Weeks passed, bringing them closer to graduation. In those weeks, what Phoebe had told
him and what his grandfather had said kept running through his mind. He found his
thoughts turning to her more often. He almost waited expectantly for last hour to see her.
"Today class, we're going to read something from my favorite bard." Mrs. Station said,
passing our copied pages.
"Mrs. Station, this is an English class," Rhonda pointed out. "We've already taken a
Senior Lit class."
"I realize that Rhonda, but this is part of a writing exercise I want the class to do."
Arnold looked down at the papers. Oh no. Not again.
"The assignment is to write something like this. One will be a single person paper.
Poetry, a short story, an essay, it doesn't matter. But it must be moving. For the second
project you will be paired with a writing partner to write a scene which will be acted out in
front of the class."
Arnold looked back at the papers. It was the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. He
sighed. This semester was getting worse.
"Sorry. Been there, did this, not doing it again."
Arnold looked over at Helga stunned. He didn't even think she listened to the teacher.
Even Mrs. Station looked stunned.
"I'm sorry Helga. Is there a problem?"
"No problem. I'm just not doing this. You're asking us to write something sweet,
moving, and poignant from a tragedy. Give me the F."
"This is one of the greatest love stories of all time." Mrs. Station insisted.
"No it isn't." Helga countered. "It's called a tragedy for a reason. Their parents hated
each other to the point of trying to kill each other on sight, and the only way Romeo and
Juliet can be together is to commit suicide. What is this teaching young kids?"
"What would you consider a moving story then, Helga?"
"Something that actually has a happy ending like Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre?"
Mrs. Station looked thoughtful. "You have a point. If that is what you wish to do with your project then so be it."
She looked at the rest of the class. "Now, for your partners."
Arnold looked at the girls in his class. Lila looked back at him and crossed her
fingers. He smiled slightly at her. He'd dated her for a couple of months in their
Freshman year until he realized how shallow she really was. Besides, with how weird this
semester was, he already knew who he would be paired with.
"It seems you're the lucky one, Arnold." Mrs. Station said, confirming his hunch. "You'll
be working with Helga. And I fully expect to be moved."
Mia looked at her in disbelief. Helga stood there looking uncomfortable.
"You actually argued with Mrs. Station?"
Helga nodded.
"And you got Varsity Prep as your partner?"
She nodded again. Mia looked thoughtful.
"So, what are you doing it on?"
Helga shrugged as she shut her locker.
"Not a clue. Are we suppose to meet the others at the coffee house?"
"Yeah. Murphy has his reading today." Mia glanced behind Helga. "Uh oh."
"Helga! Wait up!" Arnold called out, hurrying towards them. Helga's eyes widened
briefly, then she turned around. Arnold caught up to the two girls, eyeing the brunette
warily. The girl sighed.
"I'll meet you outside Helga." she said, giving him a nasty glare. Helga nodded, watching
the girl walk off before she turned back to him.
"What can I do for you, Varsity Prep?"
He grinned. She didn't change as much as Phoebe thought. She just used a different
name now.
"I wanted to talk to you about our project. Do you have a minute?"
She looked at him hesitantly. He watched her as she glanced around them, then back to
him.
"Um...not now. I have things to do."
"Oh." he frowned. "Well, when do you have time? What about tomorrow?"
She nodded. "I can meet you after seven."
He grinned at her. "Great. Let's meet at my house. Um, you still remember where I
live?"
Helga smiled. "Unless you moved."
Arnold smiled back. She had a great smiled. "Nope. Same boarding house."
He couldn't believe he was making plans to spend time with her. He kept telling himself it
was for the English project but deep down he knew it wasn't.
She nodded in agreement, then walked off. He couldn't help it. He watched her leave.
"I don't think Phoebe is too thrilled to be stuck with me."
"Huh?"
Arnold tore his gaze from Helga's retreating figure, turning his attention to
Gerald.
"Was I really that bad to her when we went out?" Gerald asked, looking downtrodden.
Arnold shrugged.
"Don't know. I didn't hang out with you two while you were dating."
He slapped Gerald on the back. "People change Gerald. Phoebe got new interests and
right now, you just aren't one of them."
Gerald sighed. "Let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."
him and what his grandfather had said kept running through his mind. He found his
thoughts turning to her more often. He almost waited expectantly for last hour to see her.
"Today class, we're going to read something from my favorite bard." Mrs. Station said,
passing our copied pages.
"Mrs. Station, this is an English class," Rhonda pointed out. "We've already taken a
Senior Lit class."
"I realize that Rhonda, but this is part of a writing exercise I want the class to do."
Arnold looked down at the papers. Oh no. Not again.
"The assignment is to write something like this. One will be a single person paper.
Poetry, a short story, an essay, it doesn't matter. But it must be moving. For the second
project you will be paired with a writing partner to write a scene which will be acted out in
front of the class."
Arnold looked back at the papers. It was the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. He
sighed. This semester was getting worse.
"Sorry. Been there, did this, not doing it again."
Arnold looked over at Helga stunned. He didn't even think she listened to the teacher.
Even Mrs. Station looked stunned.
"I'm sorry Helga. Is there a problem?"
"No problem. I'm just not doing this. You're asking us to write something sweet,
moving, and poignant from a tragedy. Give me the F."
"This is one of the greatest love stories of all time." Mrs. Station insisted.
"No it isn't." Helga countered. "It's called a tragedy for a reason. Their parents hated
each other to the point of trying to kill each other on sight, and the only way Romeo and
Juliet can be together is to commit suicide. What is this teaching young kids?"
"What would you consider a moving story then, Helga?"
"Something that actually has a happy ending like Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre?"
Mrs. Station looked thoughtful. "You have a point. If that is what you wish to do with your project then so be it."
She looked at the rest of the class. "Now, for your partners."
Arnold looked at the girls in his class. Lila looked back at him and crossed her
fingers. He smiled slightly at her. He'd dated her for a couple of months in their
Freshman year until he realized how shallow she really was. Besides, with how weird this
semester was, he already knew who he would be paired with.
"It seems you're the lucky one, Arnold." Mrs. Station said, confirming his hunch. "You'll
be working with Helga. And I fully expect to be moved."
Mia looked at her in disbelief. Helga stood there looking uncomfortable.
"You actually argued with Mrs. Station?"
Helga nodded.
"And you got Varsity Prep as your partner?"
She nodded again. Mia looked thoughtful.
"So, what are you doing it on?"
Helga shrugged as she shut her locker.
"Not a clue. Are we suppose to meet the others at the coffee house?"
"Yeah. Murphy has his reading today." Mia glanced behind Helga. "Uh oh."
"Helga! Wait up!" Arnold called out, hurrying towards them. Helga's eyes widened
briefly, then she turned around. Arnold caught up to the two girls, eyeing the brunette
warily. The girl sighed.
"I'll meet you outside Helga." she said, giving him a nasty glare. Helga nodded, watching
the girl walk off before she turned back to him.
"What can I do for you, Varsity Prep?"
He grinned. She didn't change as much as Phoebe thought. She just used a different
name now.
"I wanted to talk to you about our project. Do you have a minute?"
She looked at him hesitantly. He watched her as she glanced around them, then back to
him.
"Um...not now. I have things to do."
"Oh." he frowned. "Well, when do you have time? What about tomorrow?"
She nodded. "I can meet you after seven."
He grinned at her. "Great. Let's meet at my house. Um, you still remember where I
live?"
Helga smiled. "Unless you moved."
Arnold smiled back. She had a great smiled. "Nope. Same boarding house."
He couldn't believe he was making plans to spend time with her. He kept telling himself it
was for the English project but deep down he knew it wasn't.
She nodded in agreement, then walked off. He couldn't help it. He watched her leave.
"I don't think Phoebe is too thrilled to be stuck with me."
"Huh?"
Arnold tore his gaze from Helga's retreating figure, turning his attention to
Gerald.
"Was I really that bad to her when we went out?" Gerald asked, looking downtrodden.
Arnold shrugged.
"Don't know. I didn't hang out with you two while you were dating."
He slapped Gerald on the back. "People change Gerald. Phoebe got new interests and
right now, you just aren't one of them."
Gerald sighed. "Let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."