Meanwhile, Phoebe had had an idea. She knew what was wrong with her best
friend, and she hated to see her this upset. Something had to be done, she
concluded.
"Hello Gerald!" she sang as she approached his table.
"Hey Pheebs! How you been?" he asked warmly, happy to see her. He gestured to the seat next to him and she smiled gratifyingly and sat down.
"I'm fine Gerald, thank you for asking. How are you?"
"I'm good. Better now!" he joked, winking at her and smiling. She blushed and giggled to herself. "So, what can I do for ya?" Phoebe composed herself. She still wasn't completely sure what she was going to say.
"I was wondering if there would be any possibility of you and Arnold meeting me at the City Park at about 4:00 this evening? I have something, er, important I wish to discuss with both of you."
"Sure thing babe! I'll tell Arnold when he comes back from... wherever he is. I'll be looking forward to it." he grinned and gave her another wink, making her cheeks redden again.
"Thank you Gerald! Oh, and do you think you could refrain from telling anyone about this?" he raised an eyebrow curiously. What is she up to?
"I guess... Well aren't you lil' Madam Mystery today!" he toyed. "I like it." Now it was Phoebe's turn to wink as she got up to leave.
"See you later!"
"Yeah, see ya!"
Phoebe smiled to herself, so far so good. And now to talk to Helga.
She watched as Arnold left their table before she went to sit back in her seat. Helga frowned angrily as she saw the petite girl return. "And where have you been? I know your game, leaving me alone with Football Head. Crimeny Phoebe! How could you?!" So much for fooling Helga G. Pataki!
"I'm sorry about that Helga. But I really did have something I needed to do." she stated innocently.
Helga raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She was curious, but Phoebe knew she could get around the question if she brushed it over quickly.
"Yeah..." Phoebe looked subtly over to Gerald, who smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, signalling that Arnold had agreed to Phoebe's plan. Perfect. "... Erm, Helga? I was wondering, are you doing anything after school today?"
Helga's suspicious look faded into an expressionless one. She sighed sorrowfully. "I doubt it. Like there is EVER anything to do around here! Man my life sucks!" she stated, spreading her arms out on the table and dropped her head down on them dramatically. Phoebe continued.
"Well, would you like to accompany me to the City Park? I'm sure we could find something interesting to do there." Phoebe gave an optimistic smile, hopeful of a positive answer. Helga lifted her head and looked blankly at her friend, pausing for effect.
"Yeah, we could prance around picking flowers and climbing trees, listening to the birds sing and enjoying the wondrous company of Mother Nature!" sarcasm held fast in her falsely cheerful voice, eyes wide. Again she looked flatly at Phoebe and folded her arms. "Oh please!" she rolled her eyes as Phoebe's hopeful expression dampened. "Is that the best idea you can come up with?!"
Phoebe didn't look impressed by her friend's little outburst. "Do you want to come or not? Yes or no." she said flatly.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! It's not like I have anything better to do anyway!"
"Good." Phoebe grinned, visibly pleased with herself. Everything was going according to plan.
"What are you so happy about? It's just the park for crying out load!" Helga asked, noticing Phoebe's happy expression.
"I know." she smiled slyly, biting into her sandwich. Helga was about to speak again, but gave up. She felt to tired and down right miserable to argue. She just rolled her eyes again and rested her head back on her arms. Her eyes stung and she had a headache.
A few minutes later, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch period. All of the children reluctantly shuffled back to class for the last lesson of the day, all still caught up with lunchtime conversations.
Mr Simmons' 4th grade class took their seats as Mr Simmons walked into the room. Helga was thankful that everyone quietened down much faster than they had at the beginning of the day. Her head was pounding.
Arnold had decided to sit at the desk next to Phoebe; he had some questions he wanted to ask her.
After Mr Simmons had explained the task that they were to complete on Elizabethan Poetry, everyone set to work, quiet conversations breaking out and creating a background sound in the room.
Arnold leaned across to talk to Phoebe.
"Hey Phoebe," he began, getting her attention. "Gerald told me that you want to talk to us after school. Is everything okay?"
"Yes Arnold, don't worry." she smiled reassuringly, hoping that he wouldn't ask her what she wanted to talk to them about.
"Oh good. So what do you want to talk to us about then? Is it something to do with school?" Phoebe's eyes brightened.
"Erm, yes! School. Nothing very important really." She went back to her work, hoping that this gesture would signal the end of their conversation, but Arnold wanted to know something else.
"Oh, okay. By the way Phoebe, do you know what's wrong with Helga? I tried asking her at lunch, but she didn't want to talk to me. I guess I'm worried about her." he frowned with concern and confusion.
"I'm worried about her too Arnold. But it's not my place to divulge information on her condition I'm afraid." she said firmly. Arnold looked disappointed. He sighed.
"Oh okay, I understand I guess. I just wish she would talk to me. I really do want to help her." his forehead knotted with worry for her.
"All I can say is, don't give up on her. She needs you more than you know Arnold." he seemed quite surprised by this new information.
"She does? She sure has a funny way of showing it!"
"That's just her way I suppose." Phoebe sighed. "You'll just have to trust me on this okay?"
"Okay Phoebe, if you say so. Thanks." he smiled and went back to his work. Phoebe did the same, silently trying to convince herself that what she was doing was for the best. She still had her doubts, and she knew that Helga would probably never talk to her again if she found out what her best friend was up to. But this was a chance she was willing to take. I've got to help her somehow!
"Hello Gerald!" she sang as she approached his table.
"Hey Pheebs! How you been?" he asked warmly, happy to see her. He gestured to the seat next to him and she smiled gratifyingly and sat down.
"I'm fine Gerald, thank you for asking. How are you?"
"I'm good. Better now!" he joked, winking at her and smiling. She blushed and giggled to herself. "So, what can I do for ya?" Phoebe composed herself. She still wasn't completely sure what she was going to say.
"I was wondering if there would be any possibility of you and Arnold meeting me at the City Park at about 4:00 this evening? I have something, er, important I wish to discuss with both of you."
"Sure thing babe! I'll tell Arnold when he comes back from... wherever he is. I'll be looking forward to it." he grinned and gave her another wink, making her cheeks redden again.
"Thank you Gerald! Oh, and do you think you could refrain from telling anyone about this?" he raised an eyebrow curiously. What is she up to?
"I guess... Well aren't you lil' Madam Mystery today!" he toyed. "I like it." Now it was Phoebe's turn to wink as she got up to leave.
"See you later!"
"Yeah, see ya!"
Phoebe smiled to herself, so far so good. And now to talk to Helga.
She watched as Arnold left their table before she went to sit back in her seat. Helga frowned angrily as she saw the petite girl return. "And where have you been? I know your game, leaving me alone with Football Head. Crimeny Phoebe! How could you?!" So much for fooling Helga G. Pataki!
"I'm sorry about that Helga. But I really did have something I needed to do." she stated innocently.
Helga raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She was curious, but Phoebe knew she could get around the question if she brushed it over quickly.
"Yeah..." Phoebe looked subtly over to Gerald, who smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, signalling that Arnold had agreed to Phoebe's plan. Perfect. "... Erm, Helga? I was wondering, are you doing anything after school today?"
Helga's suspicious look faded into an expressionless one. She sighed sorrowfully. "I doubt it. Like there is EVER anything to do around here! Man my life sucks!" she stated, spreading her arms out on the table and dropped her head down on them dramatically. Phoebe continued.
"Well, would you like to accompany me to the City Park? I'm sure we could find something interesting to do there." Phoebe gave an optimistic smile, hopeful of a positive answer. Helga lifted her head and looked blankly at her friend, pausing for effect.
"Yeah, we could prance around picking flowers and climbing trees, listening to the birds sing and enjoying the wondrous company of Mother Nature!" sarcasm held fast in her falsely cheerful voice, eyes wide. Again she looked flatly at Phoebe and folded her arms. "Oh please!" she rolled her eyes as Phoebe's hopeful expression dampened. "Is that the best idea you can come up with?!"
Phoebe didn't look impressed by her friend's little outburst. "Do you want to come or not? Yes or no." she said flatly.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! It's not like I have anything better to do anyway!"
"Good." Phoebe grinned, visibly pleased with herself. Everything was going according to plan.
"What are you so happy about? It's just the park for crying out load!" Helga asked, noticing Phoebe's happy expression.
"I know." she smiled slyly, biting into her sandwich. Helga was about to speak again, but gave up. She felt to tired and down right miserable to argue. She just rolled her eyes again and rested her head back on her arms. Her eyes stung and she had a headache.
A few minutes later, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch period. All of the children reluctantly shuffled back to class for the last lesson of the day, all still caught up with lunchtime conversations.
Mr Simmons' 4th grade class took their seats as Mr Simmons walked into the room. Helga was thankful that everyone quietened down much faster than they had at the beginning of the day. Her head was pounding.
Arnold had decided to sit at the desk next to Phoebe; he had some questions he wanted to ask her.
After Mr Simmons had explained the task that they were to complete on Elizabethan Poetry, everyone set to work, quiet conversations breaking out and creating a background sound in the room.
Arnold leaned across to talk to Phoebe.
"Hey Phoebe," he began, getting her attention. "Gerald told me that you want to talk to us after school. Is everything okay?"
"Yes Arnold, don't worry." she smiled reassuringly, hoping that he wouldn't ask her what she wanted to talk to them about.
"Oh good. So what do you want to talk to us about then? Is it something to do with school?" Phoebe's eyes brightened.
"Erm, yes! School. Nothing very important really." She went back to her work, hoping that this gesture would signal the end of their conversation, but Arnold wanted to know something else.
"Oh, okay. By the way Phoebe, do you know what's wrong with Helga? I tried asking her at lunch, but she didn't want to talk to me. I guess I'm worried about her." he frowned with concern and confusion.
"I'm worried about her too Arnold. But it's not my place to divulge information on her condition I'm afraid." she said firmly. Arnold looked disappointed. He sighed.
"Oh okay, I understand I guess. I just wish she would talk to me. I really do want to help her." his forehead knotted with worry for her.
"All I can say is, don't give up on her. She needs you more than you know Arnold." he seemed quite surprised by this new information.
"She does? She sure has a funny way of showing it!"
"That's just her way I suppose." Phoebe sighed. "You'll just have to trust me on this okay?"
"Okay Phoebe, if you say so. Thanks." he smiled and went back to his work. Phoebe did the same, silently trying to convince herself that what she was doing was for the best. She still had her doubts, and she knew that Helga would probably never talk to her again if she found out what her best friend was up to. But this was a chance she was willing to take. I've got to help her somehow!