"There's the new kid," Sid hissed to the boy beside him. Sid, hardly a leader, purposefully hid in the shadow of his companion. It wasn't really that he was shy, nor that he lacked individuality, simply that it seemed to be more of his place, and that it was close enough to the spotlight without being too near. "I don't think he's met you yet, Gerald."
The other boy turned to face Arnold, squinting a little in the afternoon sun. The way the fourth graders had unconsciously swarmed around him was a sure sign that Gerald would launch into one of his famous speeches. Yet he remained silent, at least until the new boy approached. Arnold moved forward, somewhat uneasily, sensing from experience the aura of a popular kid. "I see you've been talking to Helga," Gerald said finally, with a hint of disgust.
"Yes," Arnold replied, eager to be spoken to. "She's actually very nice." A gasp rose from the crowd, and murmurs of disapproval swarmed throughout them. "Something I said?" he suggested weakly.
"Are we talking about the same Helga? Helga Pataki?" He nodded, much to Gerald's dismay. "Well, that's certainly…original," he admitted with a wry grin. "Never heard her called 'nice' before." The rest of the group giggled obediently. Arnold winced, ready for the horrible comment sure to come, that always came at every school in turn… "So, want to go to the baseball game with us after school?"
"What?" Arnold asked incredulously. It was as if he'd been drinking medicine that suddenly tasted like sugar. "Did I hear you correctly?"
"As far as I know," Gerald said hesitantly. "I'm not you, and can't really be sure what you hear." Arnold just looked awestruck. "Well, we always play baseball near the old boarding house, and we might as well have a new audience. Besides, maybe you can join us sometime."
"Join…you," Arnold repeated slowly. "Does that include any form of torture?"
"You've really been spending too much time with Helga," the boy replied with a laugh. The recess bell chimed again, and the classes burst into moans and footsteps as they filed back into their classrooms. "Anyhow, 4 o'clock, at this address…" Gerald quickly tore a piece of notebook paper and scribbled a few numbers. "See you there."
Arnold watched, dumbfounded, as he followed the other students. Were these kids actually trying to befriend him? It was new concept - a new kid was usually the main focus of hate and torment. It could always be some sort of trick… Arnold folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket, his mind full of reflection and suspicion.
The other boy turned to face Arnold, squinting a little in the afternoon sun. The way the fourth graders had unconsciously swarmed around him was a sure sign that Gerald would launch into one of his famous speeches. Yet he remained silent, at least until the new boy approached. Arnold moved forward, somewhat uneasily, sensing from experience the aura of a popular kid. "I see you've been talking to Helga," Gerald said finally, with a hint of disgust.
"Yes," Arnold replied, eager to be spoken to. "She's actually very nice." A gasp rose from the crowd, and murmurs of disapproval swarmed throughout them. "Something I said?" he suggested weakly.
"Are we talking about the same Helga? Helga Pataki?" He nodded, much to Gerald's dismay. "Well, that's certainly…original," he admitted with a wry grin. "Never heard her called 'nice' before." The rest of the group giggled obediently. Arnold winced, ready for the horrible comment sure to come, that always came at every school in turn… "So, want to go to the baseball game with us after school?"
"What?" Arnold asked incredulously. It was as if he'd been drinking medicine that suddenly tasted like sugar. "Did I hear you correctly?"
"As far as I know," Gerald said hesitantly. "I'm not you, and can't really be sure what you hear." Arnold just looked awestruck. "Well, we always play baseball near the old boarding house, and we might as well have a new audience. Besides, maybe you can join us sometime."
"Join…you," Arnold repeated slowly. "Does that include any form of torture?"
"You've really been spending too much time with Helga," the boy replied with a laugh. The recess bell chimed again, and the classes burst into moans and footsteps as they filed back into their classrooms. "Anyhow, 4 o'clock, at this address…" Gerald quickly tore a piece of notebook paper and scribbled a few numbers. "See you there."
Arnold watched, dumbfounded, as he followed the other students. Were these kids actually trying to befriend him? It was new concept - a new kid was usually the main focus of hate and torment. It could always be some sort of trick… Arnold folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket, his mind full of reflection and suspicion.