Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! Been busy with my studies the past few days and realized that maybe it was best to not write at the pace I was going, lest risk burning myself out and not giving this promising story its due.

With that said lol, here's the next chapter...

Chapter XI

Afternoon at the Sunset Arms...

Arnold was lying down on his double size mattress. He had just gotten to his room after narrowly avoiding a hostile group interrogation from the boarders. Thank goodness his grandpa, who for years had been the unwilling guinea pig, err taste tester for his grandma's "fruit cuisine" course meals, figured that the boy did the only sensible thing and had him run straight up before any of the boarders could get their hands on him.

As he stared into the sky above him, he began to reflect on the day. Particularly, his thoughts dwelled on Rhonda Wellington Lloyd.

Arnold just didn't know what was wrong with him. Yes, him! Only after getting a rather humiliating public lecture from Rhonda back in the park did he realize just how much of a mean-spirited bozo he was being, not only to his former friend, but also to everyone else in the park. It had been so long since he felt ashamed for being so blinded by his own troubles and feelings, that he forgot the impact such moments had on others around him. He remembered how grateful he always will be that Gerald never gave up on him when Frankie G. was grooming him for a robbery. He remembered how he resented himself for letting his martial arts expertise embolden him to the point of actively seeking violence. He even remembered how awful he had been to Helga during their egg project when she - at least for those few days - gave him no reason to be so cold and dismissive of her.

But in all those instances, he immediately accepted that he had been wrong and moved on. Why is this any different? Why is this so difficult for him to let go? Why can't he just look Rhonda in her eyes and say they were friends again?

'I mean, it's not like she made me go in public wearing a bunny suit and was only sorry in words...,' Arnold pondered, remembering the embarrassment and subsequent disgust he developed for the boy named Iggy.

'Not like she was kicking me out of my own room...,' Arnold recalled of the paranoid Sid, Rhonda's rumored ex-boyfriend, trying to impress Lorenzo.

A knock on the door.

"Short man, is it ok if I come in?"

Arnold heard his grandfather ask permission.

"Uh, sure grandpa...," Arnold weakly replied.

Grandpa Phil stepped into the room, noticing that while his grandson seemed to be just having an ordinary Sunday, experience taught him that everything was not as it seemed. After all, in some twist of fate since Arnold had been a year old, he had to play the role of looney grandfather and reasonable surrogate father.

But he knew that it would serve them best if he helped Arnold come out of his shell and open up about it. A little small talk might be necessary.

"You're a very smart kid boy, ditching Sunday lunch. Don't get me wrong, I'm a little upset that you didn't join in our collective suffering, but I can't say I blame you...," Phil said, knowing the value of humor when it came to getting Arnold to ease into his more probing conversations.

"Grandpa, I told you it wasn't intentional! I had lunch elsewhere...," Arnold was telling his grandfather the truth. Half the truth. He couldn't quite say where he had lunch.

"Oh I know short man. But I gotta wonder...you didn't smell of souvlaki or ice cream or hamburgers or whatnot, so I know you didn't order out. And I know the smell of Mrs. Johanssen's special Caesar Salad, mashed potato and signature fried chicken, so you weren't over at Gerald's...where were you?"

Arnold sighed. He didn't give his grandfather enough credit for being wise despite the lunacy he exhibits regularly.

"I was at the Lloyds' grandpa," Arnold began his tale. "We were playing some football and Rhonda got sacked hard by Helga, and she lost a contact lens...and, since I was being a bit of a jerk to her, I walked her home and ran into her parents. They insisted that I stay for lunch and the rest was history."

"Oooooh, the Lloyds! Hmm...that spoiled girl got knocked out by the blonde girl with the unibrow? I wonder why...," grandpa teased, as he always suggested that Helga had a deep crush on his grandson. He would know, his story wasn't all that different with Pookie. Still, Grandpa knew there was more that Arnold, whether he was aware of it or not, wanted to unpack.

"So what do they serve over there? Salami without the bite marks and sanitary soup?" Phil joked, hoping to get his grandson more comfortable.

To his grandpa's credit, Arnold did give a light chuckle. "Well it was definitely delicious...but especially the baked chicken pasta. It stood out because, well, turns out it was made by missus Lloyd herself. It looked just as gourmet as the other dishes, but there was something about it that just made it THE dish..."

"I guess it was made with love, short man," Phil replied. "That's why I bother with your grandma's cooking...no matter how crazy some of her dishes can be..." Phil could still taste the sweetness of the watermelon flooding his taste buds.

Arnold felt that, if he was ever to realize why it's been difficult for him to accept Rhonda again as a friend, maybe talking to his grandfather might help him find the answer.

"Grandpa, I want to ask you something..."

Arnold told him the entire story. For most of it, Grandpa Phil was laughing as if he was watching the most recent Adam Sandler comedy, as he found hilarity in the misfortune of the Lloyd heiress' immersion into the life of the un-wealthy. Arnold even had to butt in at one point, saying, "Grandpa, this isn't exactly Happy Gilmore..." Arnold also told him about the tipping incident, which saddened Grandpa, knowing full well the insulting implications of such an act. Arnold concluded by telling him of how he...without certainty of whether it was ok or not...made Rhonda get on her knees begging him to stop saying that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore as a friend.

"Wow Arnold, I didn't realize you could be that cold...," Grandpa commented.

"I know grandpa, but...I can't explain it! I felt sincerity behind Rhonda's words, but I just felt as if I've seen that film before, and I didn't like the ending...," Arnold said, sadness apparent in his voice. "I've seen Rhonda, so many times, show just how incredible of a person she can be when pushed into a corner, but in the same vein, I've seen her go back to her own selfish and materialistic ways...so even if my heart was telling her to accept her because this may be different, my head just knew better...she's just back to one step in her loop..."

"Hmm...I dunno short man. It sounds like most of your friends are like that, yet you always gave them the benefit of the doubt. Why's she any different when she was probably the most sorry among all of them?" Phil said as he waited for his grandson to realize that observation.

Arnold couldn't deny that truth. It's not like Rhonda was the only one who always seemed to fall back into old and bad habits. But unlike Sid, Harold, Iggy, or even Helga despite all the times she shockingly displayed concern and empathy towards him, he could visibly tell just how sorry Rhonda was for all the grievances he had against her.

"So why is it that I can't reconcile with her? Why can't I just be friends with her again grandpa?" Arnold asked out, almost like a plea for an answer to save him of his confusing misery.

Phil took a risk and said, "have you ever thought that maybe...just maybe...it's cause you're hoping to be more than friends with her?"

Arnold almost stood up from the bed when his grandfather laid out that possibility before him.

"What...?" Arnold replied, as if he were in a state of disbelief. Well, he sorta was.

"Oh come on Arnold, think about it! Why else would you be so upset with what she did, when all your other friends did something similar! I mean you had a friend made you go thru a bunny suit in public, and I still have the photos hahaha! You had that one friend who kept calling me grandpa and stayed in your room like he owned it, that crazy little popsicle nosed freak! And then there's that one friend who said he'd kill you over a baseball game! Yet eventually, to some degree, you gave them all a pass! Ok maybe except for the bunny suit incident, but still...," Grandpa said, almost as if giving him a public service announcement.

"You're upset because you see this girl as more than a friend! So you expect more out of her, and when she doesn't do something you hope for, it really riles you up short man!"

Arnold wanted to dismiss that suggestion, but the more he thought about it, he realized that it's a definite possibility. After all, he always found Rhonda pretty, and unlike other people who only saw her as the vain, egotistical and fashionable gossip of PS 118, Arnold knew her well enough to not only believe that there was more to Rhonda, but that "more" in Rhonda IS the real Rhonda. Kind of like how, after being saved from crushing heartbreak thanks to the conniving and devious Summer, Arnold knew that there was a "stage" Helga and a "real" Helga. It was...highly likely...and very much possible...that the reason why he had a different standard for Rhonda, is because he viewed and thought of her differently to begin with.

Arnold was at a loss for words, which Phil was not shy to point out.

"I can tell by your loss of words that there may be some truth to what I said?" Phil sheepishly said. He knocked his elbow right to Arnold's are, as if to say he told him so.

"Grandpa...I think I need to be alone right now...it's a lot to process, you understand?"

Phil gave him a smile. "Sure thing short man...but don't have any ideas of skipping dinner, I can only fend the mob off one meal at a time!"

With that, Phil bid his grandson adieu, and was beyond thankful that his grandson's timing was impeccable. The raspberries he had for an afternoon snack were beginning to react...

Dinner Time at the Lloyds'...

Buckley and Brooke knew that they had become more competent parents. In the past, a moment like this would have just excited them for it presented an opportunity to spoil their daughter rotten. But they knew better now. Seeing their daughter basically inattentive and absent-minded in the dining room, barely touching her Hainanese chicken and jasmine rice, her head clearly adrift somewhere else, concerned them. And the only way to bring her back properly was to just be openly loving and concerned parents.

"Rhonda darling, you've barely touched your meal...is something the matter? Are you on some diet?" Brooke inquired, noticing that her daughter still had some glazed look in her eyes. Brooke herself was still was frustrated that her beautiful offspring had a cut on her lip and a bruise on her cheek, treated with the best ointments they had at their disposal, but that was just her own vanity talking. There was something clearly more pressing than just Rhonda's looks at hand.

"Yes princess, you seem to have something bothering you. What's on your mind? You call tell us..." Buckley added, determined to show their daughter just how committed they were to better parenting.

Before Rhonda could bother with a response, her trail of unconscious thought was broken upon hearing what her dad said. Not to the same degree as when Helga says it, but that word...princess...she felt like was being looked down upon.

She knew her dad meant no offense. She put that aside.

"Mommy...daddy...I'm sorry. I know how much fun you two had at lunch today, but...me and Arnold...we're not exactly...the best of pals at the moment."

Brooke and Buckley weren't shocked, but were visibly surprised. They thought that their dear child managed to successfully apologize to her devoted friend after the first failed attempt, given how he showed up at their front door supporting their physically spent daughter. While they both initially felt upset to see Rhonda "suffering" because of a boy, they knew Arnold well enough to know better, and that this might still prove to be a good growing experience for Rhonda. They had faith in the friendship that the 2 kids had.

"I suppose even Arnold has to process his disappointment in you sweetheart. But surely, with how mature and empathetic he is, he'll come around yes?" Brooke said as she, now standing up and next to her daughter, held Rhonda's shoulder. She just had a gut feeling, after seeing how committed the young boy was to the favor she asked of him, that he would eventually come around. She hoped so, as Arnold was the most important and positive presence in Rhonda's life, possibly more than her and Buckley given how they're only starting to grasp what responsible and correct parenting is all about.

"I couldn't agree more, Brooke! He's just too sweet a boy to not wholeheartedly accept you again Rhonda," Buckley chimed in. He too had stood up from his chair to give the apple of his eye a loving embrace.

Rhonda, once again being reminded of what Patty had suggested to her the night before, smiled to her parents and thanked them for being so amazing. She shouldn't rush things. She then began to devour her meal, not realizing just how hungry she still was.

11 PM, at Arnold's room...

Arnold had tried to get some sleep as early as 9 PM but unfortunately the sandman hasn't arrived to grant him that privilege. He appreciated the fact that he had a bit more clarity with his situation with Rhonda, but he did not like the fact that it just made things a bit more complicated...

'Come on Arnold, it's just a little crush...you don't need another girl to put in the mix...,' Arnold thought out loud.

He was still trying to win over the darling of PS 118's fourth grade, Lila Sawyer. Every attempt at trying to get her to like him like him again had been in vain so far, but that hasn't stripped him of any determination to do so. Although that also reminded him of the time his cousin Arnie came over and Lila ended up NOT just liking him liking him, but openly falling head over heels for him...why Lila would choose a guy who showed Rhonda some lint and asked her to touch it was beyond him...

He also wasn't sure of what to think of Helga. They had many a moment, such as the biosquare project, the egg project, the sacrifices she made regarding the Nancy Spumoni boots, the effort to keep Mighty Pete standing and the support for the city float, her saving him from being a fool for Summer when they were at the beach, and of course the revelation that she was the mysterious Deep Voice. That's not even mentioning their "too close for comfort moments" with the school play, the cameo in Babewatch, and the "heat of the moment" confession and kiss on Future Tech Industries...how different would it be if Rhonda just asked mister Simmons to change her costume...

'Great, even when I'm thinking about other girls, I end up thinking of Rhonda! This is bad...,' Arnold once again thought out loud. It's already bad enough that he had it bad for one girl, and had such strong but mixed feelings about another. And now, another one was gonna get into the mix?

"I gotta stop it before this gets out of hand...I need to talk to Rhonda tomorrow, clear the air..."

Arnold finally drifted in his sleep...and for the first time in a while, as if seeking more clarity or just desperate for the comforts of his fantastical mind, dreamt of flying off on an airplane, searching for the mysterious island that his parents might still be on...

The next morning...

Arnold was in the process of telling Gerald what happened since Rhonda showed up on his front door and begged for his forgiveness. That included the awkward lunch and the talk with his grandfather.

"So you're telling me, the reason why you might be upset with Ronda more so than the others, is cause you might actually...like her like her?" Gerald asked, caught off guard by what he thought his best friend was insinuating.

"I didn't say I might actually like her like her...but I might actually see her as more than just any other friend. I mean, come on Gerald, only my grandpa's explanation seems to make even an iota of sense!" Arnold replied, equally as confused by what he's trying to explain.

"Man Arnold, you already don't know what to do around Lila...but at least she's harmless. Now you're telling me you might have the hots for Rhonda Wellington Lloyd? Need I remind you how Sid and Harold were left off after having their 'moments' with Rhonda?" Gerald was clearly looking out for his best friend's best interest. He didn't want Arnold getting hurt just because he might have something more in mind for the rich vain gossip of school. He also grew up with Rhonda, and the only time he ever thought well of her was when he admittedly thought she was drop dead gorgeous in a shower curtain dress...though he'll never admit it to anyone else, and was thankful Phoebe never caught wind of it.

"Well regardless Gerald, I'll just need to talk to Rhonda to clear the air. I don't need more on my plate, it's messy enough as it is..." Arnold said with only a hint of conviction.

"Whatever you say, Romeo..." Gerald teased.

Arnold, feeling a little mischievous, decided to one up his best friend.

"The only Romeo right now is Jamie O...," Arnold saw his best friend flare up a bit, knowing that Gerald remembered the recent scuffles he had with his older brother over their new next door neighbor, Chloe.

"Man, I hope that won't be the only time something good comes out of getting beat up by Jamie O..." Gerald muttered.

They soon found their way to the classroom, and settled in their seats. Not long after, everyone else came into class waiting for the dreaded Monday to start.

Arnold noticed, as mister Simmons came in and was about to begin his homeroom announcements, that two people were taking glances towards him. One was obviously Rhonda, who upon trying to get a glance upon her too, would immediately look away. He couldn't tell where the other glance was coming from. It was easy to spot Rhonda glancing as they're normally seated next to or close enough to each other.

Rhonda knew that Arnold could tell she was glancing. She just couldn't help it. She didn't even really seem to care that, after the blowup they had in the park and his walking her home on the same day, might be misconstrued as a lover's quarrel more than just a moment between quasi-friends, and that her repeated glances might only serve to add more fuel to that speculative fire. However, she also realized she wasn't the only one taking glances at Arnold, and noticed that same 3rd person was taking glances at her too. But she chose to not pay much attention to said 3rd person...

'Ok, so far from what I can tell, she's trying to figure out where they stand...if they're friends or not...nothing alarming so far,' Helga thought to herself. She noticed the cut lip and slight bruise under Rhonda's right cheek. She loved how her handiwork was still clear for all to see.

And then, mister Simmons made 2 important announcements...

"Ok class, 2 important announcements!" he exclaimed with utmost joy.

"First, I decided that on Wednesday, rather than have a regular day in the classroom, we'll be having a trip to the museum!"

Naturally, this announcement excited everyone. The second announcement then came in...

"And second, boys and girls, the reason why we're having a trip to the museum, is for all of you to brush up on some geography, because I'll be assigning pairs for a weekly geography report! And, since we still have about 3 months worth of school, the pairs will continue on for future geography projects and assignments. So let's just call it a 'geography partner' system, alright?"

This set the class into a buzz. Everyone hoped they would be set with the right partner, as mister Simmons continued...

"and the first few presentations will begin next week Monday, with 2 pairs presenting...the first pair: Arnold...and Rhonda!"

The whole classroom went quiet. Memories of what happened yesterday ran through everyone's head. They didn't know whether they should begin teasing or whether they should start yelping.

As for Rhonda and Arnold, they just stared at each other, both not sure how to process the information.

Meanwhile, Helga was internally screaming. 'Now there's something to worry about...'