A/N: Hello, HAPPY NEW YEAR, and welcome back to, Horshack's Brightspot. My name is Bambi, and I am happy that you're here. Once again, another interesting chapter. As always, I do not/have not/probably nor will I ever own the rights to Welcome Back Kotter or any of its characters, themes, plot points, and settings. I own Vera, Cassie, Zoey, and Raquel. Now, onto chapter thirteen.
Ch. 13 Anger Equals Stupid Decisions
Vera's P.O.V
I am furious! No, no, I. Am. Pissed. Because of Arnold's boneheaded friends starting an argument with me, Arnold ran away. I don't even know where he went or would go. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted for him to stand up for himself. He really deserves better. The girls and I are in the art room. Cassie and Raquel are eating. Meanwhile, Zoey is working on a piece. I'm crying. I just hope that Arnold's safe and okay. "V, you gotta calm down. I'm sure he's fine." Raquel tries to comfort me. "I don't know, Rocky. I haven't seen him this upset." I shake my head in disbelief. "You need to get out of here for today. Being here is only making you feel worse." Raquel suggests. "We can't leave." I sighed. "We could ditch." Zoey suggested. "Huh? Zoey, we can't ditch. We'll get in trouble." I broadcasted. If someone catches us, we could get suspended. "No, we won't. Look, all we have to do is get out of here right now and were free." Raquel explained to me.
"What makes you so sure?" I asked. "Let me show you." Zoey waves me over to the door. We look out the door and it's just the hallway, "A hallway?" I asked confused. "An empty hallway." Raquel points out. "So?" I wondered. "So, all we have to do is walkout and were good." Raquel explained. "Rocky, just because it's an empty hallway doesn't mean the others will be." I sighed. "Just trust us. Nobody's going to let you get in trouble." Raquel promised. "You really need this. We can go shopping." Cassie grinned at me. "Comic book shopping." Raquel adds. "Crate diving," Zoey adds too. "And we end it with lunch and a sundae. By then, you should be fine" Cassie promised. "I don't know." I sigh. "Come on." Cassie urged. They grab our stuff and each-other's wrists. Were pulling each other along. We go past the hallway and I'm shaking. "We only have two more hallways to get to." Zoey whispered. We're zipping through hallways until we reach the outside. The air feels heavy in my lungs. I feel so seen and vulnerable. Like prey who just locked eyes with its predator. "My car is this way." Zoey waves us over to her impala. We get inside. "What now?" I asked. "The fun starts." Raquel grins next to me in the back-right passenger seat.
The next three hours are kind of a blur of clothes, records, pizza slices, and whip cream. As were driving, we get stopped in front of a tattoo and piercing shop. Raquel looks at Zoey, Cassie, and I. "What?" I asked confused by her look. "Let's go in there and get our noses pierced." She suggests. "No way. My mom already has issues with my hair. If I show up back home with metal in my face, she might disown me." I dismissed holding a piece of my black and slightly faded green hair. "My parents would rip it out by force and send me to catholic school. And I don't want to go to catholic school, Raquel." Cassie cried. "Then get a tattoo." Raquel suggests. "I have been wanting another piercing." Zoey thinks out loud. "Yes! See, Zoey's in." Raquel cheers. "What would I even get?" I asked Raquel. "Something that means something to you." Zoey shrugged. We start to get out. "I really don't want to do this. So, I have tissues in my purse in case anyone cries, and I'll hold your hands." Cassie promised.
"That's sweet, Cass." I smiled. A long haired and heavily tattooed man walks out. "What can I get for you ladies?" He asks me. Raquel wraps her arms around Zoey's and I's shoulders. "I want to get my nose pierced, she wants another ear piercing, and this one wants a tattoo." She explains. "One of them can go first." I suggested. "One of you two have a seat." The guys invited.
Zoey sits down first. We crowd around her, grabbing her hands. "Y'all I'm fine." Zoey tries to assure us. The guy starts piercing her other part of her earlobe. "You okay?" I ask while he's forcing the piercing into her ear. "Mhm. It just stings a little bit." Zoey notes. He finished up a few minutes later. "There you go." He passed Zoey a mirror. "Cool." Zoey beams. "Next." He told us. "Good luck. Rocky." I cheered her on as she takes a seat. "Please this'll be nothing." She brushed off. We crowded around her and grabbed her hands. While he's putting a needle through her nose, were all cringing. "You're doing great." Zoey assured. He finishes and hands Raquel her mirror. "You look so cool." Cassie tells her. Raquel turns to me, "Your turn." She stands up. I swallow hard a tiny bit scared. "I don't know." I sighed. "Come on! Raquel just had a whole needle go through her nose. You can do this." Zoey cheers. Raquel passed me a book of this guy's work.
I'm really doing this right now. I can't believe it. I flip through the book when a picture of a white daisy with a yellow center catches my eye. It looks like the daisies that Arnold's always giving me. I need to get this. "The Daisy. It reminds me of my boyfriend." I showed the artist. "Okay. Where do you want it?" He asks. "Where can I hide it?" I ask shyly. "Hip." Raquel interrupts. He turns to me to make sure that's okay. I nod while he preps the needle. "I got you, V." Cassie grabs my hand first. "Squeeze hard if you need to." Raquel suggests. "You can do it." Zoey smiles at me. I nod quickly. He rubs a swab on my hip and begins my tattoo. The needle is moving at a rapid pace and it's so painful. I'm gripping Zoey and Raquel's hands while Cassie wipes my tears away from my eyes. I feel so close to them right now. It takes him forty-five minutes to finish. "You're stronger than you look." Raquel informed me. "Sorry. Are you girls ready to go?" I asked.
They nodded in response and we leave. "I can't believe we did that." I laughed. I felt dizzy. This day has been such a whirlwind. I really did need this. "You really got tattooed." Zoey points out chuckling. "Rocky has metal in her face." I point to Raquel's nose ring as we got to Zoey's car. "I'll be fine." Raquel brushed off. "I don't know how I'm going to tell my mom." I shake my head. "Don't tell her." Zoey suggests. "Zoey, I tell my mom everything." I admit as Zoey's car turns down my street. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Zoey warned. She pulls up in-front of my place. Arnold's standing there. "Bye." I shout at my friends before quickly exiting the car. Thank god he's safe. The closer I get, I noticed he's clutching one of the pillars holding up the staircase. "Arnold?" I call out to him softly. "Hi honey." He slurs. I know that smell. He reeks of alcohol. "You're drunk." I noted worriedly. He puts his hand on my face and laughs. "What a very smart little girl you are." He howls. "Arnold why?" I asked moving his hand from my face. "Cause I wanted to." He snapped at me. I don't know what to do. "V, do you need us to stay and help?" Cassie asks. "Go home. Me and V got unfinished business." Arnold yelled at my friends.
"Don't yell at my friends. And what business?" I scold him. "Why? You yell at mine. And ya know. The way you kissed me" He reminds me putting his hands on my hips. "I yelled at your friends because they deserved it. I was protecting you. And were not doing anything like that while you're drunk" I told him. My friends drive off and I drag him in my house. "Where did you go? What happened? I was so worried." I asked him once we were behind closed doors. "Yeah I'm sure. If you were so worried you would've gone after me." He shouts again. "How was I supposed to know that you were going to run away? I didn't even know where you were going. Please stop yelling. We don't yell." I tried to calm him down. "Oh, I'm so sorry princess Vera. Am I too loud for you?" He screams at the top of his lungs. "You need to relax." I warned. "I'm fine. This is your fault anyway. You just had to yell at my friends. You couldn't let me handle it." He spat at me. "I was defending you." I fought back. "Yeah? Well I didn't ask ya to. I've been dealing with them long before you were here.
And I'll be dealing with them long after you're gone." He rolled his. Does he not see he's breaking my heart? "What?" I asked as tears form in my eyes. "You heard and you better act right before I do what my friends say I should." He replied glaring. "Get out." I demanded. His glare falls. "What?" He asks. "Get out. I don't want to see you." I tell him calmly and coldly. "V." He tries to reach for me. I push him off. "Don't touch me, Horshack." My voice raises. He looks at all sad and angry the leaves. When he's gone, I completely break down in tears. How could he do this to us?
A/N: Whew am I right? Poor Arnold and Vera. Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it and I'll see you guys next Tuesday. Bye guys!