Author's Note:

Hey! Been a while since my last update. Had to catch up on some studying, I hope you all can understand.

Here's the next chapter! Hoping I can get some momentum going, as I've hashed out some of the kinks in my story. Let's go!

Chapter XIX

Rhonda could feel her Caprini jacket absolutely drenched in whatever muck was splattered on her. She dared not to look behind her, afraid that she'd leap from her seat and annihilate the first person that unfortunately comes within her line of vision.

"Rhonda, I'm really sorry! I felt something bump me and..," Gerald explained himself, praying that she had a clear enough mind to comprehend and accept his explanation.

"Gerald, get some tissue and some hot water!" Arnold immediately instructed his best friend. As soon as Gerald, accompanied by Phoebe, went to the cooks' corner for the requested items, Arnold tried to to tend to his geography buddy.

"Rhonda, are you ok? I think it only got to your sweater...," Arnold began as he inspected and assessed the damage done.

Rhonda in the meantime was just quiet. Seething, but quiet, for how long that might be the case. Inside was a gathering storm, slowly accumulating raging gusts of wind and unmerciful rainshowers. She felt like she could just be set off if anyone, even Arnold, were to say the wrong thing. She expected that at any time, her peers in the museum's diner would begin laughing at her unfortunate expense. Miraculously, and quite pleasantly, everyone had the presence of mind to neither laugh nor tease. But just as soon as she felt some relief from the surprising quiet, she heard the very familiar cackle of one Helga G. Pataki, who Rhonda noticed was making a beeline for the exit, as she continued to cackle to her heart's desire as the doors closed.

Arnold witnessed it as well. He didn't want a potential physical confrontation to take place between the two. He then tried to appease Rhonda, urging her to use her better judgment, albeit in defense of Helga.

"Rhonda, I know what it looks like, and let me handle it ok? We can get your jacket cleaned up, and you can borrow my parka in the meantime. Let's just get you...," as Arnold offered his hand, he was shocked to see Rhonda, now teary-eyed and shivering with rage, shove his hand away in rejection.

"Whu-"

"You don't get it, Arnold!" Rhonda yelled as she stood up. "I've already been trying to tell you all day how mean and cruel Helga's been!"

Arnold remained still, in shocked silence.

"Even now, when it's too late for you to tell her off before she can do something that would really upset me, you're still trying to find a way out for her? How could YOU!?"

Arnold was flabbergasted. He tried to reason with her, saying "no Rhonda you got it all wrong! I just -"

His buddy cut him off.

"Save it Arnold, I'm not stupid! It's crystal clear to me that you're willing to just stick up for someone who's made it her vocation to bully you since pre-school, while I'm not good enough for you to even consider MY feelings, MY well-being!" Rhonda began pouring it all out, both in her words and in her tears. She continued with clenched fists and building animosity. "It's painfully obvious that YOU don't care about how I feel about all this! That even if I'm the one getting mercilessly picked on, it's Helga who needs to be understood!"

"But Rhonda..." Arnold tried to reach to his buddy, tried to grab a hold of her shoulder. But before he could even get his fingertips close, Rhonda turned her back, tears streaming down her cheeks, and ran straight the other door leading to a nearby restroom. She would be chased out the door by Nadine, knowing full well that she was in need as Rhonda Lloyd's best friend. Everyone else who witnessed the events unfold just continued to keep quiet, taking in what they just saw. All eyes were on Arnold however.

Arnold felt his stomach churn like it never did before. Despite Rhonda's track history of overly dramatic outbursts over superficial matters, he was keenly and painfully aware that she was completely in the right. He had let her down, despite being given every opportunity to make everything right before it could go horribly wrong.

"Arnold, are you ok?" Gerald checked on him as he placed a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder.

Arnold continued to process what happened as he kept his face down, not wishing to make eye contact with anyone. After all, everyone in the room was fixated on the site of the aftermath.

"I need to speak to Helga..." Arnold weakly replied.

Gerald tried to talk him out of it. "What good would that do? You know better than anyone that when Helga G. Pataki is having these mean streaks, there's no talking her out of it. Not you, not Phoebe, not anyone!"

Arnold didn't care. If not to convince Helga to quit bugging Rhonda before crap could really hit the fan, he would at least give her a very big piece of his mind.

"Just let me talk to her Gerald. Besides, would you rather see Helga and Rhonda get into a fight?"

Gerald simply pointed out, "a fight? come on Arnold, Rhonda's strength only comes out when we're playing sports. In an actual fight, Helga would cream her. That ain't a fight, that's a crime scene from Pop Daddy!"

Arnold didn't bother to correct Gerald. He stood up and proceeded to head in the direction where Helga's cackle can still be heard. Gerald was left behind along with everyone else in the museum diner.

"I gotta admit though, I don't think I've ever seen Helga be this...violent when it comes to bullying someone," Gerald said out loud, with Phoebe and a few wet paper towels now by his side. Phoebe, in the meantime, wondered how things would have turned out differently if she better resisted Helga's probing. She could only pray that things would not take a harsh turn for the even worse.

At the Australian section...

Helga, with an unmistakable grin, took note of the menacing and exotic wildlife that the outback had to offer. She admired the attention to detail put in by the museum's curator for the section's various collections. She didn't mind the section's TV monitor displaying a clip from that Thornberry family that Nadine always seems to rave about. The episode dealt with the viciousness of Dingos. Helga figured that if she could own a monitor lizard, maybe eventually such an exotic beast would be a cinch to adopt and train.

Helga's daydreams would be interrupted when a familiar voice called out to her.

"HELGA," exclaimed the football head.

Helga turned around and saw Arnold coming straight at her, with an uncharacteristic glare. She understood why. 'I knew I shouldn't have laughed at my own dirty work...,' she figured.

"I know you're up to something Helga. What is it this time?" Arnold asked in a perusing fashion.

"Oh come on football head, princess had something like that coming ever since she called us a bunch of brown baggers," Helga tried to reason out.

"Why now of all times Helga? You could have done that even before Rhonda's family went broke. This all seems...familiar...," Arnold suggested.

If Helga could read in between virtually any line, she can clearly take a hint. She knew very well where Arnold was getting at. Question was, should she or should she not play coy?

"And by familiar, what is it that you mean, exactly?" Clearly, Helga chose to proceed somewhere in the middle. She replied with a dry tone, in an attempt to control the conversation.

All the while, Arnold's distrustful gaze remained. "This just really reminds me of that time when we were on the beach months ago, when I found you butting in between me and Summer..."

Arnold could still remember that weekend with much vivid detail. He had been extremely upset, near the point of being livid, with Helga for attempting to ruin his dates with the deceptive blonde vixen. But against all odds, Helga proved her mettle by showing him that Summer was indeed just using him to win a sandcastle building contest, and that Helga did so to spare him the unnecessary pain. Ever since that fateful weekend, Arnold saw Helga in a different light. He realized that, despite the incessant bullying, Helga had a side that truly cared for him and desired to protect him, which touched the young boy's heart. Although their kissing scene in Baywatch was uncomfortably delightful, he could not deny...

"And in some ways, it kind of reminds me of when I found out you were 'Deep Voice'..."

Again, Arnold could vividly recall the moment. In his quest to save the neighborhood from Future Tech Industries, he found his way on the FTI tower and confronted the mysterious voice that had guided him and Gerald throughout. To his surprise, lo and behold, the man behind the oversized trench coat was actually a girl...his own classmate no less. It was on that day, upon those few minutes of yet-to-and-probably-never-to-be-matched-confusion, did Helga - in the heat of the moment - "confess" her unbridled love and affection for him. She made it even more awkward with a kiss that, unlike the school play and the beach, was wild and out of control. While Arnold was no stranger to forceful lips and a seeking tongue, lip biting and uncoordinated tongue swirls were new and unsavory sensations for him.

Still, to save Helga and himself the embarrassment, he decided to give her an out. Ever since then, he always suspected whether or not Helga absolutely meant every word and every syllable uttered during her "heat of the moment" monologue.

Arnold noticed that Helga was keeping a straight face, but the sweat beads developing on her signature unibrow were betraying the air of confidence and control she was mustering.

"And there were good reasons motivating you during those times. Both times you were out to protect me Helga. But this...what is there to protect me from?"

Helga at this point realized that she didn't think it through. She had banked too much on Arnold being his oblivious self, that she did not account for the possibility of thoroughly interrogated.

"What is Rhonda to you?" Arnold asked Helga, while secretly asking himself the same.

Helga's mind began racing. What can she say to get out of this mess?

"Look football head, just because I'm ruining your alone time with princess, doesn't mean it's like those times at the beach or on that building. This is just simple, old-fashioned revenge."

Arnold was not convinced in the slightest.

"Is it? Revenge for what exactly Helga? Because if it were revenge, I'm sure you already got more than your fill when you knocked her out during Sunday football."

Helga's worries were beginning to pile up. She didn't think that Arnold would be sharp enough to spot the inconsistencies of her defense.

"You know, I might be a bit of a dunce at times when it comes to girls and what motivates your actions, but I've seen this before Helga. Clear as day. You're not doing any of this as revenge for whatever Rhonda said...tell me, what is it? Do you think Rhonda's some sort of...threat?"

Helga had to find a way to weasel her way out of this. But she's backed herself so far in this corner, against an "opponent" she underestimated, that any explanation not in line with the truth would come off as painstakingly bogus. She was at a loss for words.

"And if you think she's a threat, in what way? You've grown up with us Helga, so you should know better than most that Rhonda and I are nothing more than good friends! She's not out to use me like Summer. As annoying as we know Rhonda can get, she's nowhere near as sinister as that!"

Helga contemplated the merits of simply confessing again. Only this time, she would not deny it mere moments later. What does she have to lose? At least this time, she could break it to him slowly and not scare him off. Maybe, it might lead him to discover that deep down, he had the same feelings for her too. After all, it's not like Arnold ever pushed her back whenever they exchanged kisses. Unlike that funny couple of weeks where Rhonda and Curly dated.

But alas...she didn't have enough guts to do it. She would need more sessions with Dr. Bliss for that to materialize.

After a minute of simply contemplating the pros and cons of fessing up to Arnold, the football head's patience had worn thin.

"It doesn't matter..."

"Huh?" Helga asked out in confusion.

"I said it doesn't matter. Maybe...I'm never meant to understand why you do certain things Helga. But you know what, I'm getting really tired of always sticking up for you, against people you blatantly hurt."

"Wait, Arnold, come on, don't be so..." she would be cut off.

"Helga, listen! I'm sick of you always meddling with my own affairs! I appreciate every good thing you did in the past to look out for me, I really do...but I'm not gonna lose Rhonda because of you!"

"I'm not gonna lose Rhonda because of you!" Those words replayed immediately in Helga's mind. Those very words that left her astonished because of the implications of such statement. It confirmed to her that not only did Rhonda mean a lot to Arnold, but that it had grown beyond the confines of mere friendship, whether or not Arnold himself was aware. She could only look in astonishment at Arnold, whose face displayed conviction.

"Either you make things right with Rhonda, or I'm sorry Helga, I'm done with you!"

Helga knew he meant it too. The look of conviction remained strong.

With that, Arnold left, needing to release the anger over what Helga did and hopefully to find Rhonda and try to make things right on his part.

Turning the corner...

Arnold had just reached the Great Wall display at the East Asia section when he heard the 4th grade's resident lunatic call out his name with purpose.

"Arnold!"

He turned around to see a possibly unhinged Curly Gammelthorpe coming at him. The reflective frames on his prescription glasses didn't hide the laser like focus of his eyes.

"I expected better from you!"

"What are you talking about Curly?" Arnold responded, wishing to figure out what Curly's deal was now.

"You ought to know. How could you let Rhonda down like that!?" Curly said as he gave Arnold more pieces of his mind. "Rhonda trusted you to handle things cause you're the guy! The one we can all depend on to do the right thing! The one, the only one, who got through to her and shook her to her core!"

Arnold was getting overwhelmed with the heap of expectations being hurled at him.

"Curly, I'm sorry that you're upset, but I'm doing what I can to fix it ok?" Arnold reassured him, but failed.

"You better Arnold! Because Rhonda deserves the best, and I won't tolerate her getting anything less from you! Capeesh?"

Before Arnold could grasp what just transpired, let alone make a proper response, Curly walked away with authority. Arnold began to weigh out Curly's words. Wasn't Curly still in love with Rhonda? Why not check on her and swoop in like he did with Rhonda's fur coat? And strangely enough, why did he have expectations of how he, the football head, would treat the object of his demented affections?

"I gotta see Rhonda before this all gets too confusing..." Arnold muttered to himself as he went off, in search of his buddy.

At the girls' bathroom...

Rhonda had managed to clean the putrid stains on her stylish jacket. Nothing too difficult for the fashionista. However, she was still trying her best to part the storm that raged in her, and manifested before Arnold in the museum diner.

Her best friend Nadine, who helped clean up the Caprini jacket, put a comforting hand on Rhonda's shoulder. "Rhonda, forget Helga ok? All that matters is that you knocked some sense into Arnold for neglecting your feelings."

Rhonda had told Nadine everything. From the first "accidental" spitball that landed right at the bridge of her nose, to the thoughts flooding her mind when she was on an outrage. Nadine for her part listened like any best friend would do, and was very disappointed with Arnold's lack of urgency as well. But her priority now was to calm Rhonda down, and hope Helga steers clear for the day.

"Don't forget to wash your face before we get back out there. We don't need people seeing your tear stains."

Rhonda nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Nadine." She then proceeded to wash her face, not so much out of desire to keep her face clear, but more out of habit. The same could have been said with how she treated cleaning up her jacket. Rhonda, while not as furious as she was earlier, remained preoccupied with disappointment. She thought Arnold would make things right the moment Helga started picking on her. How could he give Helga, the girl who's done nothing but treat him poorly since pre-school, so much leeway?

"I think I'm ready to meet up with the class again, Nadine. I just hope I don't run into Helga..." Rhonda trailed off, fixing the bangs on her face, as she and Nadine stepped out of the restroom.

Across the hall...

"Oh my love, how could I have overlooked your impeccable thinking? Your strong, intense instincts? How could I have allowed myself to look like such an oafish and boorish witch before your very eyes?"

Obviously, Helga was trapped in her own soliloquy.

"I will win your affections again, my love! I shall right the wrong that I satisfactorily committed! I shall please you unlike any other woman could, by fulfilling your pure, honest wishes!"

A change of tone followed.

"Even if it means having to apologize to princess RhondaLloyd...criminy..."

Deep breaths began approaching Helga from behind. This was all too familiar. 'Perfect timing,' Helga thought, as she could release some tension all thanks to a swift backhanded fist to her polite stalker's face.

She just needed to time it perfectly. A little closer...any second now...

POW.

Brainy collapsed with a grin on his poor beaten face.

Helga proceeded to traverse the hall, turned the corner and saw Rhonda and Nadine proceeding to the museum's mini theater room for the presentation. Rhonda's eyes caught Helga, and all the hard work she put into improving her demeanor flew right out the window.

"Rhonda, girl, listen, I..." Helga stumbled on her words in an attempt to get in the zone for a seemingly proper apology. She walked forward.

"Don't even bother Pataki," Rhonda threatened as she turned her back, Nadine following suit.

"No Rhonda, listen, I need to make things right..." Helga rushed her pace.

"I'm warning you Helga! Not a step closer!" Rhonda made it clear she has had more than enough. A dark aura seemed to engulf Rhonda, frightening Nadine. The bug girl knew that this was a Rhonda she had never seen before. This was a Rhonda ready to make good on her threats.

And then Helga, within a few feet away from Rhonda, unintentionally set off the killshot.

"Look princess, stop walking away from me and..."

Nadine saw Rhonda's face of seething anger go blank for a split second. In the blink of an eye, she saw Rhonda turn around, with what looked like killer intent in her eyes, and run with such a speed that it all seemed like a blur.

SLAP.