Author's Notes:

Chapter 2 is here, feeling on a roll. Hope you guys enjoyed the last one, despite mostly being set up!

Chapter II

The next afternoon...

It was all too fast for Arnold to salvage. In the blink of an eye, he realized how he was too late to protect Rhonda's facade from publicly crashing down in humiliating fashion. He was trying to figure out how to explain to the Lloyds what happened, why their daughter arrived early from school, barefoot, bawling her eyes out, as if she had gone mad. Thankfully, he had a full bus ride to ponder on that, and wonder how it all began. Oh, right.

It began when, after playing a bit of four square with the boys, Sid asked out loud, "what's going on over there in the dumpster? Looks like someone's scavenging!"

Unfortunately, the obvious did not register in Arnold's mind until it was too late. By the time he realized who was in the dumpster, his classmates were already fast approaching. He witnessed the event unfold before his very eyes like a tragedy. Rhonda, not ready to admit to being caught, lied that she had dropped her contract lenses and was rummaging thru the trash to get them back but to no avail. When she stepped off the trash, a giant lollipop was stuck on her shirt, and as she peeled it off, a piece of fabric from her once pristine sweater came off with it. Arnold saw how everything was getting too much for Rhonda to handle: a part of her body considered taboo was possibly exposed, but she hadn't a care in the world if it meant keeping the lie going.

Too bad for Rhonda, ol' Peapod came in with the cold truth: he told everyone that Rhonda was now poor and homeless, as their family was thinking of buying the former Lloyd residence and develop the same into condominium units. Rhonda broke down, telling people that she was P-O-O-R. To make matters worse, she had to let people know that her family was forced to accommodate to a lifestyle well below their acceptable comfort level by staying in his "dumpy old boarding house."

As soon as he arrived, he was approached by missus Lloyd.

"Arnold, what happened to Rhonda today? She got here hours ago crying, barefoot, and hasn't talked to me or her father since she arrived!"

Arnold told her what happened. As he finished his account of the miserable tale, he offered his apologies, finding himself partially to blame for what transpired earlier this afternoon. Brooke, for her part, kept her anger in check as she knew full well that Rhonda brought all of it upon herself. She thanked him for being transparent, and told him that before dinner starts, her husband would like a word with him.

Arnold approached Buckley Lloyd as he sat in the common room. He stood up and gave the boy the same firm handshake of respect as when they first met. Buckley then asked him to sit and listen.

"Arnold, please forgive my daughter," Buckley asked Arnold.

Arnold responded, "I'm sorry mister Lloyd but I don't quite follow. If anything, I should apologize for what happened to Rhonda today."

Buckley looked into the eyes of this boy with a kind heart and pure soul. Even when he was without fault, he was willing to take the blame for his friends.

"Before losing our fortune and being forced to live here, I would have thought the same dear boy. But oh, what a cold dose of reality can do to the systems..." Buckley told Arnold as he took another sip of his drink. "You see boy, I was the black sheep of my family. While the Lloyds' wealth was built on real estate, I decided to venture out and make a name for myself. As you know, I dabbled instead in international finance and made a name for myself. As I was moving up the ranks, still far from my previous peak, I met Rhonda's mother and we fell in love in a matter of months. Her parents didn't approve at first, as she was a Wellington and was not expected to mingle with the black sheep of the Lloyd family, but she decided to run away with me and we soon got married."

Arnold didn't know why mister Lloyd was telling him all this. But knowing better than to interrupt, he let the man continue on with his story.

"I was so driven to prove to my family, and to everyone who doubted us, that we'd ever reach the financial heights that our surnames were associated with. We had everything Arnold, but I wasn't aware that we lost sight of what was important when we brought Rhonda into the world: to pass it forward."

"What do you mean sir? You've done well providing for Rhonda," Arnold said. "She appreciates everything you've given her, and she loves you and missus Lloyd regardless of where you all are now."

Buckley could not stop being more impressed by the kindness that ran thru the boy's being. "Polite as always, eh Arnold? But let's be honest. I spoiled my daughter crazy. I treated her more like another milestone, to prove everyone wrong. And now, she's simply unable to buck up and make do with what she has at the moment."

Arnold had nothing. That was the gospel truth.

"You're a fantastic young boy Arnold. I can't explain it, but there's an air of security around you, as if anyone can tell you their deepest and darkest secrets, but you won't show an ounce of judgment and keep the secret safe. Maybe that's why even our own daughter, spoiled and self-absorbed as she can be, doesn't fail to mention you often." Buckley told Arnold, and noticed a slight blush creep into the football head's cheeks.

Before Arnold could hide the blush, Brooke stepped in. She called for Buckley, as Rhonda finally asked for them. Buckley, being the gentleman that he is, excused himself from the common room and thanked Arnold for his time.

That night...

Arnold passed thru the Lloyd unit twice, and couldn't help but roll his eyes with what he overheard. Rhonda asked her parents if they can go back home and be rich again, only to later groan upon hearing her parents played tennis in a public court earlier today. Later, he would just hear Rhonda weep and ask herself out loud "why?" It was honestly getting pathetic, even for Rhonda. As soon as Grandma Gertie told him dinner was ready, he knew it was his cue to inform every boarder who didn't respond to the bell - including Rhonda.

He promptly informed Rhonda, only to be disappointed with how she would reply. "What's the point of eating when you're poor? After all, I'm only gonna die of misery anyway." He had had enough with the self-loathing.

"Come on...get up. Anything's better than just sitting there and...peeling off wall paper?" Arnold retorted, openly annoyed. He hoped that showing that he was at his wit's end would light a fire under Rhonda's butt and just, in her father's words, buck up.

Instead, he would only receive more excuses, as to how the so-called poor life offered Rhonda no thrills and means of fulfilling activity. Even after accidentally falling victim to the Murphy bed's design, and helping her get out, she was instantly ready to pout and exercise her brattiness some more. She was having a full on tantrum at this point. The final straw was Rhonda saying that being rich was the one thing she was really good at. He could not believe what he just heard - Rhonda, who he thought had so much more to offer than just being the spoiled rich girl of the school, was allowing her exterior to dictate who she was.

Arnold was past the point of being a good friend - he needed to knock some absolute sense into this girl.

"Listen to yourself, PATHETIC." He then noticed Rhonda, with tears still streaming down her pretty face, beginning to listen. He kept it up at this point, no going back.

"And just because you're not rich anymore, doesn't mean you're a different person. You were Rhonda when you had money, and you can still be the same Rhonda now that you don't! Unless being rich is all you're about..." Arnold walked out, hoping that his words reached Rhonda's thick skull.

The next day...

Arnold woke up to his 6 am alarm. He proceeded to get his clothes and head over to the bathroom to shower, hoping to not run into Rhonda. Last night really left a bad taste in his mouth. To his surprise, the shower curtain was gone...

He finished dressing up after a confusing shower session, and proceeded to the kitchen. Ernie was there and asked him, "hey Arnold, by any chance did you want some produce from the backyard garden too? your lady friend asked if she can bring some for lunch and, given how she's been miserable since her stay here, I allowed her. For free."

Before Arnold could answer, Oskar came in with what seemed like Rhonda's torn sweater (Arnold didn't think it could stretch that much despite its condition) and pretended to be Rhonda, asking for more free veggies. "Oh hello, meestur Potts! I would like to get some more carrots and maybe some of your morning coffee..." Not that anyone couldn't see right through the humiliating disguise, but if there were any doubts that this "Rhonda" was an impostor, that Kokoshka laugh gave it away, Ernie, unconvinced, told the fake Rhonda that "she" was a grade A bum.

Arnold later stepped out in the front porch, only to be greeted by...who is she? Is this Rhonda?

Looks like the bratty girl Arnold lectured last night stayed in the Lloyd unit. This Rhonda, woah, she was different. She had on what Arnold could only describe as a unique but flattering dress, that really emphasized how even at a young age, Rhonda's wishes of being a supermodel had merit. Wait, was that the shower curtain? Moving on, she also sported a straw hat, and was carrying a lunchbag with some swirl designs drawn onto them. Arnold was honestly impressed.

"Rhonda, good morning. How are you feeling?" Arnold, a bit nervous at the sight, politely made small talk.

"Oh I'm doing just fine today Arnold. I really thought about what you said and, you're right. I was being pathetic." Rhonda said with a laugh laced with some embarrassment. "And maybe, the sooner I can accept that things aren't gonna go back to the way they were, the better it will be for me. Rich or p-p-p-not rich, I'm still THE Rhonda Wellington Lloyd of PS 118."

Arnold gave her a smile of satisfaction. It didn't take long for him to realize that not only was Rhonda sincere in trying to better herself, but she found her confidence again, since she realized that money shouldn't determine who she is. She was back.

The bus soon arrived, and they stepped in. Soon, their classmates and other schoolmates noticed the "custom" sundress wearing beauty seated right next to Arnold. Some wondering who she was at the beginning, only to realize that it was actually Rhonda. The boys couldn't help themselves but complement Rhonda, including the normally mute Brainy, and even the bully fifth grader Wolfgang (to everyone's surprise). Heck even Helga who was slightly jealous of how amazing Rhonda looked and being seated next to the love of her life, had to give Princess Lloyd her flowers. Even as Lila Sawyer stepped in, Arnold's gaze didn't last long, as he was realizing that his crush for Rhonda was resurfacing. HARD.

After Class...

The boys were all lined up, waiting for the bus. Gerald, even though he still had eyes for only Phoebe, couldn't resist but notice just how amazing Rhonda looked today.

"Arnold, how long is Rhonda gonna be staying over at your place? Mind if we, I dunno, visit a bit more often?" Gerald cheekily said. He knew he could only get away with such a request while Phoebe or Helga weren't around.

"Yeah Arnold. I don't know what, but Rhonda's even prettier than before!" Sid exclaimed.

"Yeah...it's like she got prettier as a poor girl." Harold chimed in.

Arnold couldn't help but smile. He knew that Rhonda just needed time, and a bit of a firm hand, for her to remember who she was and can be if she made better and mature choices for herself. And Arnold was proud that he had a part to play.

As if on cue, Rhonda started...walking...in their direction, but was clearly not lining up. She had all the boys' attention, that's for sure. Gerald, not one to be at a loss for words, asked her,

"Hey Rhonda? What are you doing?"

Rhonda gleefuly said, "I'm power walking! It's the healthiest way to get home."

Rhonda, fully aware of the effect she had on the boys today, tilted her head just in time to notice all of them approaching her. She decided to tease a bit.

"Besides...it beats riding that smelly old bus." Rhonda proudly told them, lifting her arm to her face, as she made sure the boys got a look at all her flattering angles. She didn't remember who it was, as she was just enjoying the attention, but someone asked if they could join her, to which she cockily accepted provided they don't slow her down.

Arnold was proud of what he was seeing. He liked what he was seeing from this new and undisputedly improved Rhonda. But that feeling didn't last long...

A convertible sports car drove by honking its horn. To Arnold's and the rest of the boys' surprise, it was driven by Rhonda's dad accompanied by Rhonda's mom. He told his beloved daughter that miraculously, their stocks bounced back and they were wealthy once more. As old habits died hard, Buckley presented Rhonda with a new rabbit scarf, to which her mother added that she'll need it for their trip to Aspen that night.

Rhonda was overjoyed. She began jumping like she won the lotto, which in a way she did. "I'm rich again! I'm rich again! What was I thinking?" Rhonda said as she ditched the strawhat that framed her face so well, and it landed in front of Arnold. She turned her head and saw that she was leaving him and the Sunset Arms behind. Rhonda knew that her newfound confidence would never have been restored had it not been for Arnold. She thought of giving him a hug, but come on...what would her parents and the boys think if she just went straight up to him and hugged him for being a good friend? The rumors that would run around the school, and maybe outside!

Rhonda, in a poor slip into her former "money rules everything" mindset, decided she knew the perfect way to thank Arnold. She reached into her wallet, ran up to Arnold and placed something in his hand. Arnold at first was ready to run red with the prospect of having held hands and maybe exchanging a hug with the sultry heiress, but to his shock, he didn't feel skin touching his palm. He felt paper.

"What's this?" Arnold said, as if he couldn't believe what was going on before him.

"A tip!" Rhonda exclaimed. She missed the point. She winked and blew him him a kiss as she sped off after explaining what a tip signified, as the other boys chased her like a bunch of animals desperate for food.

Good thing too. Arnold had time to process everything alone. He looked into the dollar bill, and with an anger that he hasn't felt in a long time, threw it out and let the wind carry it. He had never felt more insulted in his life. He was wrong about Rhonda after all.