did that mean that Arnold in some way helped their foe? If so, wouldn't that make him guilty?
"Rodrigo, what exactly are you going to do to Arnold?" Park asked.
"Honestly, I'm not sure." He responded back.
Rodrigo really had no idea how he was going to react when he saw him. So furious was he at Arnold that he was quite nervous about what he was going to do to him. In truth, he just wanted to talk to him, if not interrogate him about his role in undermining his plan to save the neighbourhood.
"All I know is that we deserve some answers from him..." Rodrigo continued.
Back in Arnold's group...
"...and he better give us a good reason why he had to do something so reckless and dangerous like that." Arnold angrily said. "But I know he can't. No amount of reason will justify the danger that he..."
Back in Rodrigo's group...
"...put our friends in." Rodrigo angrily said. "It was completely irresponsible of him..."
Back in Arnold's group...
"...and selfish!" Arnold angrily exclaimed. "I mean, who in their right mind would use their friends like that and put them in danger! Not to mention risking their future by getting..."
Back in Rodrigo's group...
"...caught and arrested!" Rodrigo angrily exclaimed. "And then what? How are we to save the neighbourhood if we are behind bars?"
Back in Arnold's group...
"That's why I'm going to see him." Arnold said, just as he was about to turn a corner. "I need to know just what was on his mind to do something so - Oof!"
Just as Arnold turned a corner, he immediately ran into someone hard and fell down to the floor, along with the person whom he collided with. Gerald, not having any time to react, tripped and fell down to the floor as well, along with Harold and Nadine, but not Lila, Sheena and Eugene, surprisingly.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo also felt someone suddenly collide with him, just as that person had turned a corner, knocking off his balance and forcing him to fall to the ground. Rhonda followed suit and fell down as she tripped on Rodrigo when he fell down, along with Sid, Curly and then Patty, but, Stinky, Park and Lorenzo managed to react in time and stopped before they collided with their friends.
Everyone who fell down groaned and moaned. The people who remained standing look towards in front of them and were surprised to see each other. Stinky, Park and Lorenzo just stared at Lila, Sheena and Eugene silently, not really knowing what to say. The sudden shock of colliding with them hadn't yet dissipated from their minds.
Rodrigo groaned and rubbed his head while on the floor. Then, he opened his eyes and saw Arnold right on the floor with him. With the pain of having collided with him, the second he saw him, he lost it.
"YOU!" Rodrigo growled as he instantly got up, grabbed Arnold by his shirt and threw him to the wall. That sudden act of aggression finally steered everyone into action.
"Rodrigo, stop!" Gerald suddenly cried out as he tried for the second time to come between Rodrigo and Arnold, who the former looked as if he was ready to tear him to pieces.
Arnold soon regained his composure and immediately tried to break free from Rodrigo, but he was too strong and stubbornly held on to him.
Sheena and Lila were just about to intervene when Sid suddenly approached them and...blocked their path.
"Sorry, ladies." Sid said. "But, it's best if you stay out of this one."
Both Sheena and Lila frowned at Sid, but neither were willing to escalate things.
"Back off, Gerald." Curly then suddenly said as he came between him and Rodrigo and Arnold and gave him a somewhat forceful push.
"Arnold will have to answer to Rodrigo for this crimes." Curly said to him.
"What are you talking about, Curly? What crimes?!" Gerald annoying asked him.
"The crime of helping our enemy; Von Scheck!" Curly cried out.
"What?! That's crazy!" Gerald yelled in utter shock.
While Curly and Gerald continued to argue, Arnold tried to free himself from Rodrigo's grasp, but still to no avail. Now getting more angrier and more frustrated at him, the blond football head was seriously considering on using his karate to defend himself. He didn't want to hurt him. He just wanted him to get off of him. However, before he had chance to make a decision, Rodrigo suddenly let go of him, much to Arnold's surprise.
Huh? He let me go? Arnold thought.
As angry as Rodrigo was, he had no intention of fighting Arnold. At least, not yet. Right now, he just wanted some answers. Rodrigo could not understand why Arnold would do something so reckless. He had to know why he did it. He didn't know why, but he felt that would somehow 'ease' the burden of failing.
"What is your problem, Arnold?!" Rodrigo demanded. "Why did you send Gerald and Harold inside a governmental building?!"
"Me?!" Arnold angrily yelled back. "What is wrong with you?! How could you involve our friends into your crazy plan?! And why would you do it on the very day that we were holding our protest?!"
"I didn't know you were having your stupid protest today!" Rodrigo angrily shouted at him.
"Maybe not, but you must have seen us at the front of the building, or at the very least heard our chanting! Because of you, the security alarm was triggered and the building was forced to go on lock down. As a result, our protest rally had to be canceled." Arnold said to him.
"Don't blame me when it was you that sabotaged your own plan." Rodrigo angrily retorted back. "Gerald saw me at the back of the building. He or you could have approached me instead of taking the incredible, stupid decision to go inside and stop us. You've got some nerve to accuse me of something that I didn't do! You didn't see me trying to sabotage your pesky, little protest."
"You did!" Arnold angrily pointed out. "And besides, I arrived at City Hall first, Rodrigo." Arnold said with glaring eyes. "You could have at least postponed your mission by one day."
"I couldn't!" Rodrigo angrily pointed out. "It would have taken us many days to go through that entire amount of data that we would have collected from there. And besides, I didn't postpone it because unlike you, I made a calculated decision. I knew that so long as we were careful, which we would have to be anyways, your pathetic little protest would have been completely unaffected by us."
"By sending our friends to do your dirty work?" Arnold asked him. "You call that a calculated decision? Sounds more like you were using them." He scoffed.
"Like you are any better." Rodrigo scoffed back. "You are more interested on saving your little protest than actually caring about your friends. If you just had readjusted your priority, you wouldn't not have send Gerald and Harold inside the building!"
"They are my friends!" Arnold angrily replied back. "That's why I asked Gerald and Harold to go inside; to get them out of the mess you point them in!"
While Arnold and Rodrigo continued bickering, Rhonda stomped toward Nadine, who throughout this whole time, was just glancing at the two male teens, almost not noticing her former best friend approaching her.
"Nadine!" Rhonda angrily shouted at her when she approached her, startling her.
"Rhonda!" Nadine startlingly said . "What is it?" She asked when she noticed her glaring eyes.
"You have some nerve." Rhonda said to her with a frown and her arms crossed.
Oh no. She found out...Nadine fearfully thought.
"Uh, um, what do you mean?" Nadine asked, trying to sound innocent.
"Don't play dumb with me." Rhonda angrily said to her. "You know exactly what I mean! I know that it was you that hacked into my online account and hijacked MY postings in order to inspire your little cause!"
Nadine said nothing back and just stared at Rhonda with wide eyes. She had been caught, yet was hesitant on what to do. Should she even bother to continue playing dumb?
"How could you do that to me?!" Rhonda hurtfully exclaimed. "I trusted you!"
No. The gig was up.
"Rhonda," Nadine began to confess while looking away shamefully, "I'm sorry but, I had no choice." But she then turned to face Rhonda again and started giving her a stern, if not frowning look. "We really needed online support. We never would have been able to gather that amount of people that showed up today without your popularity and influence. I tried to convince you to join us again, but you can be so stubborn sometimes! I don't see why you wouldn't join us, or at the very least lend us your support."
"Oh, don't you dare try put the blame on me!" Rhonda growled at her. "I already told you why I couldn't join you and why I certainly could not lend you my status. It's bad enough that you made me look like an utter fool, but it would have paled in comparison if people found out about this sham. Do you have any idea what would have happened if people actually found out that my support was nothing more than a sham? I would have been a pariah!"
"That's all you think about; your status, your looks, your appearance!" Nadine frustratingly retorted back. "That's all you ever were; just a superficial subject that people can project their fantasies on. You don't care about this place. You're just in this just so you can increase your popularity and get more 'likes' online!"
"I do care about this neighbourhood!" Rhonda angrily yelled at Nadine. "I just don't like being used!"
"I thought that after what Rodrigo did, you would have understood that," Rhonda continued, this time more calmly but with a seriously disappointed tone, "but I was wrong. You're no better than him." She looked at her former best friend with an angry, but also hurtful and disappointed look.
Nadine said nothing and just gave Rhonda a staring glare, trying to hide the hurt she was feeling. However, Rhonda wasn't finished.
"And as for you," Rhonda then turned to face Phoebe and gave her a disappointed look. "I am utterly shocked and appalled by your behaviour; honestly, hacking into a bystander's account like that; I expected better from you, Phoebe. Don't try to hide it; I know you helped Nadine."
"I'm not going to hide anything, Rhonda. I did help Nadine into hacking your account." Phoebe calmly admitted, surprising Rhonda a bit.
"I cannot tell you how sorry I am for doing what I did." Phoebe continued. "But, I happen to agree with what Nadine said. She tried to convince you that Rodrigo's way was purely unethical. I cannot imagine what would have motivated you to follow him to not just steal personal information about people, but to blackmail them into helping us; putting them at risk of Von Scheck's reprisals. I just couldn't allow that to happen, even if it was to safe our homes. I couldn't live with that. So, I did what I felt I had to do to ensure Rodrigo would not need to put his plan into action."
Rhonda said nothing and just stared at both Phoebe and Nadine.
"You two are a bunch of hypocrites." She growled to them, but before either of them could continue on, they overheard Rodrigo and Arnold exclaim her and Nadine's names.
"Phoebe! Nadine!" Both leaders shouted their names and looked at them in utter shock.
"You guys hacked into Rhonda's account, after I specifically told you not to?" Arnold asked, now looking at them with an angry look.
"Yes, we did." Phoebe shyly confessed.
"Phoebe!" Gerald also exclaimed upon hearing her admit it.
"How could you? How could you do this behind my back?!" Arnold hurtfully, but also furiously exclaimed at them.
"I'm sorry, Arnold," Phoebe shamefully said. "but you weren't being flexible and the odds were stacked against us. We wouldn't have been able to bring even half of the people that showed up at the protest today if we didn't do this."
"Were Lila and Sheena in on this too?" Arnold asked, to which Phoebe just nodded.
"Don't blame them, Arnold." Phoebe said. "I convinced them to play along. If you're going to be mad at anyone, it should be me."
Arnold didn't say anything and just continued to stare at Phoebe with an extremely shocking look.
"Wow, I guess you have an insurrection on your hands there." Rodrigo then remarked with a smirk.
Bad move on Rodrigo's part. It was the worst of times to try Arnold's patience, because instead of directing his anger at Phoebe or Nadine, he immediately turned around and faced Rodrigo.
"YOU!" Arnold then growled at him. "You must have put them up to this. This is all you're doing!"
"I-Bu-What?!" Rodrigo stuttered in utter shock at the accusation. "I had nothing to do with this!"
"You had everything to do with this!" Arnold angrily pointed out. "Who else would they have learned such a behaviour from? You are a such a bad influence on this group. You managed to get Phoebe and Nadine to do something so sinister and now Nadine and Rhonda are fighting each other."
"Arnold, Rodrigo had nothing-" Phoebe attempted to say something, but then Rodrigo cut her off.
"Me?!" Rodrigo shockingly exclaimed. "You're the one that's unable to control your own group and it was your stubbornness and ignorance that forced them to do this. And, I didn't need to influence Phoebe or Nadine in any way. They have a mind of their own. This was their own doing!"
"Only because they had someone to learn from." Arnold countered.
"Why are you patronizing them, Arnold?!" Rodrigo furiously yelled at him, losing his patience. "Why?! Do you really think that those and these people here are so incapable of making mistakes, let alone come up with such sinister ideas on their own? News flash, football head; you're one of them! It was your mistake to not see what Phoebe and Nadine were doing behind your back and your mistake to send Gerald and Harold into that building that ended up costing both our plans! And I thought I had trusting issues. Pfft! You're worse! You're suppose to be the guy who believes and trusts people."
"I do trust them and of course I know they make mistakes!" Arnold shouted back at him. "We all do; we're human. My problem with you is that you don't acknowledge you're own mistakes. You walk around acting as if you are Mr. High and Mighty, thinking that you are morally superior over everyone else. The only reason why anyone would ever follow you is because they don't see your facade and they don't know any better!" Arnold angrily yelled at him.
That last statement sent shock waves throughout the two camps. Even Rodrigo was surprised and went quiet as he gave him a surprising look. As far as he was concerned, Arnold had inadvertently dug his own grave.
Arnold wasn't immune to the two camps' shock. He too quickly realized that his last statement had detrimental effects. Desperately, he was about to explain himself to everyone, but it was too late; Rhonda interjected.
"Excuse me?" Rhonda said while giving Arnold a frowning face. "Who are you calling stupid? Do you think we are just a bunch of cerebral weaklings, easily influenced by people?"
"Rhonda, that's not what I meant." Arnold tried to reverse the damage that was now being felt. "I wasn't trying to say that you guys are stupid and weaklings."
"But that is what you meant, Arnold." Sid then interjected while frowning at him. "You just said it in a nice way."
"No Sid!" Arnold stated firmly. "I...didn't mean to say that. I was just trying to say that..."
"We're not stupid, Arnold." Sid interrupted him while giving him an angry look. "And we're not weaklings who get easily influenced by other people."
"We have our own minds, Arnold." Rhonda then continued while still frowning. "We can think for ourselves."
"That's right. You're just mad because you didn't brainwash us to accept your plan." Stinky then intervened into the conversation.
"That's not true, Stinky!" Arnold desperately exclaimed. "I'm just looking out for your well being, that's all."
Rodrigo quietly stayed by the sidelines and made no attempt to intervene. Although he usually disliked when a group of people ganged up on a person like this, this was one of the few instances where he felt that the person deserved it.
"News flash for you, Arnold." Patty then stepped into the conversation while giving Arnold a scowling face. "We have been looking out for ourselves ever since you left three years ago."
"Patty, please." Arnold pleaded with his friends. "That's not what I meant to say. You know me better than that."
"You're right, Arnold. We do know you better." Lorenzo then said. "But, it seems that you have forgotten that part of yourself. I mean, look at you. You're accusing Rodrigo of not acknowledging his own mistakes; you're doing the exact same."
"I uhh..." Arnold attempted to say something to defend himself, but wasn't able to come up with anything.
"And as for your information, Arnold," Rhonda then angrily said, "we have been doing a pretty good job in taking care of ourselves since you left. We don't need you to look out for us." She bluntly stated.
Although Rhonda couldn't have known, that statement hurt Arnold. It was then that he realized that he was not just sidelined, but felt he had officially been replaced...by someone else. The pain he was feeling at that moment was almost as painful as when Helga told him she was seeing someone else. It wasn't the feeling of rejection that was eating him up inside. It was the fact that he had lost his place within his group of friends, a long time ago. They had moved on without him, while he lingered on in the past, hoping to one day reunite with them and make things as how they were like in the 'good old days'. The shock was so great that it rendered Arnold verbally immobile to defend himself. For a moment, he said nothing and just started into a dark, empty abyss.
"Guys, please stop fighting!" Lila desperately pleaded with everyone. "This has gone way too far. I'm ever so certain that Arnold meant no harm when he say that. It was just in the heat of the mom -"
"Zip it, Little Miss perfect." Patty coldly interrupted her. "I'm surprised your defending Arnold after what he said to us."
"What? No!" Lila exclaimed, shocked at Patty's accusation. "That's not what I'm doing! It was just an accident that Arnold said that -"
"This isn't your fight anyways, so step aside." Patty then angrily interjected.
"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Sheena warned Patty.
"Or else what?" Patty challenged her. "What's a scrawny, flower girl like you going to do about it?"
"Whoa, Patty, stand down, now!" Gerald then firmly stepped in and got in between Patty and Sheena.
"You want to make me, Gerald?" Patty softly threatened him, even pushing him.
"Hey, back off from my boyfriend!" Phoebe then suddenly and aggressively stepped forward and much to everyone's surprise, even pushed Patty with her hands, enough to move her upper body, but nothing else.
"I see." Patty said with her arms crossed. "So, you are not only defending what Arnold said to us, but the geek wants to get physical. It seems that you have more wires crossed than we thought. Not only are you a hypocrite, you also made the second mistake to step in something that you have no chance in winning."
Despite knowing that she stood little chance in a physical brawl with Patty, Phoebe could not stand when someone threatened her boyfriend like that. She didn't know what came over her, but she felt a sudden rage and urge to interfere and defend him. Quite surprisingly, Phoebe stood firm and made no attempt to move aside.
"Patty, stop!" Harold then suddenly stepped in between her and Phoebe. "What's gotten into you? They're your friends!"
"Anyone who thinks low of me is not my friend." Patty said. "Which brings me to you; why are you still supporting Arnold after he just called your girlfriend stupid and a weakling?"
"Why did you attack me like that back at Cit Hall?!" Lorenzo then suddenly and angrily confronted Gerald.
"I didn't attack you!" Gerald yelled back at him. "I was trying to get to Curly, but you kept pushing me!"
And with that, everyone then suddenly started arguing with each other. Patty and Sid began to argue with Harold, Peapod Kid stepped in and confronted Gerald with Lorenzo, Rhonda again bickered with Phoebe and Nadine, Lila and Sheena, finally losing their patience, began to argue with Stinky and Park respectively. On Arnold's side, only Brainy and Eugene stood by the sidelines, the latter being appalled at what he was seeing. On Rodrigo's side, Curly stood by the sidelines, highly amused and betting with himself to see who was going to throw the first punch.
"Guys!" Rodrigo then suddenly cried out, prompting everyone to go silent and turned to face him.
"Patty, Rhonda, Stinky, Sid, Lorenzo, Peapod Kid, Park, what are you guys doing?" He asked them. "We didn't come here to fight. We just came here to get some answers as to what went down at City Hall. We are just wasting time here. We have a neighbourhood to save. C'mon; we need to get back to the drawing board and come up with another plan. Fighting with them will only cause delays and deplete our limited resources."
Rodrigo's team stared at him for a little while, but eventually relented. Slowly, but surely, one by one, they began to walk back from where they came, much to Arnold's dismay.
"Guys, wait!" Arnold called out to them, but it was no use. Neither bothered to stop, much less look at him and just continued on walking.
"Rhonda, please. You know I didn't mean it that way." Arnold pleaded with her, but all Rhonda did was give him a glaring, but hurtful look before then continued walking.
"Rhonda, wait!" Nadine hastily called out to her, prompting Rhonda to actually stop and turn around to face her. "I'm so sorry for doing this behind your back!" She pleaded, but all she gave Nadine was a frowning face and it was only momentary.
"Forget it, Nadine." Rhonda angrily retorted back as she then turned around to walk way again. "You broke my trust. You used me. I can now see where your allegiance lie."
"No! Rhonda please!" Nadine again desperately pleaded but Rhonda just ignored her and walked away, leaving her to just watch with a heavy heart as Rhonda continued to walk away, possibly from her life.
Arnold meanwhile still tried to talk to his friends.
"Stinky, please..." Arnold said to him with a sense of desperation in his voice.
"I'm not stupid Arnold..." Was all Stinky said, hurtfully, before then turning around and walking away.
"Sid..." Arnold then pleaded with him.
"I thought we were friends." Sid said to him with a hurtful frown.
"We are." Arnold said back with a hopeful smile.
"Friends respect each other." Was all Sid said before then turning around and sadly, but also angrily, walked away.
Arnold could do nothing else as he, with much dismay and hurt, watched half of his friends leave.
Rodrigo was the last person to leave. He gave Arnold a quick look. As soon as he locked eyes with him, he saw the same hurt and pain that he saw just a few days prior inside his room. Despite how angry he still was for wrecking both their plans, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. Even with their animosity, he knew Arnold was a good person and he knew he didn't mean to insult their friends like that. Nevertheless, still embittered, as well after making that insulting remark, he felt Arnold deserved getting chewing up by his increasingly former friends. Rodrigo continued starting at him for a bit more before then turning around and heading back to their headquarters with his group.
Later that evening...
Arnold and his remaining friends arrived back at the boarding house after their counter with Rodrigo and the rest of their friends. To say that things didn't go well between the two groups was a stupid understatement, and now relations have worsened, having only aggravated the growing division.
While everyone was feeling the already heavy burden of trying to save their neighourhood, they now had to contend with the awful experience of seeing their group splinter. Arnold was especially feeling the full brunt of it. Completely exhausted, hugely stressed out, and still reeling from Rhonda's comment, he wanted nothing more than to just crawl into bed and call it a day.
It wasn't just him that needed a break. His own friends, or what remained of them, were also exhausted. Arnold looked into their eyes and saw nothing but distress, exhaustion and growing anger at just how bad things have become between them.
"Hey guys," Arnold then began to address everyone as he rubbed the back of his neck, "It's been a...long day, to say the least. Let's just call it a day. We'll rendezvous tomorrow and come up with something."
None made any attempt to protest against that. Slowly, after saying their goodbyes, the group began to disperse and head home.
"Arnold?" Phoebe said to him, with Nadine being right beside her.
"We're so sorry for going behind your back." Nadine, consumed with sadness and guilt, apologized to him.
Arnold initially said nothing and gave both teens a frown. However, he then sighed and released his angry expression.
"It's OK." Arnold finally spoke. "I know why you did it. It's my fault really. I had unrealistic expectations and I ended up putting too much of a high target for anyone to meet. I'm sorry too. I should have been more flexible. For the record, it did kind of work." He admitted.
After talking a bit more, Gerald decided to head home, but not before walking Phoebe back to her house first. He only gave Arnold some encouraging words before then departing. Eventually, everyone disappeared into the street, all except one.
Lila Sawyer was the only one that remained standing almost right next to the stoop of the boarding house. Arnold did not really seem to notice that she was still there, or was just ignoring her presence. Focused with his own thoughts, Arnold just let out a sad, but highly exhausted sigh and sat down on the stoop and looked towards the pavement.
"Arnold?" Lila finally addressed him, "are you alright?"
Arnold lifted his head up, a bit surprised to find her still there.
"Not really, Lila." Arnold sadly sighed.
Feeling that Arnold needed someone to talk to, Lila then went to sit down beside him.
"Everything is just so messed up now." Arnold began. "Not even a month ago, we were all hanging out and laughing like the good old days. There were no qualms or grudges. Everything was fine."
"Are you sure about that, Arnold?" Lila asked with a raised eyebrow. Arnold looked at her and got the point.
"OK, so maybe there had been some issues between some of our friends and Rodrigo." He admitted.
"And..?" Lila said.
Arnold just sighed.
"And between me and Rodrigo..." He reluctantly admitted. "...and Helga. But Rodrigo can't blame people for being so resentful towards him after that stunt he pulled with the Mitigators. Even I tried to get him to see the wrongs that his decision had on others, but he stubbornly held on to his own views. What did he expect was going to happen? He can't be taking it out on the group by splintering it up like this."
"And with Helga?" Lila carefully asked.
"Helga is not even in this!" Arnold frustratingly exclaimed. "I know things between him and Helga haven't been good. So, out of respect for them, I kept my distance throughout this whole summer. Despite knowing that this would have been a good opportunity for Helga and I to hang out and work on our friendship, I still kept my distance! But even that wasn't good enough for them, or anyone for that matter."
"What do you mean?" Lila asked.
"You know what I'm talking about, Lila." Arnold said. "Ever since I came back, people have been questioning my true reasons for coming back. I don't know why it is so hard for everyone to believe that I miss my friends, I miss hanging out with everyone, I miss Hillwood. I came back because I nee...wanted to hang out with everyone again, like how we used to do back when we were kids."
Arnold then just let out another frustrated sigh and stopped talking. Lila knew that Arnold had a lot on his chest and simply bid her time while he vented before then finally speaking.
"Arnold, I'm ever so sure that you know from experience there's only so much a person can take before he, or she, explodes." Lila said. "That's why, despite also being angry at Rodrigo for what he did, I knew that many of our friends were really upset and were stomping on him. Plus, I ever also understood his reasons as to why he did it. And he did, in my eyes, paid a heavy price for it. That's why, despite being upset at him, I didn't think I should also hold a grudge. It would have been overkill and I wanted to avoid him exploding."
"I guess..." Arnold just sighed.
"If you're going to talk about why it seems so suspicious that I returned around this time, Gerald beat you to it." Arnold then quickly continued, not wanting to get lectured again about this.
"Oh." Was all Lila said.
"It makes sense, though." Arnold continued. "I didn't think me coming back to visit around this time and the way that I did was going to cause so much turmoil and confusion. I never meant to disrupt Rodrigo's and Helga's relationship like that. I guess he took that personally. I don't blame him."
"Maybe I was just being selfish by coming here." Arnold continued to talk, this time with a sad tone in his voice. "Maybe it would have been best if I just stayed in San Lorenzo."
"Arnold, no!" Lila then firmly said to him. "Don't say that. I'm ever so sure you can't hold yourself responsible for what's happening in Rodrigo's and Helga's relationship. You have every right to come back and visit us and your grandparents. I'm ever so certain that the only two people who are responsible are Rodrigo and Helga. It is their relationship after all. They shouldn't allow external forces to get in the way with that."
"I guess." Arnold said.
"And despite the suspicion, believe me when I say this Arnold; we are really happy to see you again. You're right; having you around this summer did feel like old times. Everyone of our friends can say that."
"Well, half of them. The other half don't really seem to think so." Arnold sadly remarked.
"They are just hurt and angry by what you said." Lila reassured him. "I know it was an accident and I know you didn't mean to say it. Just give them time to calm down. They will eventually come around. Despite what happened, I know they still care about you. No matter what, you will always be our friend. The bond that we developed over the years is too strong for something like this to get in the way."
"You really think so?" Arnold asked with a slight hope in his eyes.
"I know so." Lila responded with a sweet smile.
"Thanks, Lila." Arnold said with a small smile. "That means a lot."
Lila just continued to smile at him.
"I'm not so sure about Rodrigo, though." He then said.
"It's true that perhaps you coming back have made things a bit complicated with Helga, and may have said some hurtful things to Rodrigo back in your room," Lila continued, "but, that doesn't mean he harbors any strong resentment towards you."
"How do you know?" Arnold asked. "It's just like you said; I did make his relationship complicated, and I hurt his feelings, so why wouldn't he hate me now?"
Arnold restrained himself from telling Lila about his resentment that steadily been growing towards Rodrigo since March. He just...didn't want to discuss it. He felt...ashamed.
"Because you both have a lot of things in common." Lila explained. "You both care about Helga very deeply, you both care about this neighbourhood and the people that live here. You both fight hard for what is right. You both just have different methods. Given how similar you two are, I'm surprised that you two are not related. He sees a lot in you and in many ways, he admires you and the tenacity to always help others and to do what is right. I know this because he told me."
"Really?" Arnold asked in surprise, to which Lila just nodded.
"It would be kind of hypocritical of him to hate you. That would mean he hates himself. That, and because you are Arnold." She giggled. "No one can ever hate you. Helga never did, so why would Rodrigo?"
Arnold just chuckled as well. It's true; growing up, he had never met anyone, not counting people like Von Scheck or Lasombra, who hated him. Even bullies like Wolfgang and Ludwig, despite how they used to pick on him and his friends, never seemed to have harbored any hatred for him. Actually, at least with Ludwig, they did have some sort of respect for him. Not even Helga was able to hate him, despite him initially thinking so. So yes, why would Rodrigo hate him?
"Thanks Lila," Arnold said with a smile. "for sitting down and talking with me. It really helped."
"You're very welcome, Arnold." Lila said as she smiled back. "Well, get some rest. I'm ever so sure you will need every bit of it for tomorrow."
"I will." Arnold said. "I'll text message everyone when to come over tomorrow."
"OK." Lila. "Have good night, Arnold." She said before then beginning to walk back home.
"Night, Lila." Arnold said.
Although no longer harboring any feelings for her, Arnold never stopped admiring her cheerful and sweet personality and intelligence. In the end, he was grateful that Lila never returned his feelings for him. He realized later on that things would not have worked between them. They were just too...similar. He later admitted that to Helga, even going so far as to say that he could have been bored with her. All Helga said in response to that was give him a 'I told ya' facial gesture. He grew to just be happy on being friends with her.
On that day, Arnold was especially grateful for their friendship. Her sitting down with him and giving him some words of encouragement was what he needed to feel rejuvenated, especially after his discouraging encounter with Rodrigo and his group.
Once Lila had disappeared, Arnold then climbed up the building's stoop and went inside his home. For now, he wanted to spend some time with his grandparents before going to bed. In times of trouble or great stress, Arnold could always feel reassured that things will always turn out OK simply by spending time with the people who loved him and were always there. He's going to need that reassurance. Tomorrow will be another story entirely.