Author's Notes:

Hello! Forgive me for being a bit of a JK Rowling but I originally intended for Arnold to still be a jerk to Rhonda throughout the game, but after reviewing some key feedback, I realized that I'd end up putting the story in a bind if it feels like nothing was resolved at all during the football game. Thank you for the insights guys! Much appreciated.

Onward...

Chapter X

At the Lloyd Townhouse...

"Buckley, I distinctly remember us informing our daughter that she should be here at 12 sharp, correct?" Brooke Lloyd, hunger evident from her tone, asked her husband.

"Beloved...she's only been late for about 7 minutes. Let's give her 3 more before we start blowing our lids off...," Buckley replied.

He then added, "besides, if this is the current and temporary trade off for our Rhonda becoming a more mature and decisive girl, then I don't mind the occasional tardiness." He took a sip from his mineral water, while glancing at the look of acceptance his wife made.

"Fair enough...but my eating window is at its close, she had better hurry it up!"

A doorbell rang, much to the couple's delight. Particularly Brooke. The collective smell of roast beef, steamed fish and baked chicken pasta was becoming too much to bear.

The craving spell she was under was quickly broken upon hearing the butler exclaim, "my goodness, young lady Rhonda! Whatever happened to you?"

Rhonda's parents were exhausted from multiple runs at the private tennis courts. But that didn't stop them from hurriedly rushing to see what the commotion was about. To their dismay, particularly the well-meaning but vain Brooke, the couple saw their tardy beloved child with a cut lip, a bruised cheek, messy hair and a very dirty ensemble. They also saw that accompanying her home were her childhood friend, Nadine, and the lovable boy of the Sunset Arms, Arnold.

"I suppose an explanation over a delicious Sunday lunch is in order, eh Nadine?" Buckley chimed in.

"Oh I'm sorry mister and missus Lloyd, I only came by to make sure Rhonda got home safe. I promised my parents that I'd join them for some recreational activity today," Nadine politely replied, knowing full well that good manners with Rhonda's parents went a long way.

"I understand, do send our regards dear...," Brooke added, noting how stiff the young Robinson girl was.

And she was correct. Nadine, despite being Rhonda's best friend, never felt like she was completely welcomed and therefore comfortable in the Lloyd residence - at least, not when Rhonda's parents were around. To hear them invite her for lunch was something not too common, whereas hearing them send their regards for her "eccentric" parents, as they frequently described them, was a pleasant surprise to the little budding entomologist.

"Oh, uhm, sure thing missus Lloyd! Take care Rhonda. I'll see you in school tomorrow," she told Rhonda as she gave the latter a gentle hug. Gentle would have to do, as they don't know if Helga broke a rib or something else when she made the game winning tackle. "You too Arnold!"

"Bye Nadine," Arnold replied, as he realized that Rhonda had instinctively wrapped both her arms around the football head's shoulders for support. Arnold really hated the moment for, as much as he still wasn't sure on what to feel about Rhonda, a light blush slowly crept up his cheeks. He then looked at Rhonda's parents, hoping they didn't notice.

"Well, while it's certainly a delight to see you again Arnold, we apologize that these are the circumstances for our little reunion..," Buckley spoke with his refined tone.

"But this is still quite the momentous occasion. Please, do stay and join us for lunch?" Brooke completed the request that her husband was segueing into.

"Oh, no thank you missus Lloyd...I'm not quite dressed for the occasion, and I'm still not that hungry...," just as Arnold was to come up with another excuse to not attend lunch, his stomach betrayed him by emitting a fierce growl. Clearly, his metabolism had other ideas.

Brooke and Buckley laughed, amused with the boy's politeness and consideration. Buckley joked with him, saying, "I suppose you had to lie eventually to us Arnold, but thankfully you did so with your belly and not with your mouth..."

Waiting for Lunch...

Arnold sat at the Lloyd's more intimate and welcoming dining table that they save for Sunday lunches. From Arnold's position, he could look out the veranda and see the cityscape. In need of finding some form of sustenance, Arnold politely requested a glass of lemonade. A bit of a no-brainer, but it was the best lemonade Arnold had ever tasted in his life. Sitting with him to keep him occupied was the Lloyd clan's self-proclaimed black sheep. He observed Arnold, and thought to himself how the boy grew from a passing interest, to a fascination, and eventually into a young lad he truly respects and appreciates as a good presence in his daughter's life.

"So Arnold, no doubt Rhonda will tell my wife what happened to her pretty little face and her darling little outfit. Mind telling me your version of the story?" Buckley asked.

Arnold knew that, while he may be in the good graces of Rhonda's father, it was important to observe his manners and his cadence. He didn't want to make a sudden wrong impression. As to why Arnold felt an urge to diligently observe himself around Buckley Lloyd, he hadn't the faintest idea.

"Well sir, we played a football game this morning and our team was down big. By like 6 touchdowns. I didn't know if we could win, and I wasn't being as attentive as I normally am as the playing coach...," Arnold recounted the story, all the while noticing how Buckley listened attentively.

"But Rhonda, well, she had never lost with me as her teammate, and she decided that she wasn't gonna let that happen today. Thanks to her we really caught up, but on the last play to win it, I made a bad pass, and that forced her to make the difficult catch and land right where Helga wanted her..."

"Helga, Pataki am I correct?" Buckley inquired.

Arnold replied with a nod, until he realized it might come off as rude. "Er, yes mister Lloyd..."

"Bob's daughter. Quite the mean streak in that one...I'm aware that Rhonda and her never really saw eye to eye. I shouldn't be surprised something like this would happen. It always does with 2 people with such strong personalities..."

Arnold showed a bit of a grin at Buckley's observation. It was no secret that Rhonda Lloyd and Helga Pataki always seemed to be on each other's nerves, save for a few occasions where they could miraculously find some common ground. Normally that came in the form of bullying (concerning Patty Smith), tormenting (concerning Arnold's object of affection, Lila Sawyer), or even pressuring someone to get results (concerning him during the school dance). His concentration would be broken by Buckley.

"Listen, Arnold...I want you to know that, we truly appreciate how you took care not just of us, but especially our dear Rhonda. You even gave her the tough love that should have come from a parent. In fact, I feel indebted to you dear boy, and I am certain my wife feels the same. We would not have taken our situation as well as we did had it not been for you..."

Buckley approached the boy, asked him to stand, and shook his hand once more, with much fervor. Arnold, true to his kind heart, replied, "it was nothing mister Lloyd, anything for Rhonda."

Arnold began to think about what took place yesterday. Seeing Rhonda get on her knees, unable to hold the emotional pain from hearing how she lost a friend, begging for it to be the punchline of a cruel joke...yet Arnold didn't relent.

'Did I go overboard? Should I have forgiven her for everything? Has Rhonda...actually gotten out of her loop?' Arnold's thoughts were keeping him from noticing the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

"It's lunch time, dears!" Brooke proclaimed with Rhonda by her side. The Lloyd heiress was now in her stylish spectacles, a floral sundress (not the shower curtain), a similarly designed pair of flats, and a minimalist wrist watch.

After lunch...

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Rhonda asked Arnold. While she remained uncomfortable, picking up that even Arnold didn't know quite what to make of their current "dynamic," they were at least able to keep a good and civil conversation going. They had to, for the sake of that day's lunch with her parents, who were still singing him praises for what a thoughtful and endearing young man he was throughout their temporary stay in the boarding house.

"Yeah. I couldn't believe your mom actually made the baked chicken pasta, that was so delicious. I thought you had one of your chefs make it...," Arnold said as his face suggested he was dreaming of flying through a cloud of endless baked chicken pasta. His fantasy didn't last long.

"Well I'm glad you did, Arnold. You know how seeing you happy means to us...and to me...," Rhonda bit her lip as soon as she let that last word roll off her tongue. She hadn't hoped to give Arnold the impression that she was still holding out for his sympathy. She felt that it was unfair to do so. She glanced at Arnold, her face telling her she was sorry for completing the thought.

"I guess I'll just see you in school tomorrow, huh?" Rhonda said, observing how awkward she unintentionally made the entire scenario. She was about to open the door to enter her home and say goodbye, until Arnold began speaking up.

"Look, Rhonda...I appreciate what you did earlier. I was being a real jerk, and, you snapping at me brought me out of that funk...there was no room for such behavior in football...," Arnold said, meticulously choosing his words.

Rhonda smiled. She felt a bit of that warmth that no other person could seem to emulate, the one that only Arnold could give. But she wished there was more for him to give. She knew she wasn't so lucky.

"But, I guess it doesn't really change things huh?" Rhonda's smile faded, as she looked straight into Arnold's eyes.

Arnold was struggling to find words. While he no longer felt ill will underneath a guise of indifference towards Rhonda, he still couldn't bring himself to believe that Rhonda had truly seen the error of her ways - all her ways - and broke free from her cycle. He found it difficult to call her friend.

"Rhonda, I..." Arnold felt a finger push into his lips.

"That's enough Arnold, I understand...I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Rhonda retracted her finger, gave the boy a weak smile, and went back inside.

It was Arnold's turn to walk away feeling confused, as he made his way home to explain to everyone in the boarding house why he didn't intend to ditch another round of Grandma's pineapple substitute meals.