AUTHOR'S NOTE: I got the idea for this chapter by someone by the name of "Guest". Because the name "Guest" means that the person is anonymous, I can't give him or her the proper amount of credit; but I'm still saying that someone gave me the idea for this chapter so it won't sound like I'm stealing his or her idea. With that said, let's continue the story.

Light gray clouds hung over Elwood City. They weren't menacing clouds, but their presence did provoke a sense of concern if they were to grow darker, which would lead to either a normal rainstorm or a nasty thunderstorm. It was debatable since the weather forecast predicted a fifty percent chance of rain for the day and the next. People however hoped that it wouldn't rain today, so they could get out of the house and do something with their friends and family.

Buster laid in bed half asleep half awake. He was aware that it was morning- it was precisely 7:27 AM -and he should be making himself ready for school, but he couldn't. Just like everyone else on a cloudy day, Buster felt exhausted and lazy, so he remained in his bed.

The rabbit was lucky though. He remembered that today was Saturday; there would be no school until Monday. Though he was glad that he could stay in bed all day, Buster was also disappointed. Just the other day, he had convinced Francine to reconsider her actions and join him in helping Arthur see reality once again. She promised him that she would think about her answer and tell it to him at school. But since school wasn't in session today, he wouldn't know for another two days.

Eventually, Buster decided that he couldn't stay in bed all day. He sluggishly got out of bed and stretched his limbs, back, and neck. Then he got dressed and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

In the kitchen, Buster found his mother cooking pancakes. Bitzi turned to her son and said, "Good morning, sweetie."

"Good morning, mom," Buster replied with a slight yawn.

"Did you sleep well?" Bitzi asked.

"Yeah," said Buster. "What do you ask?"

"You've been worried about something for a couple days and I'm getting a bit concerned," Bitzi told her son. "Remember, if there's something bothering you, just come and talk to me; okay?"

"Okay," Buster responded; he made sure that his voice was normal so it wouldn't sound like he was hiding his lies.

Bitzi smiled and went back to cooking breakfast.

Buster stepped up to the refrigerator and opened the large bottom door. He withdrew the glass pitcher of orange juice and placed it on the counter, and then he closed the door of the fridge. Buster went to the cupboard to collect a glass. He then poured a generous amount of orange juice before placing the pitcher back in the fridge.

Buster took his glass and drank some of the juice. It felt refreshing travelling down his throat; the juice moistened his throat so it wouldn't be too dry. As he set his glass down on the kitchen table where he would sit to eat his breakfast, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Buster said as he hurried to the ringing phone.

The rabbit took the receiver which caused the ringing function to cease and he spoke into it. "Hello?"

To Buster's surprise and satisfaction, the voice who spoke on the other end was that of Francine. "Hey, Buster," she said. "I know it's early, but I wanted to tell you that I've come to a decision."

"That's great," Buster replied. "Can we meet somewhere today so we can talk about it?"

"Sure," Francine responded. "Does that park sound good?"

"Definitely," said Buster. It was then when the thought he had last night returned to him and he asked Francine: "By any chance can you talk to the Brain? I really think he can help us."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Francine replied. "I have his number and address, so I'll be sure to give him a call whenever I can."

"Please try today."

"I will. I'll see you at the park this afternoon; okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Buster placed the receiver back on the set and joined his mother in collecting his stack of pancakes. "Who was it?" Bitzi inquired.

"Oh, that was Francine," Buster told his mother. "She wanted to know if I could meet her at the park this afternoon with some friends."

"That sounds like fun," said Bitzi. "Just be home before dinner; okay?"

"You have my promise, mom," Buster replied and took his plate to the kitchen table.

Breakfast was as normal as it was any other day. The pancakes Bitzi made were especially tasty. In Buster's mind, he thought that it was because it was Saturday and the day added a special zing to everything that would occur from morning to night. If that was true, then hopefully he could get his other friends to realize that shunning Arthur was an unbefitting move that only worsened the situation, and they could all work together to help pull their friend out of the sea of vexation.

Buster did not let his concern over Arthur leave his mind for the rest of the morning. The last thing he wanted was to forget all about his fallen friend and wind up neglecting to meet Francine at the park. A simple action like that would not only make her angry, but it would have a much more negative effect on his mission to snap Arthur back into reality.

About thirty minutes after eating lunch, Buster prepared himself to leave the apartment. There had been some rain a couple hours before, but the rabbit wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed his jacket from his bedroom closet and walked out the door.

The journey was long to Buster when it was actually a short walk from his apartment complex to the park. It was possible that the gloomy weather made him think that there was a great distance between his home and the park. Even if there wasn't anything that caused a sudden mental effect on him, Buster was determined as ever to get in contact with Francine, and, hopefully, with the Brain.

Everyone at Lakewood Elementary School, or at least all of Buster's friends, were familiar with the Brain. He was a young but incredibly intelligent bear named Alan Powers. It was entirely obvious why Alan had been nicknamed "the Brain", but, for many, it was bizarre for someone his age to be so smart. Even when he was a third grader, everyone said he shared the intellect of a sixth of seventh grader. Some people even joked to themselves that his parents were secretly considering having him skip a few grades to increase his intelligence- or, at least, they would allow him to continue his current academic schedule and plan his future early since any college in the country would accept him in the blink of an eye.

The sensation of optimism that coursed through Buster's veins became more powerful when he passed through the front gates of the park and, after strolling down the path that stretched through the area for a minute or two, spotted Francine and the Brain sitting on a white-colored bench, conversing with themselves quietly. When Buster approached them, Francine caught a glimpse of him and looked directly at him. "It's about time you got here," she said a little irritated.

"I'm sorry if I kept you guys waiting," Buster responded.

"It's not that much trouble," said the Brain. "I actually got here about five minutes ago."

"How long have you've been here?" Buster asked Francine.

"I don't know; maybe six or eight minutes ago," Francine replied.

"Well, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," said Buster. "It would have been bad if I forgot about this completely."

The Brain got up from the bench and said,"Let's not get too concerned over that. Come on, let's walk around the park for a bit."

Francine got up and the trio strolled leisurely through the park.

During their walk, Buster said, "Thanks for coming out to talk to us, Brain."

"Absolutely," replied the Brain. "What we're dealing with is a very serious but delicate situation that must be addressed."

"I understand that this is serious," said Francine; "but how can something like this be called 'delicate'?"

"It's easy to explain really," the Brain began. "Just like everyone at school, I had heard about the incident through the authority of other students. Even though I was disgusted by Arthur's use of violence against his younger sister, I did not confront him about it after I witnessed a group of students villainizing him for his refusal to admit he was wrong to attack his sister- this includes you, Francine."

Francine's eyes dropped to her shoes. She couldn't comprehend how much hate she and her friends had brought upon Arthur. She abhorred every ounce of pure hostility she had inflicted onto her former ex-friend. She despised herself the most- she had allowed anger to control her, and, as a result, it had promoted Arthur to do what he did to Binky so many days ago. In the end, Francine did not utter a word; she only sighed.

"Have you heard about what happened to Binky?" Buster inquired.

The Brain nodded. "He told himself two days after his arrest," he said. "From the facts I've gathered over the past week, I believe I have the most plausible hypothesis to why Arthur attacked Binky."

Francine returned her attention to the Brain. "Well, tell us," she insisted.

The Brain cleared his throat. "Just like how I called the situation 'delicate', it's all easy to explain," he stated. "When people are young, they are only in the beginning of the learning process. They would get interested in things and wish to know more. This would explain why D.W. broke Arthur's model airplane."

Buster and Francine nodded, showing the Brain that they were listening to his statement.

"Now, if what Arthur said was true that D.W. was constantly bothering him," the Brain continued; "this would undoubtedly cause him to become stressed and hostile. So, when she accidentally ruined his model plane, the build-up of anger within him finally broke free, and, thus, he hit his sister."

Once again, Buster and Francine nodded their heads.

"Was this the case when Binky punched Arthur?" Francine questioned.

"Precisely," said the Brain. "I understand that everyone is immensely outraged by Arthur's act of unthinkable violence, but, to me, calling him out in such a repulsive manner will not make him realize the error in his choice of action. Everyone is only making the situation worse, just like pouring gasoline on a fire to put it out."

"That's what I've always thought," Buster stated.

Francine didn't respond to the rabbit. She asked the Brain: "How worse is this going to get?"

The Brain pondered before answering with: "Arthur's mental health could decline severely. Considering what occurred a week ago, Arthur's judgement will most likely be the most affected. He'll become incredibly violent and may be introduced to alcohol and illegal drugs; all in the hopes of relieving himself from the stress of the world that 'despises' him."

"That's horrible," said Francine.

"Have either of you tried to talk to him?" the Brain inquired.

"I tried a billion times to get him to say something!" Buster replied. "He just doesn't respond with words or sounds! Most of the time, though, everyone else pulls me away from him and threatens me to stay far away from him!"

The Brain turned to Francine. Her eyes went back to the ground as she sighed. "Binky, Muffy, and I kept forcing him to ignore Arthur," she told the Brain.

The Brain frowned. "That wasn't very good thinking; was it?" he asked her sternly.

"No," Francine quietly replied, clearly ashamed of her actions towards Arthur.

"Do you have anything in mind on how we can help Arthur?" Buster asked the Brain.

"I've thought long and hard about this," said the Brain. "I've come up with various solutions but, at the same time, I've considered the outcome of my thoughts. The most logical option we have is to inform an adult about this- specifically someone who specializes in psychology."

Francine nodded but Buster did not. "I want to try to get Arthur to talk first," he said. "His silent streak is really making me worried."

"I know you want to help him as much as you can," the Brain replied; "but this issue is becoming much more critical than it should be. Seeking the assistance of adults isn't just my personal recommendation; it's the only option we have to save Arthur and his sanity."

"I know," Buster sighed. "My mom keeps telling me that if something's bugging me I should tell her about it, but I don't know about telling her this. I'm worried everyone will over-react and things will end up badly for everyone."

"I understand your concern about the reaction and response of the adults," said the Brain; "but you must consider the outcome of your own belief. The task of every parent has been the same for centuries: they are to nurture and guide their children through the early stages of life. That doesn't exclude the use of discipline; children must be taught how to obey rules and regulations, even if it means their parents have to punish them by any means necessary. The past events make it clear that it's going to take more than a simple ban from television to put Arthur in order. We must take appropriate action to ensure that he doesn't lose all of his mentality."

Buster thought about what the bear had told him. It was entirely true that the best way to help Arthur was to inform his parents. However, he felt anxiety return when he began to image the concern on the faces of Arthur's parents when they would learn about their son's behavior. He also wondered if there would be an alternate reaction from the mother and father. Would they instead be incensed or paranoid about Arthur's possible, horrific future? Buster was unsure, and he most certainly did not want to find out.

Francine spoke up. "If Buster wants to try and talk to Arthur, we should at least be there," she said. "Of course, we'll have to find him first."

Buster and the Brain turned to Francine. "What do you mean?" the Brain inquired the orangutan. "I'm certain he would be home on a Saturday; wouldn't he?"

"Perhaps he is, but that doesn't mean he is," Francine replied. "From what Buster told me yesterday, he went to Arthur's house to get him to talk, but his mom said Arthur was busy with some school project."

The Brain's head pivoted to Buster. "Is that true?" the Brain asked.

"Yes," Buster said with a nod. "She told me that Arthur and Mr. Haney were working on something; I think they and a group of kids are doing something to the school."

"That sounds strange," said the Brain. "As a matter of fact, it's very perplexing now that I consider all that I have heard from you about him."

"What do you think of it?" Francine asked.

"My answer is only conjecture, but it may be as close to truth as it is," the Brain stated. "Mr. Haney would not enlist any school student in a project unless he would announce it over the intercom, on the bulletin board outside the Main Office, or by a simple letter home to parents or guardians who will sign their children up. Arthur must've concocted this as a way to hide whatever he's doing when he's not at school or at home."

"What could he be doing that he doesn't want anyone to know about?" Buster asked his friends.

"That's debatable," the Brain responded; "but we cannot come up with any scenario of any kind until we get enough evidence to support our claims. But that will only happen if we agree to continue on with your plan. We should do what's right and tell our parents about Arthur so they can help him."

The Brain and Francine noted that Buster now appeared more perturbed than they've ever seen him before. It was easy for the bear and orangutan to decipher why the rabbit appeared exceedingly agitated. His desire was to communicate with Arthur and work out a method of rebuilding friendship with everyone who now shunned him, but he was now engaged in a mental battle between his vision and the Brain's proposal of informing the adults of the issue. While his reason for rejecting the idea was quite plausible, the suggestion of parent involvement was much stronger than him dealing with all the complicated steps of negotiation himself.

Francine walked over to Buster and said, "Hey, I know how much you care about your best friend, but you really have to think about this."

Buster's mood suddenly changed. Instead of being paranoid, he was now angry. "And I understand that you still have a grudge against him," he growled; "but you can't just-"

"Buster, I let go of that!" Francine argued back. "After what I've heard, I've totally realized what I did to Arthur was wrong! What's gotten into you?"

"If you're on my side, you would agree with my idea!" Buster whined.

"I am on your side!" Francine roared. "I just have certain doubts about your idea!"

Buster was ready to go mad but the Brain intervened. "Buster, stop and calm yourself!" he said. "I understand that you are upset about this. This conversation and all that has happened over the past week has put a lot of stress on you. It's clear that you want to help Arthur the way you want it to be done, but you have to reconsider."

Buster was still mad as he was when the argument began.

"If you care about Arthur as you say you do, then you would do what's right," the Brain concluded.

Francine saw that Buster still wasn't listening. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "He's right, Buster; you just can't go and do what you want, you have to stop and think about it."

Buster's eyes locked onto Francine's. The orangutan was not nervous by the rabbit's indignant stare. "Think about it, Buster," she continued. "If something like this happened to you, don't you think Arthur would have the same problems you're facing now? Wouldn't he go to his parents for help?"

Even when he was ready to deliver another harsh reply to his friends, Buster stopped to consider the argument presented before him in a much more clearer sense. His opinions were still the same, but he thought about the possibilities of his plan failing miserably. If it did, what would come next? His answer to his own question was just the same: a horrid future either violent or depressing for the aardvark. He wanted his plan to succeed, but the question was, how could it be achieved?

Francine and the Brain saw that Buster was struggling with his emotions again, and the Brain broke him out of his anger by saying, "If you're not ready to give us an answer, we'll give you some time to think about it. Just come to us when you have an answer; okay?"

Buster looked up and replied with a simple: "Okay."

"I'll try to talk to Muffy about this and we'll see if she'll join our team," Francine told Buster. "Hopefully we can get everybody onboard."

"And I'll do some research for various methods of rehabilitation," the Brain added.

Buster finally smiled. "Thanks, guys," he said. "Hopefully Arthur will be back to his normal self in no time."

The three friends said their goodbyes and went home. As he left the park for his apartment, Buster couldn't help but be overcome by the joy given off from the optimism of his future expectations. Although he still debated on whether or not his plan would be the most successful, Buster felt confident that the end of Arthur's torment would be over, and, before anyone knew it, he would be the good friend he always was.

However, at the back of his mind, Buster wondered what Arthur was really doing. He knew that the aardvark wouldn't go off the deep end and use drugs to relieve his stress and depression, but the real reason was unknown to the rabbit, and he was determined to find out.