The Dinner Party
Chapter Two: My Best Friend's Girl
Hey Arnold! doesn't belong to me.
In the morning, Arnold woke up to the front door slamming. It was official; slamming doors was Timberly's hobby. He rolled off the couch and checked the time on the microwave, 7AM on a Saturday morning. She was off to jog with Gary. "Fuck, I hate it when she does that!" he thought.
Arnold took a quick shower. He wore an old surfer shirt he got while he was out in LA and a pair of board shorts. He put on his flip-flops and put on a baseball cap. He hunted for Sid's number and dialed it, "Hello?"
"Hey Sid, this is Arnold, Can I crash at your house?"
Sid laughed, "Did you and Timberly get into it again?"
"Not really but I wanted to get away for a while."
Sid laughed even harder, "Dude, I knew you shoulda never hooked up with her. She's bad news."
"Yeah, yeah, Gerald told me too but do I listen? Hey, so can you pick me up?"
"Sorry man, I gotta catch some shut-eye. Me and Brainy got a gig tonight."
"Where at?"
"Club Vogue. Wanna come?"
"It doesn't sound like my kind of fun. Anybody else going?"
"No one you know except Helga."
"Really? Hey what's the story with her anyway?" Arnold pried. He hadn't seen Helga in ten years. "Helga looked pretty good, don't ya think?
"That's an understatement. I heard that they tried to get her to model again when she graduated from high school but she was like, 'Hell No'. That girl is a mystery. I have no idea what's she's been up to but she told me last night that she wanted to hear us spin."
Arnold laughed to himself, "Helga's somethin' else."
"But anyways I am really beat. Page me later if you get bored and wanna come out tonight."
"See ya."
Arnold hung up the phone and then paged Phoebe. She called back immediately.
"Hello, is this Timberly or Arnold?"
"It's me, Phoebe. What are you doing for lunch?"
"Nothing yet. Why?
"I dunno, Timberly is freaking out and things are just going bad right now."
"Oh dear. I'll take a long lunch. Be ready by eleven-thirty."
At twenty-eight with a masters degree, he hoped life would be simpler but it wasn't. Arnold looked around his apartment; it was pathetic to see how little Arnold had. He didn't make that much working for the Green Party so he chose to spend his money wisely... on his girlfriend. But that was a joke and his friends all knew it. He loved her but did she love him? He thought that everything would be wonderful, he could marry Timberly and they could have dinner on Sundays with Gerald and Phoebe. They could raise a family and have a house with a white picket fence. Timberly would fill the emptiness that Arnold had felt for such a long time.
But she didn't. She was high maintenance, spent money like water, and was phony. She was a big faker. She rarely opened up and talked about her feelings or their relationship. He ruined his relationship with his best friend by dating his sister. And now he had sunk into the depths of despair. Was there no hope?
He was clutching a picture of Timberly when the doorbell rang. He placed the picture face down on the coffee table and answered the door. Phoebe stood there with a look of concern on her face.
"Oh Arnold, what happened?"
"Let's get outta here first." They rode the elevator to the first floor. And then walked to the parking garage. If Gerald flaked as a friend, he could still talk to Phoebe. They got into her car and headed to Arlen Street.
"So would you like to tell me what's going on now?" Phoebe asked.
"Gerald was right. I don't know why I didn't listen to him. You'd think a twenty-three year old grad student could act more mature than she does. She slams all the fucking doors in the house just because I was talking to Helga last night."
"Timberly's just really young. She's spoiled and everybody always fusses over her. She thrives on attention especially from you."
Arnold interrupted, "It's not like I'd hook up with Helga or anything. She's an old friend. And God knows I haven't talked to her since high school. By the way where the hell has Helga been?"
"I guess most of her energy is spent at her job. She went to law school but ended up working for a management company in the music industry. She's here for about six months while one of her clients record their album."
"Timberly wants me to go to law school. There's more money in it. I'd have to give up my job," Arnold mentioned nonchalantly.
"Did you tell her you wanted to keep your position with the Green Party?"
"Of course I did but she treats me like a project, like sooner or later I'll give in. And slowly I can see myself change into someone else like a fucking Abercrombie and Fitch model, I look good, I dress well and I say nothing. Do you think I am her token white boy?"
Phoebe laughed, "Do you think I am Gerald's token half-Japanese girl?"
Arnold laughed, "No, and I guess Timberly isn't that shallow. I mean the interracial thing never bothered me. What bothers me is that I don't know what she wants or expects. I think I fall short. I just want to feel loved and accepted. I think she's got somethin' goin' on with Gary."
"You don't fall short. You're a really great guy when you're not drunk.
"Phoebe, I didn't mean to get drunk. I just..."
"You pissed off Gerald with that speech." Phoebe began to laugh, "Everyone was expecting 'Arnold the Wise' to give this enlightening speech about love and commitment but instead it was like 'Rock on, let's drink up!' Anyway getting back to the problem at hand, I think you rushed into this relationship with Timberly. You're a romantic when it comes to the idea of relationships. What you really crave is someone different. No matter how much Timberly matures, she's never going to change. Can you accept that? I know you'd change for her but could you live with yourself?" Arnold sat in silence thinking about what Phoebe had said.
They pulled into the narrow parking space. And walked towards Ramón's, the little café where Phoebe and Arnold often talked. Arnold always felt better after he talked to Phoebe. She was like a sister to him. "A table for two please." Phoebe requested. The hostess sat them on the patio. They faced the street, both sitting quietly for a while until Arnold asked, "So I should probably break up with her?"
"Probably..." Phoebe replied and then ordered the fresh fruit salad and Ramón sandwich. Arnold ordered the tomato soup and contemplated breaking up with Timberly.
Chapter Two: My Best Friend's Girl
Hey Arnold! doesn't belong to me.
In the morning, Arnold woke up to the front door slamming. It was official; slamming doors was Timberly's hobby. He rolled off the couch and checked the time on the microwave, 7AM on a Saturday morning. She was off to jog with Gary. "Fuck, I hate it when she does that!" he thought.
Arnold took a quick shower. He wore an old surfer shirt he got while he was out in LA and a pair of board shorts. He put on his flip-flops and put on a baseball cap. He hunted for Sid's number and dialed it, "Hello?"
"Hey Sid, this is Arnold, Can I crash at your house?"
Sid laughed, "Did you and Timberly get into it again?"
"Not really but I wanted to get away for a while."
Sid laughed even harder, "Dude, I knew you shoulda never hooked up with her. She's bad news."
"Yeah, yeah, Gerald told me too but do I listen? Hey, so can you pick me up?"
"Sorry man, I gotta catch some shut-eye. Me and Brainy got a gig tonight."
"Where at?"
"Club Vogue. Wanna come?"
"It doesn't sound like my kind of fun. Anybody else going?"
"No one you know except Helga."
"Really? Hey what's the story with her anyway?" Arnold pried. He hadn't seen Helga in ten years. "Helga looked pretty good, don't ya think?
"That's an understatement. I heard that they tried to get her to model again when she graduated from high school but she was like, 'Hell No'. That girl is a mystery. I have no idea what's she's been up to but she told me last night that she wanted to hear us spin."
Arnold laughed to himself, "Helga's somethin' else."
"But anyways I am really beat. Page me later if you get bored and wanna come out tonight."
"See ya."
Arnold hung up the phone and then paged Phoebe. She called back immediately.
"Hello, is this Timberly or Arnold?"
"It's me, Phoebe. What are you doing for lunch?"
"Nothing yet. Why?
"I dunno, Timberly is freaking out and things are just going bad right now."
"Oh dear. I'll take a long lunch. Be ready by eleven-thirty."
At twenty-eight with a masters degree, he hoped life would be simpler but it wasn't. Arnold looked around his apartment; it was pathetic to see how little Arnold had. He didn't make that much working for the Green Party so he chose to spend his money wisely... on his girlfriend. But that was a joke and his friends all knew it. He loved her but did she love him? He thought that everything would be wonderful, he could marry Timberly and they could have dinner on Sundays with Gerald and Phoebe. They could raise a family and have a house with a white picket fence. Timberly would fill the emptiness that Arnold had felt for such a long time.
But she didn't. She was high maintenance, spent money like water, and was phony. She was a big faker. She rarely opened up and talked about her feelings or their relationship. He ruined his relationship with his best friend by dating his sister. And now he had sunk into the depths of despair. Was there no hope?
He was clutching a picture of Timberly when the doorbell rang. He placed the picture face down on the coffee table and answered the door. Phoebe stood there with a look of concern on her face.
"Oh Arnold, what happened?"
"Let's get outta here first." They rode the elevator to the first floor. And then walked to the parking garage. If Gerald flaked as a friend, he could still talk to Phoebe. They got into her car and headed to Arlen Street.
"So would you like to tell me what's going on now?" Phoebe asked.
"Gerald was right. I don't know why I didn't listen to him. You'd think a twenty-three year old grad student could act more mature than she does. She slams all the fucking doors in the house just because I was talking to Helga last night."
"Timberly's just really young. She's spoiled and everybody always fusses over her. She thrives on attention especially from you."
Arnold interrupted, "It's not like I'd hook up with Helga or anything. She's an old friend. And God knows I haven't talked to her since high school. By the way where the hell has Helga been?"
"I guess most of her energy is spent at her job. She went to law school but ended up working for a management company in the music industry. She's here for about six months while one of her clients record their album."
"Timberly wants me to go to law school. There's more money in it. I'd have to give up my job," Arnold mentioned nonchalantly.
"Did you tell her you wanted to keep your position with the Green Party?"
"Of course I did but she treats me like a project, like sooner or later I'll give in. And slowly I can see myself change into someone else like a fucking Abercrombie and Fitch model, I look good, I dress well and I say nothing. Do you think I am her token white boy?"
Phoebe laughed, "Do you think I am Gerald's token half-Japanese girl?"
Arnold laughed, "No, and I guess Timberly isn't that shallow. I mean the interracial thing never bothered me. What bothers me is that I don't know what she wants or expects. I think I fall short. I just want to feel loved and accepted. I think she's got somethin' goin' on with Gary."
"You don't fall short. You're a really great guy when you're not drunk.
"Phoebe, I didn't mean to get drunk. I just..."
"You pissed off Gerald with that speech." Phoebe began to laugh, "Everyone was expecting 'Arnold the Wise' to give this enlightening speech about love and commitment but instead it was like 'Rock on, let's drink up!' Anyway getting back to the problem at hand, I think you rushed into this relationship with Timberly. You're a romantic when it comes to the idea of relationships. What you really crave is someone different. No matter how much Timberly matures, she's never going to change. Can you accept that? I know you'd change for her but could you live with yourself?" Arnold sat in silence thinking about what Phoebe had said.
They pulled into the narrow parking space. And walked towards Ramón's, the little café where Phoebe and Arnold often talked. Arnold always felt better after he talked to Phoebe. She was like a sister to him. "A table for two please." Phoebe requested. The hostess sat them on the patio. They faced the street, both sitting quietly for a while until Arnold asked, "So I should probably break up with her?"
"Probably..." Phoebe replied and then ordered the fresh fruit salad and Ramón sandwich. Arnold ordered the tomato soup and contemplated breaking up with Timberly.