Well, here's the next part of the Brainy Saga. I appreciate the
reviews I've been
getting so far; I guess a cliffhanger works. Thanks, jodylovesanimals,
Jess, Hoobitatheart,
and the smile. Houkanno Yuuhou, I didn't know that, but I've since found
out more about
Henry Livingston. And Starry Nights, I thank you for your reviews; they
mean a lot to me.
I realize things are going a bit slow, but I've been researching what the
Patakis say when
Olga's at home, the Big Sis episode in particular. Hey, I do try to keep
people in character as much as I can. It should pick up now, as I know
exactly what I want to happen. As usual, please read and review.
Hey Arnold! is created & / or owned by Craig Bartlett, Snee-Oosh, & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned in turn by Viacom (I never said I was creative with disclaimers, did I?)
It's now evening, almost time for supper at the Pataki house. Helga was in her room, "sick", but the voices of the other members of the family could be heard from outside:
"Surprise!"
"Welcome home, honey!"
"Mummy! Daddy! And where's my baby sister?"
"The girl?"
"Ohhhh, um, she's sick with something."
"OH BOO HOOOOO!"
"Eh, she'll bounce back; she's a Pataki!"
"Well, then, is my little sis here?"
"Um, Lolly? No, she's not here yet."
And so forth.
A few minutes later, from opposite directions, two young ladies approach the Pataki brownstone.
One of the ladies --- the one wearing glasses --- would have been there sooner, but her date ran later that she'd anticipated. She's still wiping off ice cream from around her mouth.
The one with the pigtails is carrying a box.
Neither one is focusing on where they are going or what is in front of her. Which explains the collision.
"Oof!"
"Lila?"
"Phoebe?"
"What are you... oh, that's right. You're meeting Olga."
"Yes, I am ever so certain that I am. As certain as I am that you're a bit late in getting Helga's homework to her."
"Yes, well, I got held up elsewhere."
"Oh. Here, let me help you up." By this time Lila had recovered from being knocked to the ground, and was reaching out a hand for Phoebe, who responded in kind and soon found her footing.
"Thank you. Oh, can't forget this." As she said this, Phoebe reached down for Helga's homework, thankful that there was no wind at the time. Then she noticed the box at Lila's feet. "What's that, if I may ask?"
Lila had forgotten about the box, and once she was reminded of it her face clouded with worry. "Oh, I, I don't know. I only know that it came to me from Big Sis Little Sis, and that I was to bring it here with me and Olga and I were to open it together." She picked it up. "I do hope it wasn't damaged."
Phoebe's hands reached out for it. "May I?" Lila handed it over to Phoebe, who held it to her ear & shook it. "Hmm, doesn't sound like anything is broken. If this came in the mail I would surmise that BSLS made sure to include sufficient packaging material to guard against just the sort of unfortunate incident we have just encountered."
"I hope so, Phoebe."
Finally the two of them turned & walked toward the Pataki front door.
"After you, Phoebe?"
"You're expected. I'm not."
"Well, if you insist." knock knock
The door opens. "Little sis?"
"I'm oh so certain that I am, Olga."
"Please, come in, Lila."
"Thank you Olga." Then Lila remembered her colleague. "Oh, this is Phoebe, Helga's best friend. She has brought her homework."
"Oh, that's so wonderful. I was starting to worry that Helga didn't have any friends. Helga is in her room, Phoebe. You can go on up. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Um, thanks anyway, Olga, but I need to save my appetite for when I get home."
"Oh. Well, all right." Then Olga's attention returned to Lila. "What's in the box, little sis?"
But by then they were out of earshot of Phoebe, who was standing in front of the door to Helga's room within her first minute in the house.
knock knock "Helga?"
No response.
"Helga?" KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Still no response.
Most curious, Phoebe thought. Usually I at least hear something from her, or at the very least hear her moving around in there; but nothing, not even snoring. By now her ear was to the door. Well, she has to get her homework; I'll just have to risk invading her privacy.
And so she opened the door to Helga's room without her okkay. She soon found that there was no way she could have gotten it, because Helga wasn't there to give it. Phoebe found herself standing in an empty room.
Phoebe's mind teemed with questions and doubts, but as she was alone she wasn't about to give voice to them. Some people think it's perfectly normal for one to talk to oneself, but Phoebe Heyerdahl wasn't one of them. She deposited Helga's homework on the bed, then left the way she came without another sound.
But as she descended the stairs, she wasn't sufficiently quiet to be unheard.
"Phoebe?"
ulp! "Yes, Olga."
"You were only up there for a minute. Was my baby sister asleep?"
"Um, she wasn't up, and I didn't disturb her."
"Well, I guess she needs her sleep. I must remember to take her a plate later; a girl her age needs to eat."
"Phoebe, are you oh so certain you can't stay for supper? Olga made Cornish pasties and bubble & squeak."
"I'm going through my British Isles phase." Olga filled in.
"Oh, no, I really need to wait until I get home. My dinner is waiting for me there."
"Well, don't let us keep you, then." And with that, Olga's attention returned to Lila again.
But as Phoebe was reaching the door she heard a knock on the other side. As she was going there anyway, she opened it. There stood a man in the uniform of a telegraph message company.
"Yes?"
"I have a telegram for a Phoebe Heyerdahl, and a telegram for a Lila Sawyer, both at this address."
Several types of surprise registered in Phoebe's conscious & subconscious. "Well, I'm Phoebe Heyerdahl, and the other person might be here. Lila!"
Lila came running in response to Phoebe's call. "Yes, Phoebe?"
"Your name Lila Sawyer, miss?" inquired the man.
"Why, yes, I am oh so sure it is."
"I have a telegram for you, miss." he said, handing it over to her. Phoebe already had hers and was signing for it. Lila followed suit, then the man left and the door closed. The two of them then looked at their telegrams and each other.
"So your last name is Sawyer?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"
"It never came up. But I'm not thinking of that right now; what I would like to know is how that man knew that you and I would be here?"
"I have no idea."
Several minutes passed in silence.
"Little sis?" cooed a voice from the kitchen.
"I will be there in a minute. I'm just saying good-bye to Phoebe." Lila responded.
"Before I leave, we might as well see what our telegrams say." Phoebe suggested.
After an attempt at a response, which did not survive her lips, Lila nodded agreement. The next minute passed in silence broken only by a double ripping of envelopes and handling of two pieces of paper. Two pairs of eyes concentrated on the texts in front of them, then rose to meet each other, filled with puzzlement.
"'The time is near; be ready tomorrow'." Phoebe quoted.
"That is exactly what my message said." Lila affirmed.
And we have no way of knowing who sent it or how whoever it was knew you or I would be at this house tonight."
Lila nodded again. The concern both of them had now bordered on fear.
"Little sis?"
Startled into action, Phoebe folded her telegram, then put it in her purse. "You'd better get back in there."
Similarly affected, Lila nodded for the third time in as many minutes. "Coming, Olga!" she responded, mouthing a 'good-bye' to Phoebe before turning on her heels and making a beeline for the dining room.
Phoebe walked out of the house and to the bus stop. When the bus arrived she boarded, paid the fare, and dropped into the first empty seat she saw.
On the way to her neighborhood, she kept an eye out for her stop, but the rest of her mind was occupied with questions about the telegrams, the identity of the sender, and one other question:
If Helga wasn't in her room, where was she?
Meanwhile, at PS118, a disturbance is occurring. An open skylight bears witness to an intruder's presence, as does the door to Mr. Simmons' classroom. From within, a voice can be heard.
"'Pay It On Ahead to the Front'?" What, are we going to see a movie tomorrow? Pfeh, wonder what the ol' throw pillow has in mind now, and on the last day of school! Criminy! --- What's this? 'Summer Project'? Hm, might need to know about this. ---So we're to be grouped in threes this time. Better make sure I'm in the right three; time for the usual Machiavellian scheming."
A bit of scribbling was heard, followed by things being returned to where they belong.
"Perfect. Now to beat it before I'm missed."
And so the trespasser leaves.
Unknown to said trespasser, there is a second illegitimate presence, hiding in a broom closet. As soon as the former leaves, the latter emerges, and collects from the catch to the closet the tape which insured he / she wouldn't get locked in. Then this second prowler repeats the former's actions en route to, within, & en route from Simmons' room, although without the vocal effects. Well, without coherent vocal effects at least.
Hey Arnold! is created & / or owned by Craig Bartlett, Snee-Oosh, & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned in turn by Viacom (I never said I was creative with disclaimers, did I?)
It's now evening, almost time for supper at the Pataki house. Helga was in her room, "sick", but the voices of the other members of the family could be heard from outside:
"Surprise!"
"Welcome home, honey!"
"Mummy! Daddy! And where's my baby sister?"
"The girl?"
"Ohhhh, um, she's sick with something."
"OH BOO HOOOOO!"
"Eh, she'll bounce back; she's a Pataki!"
"Well, then, is my little sis here?"
"Um, Lolly? No, she's not here yet."
And so forth.
A few minutes later, from opposite directions, two young ladies approach the Pataki brownstone.
One of the ladies --- the one wearing glasses --- would have been there sooner, but her date ran later that she'd anticipated. She's still wiping off ice cream from around her mouth.
The one with the pigtails is carrying a box.
Neither one is focusing on where they are going or what is in front of her. Which explains the collision.
"Oof!"
"Lila?"
"Phoebe?"
"What are you... oh, that's right. You're meeting Olga."
"Yes, I am ever so certain that I am. As certain as I am that you're a bit late in getting Helga's homework to her."
"Yes, well, I got held up elsewhere."
"Oh. Here, let me help you up." By this time Lila had recovered from being knocked to the ground, and was reaching out a hand for Phoebe, who responded in kind and soon found her footing.
"Thank you. Oh, can't forget this." As she said this, Phoebe reached down for Helga's homework, thankful that there was no wind at the time. Then she noticed the box at Lila's feet. "What's that, if I may ask?"
Lila had forgotten about the box, and once she was reminded of it her face clouded with worry. "Oh, I, I don't know. I only know that it came to me from Big Sis Little Sis, and that I was to bring it here with me and Olga and I were to open it together." She picked it up. "I do hope it wasn't damaged."
Phoebe's hands reached out for it. "May I?" Lila handed it over to Phoebe, who held it to her ear & shook it. "Hmm, doesn't sound like anything is broken. If this came in the mail I would surmise that BSLS made sure to include sufficient packaging material to guard against just the sort of unfortunate incident we have just encountered."
"I hope so, Phoebe."
Finally the two of them turned & walked toward the Pataki front door.
"After you, Phoebe?"
"You're expected. I'm not."
"Well, if you insist." knock knock
The door opens. "Little sis?"
"I'm oh so certain that I am, Olga."
"Please, come in, Lila."
"Thank you Olga." Then Lila remembered her colleague. "Oh, this is Phoebe, Helga's best friend. She has brought her homework."
"Oh, that's so wonderful. I was starting to worry that Helga didn't have any friends. Helga is in her room, Phoebe. You can go on up. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Um, thanks anyway, Olga, but I need to save my appetite for when I get home."
"Oh. Well, all right." Then Olga's attention returned to Lila. "What's in the box, little sis?"
But by then they were out of earshot of Phoebe, who was standing in front of the door to Helga's room within her first minute in the house.
knock knock "Helga?"
No response.
"Helga?" KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Still no response.
Most curious, Phoebe thought. Usually I at least hear something from her, or at the very least hear her moving around in there; but nothing, not even snoring. By now her ear was to the door. Well, she has to get her homework; I'll just have to risk invading her privacy.
And so she opened the door to Helga's room without her okkay. She soon found that there was no way she could have gotten it, because Helga wasn't there to give it. Phoebe found herself standing in an empty room.
Phoebe's mind teemed with questions and doubts, but as she was alone she wasn't about to give voice to them. Some people think it's perfectly normal for one to talk to oneself, but Phoebe Heyerdahl wasn't one of them. She deposited Helga's homework on the bed, then left the way she came without another sound.
But as she descended the stairs, she wasn't sufficiently quiet to be unheard.
"Phoebe?"
ulp! "Yes, Olga."
"You were only up there for a minute. Was my baby sister asleep?"
"Um, she wasn't up, and I didn't disturb her."
"Well, I guess she needs her sleep. I must remember to take her a plate later; a girl her age needs to eat."
"Phoebe, are you oh so certain you can't stay for supper? Olga made Cornish pasties and bubble & squeak."
"I'm going through my British Isles phase." Olga filled in.
"Oh, no, I really need to wait until I get home. My dinner is waiting for me there."
"Well, don't let us keep you, then." And with that, Olga's attention returned to Lila again.
But as Phoebe was reaching the door she heard a knock on the other side. As she was going there anyway, she opened it. There stood a man in the uniform of a telegraph message company.
"Yes?"
"I have a telegram for a Phoebe Heyerdahl, and a telegram for a Lila Sawyer, both at this address."
Several types of surprise registered in Phoebe's conscious & subconscious. "Well, I'm Phoebe Heyerdahl, and the other person might be here. Lila!"
Lila came running in response to Phoebe's call. "Yes, Phoebe?"
"Your name Lila Sawyer, miss?" inquired the man.
"Why, yes, I am oh so sure it is."
"I have a telegram for you, miss." he said, handing it over to her. Phoebe already had hers and was signing for it. Lila followed suit, then the man left and the door closed. The two of them then looked at their telegrams and each other.
"So your last name is Sawyer?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"
"It never came up. But I'm not thinking of that right now; what I would like to know is how that man knew that you and I would be here?"
"I have no idea."
Several minutes passed in silence.
"Little sis?" cooed a voice from the kitchen.
"I will be there in a minute. I'm just saying good-bye to Phoebe." Lila responded.
"Before I leave, we might as well see what our telegrams say." Phoebe suggested.
After an attempt at a response, which did not survive her lips, Lila nodded agreement. The next minute passed in silence broken only by a double ripping of envelopes and handling of two pieces of paper. Two pairs of eyes concentrated on the texts in front of them, then rose to meet each other, filled with puzzlement.
"'The time is near; be ready tomorrow'." Phoebe quoted.
"That is exactly what my message said." Lila affirmed.
And we have no way of knowing who sent it or how whoever it was knew you or I would be at this house tonight."
Lila nodded again. The concern both of them had now bordered on fear.
"Little sis?"
Startled into action, Phoebe folded her telegram, then put it in her purse. "You'd better get back in there."
Similarly affected, Lila nodded for the third time in as many minutes. "Coming, Olga!" she responded, mouthing a 'good-bye' to Phoebe before turning on her heels and making a beeline for the dining room.
Phoebe walked out of the house and to the bus stop. When the bus arrived she boarded, paid the fare, and dropped into the first empty seat she saw.
On the way to her neighborhood, she kept an eye out for her stop, but the rest of her mind was occupied with questions about the telegrams, the identity of the sender, and one other question:
If Helga wasn't in her room, where was she?
Meanwhile, at PS118, a disturbance is occurring. An open skylight bears witness to an intruder's presence, as does the door to Mr. Simmons' classroom. From within, a voice can be heard.
"'Pay It On Ahead to the Front'?" What, are we going to see a movie tomorrow? Pfeh, wonder what the ol' throw pillow has in mind now, and on the last day of school! Criminy! --- What's this? 'Summer Project'? Hm, might need to know about this. ---So we're to be grouped in threes this time. Better make sure I'm in the right three; time for the usual Machiavellian scheming."
A bit of scribbling was heard, followed by things being returned to where they belong.
"Perfect. Now to beat it before I'm missed."
And so the trespasser leaves.
Unknown to said trespasser, there is a second illegitimate presence, hiding in a broom closet. As soon as the former leaves, the latter emerges, and collects from the catch to the closet the tape which insured he / she wouldn't get locked in. Then this second prowler repeats the former's actions en route to, within, & en route from Simmons' room, although without the vocal effects. Well, without coherent vocal effects at least.