Hi everyone! So I want to take a break between Rodrigo and Helga and focus on some of the other characters. Rhonda Lloyd has tickets to attend an opera, but her parents are unable to go with her. Who should she ask to go with her? Who does she think is cultured enough?
Rhonda was having dinner with her parents on a typical evening weekday. She had just finished discussing her day at school.
"Rhonda my dear, I'm glad that your schooling has been going so well." her father, Buckley Lloyd praised his daughter.
"Thank you daddy. I'm glad as well to have been able to keep my marks up to good height. I'm sure it will no doubt allow me to get into any prestigious university."
"Well my dear, considering your good grades, I have a surprise for you. I have two tickets for the opera at the Hillwood Grand Theatre. They will be playing Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie." he announced.
"Really? Oh daddy, thank you!" Exclaimed Rhonda, as she jumped out from her seat to hug her both her parents.
"It is not a problem Rhonda darling. You have earned it." Her mother, Brooke Lloyd said to her.
Just then, Rhonda realized that her father said 'two tickets'.
"Wait daddy, did you just say two tickets? You both will not be going to attend the opera this coming weekend?" She asked.
"Unfortunately my dear that is so. I have a business meeting to attend to at New York City that weekend." Buckley confirmed.
"I too will not be able to attend the opera with you Rhonda. I have a charity event on that weekend as well. I missed last year's so I dare not miss it again. It is for a good cause." Brooke also confirmed.
"That is why I got two tickets. You can bring a friend with you for the opera."
Rhonda was not very pleased with her father's assumption that her friends will enjoy the opera. They were not the most 'cultured' bunch. She hesitated now whether to even go.
"Well thank you daddy, but I'm not sure if my friends will find the opera enjoyable. They are not the most refined bunch." She said.
Buckley merely stood there and gave his daughter a suspicious look.
"You sound so sure my dear. Have you ever asked them to attend an opera session with you before?"
"Well no, I haven't. I have always gone with you both." She confirmed.
"Well then, how do you know if they will enjoy it if you never asked them? Don't assume that just because they are of lower class does not mean they would not enjoy going to the opera, darling. Just ask if any of them would be interested in going. Who knows, you might be surprised on who might be interested." Brooke added.
"Well, I suppose I could. I'll ask my friends tomorrow if anyone of them can be my escort." said Rhonda.
Although I seriously doubt any of them will actually be interested in this. I'll ask Nadine first. She thought.
The next day...
As Rhonda walked to her first morning class, she had misgivings about asking any of her friends to go with her to the opera. There are only a few people that came to mind who would be in any way interested: Nadine, Helga and Rodrigo. She had originally also considered Gerald, but he never showed any interest in opera and the last time they went to one, back in the fourth grade, Rhonda saw that he put on his headphones and dozed off during the performance, so she scratched him out.
She decided to first ask Nadine. She went with her to an opera before and although not a fan, does not mind going to one. She shared science class with her, which was her second morning class. She would ask her then.
When her science class came around, she went inside, sat beside Nadine in their usual spot and immediately asked her.
"Morning Nadine, how are you today?"
"Morning Rhonda, doing well, how are you?"
"Just fine. Listen, my dad got me two tickets to attend an opera this coming weekend; Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with." Rhonda asked her closest friend.
"This weekend? I'm sorry Rhonda, but I'm not able to make it. I have various projects to finish and I will be busy running errands with my parents this weekend. I promised I would help them out." Nadine responded back.
"But then who am I going to go with? My parents are unable to come with me." She asked with an almost despaired tone.
"There isn't anyone else whom you can ask?" she asked Rhonda.
"Well there are, but the chances of them saying yes are very slim. They are Helga and Rodrigo." she responded back with little enthusiasm to her tone
"Well Rhonda, if you want someone to go with you, you are going to have to ask one of them. I can't make it, sorry." She said.
"No worries Nadine, thanks anyways." she said with a disappointed look to her face.
During lunchtime...
Rhonda went inside the big lunchroom and as she walked toward their usual sitting area, she saw Helga who had just sat down, reading something. She was alone. From the distance, Rhonda noticed that she was calmly reading, with a little smile to her face.
Oh good, she is in a good mood today. She thought.
Once she reached Helga, she enthusiastically greeted her.
"Helga darling, how are you today?"
Helga, not being amused that she was interrupted from her reading, did not bother to put down her book about Jane Austen, and just bluntly asked her, "what do you want, Princess?"
"Nothing, Helga. Why would you assume that I would want something?" She asked innocently.
Helga merely looked up and gave her a frown, a strong indication that she was losing her patience, which Rhonda took the hint.
"Ok ok fine. I have two tickets to attend an opera this coming weekend; Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie and I wanted to know if...you wanted to come with?" she asked.
Helga merely looked at her, completely surprised that she would ever ask her to go with her to an opera, let alone with her. However, she merely smiled, as if she was mocking her and said,
"You must be pretty desperate to go with someone if you came to ask me."
Rhonda was a little surprised by her remark and a bit offended. Her inviting Helga to the opera was a genuine one. She knew that Helga had a strong interest in literature, which included mythology. Given that knowledge, she thought Helga might be interested in coming and although they were not close, she thought Helga would not mind going with her.
"I'm not desperate, Helga." She retorted back. "I genuinely asked you if you wanted to come because I know you have a strong interest in literature, stories and mythology and I thought you might be interested."
Helga was a bit surprised that she wanted her to come with to the opera. Despite how much Rhonda had changed over the years, Helga still retained her prejudiced views of her since they were kids; snobby, a gossiper, with a very shallow personality. It did interest her a bit to go to an opera. However, she had no intention in spending an entire evening with Rhonda Wellington Lloyd and end up getting entangled in useless gossip. Not to mention that she would have to wear a formal dress for the occasion. She picked up her book again and started reading.
"Thanks for the invitation, Princess, but I'm not interested." However, she then added, "why don't you ask Rodrigo to go with you? I'm sure he will be interested in going."
"Ugh, fine, thanks anyways." She said frustratingly. "Do you know where he is?"
"I think he is on the first floor, probably dancing with his dancing buddies." she responded back.
"Thanks."
Just as Rhonda was turning to go to the first level of the school, Rodrigo suddenly burst into the lunchroom, with his friend Javier, holding a boom box. The music was not very loud, but it caused most students in the lunchroom to turn towards their direction. Both teens danced their way into the lunchroom. The music they were listening to was a raggaeton song, Con Calma by Daddy Yankee and Snow.
Con Calma
Yo quiero ver como
ella lo manea
Mueve esa poom-poom, girl.
Es una asesina,
cuando baila quiere
que to' el mundo la vea
I like your poom-poom girl.
Tiene adrenalina, en medio 'e la pista,
Vente hazme lo que sea
I like your poom-poom girl (¡hey!)
Rhonda and Helga looked on with a bit of annoyance on both their faces. Half of the other students in the lunchroom also looked on with some annoyance at having been interrupting from their conversation or games. However, the other half soon started gathering around the two dancing teens, with some starting to dance alongside them.
Come with a nice young lady (what?)
Intelligent, yes she gentle and irie (¡fuego!)
Everywhere me go me never lef' her at all-ie (dile)
Yes-a Daddy Snow me are the roam dance man-a (Snow)
Roam between-a dancing' in-a in-a nation-a (prr-prr-prr)
You never know say daddy me Snow me are the boom shakata (¿qué-qué-qué-qué?)
Me never lay-a down flat in-a one cardboard box-a (¡sube, sube!)
Yes-a Daddy Yankee me-a go reachin' out da top (what?)
Con calma, yo quiero ver como ella lo menea
Mueve ese poom-poom, girl (girl)
Es un asesina, cuando baila quiere que to' el mundo la vea
I like your poom-poom, girl
Helga simply looked at the crowd and the teens dancing, patiently waiting for the music to stop. She was now more irritated at having been interrupted from her reading for the second time in a row. She thought that it was rather ironic that she was friends with someone like Rodrigo. This is a guy that is very...active. He can be in a partying mood one day, relaxed in another day, or simply just wanting to go to the library and quietly read a good book for hours the next day. His taste in music also varied widely. He had no problem switching from heavy metal to Latin music, from hip-pop to even country music, depending on his mood. He was literally all over the place, yet simultaneously emphasized a strong sense of calmness and cohesion in his behaviour. When compared to her personality and even Arnold's, Rodrigo was a wild card. Yet despite his active lifestyle, it never permeated into their friendship, much to Helga's relieve. With anyone else, she would have found it overwhelming and would have lost it. With Rodrigo, whenever he hanged out with her, he always remained calm around her, comforting and caring. It was surreal to see him in rather different light, almost as if she didn't recognize him.
She then saw him dancing with a girl and just as with Carmen, she started experiencing the same feelings she had before; jealousy and anger. However, this time she repressed them. There was no way she was going to display them while Rhonda was right beside her.
Rhonda also looked on with a bit of disappointment in her eyes. Despite Helga's recommendation to ask Rodrigo, she seriously doubted if he would be interested in going to an opera with her. Yet, she thought she would still try. Despite his partying mood, she knew that he had a very cultured upbringing and they had even had discussion in the past about history, the arts and architecture from previous cultures. This also included discussing the fashion that was common within past cultures.
After a few songs, the dancing teens finally stopped their music. As the crowd started to disperse, the two Latinos said their goodbyes and Rodrigo proceeded to walk to where Helga and Rhonda were.
About time! I can finally get back to my reading. Helga thought happily.
"Afternoon ladies." Rodrigo greeted them.
"Hey." Helga responded back nonchalantly. Show off. She thought.
"Afternoon, Rodrigo. Nice dancing." Rhonda responded with a bit of sarcasm.
Rodrigo ignored her sarcasm and simply said, "Thanks." With a smile.
As Rodrigo sat down to eat, Rhonda sat down beside him, intending on asking him to come with her to the opera. However, she suddenly started getting nervous. She wasn't sure why.
Why am I nervous? I'm not asking him on a date. Maybe I am just afraid that he might also say no. Y,a that must be it. She thought to herself.
"So Rodrigo, do you have any plans for this coming weekend?" She asked.
"Other than planning on borrowing ten books from our school library to read, not really. Why? What's the plan?" He asked.
"Well, I was wondering if perhaps you might be interested in going to see an opera with me this weekend. They will be performing Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie." She responded.
"Really? Richard Wagner's Valkyrie?" He asked as he looked up to view her with interest.
"Yes. You do know what that is, right?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You mean the German composer that emphasized in his work, a 'Dionysian' (emotional) attitude of German culture and the German warrior spirit that left a huge impression on opera music, theatre performance and philosophy, but was no doubt kidnapped by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement that espoused a racially superior nation whose task was to eradicate other 'inferior' races? Nope, never heard of it." He responded back sarcastically with a smile.
Just then, both Rhonda and Rodrigo heard a laughing snort coming from Helga's direction, prompting both teens to look at her. But when she did not put down her book, both teens looked away.
Rhonda should have known better to have questioned Rodrigo's intelligence. Yet, despite his smart remark, she was pleased that he knew about Wagner and his work.
"Great. So are you interested?" She asked, while trying not to sound nervous.
"Mademoiselle, Je serais heureux de vous accompagner. Mais, sous une condition, s'il vous plait." (Miss, I would be happy to accompany you. But on one condition please.) He said as he took bite from his food.
"Et cela quoi?" (And that is what?) She asked.
"Pendant notre soirée ensemble, vous devez parler avec moi seulement en Français" (During our evening together, you must speak with me only in French.) He said while continuing to smile.
"D'accord, avec plaisir" (OK, with pleasure) she confirmed with her own smile.
Despite knowing French, due to lack of practice, Rodrigo still had trouble speaking the language, and even more trouble when pronouncing the words properly. He had a tendency to often speaking in French with a Hispanic accent. Rhonda was fully aware of this, but was nevertheless happy that he wanted to practice his French with her.
"So, Let us meet up at my place at 6pm and we can head to the opera theatre from there." She said cheerfully. "Do you have a tux?"
"Do I need one?" he asked.
"Of course! It is the opera, Rodrigo. You must wear one." She replied back.
"Ya, I don't sorry." He confirmed.
"No worries, we'll just have to go out and buy you one." She said.
"Thanks but I'm not going to waste money on a suit that I'm only going to wear once. I have a black business suit, so I can just wear that."
"Fine. Now come, there is lot's to do before we go to the opera, so let's go to the library." She said as she grabbed Rodrigo's arm.
"Huh, to do what?" He asked.
"Rodrigo darling, you don't just go to the opera. It isn't a movie theatre. You have to arrive there with style and elegance. Most of Hillwood's cultured and important people will be there and you have to make an impression." She said as she started dragging him to the library.
Wow, good thing I dodged that bullet. Helga thought.
Just as they were getting up to leave, Helga said to them, "amusez-vous bien!" (Have fun!)
"Thanks Hel...wait what?" Rodrigo said shockingly, as he and Rhonda both turned around to face her.
"Helga, you speak French?!" Rhonda cried out with wide eyes.
Helga simply put her book down and faced them, while giving them a small evil smile.
"Un petit peu." (A little bit.) She said.
"Hehe,you know what? You're right Rhonda, I have a lot to learn, come on." Rodrigo said, while smiling nervously, as he grabbed Rhonda's arm and started pulling her away.
"Wait, why are you pulling me?" Rhonda asked him.
"When I first met you, she understood when I said 'mes malchances'." (My misfortunes.) He responded back with a bit of fear in his voice. "She knew that I was talking about her. Let's just go before she kills me."
As the two walked way, Helga simply continued to smile. Once they disappeared, she then started to read her book, finally having some peace and quiet.
Worked like a charm, hehehehe. She thought to herself amusingly.
Saturday Evening...
Rodrigo put on his business suit, combed his hair and prepared the finishing touches before heading off to Rhonda's mansion. As far as he was concerned, this was nothing more than two friends going to an opera, so he was not relatively nervous. If anything, he was excited. His only concern was having to meet some of Hillwood's highest and more powerful members. Although confident in his etiquette, he was no friend to those of the highest members of society. Plus, like Helga, he does not like having to impress people. You either like him or not, period.
Once he was ready, he grabbed his keys, wallet and quickly headed towards the bus stop close to his house. He had grabbed his coat, put it on as he was leaving his house, along with his scarf and hat. Due to the cold, he had to stop using his fedora hat.
Rhonda meanwhile, was almost done readying herself. She choice was a long, black dress. She had two long gloves with the exact colour, along with two crystal earrings. Unlike Rodrigo, she was still nervous about having to go with him.
Why am I so nervous about this? I shouldn't be. I don't like him that way to be nervous and this isn't a date. Perhaps it is because he is the first guy I am going to the opera. I have only gone with my family or Nadine, no one else. Ugh, I need to put this aside. I'm going to the opera and I should be excited. She thought.
She did not have to wait long for Rodrigo to arrive. After the Halloween party, Rhonda had to direct all the house staff to take down the decorations. She herself also took part in taking them down. After two days, she was exhausted and collapsed during that weekend. Ever since her parents sold their penthouse for the mansion, she had to make some adjustments. She was not thrilled that she had to live in this mansion. She loved her penthouse and was distraught when her parents informed her that they will be moving. Nevertheless, she made the best of it and got her parents' permission to hold more parties at her house than usual.
As Rodrigo walked from the street onto the door, he took his time to fully glimpse the mansion and its well maintained garden. By now, all the flowers had died, yet the staffs took great care to shelter the trees and clean up any dead leaves. He wondered why Rhonda, despite her wealth and her high class attitude, never associated with members of her own class. Why did she continue to go to a public high school and meddle with kids much lower in class and etiquette than her?
Hmm. Perhaps after the opera, if there is time, we can hang out and I ask her. He thought.
Once he approached the door, he rang the doorbell. A staff personnel opened the door.
"Can I help you?" The personnel asked.
"Good evening, I am Rodrigo Castile. I am here to escort Ms. Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd to the opera tonight." Rodrigo responded back.
"Ah yes. Please come in. Ms. Wellington-Lloyd will be right down." The personnel confirmed.
Rodrigo entered the house and said, "Thank you Sir." He looked around and was amazed at how elegant it was without the Halloween decorations.
After a few minutes, Rhonda came down.
"Oh Rodrigo, vous êtes ici." (Oh Rodrigo, you are here) she said to him.
"Oui Mademoiselle. Wow Rhonda, vous êtes si magnifique ce soir." (Yes Miss. Wow Rhonda, you are so beautiful this evening.) He said.
"Merci Rodrigo" (Thank you Rodrigo).
Rodrigo had one hand behind his back the whole time. He then presented to Rhonda, a beautiful red rose.
"Pour vous" (For you.) he said with a smile.
"Oh Rodrigo, c'est jolie, merci!" (Oh Rodrigo, it's pretty, thank you!) she said, trying not to blush.
"Puis, on y va?" (Well, shall we go?) He asked her.
"Oui, allons-y." (Yes, let's go) she confirmed.
The limousine was already at the entrance, waiting to take the couple to the opera. They hopped inside and away they went.
As they were driving, Rodrigo noticed that Rhonda looked nervous. He couldn't understand what she has to be nervous about, especially since she was the one who invited him.
"Rhonda, ça va bien? Vous semblez un peu nerveux." (Rhonda, are you ok? You look a bit nervous.) he asked.
"Hm? Oh ne sois pas ridicule Rodrigo. Je n'ai rien pour sentir nerveux." (Hm? Oh don't be ridiculous Rodrigo. I have nothing to feel nervous about.) she said with a nervous smile.
"Rhonda, c'est moi. Vous pouvez parler de tout avec moi." (Rhonda, it is me. You can talk to me about anything.) he said.
"'D'accord. Voici la vérité; je me sens un peu nerveux, de venir à l'opéra avec vous. Mais, je ne sais pourquoi. Je suppose c'est parce que vous êtes le premier ami, et le premier homme, que voulais aller à l'opéra avec moi." (Ok. Here is the truth; I do feel bit nervous about going to the opera with you. But I don't know why. I guess it is because you are the first friend, and the first guy that wanted to come to the opera with me.) she confessed sheepishly.
"Et Nadine? Elle ne voulait jamais aller avec vous?" (And Nadine? She never wanted to go with you?) he asked.
" Je suppose un petit peu. Or, c'était plus parce que je lui avais demandé a venir" (I guess a little bit. Yet, it was more because I had asked her to come.) She responded back.
Rodrigo was a bit taken aback from Rhonda's nervousness. Like Helga, she had always seemed so secure, so confident in herself. And yet, here she was, showing her vulnerability about attending an opera with him. He didn't think that she liked 'liked' him, but he nevertheless attempted to calm her down.
"Hey Rhonda, nous sommes amis. Il n'y a rien d'être nerveux. Nous sommes, juste, deux amis allons à un soirée agréable. Nous l'avons fait beaucoup de fois avec nos amis. Ce n'est pas une exception. (Hey Rhonda, we're friends. There is nothing to be nervous about. We are just two friends going on a fun evening. We have done this many times with our friends. This is no exception.) He said with a smile.
"Vous avez raison, merci Rodrigo." (You're right, thanks Rodrigo.) She said back with her own smile.
"Non, merci pour m'avoir invité à aller avec vous. Je n'ai jamais fréquenté l'opéra et je suis très enthousiasmé d'y aller, spécialement avec une personne tante cultivé comme vous." (No, thank you for inviting me to go with you. I've never attended an opera before and I am excited to go, especially with someone as refined as you.) He continued.
"Rodrigo, vous ne m'aidez pas" (Rodrigo, you are not helping me) she said with a smile.
"Désolé." (Sorry) he said while laughing.
After talking a bit more, Rodrigo was able to get Rhonda to relax and just enjoy the evening. After a short while, they finally arrived at the Hillwood Opera theatre. The limousine took them right at the entrance. Rodrigo got out first, then as a matter of courtesy, he extended his hand to allow Rhonda to get out as well. Once out, she then wrapped her arm around his and both started to walk to the entrance.
The weather was very cold, with a big breeze. Both teens were lucky to have taken the limousine, as well have their coats. They quickly made their inside, and then got their coats checked. They arrived a bit earlier so Rhonda decided to introduce Rodrigo with some of people that she knows. Out of politeness, they agreed to speak in English when they arrived at the opera.
As both teens walked around, Rodrigo noticed that some people were starting at them.
"Question, why are some people staring at us?" He asked Rhonda.
"I'm not sure. I guess perhaps, it is unusual to see two teenagers alone attending an opera together. Usually, the teen would be accompanied by their parents." She said.
Rodrigo was intrigued, if not delighted by that prospect. Despite not liking to impress people, he likes to show just how different he is with others by doing things completely unexpected. This was one of them. This is how he likes to make an impression; by being different.
The Opera theatre was huge. Its outside architecture was made of stone. It had eight pillars with a big dome, which resembles a combination between the ancient Greek Acropolis in Athens, and the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Its doors were twice the height of Rodrigo and it was made of wood. The whole building looked ancient, but classy. Inside the opera, the floors were made of polished limestone, with more pillars supporting the structure. Great chandeliers were hoisted up at the ceiling, illuminating the rooms with a bit of golden lights. All in all, Rodrigo was impressed and in awe.
Just then, Rhonda saw the mayor of Hillwood, Mayor Dixie. She walked toward her to greet her and to introduce Rodrigo.
"Mayor Dixie delighted to see you this evening!" Rhonda politely exclaimed.
"Rhonda, pleasure to see you again." Said the mayor as she hugged Rhonda. She then saw Rodrigo standing beside Rhonda. "And who is this?" She asked with a smile.
"This is Rodrigo Castile. He is a friend and a classmate whom I invited with me this evening." She responded back.
"Good evening Mayor Dixie, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said as he extended his hand. Mayor Dixie shook his hand.
"Likewise, Rodrigo. I'm so happy to see the new generation taking an interest in opera music. Is this your first time?
"Yes Ma'am, it is. I was excited when Rhonda invited me and I can't wait to hear Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie music drama."
"You shan't be disappointed Rodrigo." She said.
All three people continued to converse with each other. Mayor Dixie was impressed with Rodrigo's eloquence and mannerism. He was very respectful. Mayor Dixie then introduced the two teens to Grant Hindenburg, a major real estate tycoon who holds major apartment complexes in Hillwood and in other cities. Like Mayor Dixie, Grant was also impressed with Rodrigo's etiquette. As Rhonda and Grant complimented the mayor for her many achievement while in office, the conversation then took unexpected direction.
"Thank you, but unfortunately not all of my decisions were correct. One of my most embarrassing ones was to have made a deal with Future Tech Industries and its CEO, Alphonse Perrier du von Scheck. If it wasn't for Rhonda's friends, Arnold, Gerald and Helga to have exposed Scheck's illegal attempt in tearing down their neighborhood simply for personal vendetta, a lot of people who have been negatively affected. It was a decision that thankfully, I was able to reverse." She said.
"I concur. My father had invested in some of Future Tech Industries stocks. Once that company's shady dealings were exposed, my father quickly withdrew any fundings and support." Said Rhonda.
"Oh I seem to remember that you helped your friends organize a protest rally during those crucial thirty days." Grant pointed out.
"Well, yes I did help organize that famous blockapolooza party and other events in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately I became discouraged once those attempts failed and like everyone else, I gave in to the inevitable. If it wasn't for Arnold's refusal to give in, that neighbourhood would have been torn down." She said with a sad tone.
Rodrigo notice the sad tone in Rhonda's voice. He was not sure why she seemed sad about it, but quickly attempted to change the subject.
"Well, good thing that Scheck is now in prison and the neighbourhood is still here as a historical site. Pardon me, but I believe it is almost time for the performance to start."
"Yes, you're right Rodrigo. We better find our seats. It was a pleasure meeting you. Have a good evening." Said Mayor Dixie.
"Likewise Rodrigo. I can see that your parents raised you to be a fine young man." Said Grant as he shook his hand.
"Thank you both. It was pleasure meeting everyone. Have a good evening."
Once Dixie and Grant left, Rhonda and Rodrigo made their way into the theatre to find their seats. Rhonda's father had gotten tickets for them to sit at a private balcony, close to the stage. Once they found it, both sat down and waited for the show to start. Rhonda was relatively quiet throughout this time. Rodrigo had wanted to ask her why, but he knew that the performance was going to start any minute and there was no time for them to talk.
"C'est très bien, Rhonda. Tous est si élégant! Je ne sais pas porquoi ne personne voulais à venir ici. C'est magnifique!" (This is very nice Rhonda. Everything is so elegant! I don't know why no one else wanted to come here. It is magnificent!") He said.
"Puis, vous venez. En plus, Je savais que vous auriez l'apprécié" (Well, you came. Besides, I knew that you would have appreciated it.) She said.
"Oui, Je l'aprécie beaucoup. Merci beaucoup Rhonda." (Yes, I appreciate it a lot. Thank you so much Rhonda) he said.
Rhonda felt satisfied that she had at least one friend who truly appreciated going to the opera. Perhaps she should invite him more often.
Just then, the lights went out and the curtains started going up, signaling the start of the performance.
Three and half hours later…
Once the performance ended, the lights came up and both teens proceeded to leave their private balcony. As they made their way down toward the lobby, Rodrigo was surprised that throughout this entire time, Rhonda made no attempts at taking any selfies, as she usually does at school. After grabbing their coats, they went outside and waited for their limousine to arrive.
Rodrigo looked at his phone and realized that it was only 10:30pm, still a bit early. He then thought of an idea.
"Hey, c'est encore tôt. Avez-vous faim?" (Hey, it's still early, are you hungry?)
"Oui, affamé. Aucune idée où nous pouvons y aller?" (Yes, famished. Any idea on where we can go?" She responded.
"À propos le même petit restaurant de burger que nous allons toujours?" (What about the burger restaurant that we always go to?) He offered.
"D'accord." (OK.) She confirmed.
Once their limousine arrived, Rhonda instructed the driver to head to the burger joint within their neighourhood. Once they got on and started driving, Rodrigo then decided to ask her.
"Rhonda, you have been quiet since we talked to Grant and Mayor Dixie. Is everything ok?"
Rhonda took her time to respond. She didn't want to talk about it but at the same time, it was affecting her evening and she did not want to ruin it.
"Ya, everything is ok. It is just what Mayor Dixie said when she mentioned Arnold, Gerald and Helga for saving the neighbourhood." She said.
"You're not happy that the neighbourhood was saved?" he asked.
"No, no, I am. It's just that...I felt...excluded from it." She said. When Rodrigo gave a confused face, she then told him what was really bothering her.
"Ok, when we were trying to create awareness, we hosted various events. One of them was the blockapolooza party. Because our permit went 'missing', the police came and interrupted it and broke up the crowd. Even Arnold's grandmother was arrested. After that, I became very discouraged. I still wanted to continue the struggle but when I saw that everyone else was backing out, leaving Arnold alone, I just gave in as well. I never thought that a nine year old kid could make a difference."
"I was very sad at the prospect at having to move to another school and potentially lose all of my friends. When I arrived home, I remembered that my father owned some of FTI's stock and I tried to convince him to sell them. He refused obviously and it wasn't until FTI's illegal dealings were exposed by our friends that he finally sold them before their price collapsed. Needless to say, I did not do anything to save the neighbourhood. That credit goes to the trio, but that is not what is bothering me." She continued.
"When I found out that Arnold, Gerald and Helga were the once that exposed FTI's as a shady corporations and saved the neighbourhood, one the one hand, I was happy that the area was saved, but on the other hand, I was furious for not being included in it. I never understood why Arnold did not also come to see me to ask for my help. I would have given it to him. I was not concerned for the fame; I just wanted to help because I cared about our neighbourhood too." She said.
"Did you ever ask Arnold why he never asked you?" Rodrigo asked her.
"No. There was no point. It was already done and I kind of already know the answer anyways." She said.
"Which is...?"
"Isn't it obvious? I don't particularly act like a deep, caring person. People still think that I am shallow, snobby, a serious gossiper and a fashionista. This is still true, but I am a lot more than that. I speak four languages; I can combine various colours to make something beautiful. I am passionate about preserving ancient monuments, architecture and the world's cultural heritages sites. I consider myself highly cultured. I don't think Arnold was able to see past my snobby and uncaring traits." She said.
"But I don't blame him. He was so preoccupied with saving the neighbourhood that he didn't have the time to think about this. Gerald helped him and I know that Helga only helped them through the shadows, posing as Deep Voice. Arnold only accidently found out when he caught her on top of the FTI building and we know that she did out of love for him." She continued.
"It's just, it would have been nice if he had asked me. I wanted to still help, but when I saw that everyone was backing out and he was alone, I did not want to get his hopes up. I knew he was devastated. I thought that he just needed time to eventually give in to the inevitable. Even Gerald was telling him to face it, so what hope did I have in convincing him? That was my error. Had I said something, it would have encouraged him and no doubt he would have asked me to help him."
"It's no big deal Rodrigo. It was just bothering me, but it is not something serious." She said with a smile.
Rodrigo was not convinced that this was not a big deal. He had seen this type of behavior before, this desire to seen in a different light; in Helga. Plus something that is not a big deal would not be bothering someone after all these years.
She liked him back then. He thought.
Shortly after, they arrived at the burger joint. They quickly got out, went inside, order their food and sat down to eat. Rodrigo then decided to confirm his suspicion.
"Hey Rhonda, can I ask you a question?" He asked.
"Sure."
"Did you have crush on Arnold?" he asked.
The second he asked that, Rhonda was chewing on her burger, which caused her to choke. She was barely able to swallow her food and drink some water. After some more coughing, she finally said, "What makes you say that?" with a nervous smile.
"It's pretty obvious." He confirmed.
She sighed and relented.
"Yes, I had a bit of a crush on Arnold back then. I didn't love him, it was just a crush."
"You never tried to pursue him?"
"I thought about it a few times, but I honestly didn't think it would have worked out. I don't think I'm his type and despite his good traits, I don't think he was my type either. There were a lot of buts that I eventually decided against it."
"That was also why I was furious at him; because I kind of liked him but he never asked for my help; I was just jealous. Out of all our friends, he was the one whom I highly respected and really liked as a person. I knew I can always count on him to help me. I guess I just wanted to return the favour."
"What did you think when you found out when Arnold and Helga got together?"
"Quite surprisingly, I wasn't jealous when I found out. But I was in shock that Helga had always liked him. I wasn't even suspicious when Helga, Phoebe and Gerald asked everyone to help organize this video of Arnold and how much he helped everyone, in order to win the prize trip to San Lorenzo. When Gerald first told me, I assumed that this was his idea. But when he confirmed that it was not only Helga's idea, but even the videos that she had were hers, I was in complete shock. After the way she bullied and humiliated him, I never would have expected her to want to help him. Plus because she always demonstrated this tough, aggressive and even sadistic behaviour, I got used to seeing Helga like this, despite what Arnold tells us. Because we were busy organizing the video and preparing for the trip, I never got the time to ask Arnold about what he thought about Helga doing all of this for him."
"Throughout the entire trip, even when we got kidnapped by Lasombra, I was thinking about how this was possible. How could Helga have feelings for him, after what she did to him? At one point, I got furious at her and I was about to confront her when Phoebe approached us and informed us of a plan to call for help. Naturally, during all this time, and getting away from the guards and trying not to get killed, I never confronted her." She continued.
"However, as we were heading home, I realized why Helga acted the way she did, even if her actions against Arnold were inexcusable. It is no secret around the school that Helga has family issues. What exactly they are, we don't know. We just don't confront her about it because we know she will violently attack anyone who attempts to inquire on it. Whatever she goes through at home, it has to be serious because why else would she try so hard to hide her feelings for Arnold, up to the point of bullying him? She must have been really scared to possibly be rejected by Arnold if she ever confronted him about her feelings. However, I was still not convinced that Helga should be easily forgiven as Arnold had done. But one day, when I saw them together after school, I saw just how happy she was; she was smiling, and she never smiles. I also saw how happy Arnold was as they walked home together. It was a perfect, blissful, union. I knew right then that they were meant for each other. They were just a perfect match. Plus we noticed that since she got together with Arnold, her tough exterior lessened considerably, so much so that it was not so bad hanging out with her. So in the end I decided not to say anything and just accept it."
"Sorry if I keep on babbling. It was just something that had to get off of my shoulders." She said to Rodrigo with a bit of laughter.
"You don't have to sorry. I like to listen. How did you feel when Arnold left?"
"I took it hard. All of us did, especially Helga and Gerald. I tried putting up a strong face during those last few months. Sometime before he left, he hanged out with each of us privately to just talk and enjoy each other's company one last time. When he was hanging out with me, it was very hard to talk. I had to use very strength to not cry. Arnold like always, tried to lighten the mood and be optimistic; it worked. We enjoyed that day. We went for a walk, talked about old times; we even went to the arcade to play. On his last day, he was having a goodbye party, I cried. I had to go to the bathroom so no one could see me. The entire mood was already somber and I did not want to make it worse. Helga was not present at the party, and I wasn't surprised. I know she took his departure very hard and she couldn't stand saying goodbye to him."
"After he left, which I'm sure Gerald already told you, we wouldn't see each other. Gerald had to pull everyone together to get us to move on. We all tried to contact Helga to get her to come out, but she never answered her calls. We even thought about going to her house, but Phoebe convinced us from doing that."
"Did you guys try other ways to help her?" he asked.
"It was very hard to do that with Helga. She not only shut herself out from us, but whenever she did eventually appear, she was either very quiet, or in a foul mood and would bark at us. It is discouraging to talk to someone who does not seem willing to want to talk to you. I tried to talk to her a few times but to no avail. In the end, we just left her alone. I know she was really hurting, but I think she was acting selfish." She said with her arms crossed.
"How so?"
"Firstly, she made us worry about her."
That statement caused Rodrigo to raise an eyebrow, which Rhonda notice.
"Yes, Rodrigo, believe it or not, we, including myself, were worried about Helga G. Pataki. We had no idea how she was doing. If it wasn't for Phoebe, we would not know if she was still alive. So she made us worry despite that the fact that we were also going through the same loss, even if the pain was less than hers. Plus, not once did she ever ask us how we were doing, how we felt when Arnold left. We were all of his friends, Rodrigo. And despite how Helga behaves, we still consider her as a friend. We have known her since she was three, but she acts as if she wants nothing to do with us." She said with a raised and hurtful voice.
"Personally, I kind of envy your friendship with Helga." She added quickly.
That took Rodrigo by surprise.
"Why?"
"Like, I just feel that Gerald and I tried everything to include her, to get to know her and it all amounted to nothing. I don't understand what I have to do to get her to be on her good side. Why would she open up to you and Phoebe but not to us? With Arnold, we know why. You made it look so easy to be friends with her."
"Believe me, it wasn't easy. There were times when I thought the cost outweighed the benefits and at one point, I almost terminated our friendship." He said.
"Are you referring when the gossip circulated about you two dating?" she asked.
"Yes. I know you guys tried to warn me, and I severely underestimated how badly she would take it. I had assumed she would at least confront me about it instead of outright accusing me, much less in front of everyone."
"And yet, you two still remained friends." she pointed out.
"I guess. After what she did for me by taking the blame and getting expelled, how could I not still be friends with her? She took responsibility for her mistake." He said.
"I honestly don't feel she would ever do something like that for me or Gerald. There is no sense of trust between us." She pointed out.
"How come? Did you guys not like each other when you were kids?"
"Well no, not particularly. We never really fought, but we mostly just stayed out of each other's way. We did do things together as a group and I normally had no problem inviting her to my parties, but other than that, we never really hanged out together. Until I found out what she did for Arnold, I never would have expected her to have such a big heart. I'm ashamed to admit it, but it was shocking to me. It was seeing Helga at a completely different setting. But I was glad that she showed it. It allowed us to see that she had a big heart."
"You guys never really talked?" he asked.
"Pfft, no. We had very little in common. Even now, our only common interest is literature. Back then, whatever we did say to each other were usually smart remarks or insults. I know that I and others may have said some hurtful things to her when we were kids, but it's not like she didn't say anything hurtful to us. Come on, she threatened to beat us up on many occasions! We were kids back then! It's what we do. She can't still possibly be angry about that!" She exclaimed.
Rodrigo was not going to divulge any detailed information about what Helga had told him in regards to her not trusting Rhonda or anyone else, but he felt he needed to say something to prove to Rhonda that such remarks and insults can still be felt, even years later.
"Unfortunately Rhonda, whatever you guys said to her can still influence how she feels and behaves towards you. They were not just hurtful, but it went down deep. She felt that you could not be trusted. I should know because people have said hurtful things to me that are still reminiscent on how I perceive those same people; in a distrustful and negative light. Some people are able to move on and forgive while others don't." He said.
Rhonda didn't say anything. She merely reflected to all the times she said anything hurtful or insulting towards Helga. She then realized that perhaps Helga took it to heart because it wasn't just Rhonda that said these things to her, it also everyone else in their class. Everyone thought of Helga in the same way; an angry, highly aggressive and heartless person.
"Furthermore, there is a benefit and a cost to everything. You cannot be a gossiper and expect people to trust you with their secrets or sensitive information. If you want to retain that status of knowing everybody's business, the cost is that some people, like Helga, will never come forward to tell you something sensitive about themselves."
Rhonda still said nothing but acknowledged the wisdom.
"Despite you guys not liking each other when you were kids, you still tried to be her friend, especially after Arnold and Helga got together. Why?" He asked
"Just because I did not like her does not mean that I did not respect or admire her strength." She retorted back, feeling almost offended by his question.
"I said earlier that I usually invited her to my many parties or events at my place, but there was one event that I intentionally did not invite her."
"What was that event?"
"During fourth grade, I held a girls' slumber party. I invited all the girls in our class, except Helga. Because she was always this tomboy of a girl, I didn't think she would be interesting in attending a slumber party where we were going to do our nails, play dress up and do our makeup. That, and at that time, I didn't think she was 'girlish' enough." She explained.
"However, she unexpectedly arrived at my place, completely dressed up with makeup and wearing feminine clothing. We were all surprised but we allowed her to attend. But when we were putting on an avocado cream on our faces, she flipped out. I remember the exact words that she said to us. She asked us why we were bothering on putting on a cream for our 'wrinkles'; we were only nine years old, we did not have to worry about that. Nor did we have to worry about wearing feminine clothing or trying to so hard to be beautiful at a time when we are only kids. Sheena and I attempted to explain to her that this what girls do and we asked her, 'what else is there for us to do?' Obviously, Helga wasn't buying it and simply told us that we should do what other kids do, not what adults do because we are not adults, we are kids. Then, our party was interrupted by a noise coming from outside. When we checked the window, we saw all the boys spying on us. We scared each other and the boys attempted to run away, but we chased after them and caught Harold. Helga got an idea and we took Harold inside and gave him a makeup." She explained while laughing, remembering the fun times.
"After that event, I gained a lot of respect for Helga. She was right; we shouldn't have to worry too much about our appearances and should just focus on having fun as kids. Plus, despite the social pressure, Helga refused to give up who she is in order to fit in. Either we were going to accept her as she is or none at all. That takes a lot of guts, especially for a girl. Despite her attitude and gross etiquette, you have to admire that. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing for me" She said.
Rodrigo just sat quietly, listening attentively at how Rhonda described her admiration for Helga's strong character. Whereas other girls would have collapsed under peer pressure, Helga refused to give in. She almost did, but she stood strong...and alone. Rodrigo knew full well what it is like to stand up for your convictions and be utterly alone. A lot of people will admire you for it, but will also hate you for being different. It comes with the package. You cannot accept its benefits while also accepting its costs.
Then Rodrigo wanted to ask Rhonda something.
"Were things better when Arnold was around?" He asked.
"To some extent, yes. Helga was less angry and more inclusive during that time. She slowly started opening up to us, at least to some people. With Gerald and Arnold, things were more exciting. We had a lot of adventures together, we hanged out a lot. Whenever anyone of us got into trouble, we had each other's backs. We felt that we were going to be friends and grow up together forever. When Arnold left, things took a nose dive. Helga isolated herself from us and when she re-emerged, she was just...angry all the time. For everyone else, it took a while to move on, just some months but we got through it. High school also changed us. We started pursing other areas of interest; the guys with football, I with fashion and cultural site preservation, Sheena and the environment, etc. I don't know, I guess it is just the nostalgia as to why I feel...distant." She said, while playing with a French fry.
It became apparent to Rodrigo that this Arnold guy was more of a big deal than he originally thought. Things have not been the same since he left. He left such a big void in people's lives that they have been having trouble filling it since then.
"Does Arnold know about what you guys went through?" he asked.
"I can't say about the others, but I tried not giving him details. I just provided him some vague information, like 'we miss you', or 'it's not the same without you', etc. I know this was hard for him too and I didn't want to make things worse for him. I know that he has been having a difficult time in finding friends. The constant moving was taking its toll on him. In his last letter, he said he eventually had to put his foot down and tell his parents that he can't keep doing this anymore. He wanted to have friends. I cannot imagine what he must have gone through, so I keep things quiet about what I went through. I'm pretty sure the others have done the same." She responded.
So Arnold has very little idea on how much he has been missed, on how much of an influence he was to them. What if he knew about this? Would that have encouraged him to come back? He thought.
"What about you and Nadine?" He asked.
"Ya that didn't help. When we entered high school, we realized that our differences and areas of interest had become so vast that we were no longer able to keep up with this charade of being best friends. We were best friends when we were kids, but our differences slowly started drifting us apart. We found less and less topics to discuss, less incentive to go out, etc. When it became obvious, Nadine and I sat down and we talked about it. We both came to the same conclusion. Despite still being close friends; it was still hurtful that I had to lower her as my best friend. I still haven't really replaced her. That position is still vacant." She said sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that Rhonda. I didn't realize how much all of this, especially Arnold's departure, affected you." He said.
"It's OK. It's part of growing up. I know that what I am going through pales in comparison with what Arnold, Gerald and Helga went through, so I should consider myself lucky really." She said with a smile.
I can see why we compare Rodrigo with Arnold. He reminds us a lot of him. I guess him coming to our lives was just a way to fill this 'void'. It is not a coincidence that his guy was able to become friends with Helga. She must also see Arnold in him as well. Rhonda thought.
By now it was also midnight and the two teens were yawning.
"Well, I guess we'd better head back. It's getting late." She said.
"Ya, I'm exhausted. Let's go." He said.
As the limousine approached Rodrigo's house, she said to Rodrigo,
"Thank you Rodrigo for coming out tonight; it meant a lot of me. And sorry for all the drama."
"Not a problem Rhonda, I was happy to have gone out with you tonight. And what we discussed was not drama; it's life. Not only did I enjoy the opera, but I also got a chance to get to know you more; it was very nice." He said with a smile.
Just as he was about to get out of the limo, he then added,
"Rhonda, if you ever feel that you want or need to talk to someone, or if you need help, you know you can always come to me right?"
"Je sais. Merci" (I know. Thank you) she said with a loving smile. "Rodrigo, peut-être, si vous voulez, on peut aller à l'opéra encore?" (Rodrigo, perhaps, if you want, we can go to the opera again?). She continued sheepishly.
"Oui, j'aimerais ça" (Ya, I would like that) he confirmed.
"Très bien. Bon nuit." (Very well. Good night)
"Bon nuit" (Good night) he responded back, as he kissed her hand.
Once he got inside his house, he quietly went to his room and began to undress. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and as he was about to put it down, he noticed that he had a text message from Helga.
Helga: Enjoying the opera Latino boy? Hope you're not dying of boredom from Rhonda's gossips lol.
The message was sent almost two hours ago. He never felt it vibrate.
Rodrigo: Hey Helga, sorry for not responding back, I didn't feel you texting me. The Opera was great and I actually had fun with Rhonda. Despite her snobby and gossiping attitude, she can be a nice and an interesting person to talk to.
He put his phone down, not expecting to get an answer this late. As soon as he undressed himself and put on his pajamas, his phone vibrated again.
Helga: Typical Arnoldo response, Rodrigo. You always see the good in people.
Rodrigo: That's because it is always there for people to see it, even if they try to hide it. You just need to give them a chance. How come you're still up?
Helga: Just finishing writing my letter to Arnold, then going to catch some zzz. Good to hear that you had fun. She tends to show her good traits every now and then.
Rodrigo: I would ask you why guys are not friends then, but I already know the answer.
Helga: Well, there you go. You know me well Rodrigo. Hmm, perhaps I should stop divulging any more information about me.
Rodrigo: Too late for that. Besides, why would you do that? I like getting to know more about you; You're beautiful ;).
Helga: Quit flirting with me Latino boy, I have a boyfriend.
Rodrigo: oooohhh sorrryyy Lol.
Helga: You better be.
Rodrigo: lol. Anyways, it's late and I wanna sleep. I'm falling asleep while standing. I'll ttyl. Hope you finish your letter soon and tell your boyfriend that I said hi. Muah.
Helga: will do, night and did you just kiss me?
Rodrigo: ;) night
Helga: *vomit*
He wasn't sure why, but this was the first time that he made any flirtatious attempts at Helga. They were obviously friendly ones and he felt comfortable enough that she would not take offense to it, but why now?
Too tired to think any longer, he went to his bed and quickly fell asleep.
Meanwhile at Rhonda's house...
I can honestly say that I had a great time with Rodrigo. I was so glad that I invited him to go to the opera with me. He is so refined and he is just an intelligent person. He impressed a few people I introduced him to and he certainly impressed me! It is actually such a wonderful feeling to meet someone who has the same interest as you. You have got to meet him whenever you get a chance to come and visit us, Arnold. You shan't be disappointed. He does need a few pointers on how to dress more proper, though.
There is one thing that I must confess, and I hope you will not take offence to it. Since you left things have been hard for us. It hasn't been the same. It took us a while, but we managed it through, yet it had never been the same. We still hang out and do things together but, at least for me, there is something missing, it felt a bit, empty? Rodrigo, whether he sees it or not, has been a big help in revitalizing our group and in feeling this hole. I wouldn't say he brought it back to life, but he brought this new spark, I guess. I'm not saying that he is replacing you; far from it. No one can ever replace you, my dear Arnold. All I am saying is that we seem to be bit more, together now since he came into our lives.
I'm glad to hear that things are finally settling down for you. You must tell me what the nightlife is at your new city. What about its people? I do hope they have some of the brightest and most fashionably dressed intellectuals. Don't be surprised if you meet a few people who already know me, hahahaha. Have you met any new friends there yet? If so, I do so hope they at least have some classic standard on fashion and etiquette.
Yours truly,
Rhonda Wellington Lloyd
That about wraps it up. Like Olga, I wanted to portray Rhonda at a different light and allow her to have her say. Normally in other stories, she would be portrayed as an antagonist to Helga. To some extent, I can see that, but I feel Rhonda can be just as easily misunderstood as Helga is.
As for the opera, I originally wanted to provide more philosophical details about The Valkyrie performance, but I feel this has been a really long chapter so I decided against it. If you guys do want more details about, let me know and I can update it.