Chapter 5: "It seemed like it would work!!!"
They arrived at Silas' house first as darkness started falling. He stopped at the stoop, and opened the door.
Silas: "Well, this is my house. I guess I'll see ya 'round."
Helga: "Sure." She looked down at the pink book in her hands. "Hey Silas."
Silas: "Yeah?"
Helga: "Thanks."
He winked at her, and went inside. Helga started walking toward her house, thinking about what she would do the next day...
The next day...
Silas hadn't been seen at school yet. Helga took her seat across from Phoebe, quiet as she watched Arnold and Gerald take their seats. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary this day, and she sighed. Perhaps she could go about it normally, with no thoughts as to what had happened. Phoebe turned to her.
Phoebe: "Helga? Are you feeling all right?"
Helga: "Huh? Oh yeah sure. I'm just thinking..." Her best friend smiled.
Phoebe: "About yesterday?"
Helga: "What? What are you talking about?"
Phoebe: "Don't you know? The whole school is talking about it! How'd your date go yesterday?"
Helga: (breathes a sigh of relief) "Oh that! It wasn't really a date. We just had a little ice cream, that's all. And why is everyone talking about it?"
Phoebe: "What a romance, is all. Helga Pataki is swept off her feet by the school charmer! No one would have thought."
Helga: "WHAT! Who's saying that? I'll show 'em!"
Phoebe: "No need to get angry Helga. It's just the usual gossip going about. I'm sure it's nothing if you say it isn't."
Gerald: "So Arnold? How'd it go?"
Arnold: "Not well. She never showed up. I must have been stupid to fall for that anyway."
Gerald: "Nah. Forget about it, Arnold. I'm sure there must've been a reason..."
Arnold: "It must have been a joke! I waited outside for twenty minutes. No one went in or out except for Silas and Helga."
Helga's eyes went up when she heard her name, and she looked at Arnold. She was about to dispense her usual evil look toward him, but thought better of it, and simply smiled in a friendly manner and turned back toward Phoebe.
Gerald: "Silas? And Helga?! Man, I thought they hated each other!"
Arnold: "They were just sitting there having ice cream together. I guess they're friends now..."
Helga and Arnold bumped into each other again in the hallway. Yet again, they fell to the floor, and Helga jumped up first.
Helga: "Arnold!"
Arnold: "Oh, sorry Helga. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going..."
Helga: "Yeah! Well, just..." She stopped. "That's all right, Arnold. It's my fault..." She brushed herself off, and walked away. Arnold looked after her, wondering why she didn't call him a yellow-haired shrimp, or football head, or something like that. Oh well. He continued down the hall toward his locker.
Silas: "Hey Arnold!"
Arnold: (turns around) "Oh. Hey Silas."
Silas: "Whatsamatter? You sound so upset."
Arnold: "Nothing I guess. I'm just so confused."
Silas: "About what?"
Arnold: "It's nothing, really." Silas stopped him.
Silas: "Wait! I think I know. You were expecting Helga in that parlor by herself, huh?"
Arnold: "What? No! I was just surprised to see her with you. I thought you two didn't get along too well."
Silas: "Um... Well... Who were you expecting, then? I thought she had asked you there..."
Arnold: "Not exactly." They started walking toward the cafeteria, and Arnold took out his letter. "Someone left me this yesterday. I was hoping it would have been Lila, but I guess I was just disappointed when I saw Helga instead."
Silas: "So, it's not because of... me?"
Arnold: "Why should I care? I know what you're getting at. You think I'm upset because you and Helga are, well, friends?" Silence. "Actually, for about half a second there, I had thought it was Helga who wrote it when I saw her. Then I thought back on how much she hates me, and it slipped away." He smiled.
Silas: "Us? Friends?" He broke out into hysterical laughter. "She can't stand me!" He paused there for a moment. "I, uh, I invited her to, uh, be my partner... Yeah, um, you know for that project Mr. Simmons assigned? Heh heh... Uh, you really don't think it could have been her who wrote it?"
Arnold: "I'm positive. It was probably some prank some of the others were playing on me... Oh well."
Silas: "So you have something for Lila?"
Arnold: "Well, a little. I really started liking her about a month ago. But she never liked me back."
Silas: "Oh, imagine that." As though he didn't know. "Well, you know what they say... Well, they don't actually say it, but it does sound cool. Hey Lila!" He turned toward Arnold as Lila approached. "I guess I should be leaving now..." He turned toward Helga's table after getting his lunch.
Arnold: "Wait! What were you going to say?"
Silas: "Oh, that. I'll tell you later."
Helga: "What do you want?" Silas sat down next to Phoebe.
Silas: "It's a free country! I can sit where I want!" He nudged Phoebe. "Look at them, Phoebe. Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" He looked at Arnold talking to Lila. "Or maybe it's just because Gerald's not here yet..."
Phoebe: "Oh? I hadn't noticed."
Silas: "Which part?"
Phoebe: "Oh, um, the first I mean."
Silas: "Helga! I thought I saw someone putting a nasty letter into your locker as I passed. Why don't YOU go check it out?"
Helga: "WHAT? I'll show him! Mess with my locker, will he?" She got up and dashed out of the cafeteria.
Silas: (smiling) "I'll be back soon." He left his lunch and went after her.
They both arrived at Helga's locker. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Helga: "You set this up, didn't you? I thought I told you to butt out of my life!"
Silas: "I had to. We need to talk."
Helga: "There's nothing to talk about! You know what's happening, and you're helping him get Lila to like him!"
Silas: "Oh that... I didn't do anything. I was just trying to make conversation. As for yesterday, I want you to forget what I said. You need to continue to torture Arnold like always."
Helga: "What?"
Silas: "That's it. I've got a plan." He started back to the cafeteria. "See ya!"
Helga: "Criminy! What have I got to do to get him to go away? What's this stupid plan of his anyway?"
Gerald: "Ah ha! What does Silas have against Arnold? He plays all nice all the time! What's with him?"
Helga: "Gerald! How much did you hear?"
Gerald: "I heard enough! He's trying to get at Arnold for something! Why else would he tell you to do that?"
Helga: "Nevermind! He, uh, he just thought I was getting a little soft, that's all. No move it, hair-boy! I got a lunch getting cold!" She shoved past him and headed back to her food.
She entered and saw Silas chatting with Arnold again across from her and Phoebe's table. Sitting down with her friend, she ate and tried to listen to what they were saying.
Silas: "So Arnold. I was thinking. What if you just started getting her back?"
Arnold: "What would that do? All she'd do it get mad, and do worse things to me."
Silas: "Trust me! This'll work! Just like I did, if she starts seeing that you'll stand up to her, she'll finally respect you."
Arnold: "I don't know about that." Silas ignored him, however, and threw his apple core at Helga's head. She turned around suddenly. Silas pointed to Arnold.
Helga: "What was that for, football-head?"
Arnold started to answer, but was elbowed in the ribs.
Arnold: "It wasn't... oof! I mean, uh, yeah! I did that! That was for knocking me down in the hallway!"
Helga: "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" She moved to the other side of the table. "Phoebe, take a note. Oh, yeah this'll be good."
Phoebe: "I don't know, Helga..." She piped down with an angry look from Helga. "Writing..."
Arnold looked at Silas.
Silas: "Trust me." He winked, and went to intercept Gerald as he entered the lunchroom.
After lunch, Arnold felt the first effects of Helga's retaliation to Silas' apple. Everytime Mr. Simmons turned to write on the board, a spitwad struck him the back of the head. He tried to ignore it at first, but Silas saw it, and looked at him as though to urge him to hit her back. It would look too conspicuous for Arnold to turn around and throw them back at her, so he tried something else. A light snap was heard as he broke the lead to his pencil.
Mr. Simmons: "And that's why Geometry goes back so far into the past, class."
When Mr. Simmons turned back to the board to continue his lesson, Arnold got up to head to the pencil sharpener. It was two seats behind Helga, and he slowly turned the handle until Mr. Simmons again turned around. Then, he pulled out his straw, and blew a spitwad right into the back of her neck. She turned around angrily, but he looked up into the ceiling like nothing had happened.
Helga: "I'll show him!" She readied another spitwad for when he sat down, but when she felt another cold one hit her again, she turned quickly and threw one back without noticing that Mr. Simmons had turned around again.
Mr. Simmons: "Helga!"
She turned back to the front quickly and smiled, but he was looking sternly at her.
Mr. Simmons: "I'm afraid that'll be detention after school today, Miss Pataki." He wrote her up, and dropped the slip on her desk. She ground her teeth together in anger when she heard Silas chuckle from his seat, and saw Arnold smile at her as he went back to his seat.
Silas: "That was good, Arnold." They were walking down the hall toward the entrance to PS 118 after school that day.
Gerald: "Yeah, Arnold. I think you're finally learning something."
Arnold: "I don't know. She seemed really mad."
Silas: "She'll get over it."
Helga: "That's right! I'll get over it!" She appeared next to the door as they exited it and dropped an enormous water balloon on Arnold's head, drenching him. He simply continued walking.
Arnold: "Thanks Helga."
Helga: "Anytime, you little yellow-haired shrimp! If you even think of trying something like that again, you'll regret it!" She laughed at him as he brushed back his hair, and walked back into the school for her detention.
Silas: "We'll get her back."
Arnold: "Silas, I really don't think it's such a good idea to taunt her like this. She'll probably start doing worse things than this."
Silas: "So what! You have a shower at home, don't you? She can't do anything a little water won't cure."
Arnold: "That's not the point. It was different when it was simple little pranks she was pulling. This could get out of hand."
Silas: "Arnold, I'm telling you, she won't respect you unless you fight her back."
Arnold: "Forget it. If she is going to be mean to everyone, then maybe she doesn't want their respect."
Silas bit his lip to keep from responding to that. If he accidentally spilled Helga's secret, then he be in serious trouble from her.
Gerald: "Man, I think I could live with it! If a water balloon is what I'll get for the chance to see her face after something like that, it'll be worth it."
Silas: "Well Arnold. If you don't want to, then that's your choice." He turned back toward the school.
Arnold: "Where're you going?"
Silas: "To tell her that it was me who told you to do it. And that it was me who threw the apple at her." He walked back in.
Gerald: "Arnold, I think he's setting you up for something."
Arnold: "What?"
Gerald: "I heard him telling Helga in the hallway that she should torture you more than she was before."
Arnold: "He said that? Why would he do such a thing?"
Gerald: "I don't know. I asked Helga about it, but she made up some lame excuse about getting too soft on you, or something. I'd watch out if I were you."
Arnold: "I'm sure it's nothing." Gerald turned around. "Now where are you going?"
Gerald: "Stay out here. I'm gonna go see what he's up to."
Arnold: "Gerald. I don't think it's necessary to spy on him."
Gerald: "Hey, leave this to me." He went back in after him. Arnold sighed, and waited behind the steps.
Silas: "Gerald! What are you doing here?" Gerald had walked up to Silas as he was doing something at Helga's locker. Silas had quickly turned around as Gerald walked up to him.
Gerald: "I could ask you the same question. I thought you were going to tell Helga that it wasn't Arnold? The detention room is that way." He pointed back down the hall.
Silas: "Yes, well... I was, uh... I couldn't get to her. Principal Warts was in there, and he said I couldn't talk to her.... So I decided to leave her a note, and go home. Gotta go!" He started back toward the entrance.
Gerald: "Wait a minute! I know what you're up to."
Silas: "Huh?"
Gerald: "I heard you and Helga talking. Why did you tell her to keep being mean to Arnold?"
Silas: "Me? Why would I do that? I think you got the wrong guy, Gerald."
Gerald: "I don't think so. Now tell what you're planning for him."
Silas: "Nothing! I don't have anything to do with Helga or Arnold! All I did was meet her yesterday for an ice cream! That's it!"
Gerald: "You and Helga? I thought you two hated each other!"
Silas: "We do. I just wanted to know how, uh... That is... Mr. Simmons paired us and Phoebe together for that project, since I was the odd numbered kid in the class... Yeah, now I remember. Ha ha ha..."
Gerald: "What does this have to do with Arnold? Why would you want him and Helga against each other even more?"
Silas: "I'm trying to help them both! Once Helga realizes that Arnold isn't going to take her pranks anymore, they'll get along, right? It worked for me, remember at the field?"
Gerald: "You have a point..."
Silas: "Yeah, see? Now, I've got something to do now, so I'll be seeing you." He ran off down the hall, passing Arnold on the steps.
Gerald: "Well, I didn't get anything more that we already knew, Arnold."
Arnold: "That's okay Gerald. Like I said, I'm sure it's nothing."
They arrived at Silas' house first as darkness started falling. He stopped at the stoop, and opened the door.
Silas: "Well, this is my house. I guess I'll see ya 'round."
Helga: "Sure." She looked down at the pink book in her hands. "Hey Silas."
Silas: "Yeah?"
Helga: "Thanks."
He winked at her, and went inside. Helga started walking toward her house, thinking about what she would do the next day...
The next day...
Silas hadn't been seen at school yet. Helga took her seat across from Phoebe, quiet as she watched Arnold and Gerald take their seats. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary this day, and she sighed. Perhaps she could go about it normally, with no thoughts as to what had happened. Phoebe turned to her.
Phoebe: "Helga? Are you feeling all right?"
Helga: "Huh? Oh yeah sure. I'm just thinking..." Her best friend smiled.
Phoebe: "About yesterday?"
Helga: "What? What are you talking about?"
Phoebe: "Don't you know? The whole school is talking about it! How'd your date go yesterday?"
Helga: (breathes a sigh of relief) "Oh that! It wasn't really a date. We just had a little ice cream, that's all. And why is everyone talking about it?"
Phoebe: "What a romance, is all. Helga Pataki is swept off her feet by the school charmer! No one would have thought."
Helga: "WHAT! Who's saying that? I'll show 'em!"
Phoebe: "No need to get angry Helga. It's just the usual gossip going about. I'm sure it's nothing if you say it isn't."
Gerald: "So Arnold? How'd it go?"
Arnold: "Not well. She never showed up. I must have been stupid to fall for that anyway."
Gerald: "Nah. Forget about it, Arnold. I'm sure there must've been a reason..."
Arnold: "It must have been a joke! I waited outside for twenty minutes. No one went in or out except for Silas and Helga."
Helga's eyes went up when she heard her name, and she looked at Arnold. She was about to dispense her usual evil look toward him, but thought better of it, and simply smiled in a friendly manner and turned back toward Phoebe.
Gerald: "Silas? And Helga?! Man, I thought they hated each other!"
Arnold: "They were just sitting there having ice cream together. I guess they're friends now..."
Helga and Arnold bumped into each other again in the hallway. Yet again, they fell to the floor, and Helga jumped up first.
Helga: "Arnold!"
Arnold: "Oh, sorry Helga. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going..."
Helga: "Yeah! Well, just..." She stopped. "That's all right, Arnold. It's my fault..." She brushed herself off, and walked away. Arnold looked after her, wondering why she didn't call him a yellow-haired shrimp, or football head, or something like that. Oh well. He continued down the hall toward his locker.
Silas: "Hey Arnold!"
Arnold: (turns around) "Oh. Hey Silas."
Silas: "Whatsamatter? You sound so upset."
Arnold: "Nothing I guess. I'm just so confused."
Silas: "About what?"
Arnold: "It's nothing, really." Silas stopped him.
Silas: "Wait! I think I know. You were expecting Helga in that parlor by herself, huh?"
Arnold: "What? No! I was just surprised to see her with you. I thought you two didn't get along too well."
Silas: "Um... Well... Who were you expecting, then? I thought she had asked you there..."
Arnold: "Not exactly." They started walking toward the cafeteria, and Arnold took out his letter. "Someone left me this yesterday. I was hoping it would have been Lila, but I guess I was just disappointed when I saw Helga instead."
Silas: "So, it's not because of... me?"
Arnold: "Why should I care? I know what you're getting at. You think I'm upset because you and Helga are, well, friends?" Silence. "Actually, for about half a second there, I had thought it was Helga who wrote it when I saw her. Then I thought back on how much she hates me, and it slipped away." He smiled.
Silas: "Us? Friends?" He broke out into hysterical laughter. "She can't stand me!" He paused there for a moment. "I, uh, I invited her to, uh, be my partner... Yeah, um, you know for that project Mr. Simmons assigned? Heh heh... Uh, you really don't think it could have been her who wrote it?"
Arnold: "I'm positive. It was probably some prank some of the others were playing on me... Oh well."
Silas: "So you have something for Lila?"
Arnold: "Well, a little. I really started liking her about a month ago. But she never liked me back."
Silas: "Oh, imagine that." As though he didn't know. "Well, you know what they say... Well, they don't actually say it, but it does sound cool. Hey Lila!" He turned toward Arnold as Lila approached. "I guess I should be leaving now..." He turned toward Helga's table after getting his lunch.
Arnold: "Wait! What were you going to say?"
Silas: "Oh, that. I'll tell you later."
Helga: "What do you want?" Silas sat down next to Phoebe.
Silas: "It's a free country! I can sit where I want!" He nudged Phoebe. "Look at them, Phoebe. Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" He looked at Arnold talking to Lila. "Or maybe it's just because Gerald's not here yet..."
Phoebe: "Oh? I hadn't noticed."
Silas: "Which part?"
Phoebe: "Oh, um, the first I mean."
Silas: "Helga! I thought I saw someone putting a nasty letter into your locker as I passed. Why don't YOU go check it out?"
Helga: "WHAT? I'll show him! Mess with my locker, will he?" She got up and dashed out of the cafeteria.
Silas: (smiling) "I'll be back soon." He left his lunch and went after her.
They both arrived at Helga's locker. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Helga: "You set this up, didn't you? I thought I told you to butt out of my life!"
Silas: "I had to. We need to talk."
Helga: "There's nothing to talk about! You know what's happening, and you're helping him get Lila to like him!"
Silas: "Oh that... I didn't do anything. I was just trying to make conversation. As for yesterday, I want you to forget what I said. You need to continue to torture Arnold like always."
Helga: "What?"
Silas: "That's it. I've got a plan." He started back to the cafeteria. "See ya!"
Helga: "Criminy! What have I got to do to get him to go away? What's this stupid plan of his anyway?"
Gerald: "Ah ha! What does Silas have against Arnold? He plays all nice all the time! What's with him?"
Helga: "Gerald! How much did you hear?"
Gerald: "I heard enough! He's trying to get at Arnold for something! Why else would he tell you to do that?"
Helga: "Nevermind! He, uh, he just thought I was getting a little soft, that's all. No move it, hair-boy! I got a lunch getting cold!" She shoved past him and headed back to her food.
She entered and saw Silas chatting with Arnold again across from her and Phoebe's table. Sitting down with her friend, she ate and tried to listen to what they were saying.
Silas: "So Arnold. I was thinking. What if you just started getting her back?"
Arnold: "What would that do? All she'd do it get mad, and do worse things to me."
Silas: "Trust me! This'll work! Just like I did, if she starts seeing that you'll stand up to her, she'll finally respect you."
Arnold: "I don't know about that." Silas ignored him, however, and threw his apple core at Helga's head. She turned around suddenly. Silas pointed to Arnold.
Helga: "What was that for, football-head?"
Arnold started to answer, but was elbowed in the ribs.
Arnold: "It wasn't... oof! I mean, uh, yeah! I did that! That was for knocking me down in the hallway!"
Helga: "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" She moved to the other side of the table. "Phoebe, take a note. Oh, yeah this'll be good."
Phoebe: "I don't know, Helga..." She piped down with an angry look from Helga. "Writing..."
Arnold looked at Silas.
Silas: "Trust me." He winked, and went to intercept Gerald as he entered the lunchroom.
After lunch, Arnold felt the first effects of Helga's retaliation to Silas' apple. Everytime Mr. Simmons turned to write on the board, a spitwad struck him the back of the head. He tried to ignore it at first, but Silas saw it, and looked at him as though to urge him to hit her back. It would look too conspicuous for Arnold to turn around and throw them back at her, so he tried something else. A light snap was heard as he broke the lead to his pencil.
Mr. Simmons: "And that's why Geometry goes back so far into the past, class."
When Mr. Simmons turned back to the board to continue his lesson, Arnold got up to head to the pencil sharpener. It was two seats behind Helga, and he slowly turned the handle until Mr. Simmons again turned around. Then, he pulled out his straw, and blew a spitwad right into the back of her neck. She turned around angrily, but he looked up into the ceiling like nothing had happened.
Helga: "I'll show him!" She readied another spitwad for when he sat down, but when she felt another cold one hit her again, she turned quickly and threw one back without noticing that Mr. Simmons had turned around again.
Mr. Simmons: "Helga!"
She turned back to the front quickly and smiled, but he was looking sternly at her.
Mr. Simmons: "I'm afraid that'll be detention after school today, Miss Pataki." He wrote her up, and dropped the slip on her desk. She ground her teeth together in anger when she heard Silas chuckle from his seat, and saw Arnold smile at her as he went back to his seat.
Silas: "That was good, Arnold." They were walking down the hall toward the entrance to PS 118 after school that day.
Gerald: "Yeah, Arnold. I think you're finally learning something."
Arnold: "I don't know. She seemed really mad."
Silas: "She'll get over it."
Helga: "That's right! I'll get over it!" She appeared next to the door as they exited it and dropped an enormous water balloon on Arnold's head, drenching him. He simply continued walking.
Arnold: "Thanks Helga."
Helga: "Anytime, you little yellow-haired shrimp! If you even think of trying something like that again, you'll regret it!" She laughed at him as he brushed back his hair, and walked back into the school for her detention.
Silas: "We'll get her back."
Arnold: "Silas, I really don't think it's such a good idea to taunt her like this. She'll probably start doing worse things than this."
Silas: "So what! You have a shower at home, don't you? She can't do anything a little water won't cure."
Arnold: "That's not the point. It was different when it was simple little pranks she was pulling. This could get out of hand."
Silas: "Arnold, I'm telling you, she won't respect you unless you fight her back."
Arnold: "Forget it. If she is going to be mean to everyone, then maybe she doesn't want their respect."
Silas bit his lip to keep from responding to that. If he accidentally spilled Helga's secret, then he be in serious trouble from her.
Gerald: "Man, I think I could live with it! If a water balloon is what I'll get for the chance to see her face after something like that, it'll be worth it."
Silas: "Well Arnold. If you don't want to, then that's your choice." He turned back toward the school.
Arnold: "Where're you going?"
Silas: "To tell her that it was me who told you to do it. And that it was me who threw the apple at her." He walked back in.
Gerald: "Arnold, I think he's setting you up for something."
Arnold: "What?"
Gerald: "I heard him telling Helga in the hallway that she should torture you more than she was before."
Arnold: "He said that? Why would he do such a thing?"
Gerald: "I don't know. I asked Helga about it, but she made up some lame excuse about getting too soft on you, or something. I'd watch out if I were you."
Arnold: "I'm sure it's nothing." Gerald turned around. "Now where are you going?"
Gerald: "Stay out here. I'm gonna go see what he's up to."
Arnold: "Gerald. I don't think it's necessary to spy on him."
Gerald: "Hey, leave this to me." He went back in after him. Arnold sighed, and waited behind the steps.
Silas: "Gerald! What are you doing here?" Gerald had walked up to Silas as he was doing something at Helga's locker. Silas had quickly turned around as Gerald walked up to him.
Gerald: "I could ask you the same question. I thought you were going to tell Helga that it wasn't Arnold? The detention room is that way." He pointed back down the hall.
Silas: "Yes, well... I was, uh... I couldn't get to her. Principal Warts was in there, and he said I couldn't talk to her.... So I decided to leave her a note, and go home. Gotta go!" He started back toward the entrance.
Gerald: "Wait a minute! I know what you're up to."
Silas: "Huh?"
Gerald: "I heard you and Helga talking. Why did you tell her to keep being mean to Arnold?"
Silas: "Me? Why would I do that? I think you got the wrong guy, Gerald."
Gerald: "I don't think so. Now tell what you're planning for him."
Silas: "Nothing! I don't have anything to do with Helga or Arnold! All I did was meet her yesterday for an ice cream! That's it!"
Gerald: "You and Helga? I thought you two hated each other!"
Silas: "We do. I just wanted to know how, uh... That is... Mr. Simmons paired us and Phoebe together for that project, since I was the odd numbered kid in the class... Yeah, now I remember. Ha ha ha..."
Gerald: "What does this have to do with Arnold? Why would you want him and Helga against each other even more?"
Silas: "I'm trying to help them both! Once Helga realizes that Arnold isn't going to take her pranks anymore, they'll get along, right? It worked for me, remember at the field?"
Gerald: "You have a point..."
Silas: "Yeah, see? Now, I've got something to do now, so I'll be seeing you." He ran off down the hall, passing Arnold on the steps.
Gerald: "Well, I didn't get anything more that we already knew, Arnold."
Arnold: "That's okay Gerald. Like I said, I'm sure it's nothing."