Chapter 3: "A date? You've gotta be kidding me!"
Silas: "Hi Nadine! We've never really talked that much."
Nadine looked up from a box of dirt on her desk.
Nadine: "No, not really."
Silas: "Whacha doing there?"
Nadine: "Oh, just watching my farm grow a bit."
Silas looked over into the box. In it were a variety of plants and flowers, grasses, rocks, and several insects crawling about inside.
Silas: "Cool! How long have you had it?"
Nadine: "About a month. I've used several..." She stopped. "I know how you are. You're pretty chummy with everyone around here. But I know you're probably not interested in this."
Silas: "Not even true! That's the attitude you take with Rhonda. I've seen you two together. She doesn't even care, but I think it's cool."
Helga showed up then as the morning started. Not many kids had arrived yet, but Helga had some business to attend to, after shooing off Phoebe to attend to some menial task. She stood against the wall, watching Silas and Nadine.
Silas: "...so I used to go with my dad a few years ago to the lake each day to feed the geese and watch the squirrels. They'd all crowd around me. Wow, I miss that. I haven't really gotten around to the park here yet. What kinda animals hang out there? I haven't seen much in this city yet..."
Nadine: "Oh, I go there all the time! There's this grove swarming with butterflies that I like to visit, and there's chipmunks, and bluebirds. They're pretty friendly, and some will eat right out of your hand!"
Helga listened to the conversation intently, planning when she was going to enter... She didn't like the way it was turning, if her plan was to work at all.
Nadine: "The lake there's pretty neat anyway. Not by yourself..." She hesitated. "You wanna go there after school today? I could show you around..."
Helga: (coming over quickly) "Hey Silas! Come on! You told me you'd meet me outside!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him away. She spoke loud enough for Nadine to hear her. "I'm really looking forward to our... DATE this afternoon! I'm ever so glad you asked me! We have so much in common anyway!" She pulled him out of the classroom and behind a group of unused lockers.
Silas: "Hey! What gives? I never--"
Helga: "Can it! I know you never asked me!" She sighed, and inwardly grimaced. "So, you wanna meet later today for some, uhhhh, ice cream? Not with that creepy Jolly Olly Man, but in that fancy schmancy parlor up the street?"
Silas: (hesitating) "But you hate me! Why would you want to go anywhere with me? Besides you called me a moron!" He smiled. "Maybe I don't like you because of that."
Helga: "Oh please! That was just game talk! Besides, we're a lot alike, you and I."
Silas: "How?"
Helga: "Criminy, what's with all the questions? Well, for starters, you were almost the only person to stand up to me like that! Like Patti or Rhonda..."
Silas: "Well, I suppose that's true. But you're not as bad as you think you are, Helga."
Helga: "Yeah, whatever. Just go with me! You can hang out with Nadine another time."
Silas: (pausing a bit) "Sure, I guess so... Why not?"
Helga: "Great! See you there!" She turned and walked off down the corridor without so much as a backward glance.
Silas stood there for a moment, thinking about what just happened. Then the bell rang, and he dashed off to class. His normal seat was still behind Nadine, but she didn't turn around when he tried to talk to her again. Sighing, he gave up, and watched Mr. Simmons up front.
"Dear Arnold, I have been watching you from afar, and would love to meet you face to face. I know all about you, and I really like you. I want to talk to you soon, and was wondering if you'd like to meet me at Pierre's Fancy Ice Cream Shoppe across from the shopping mart at four o'clock today. I know this means cancelling your plans for the day, but I feel that it's high time we meet. Looking for you...
-YSA
Gerald: "Man, Arnold you get way too much of this stuff! First Ruth, then Lila, and now someone you don't even know!"
Arnold: "It's not me Gerald. This one's now stalking me!"
Gerald: "Ah ah! Remember, she said that wasn't the case!" He thumped Arnold on the shoulder. "You're too judgemental. Hah, stalker... But, as a friend, I say leave it alone. I saw this once, where someone held a major grudge... They never saw him again after she was through..."
Arnold: "Gerald. That was a movie. Funny how the title "Don't Follow Secret Admirers Because They Might Hold a Major Grudge Against You and Decide to Do Something Evil" fit perfectly with the story! I mean, he didn't even know what she did last summer!"
Gerald: "Last time you tried something like this, you got nothing. Remember both Cheese Festivals?"
Arnold: "School's out in twenty minutes. I can't stand her up." He sat back in her desk. "Who do you think it is?"
Gerald: "Man, I don't wannna know. Why can't people just tell what they're thinking? That leaves less chance of someone chasing you down the street with a knife. Like this, watch!" He turned toward Phoebe. "Hi Phoebe! You look really nice today. Just thought I'd tell you."
Phoebe: (blushing) "Thank you Gerald. Uh, you, uh... you too."
Gerald: "See Arnold? There's nothing to it!"
Arnold sat on the bottom step to PS 118 after school that day with Gerald, thinking about what he was going to do. He really liked Lila, but knew that she didn't return his affections. If there was someone who did have some sort of crush on him, he thought it would be best to see who they were. Then a thought came to his mind. Maybe it WAS Lila! Maybe after all this time, she finally started liking him liking him, instead of just liking him! It was worth a shot.
Arnold: "I'll be back soon anyway. See ya Gerald."
Gerald: "Sure man. Good luck." They gave their special handshake, and left. Gerald heading home, and Arnold walking toward the parlor.
Silas: "Hi Nadine! We've never really talked that much."
Nadine looked up from a box of dirt on her desk.
Nadine: "No, not really."
Silas: "Whacha doing there?"
Nadine: "Oh, just watching my farm grow a bit."
Silas looked over into the box. In it were a variety of plants and flowers, grasses, rocks, and several insects crawling about inside.
Silas: "Cool! How long have you had it?"
Nadine: "About a month. I've used several..." She stopped. "I know how you are. You're pretty chummy with everyone around here. But I know you're probably not interested in this."
Silas: "Not even true! That's the attitude you take with Rhonda. I've seen you two together. She doesn't even care, but I think it's cool."
Helga showed up then as the morning started. Not many kids had arrived yet, but Helga had some business to attend to, after shooing off Phoebe to attend to some menial task. She stood against the wall, watching Silas and Nadine.
Silas: "...so I used to go with my dad a few years ago to the lake each day to feed the geese and watch the squirrels. They'd all crowd around me. Wow, I miss that. I haven't really gotten around to the park here yet. What kinda animals hang out there? I haven't seen much in this city yet..."
Nadine: "Oh, I go there all the time! There's this grove swarming with butterflies that I like to visit, and there's chipmunks, and bluebirds. They're pretty friendly, and some will eat right out of your hand!"
Helga listened to the conversation intently, planning when she was going to enter... She didn't like the way it was turning, if her plan was to work at all.
Nadine: "The lake there's pretty neat anyway. Not by yourself..." She hesitated. "You wanna go there after school today? I could show you around..."
Helga: (coming over quickly) "Hey Silas! Come on! You told me you'd meet me outside!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him away. She spoke loud enough for Nadine to hear her. "I'm really looking forward to our... DATE this afternoon! I'm ever so glad you asked me! We have so much in common anyway!" She pulled him out of the classroom and behind a group of unused lockers.
Silas: "Hey! What gives? I never--"
Helga: "Can it! I know you never asked me!" She sighed, and inwardly grimaced. "So, you wanna meet later today for some, uhhhh, ice cream? Not with that creepy Jolly Olly Man, but in that fancy schmancy parlor up the street?"
Silas: (hesitating) "But you hate me! Why would you want to go anywhere with me? Besides you called me a moron!" He smiled. "Maybe I don't like you because of that."
Helga: "Oh please! That was just game talk! Besides, we're a lot alike, you and I."
Silas: "How?"
Helga: "Criminy, what's with all the questions? Well, for starters, you were almost the only person to stand up to me like that! Like Patti or Rhonda..."
Silas: "Well, I suppose that's true. But you're not as bad as you think you are, Helga."
Helga: "Yeah, whatever. Just go with me! You can hang out with Nadine another time."
Silas: (pausing a bit) "Sure, I guess so... Why not?"
Helga: "Great! See you there!" She turned and walked off down the corridor without so much as a backward glance.
Silas stood there for a moment, thinking about what just happened. Then the bell rang, and he dashed off to class. His normal seat was still behind Nadine, but she didn't turn around when he tried to talk to her again. Sighing, he gave up, and watched Mr. Simmons up front.
"Dear Arnold, I have been watching you from afar, and would love to meet you face to face. I know all about you, and I really like you. I want to talk to you soon, and was wondering if you'd like to meet me at Pierre's Fancy Ice Cream Shoppe across from the shopping mart at four o'clock today. I know this means cancelling your plans for the day, but I feel that it's high time we meet. Looking for you...
-YSA
Gerald: "Man, Arnold you get way too much of this stuff! First Ruth, then Lila, and now someone you don't even know!"
Arnold: "It's not me Gerald. This one's now stalking me!"
Gerald: "Ah ah! Remember, she said that wasn't the case!" He thumped Arnold on the shoulder. "You're too judgemental. Hah, stalker... But, as a friend, I say leave it alone. I saw this once, where someone held a major grudge... They never saw him again after she was through..."
Arnold: "Gerald. That was a movie. Funny how the title "Don't Follow Secret Admirers Because They Might Hold a Major Grudge Against You and Decide to Do Something Evil" fit perfectly with the story! I mean, he didn't even know what she did last summer!"
Gerald: "Last time you tried something like this, you got nothing. Remember both Cheese Festivals?"
Arnold: "School's out in twenty minutes. I can't stand her up." He sat back in her desk. "Who do you think it is?"
Gerald: "Man, I don't wannna know. Why can't people just tell what they're thinking? That leaves less chance of someone chasing you down the street with a knife. Like this, watch!" He turned toward Phoebe. "Hi Phoebe! You look really nice today. Just thought I'd tell you."
Phoebe: (blushing) "Thank you Gerald. Uh, you, uh... you too."
Gerald: "See Arnold? There's nothing to it!"
Arnold sat on the bottom step to PS 118 after school that day with Gerald, thinking about what he was going to do. He really liked Lila, but knew that she didn't return his affections. If there was someone who did have some sort of crush on him, he thought it would be best to see who they were. Then a thought came to his mind. Maybe it WAS Lila! Maybe after all this time, she finally started liking him liking him, instead of just liking him! It was worth a shot.
Arnold: "I'll be back soon anyway. See ya Gerald."
Gerald: "Sure man. Good luck." They gave their special handshake, and left. Gerald heading home, and Arnold walking toward the parlor.