Well, I said five days or five reviews, and I meant it; however, as
it is now
technically my birthday, I decided to cut us all a break. Here's the next
chapter.
Fair warning; despite what the title might cause y'all to think, I am not a Lila hater. Eventually, she will get what I think she deserves. Some might disagree, but they are not me.
As always, thanks for the reviews.
Horseamew, maybe this will answer some questions of yours, or maybe it'll just stir up more! And maybe those questions you had include the questions Houkanno Yuuhou asks.
HY, thanks for the heads-up & the suggestion; I will consider it. And your questions will be answered, not in this chapter but maybe in the next chapter. Something to which to look forward.
Hey Arnold! is created, owned, & / or copyrighted by Craig Bartlett & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned by Viacom. And I'm beginning to see the need to be more creative in these disclaimers; maybe next time.
"Brainy?"
"Yes, Lila, it's me."
It was indeed, apparently. But this was the first time she had ever heard him speak with any degree of coherence. In fact, as far as she knew, this was the first time he had clearly said more than two words to anyone.
It was not an altogether unpleasant voice, rather rough and gravelly --- had she seen certain movies or watched Millennium on television, she might have thought he sounded a bit like Lance Henriksen --- but the shock of actually hearing relatively clear speech from Brainy was quite overpowering.
It took her a moment to recover, and when she did questions started to spill out of her mouth.
"But why...?"
"I'd really prefer to wait to answer your questions about that until Phoebe gets here; she'll have the exact same questions, and I'd rather not repeat myself."
"Fair enough." Lila conceded.
Brainy repeated his offer of a seat, which she accepted. There were three seats around this table, equally spaced. Lila sat to Brainy's left, so that it could be considered that if the table were the face of a clock Brainy would be sitting at 6 o'clock and Lila at 10, leaving an empty seat at 2 o'clock.
As Lila was taking this in, Brainy took the initiative in making conversation, a conversation that was not mere small talk.
"Phoebe will no doubt be listening to Helga for a little while at least, so we have some time before she gets here. I'd like to use that time to get something straight."
"What?"
"Exactly what are your intentions toward Arnold?"
"What?!?"
"I apologize if I seem too forward or intrusive into things that are admittedly none of my business, but for reasons I will soon reveal it is vitally important to clarify just how you feel about him. It's a matter of record that 'you don't like him like him; you just like him', but is that how you truly feel?"
Lila was flabbergasted at this invasion of privacy, even though Brainy had conceded that it was such. "Um, Brainy, as you have said this is really..."
"I acknowledge that, Lila, and were it not vitally important I wouldn't have asked. Please believe me when I say it is no exaggeration to say that the future happiness of several people depends on your answer. Including possibly yourself."
Lila still hesitated, understandably.
"It might be good for you to tell someone, someone who's good at covering up things, like his own competence for instance?"
Lila struggled internally with the pros and cons of what she was about to do for a few more moments. But he was right; getting the subject off of her mind would be beneficial. Finally she too broached the subject.
"It is as you say, as I have said. I don't like like Arnold, I only like him."
"Truly and honestly?"
"Truly and honestly."
"But you used to like like him."
"I thought I did, when I thought he like liked me."
"And now that he does?"
Lila gave her head a decisive shake, as if trying to settle the subject once and for all. "I still don't. I won't. I was just fooling myself before; I know now that he's not that oh-so-special someone I've been looking for. He's ever so nice and sweet, and any girl would be oh so fortunate to have him, but he and I are simply not meant to be."
"I see." Brainy slowly let out the breath Lila didn't realize he'd been holding. He gave a small smile, then his face turned serious again. "Then you should tell him."
"I have, ever so many times."
"Then he apparently hasn't gotten the message. Lila, I don't think you realize it, but at least on a subconscious level, you've been manipulating him."
Lila gasped, outraged. But her curiosity gave her pause. "Go on."
"Haven't you noticed how he follows you around, hanging on your every word, carrying things for you, doing things for you, things a boyfriend would do, like he was hoping to get that position?"
Lila still struggled with what she was hearing. "I, I had no idea..."
So Arnold's not the only dense one crossed Brainy's mind. Then he tried another tack. "Lila, I've noticed things about you, heard things. I can guess the kind of life you've had. Born and raised in the comfort, the security, the love of a two parent home in Pleasantville. No worries, no cares, your only concerns your assigned chores; because you knew that no matter what, your father and mother would always be there for you and love you."
The tears rushed to Lila's eyes at the word 'mother', fighting to get out.
"But then something happened. I don't know what, but I can guess. Perhaps the loss of a parent, along with a failure to keep the farm going with just your father and you."
"That's exactly what happened." whispered Lila.
"And so you come here," Brainy continued, "to the big city. Here you are, all alone in a strange place. You were raised on love and kindness, and you wanted people to like you, so you were your true, kind, honest self, to everyone. You became what some of us have labeled Miss Perfect. Am I right?" Mutely, Lila nodded, tears now crisscrossing the area below her eyes.
Brainy noticed her condition; he pulled a package of tissues from a pocket and offered her one, which she accepted. He continued.
"It's no wonder the guys here fell for you, especially Arnold. Have you ever heard his story?"
HOOOOOOOOOOONNNNKKK!!!!!
"I'll take that as a 'no'." Brainy then told her of a little boy whose parents disappeared when he was one. A boy who had been raised right, by his grandparents. A boy whose optimism, whose sense of right & wrong had carried him through many a dark time in his life. A boy who, despite the love of his family and many friends, had in some ways suffered twice as much as she had; for at least she still had one parent.
Before he finished he found he'd given her half the tissues in the package in an attempt to stem the tide of lachrymal fluid, or at least to clean up afterward.
When the story was over, Lila looked and felt a mess. She excused herself to go straighten her appearance, inside and out.
Brainy checked the time, not believing his luck that Phoebe wasn't there yet. Boy, Helga must really be on a tear today, he thought with a smirk.
He put away the smirk when Lila returned.
She took an extra minute after seating herself to collect her thoughts. "I had no idea. The poor dear. I must go to him and..."
"That's exactly what you must not do." Brainy urged, taking her hand in the process. "You'd be leading him on again, even if you don't intend to."
He then noticed he was holding her hand, and let go, embarrassed.
"Look, Arnold is in love with the idea of being in love. He's been infatuated before, and every time it's resulted in heartbreak. Ruth MacDougal, our one-time substitute teacher Miss Felter, some girl I'm pretty sure he met at the beach, 'Cecile' for whom he still carries a torch, Lila, if you tried to care for him now you'd just be adding yourself to that list of girls who broke his heart. You're already on it, but this would put you in a category by yourself."
"What can I do, then?"
"Make it clear to him where things stand between you. Leave no room for doubt, make sure he understands that there isn't anything between the two of you, and there never will be."
"But that seems so cruel."
"Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. It's like releasing a wild animal for which you've developed affection. You have to let him go and make him forget about getting back with you, because you know it's best for him."
"Then what will he do?"
"Someone else will be there for him, someone who was there every time some girl broke his heart, someone who was there when you dumped him before. And we both know who that someone is."
Realization slapped Lila upside the head then. She understood what Brainy had in mind, which was more than he had let on.
But there was still something she didn't understand, something she had to know.
"Brainy, why are you doing this? What is your interest in the matter?"
"I have my reasons," Brainy responded. Then he noticed Phoebe had finally entered the building, heading for them. "Which I will soon make clear, to both of you."
He then stood to acknowledge the arrival of their new colleague. "Hello, Phoebe. Would you please join us?"
It was interesting to see the change in size of Phoebe's eyes refracted through her glasses, as she froze. Lila stifled a giggle; only a number of minutes ago, that had been her.
"B-Brainy?"
And so ends Chapter 5, much the same way as Chapter 4. Things will start to become more clear next time. Please continue to read & review, and to send in suggestions about what the other teams might do for any particular person. If you don't want to leave it on the official ff.n reviews, you can e-mail me nftnataol.com or IM me by looking for Nftnat.
Fair warning; despite what the title might cause y'all to think, I am not a Lila hater. Eventually, she will get what I think she deserves. Some might disagree, but they are not me.
As always, thanks for the reviews.
Horseamew, maybe this will answer some questions of yours, or maybe it'll just stir up more! And maybe those questions you had include the questions Houkanno Yuuhou asks.
HY, thanks for the heads-up & the suggestion; I will consider it. And your questions will be answered, not in this chapter but maybe in the next chapter. Something to which to look forward.
Hey Arnold! is created, owned, & / or copyrighted by Craig Bartlett & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned by Viacom. And I'm beginning to see the need to be more creative in these disclaimers; maybe next time.
"Brainy?"
"Yes, Lila, it's me."
It was indeed, apparently. But this was the first time she had ever heard him speak with any degree of coherence. In fact, as far as she knew, this was the first time he had clearly said more than two words to anyone.
It was not an altogether unpleasant voice, rather rough and gravelly --- had she seen certain movies or watched Millennium on television, she might have thought he sounded a bit like Lance Henriksen --- but the shock of actually hearing relatively clear speech from Brainy was quite overpowering.
It took her a moment to recover, and when she did questions started to spill out of her mouth.
"But why...?"
"I'd really prefer to wait to answer your questions about that until Phoebe gets here; she'll have the exact same questions, and I'd rather not repeat myself."
"Fair enough." Lila conceded.
Brainy repeated his offer of a seat, which she accepted. There were three seats around this table, equally spaced. Lila sat to Brainy's left, so that it could be considered that if the table were the face of a clock Brainy would be sitting at 6 o'clock and Lila at 10, leaving an empty seat at 2 o'clock.
As Lila was taking this in, Brainy took the initiative in making conversation, a conversation that was not mere small talk.
"Phoebe will no doubt be listening to Helga for a little while at least, so we have some time before she gets here. I'd like to use that time to get something straight."
"What?"
"Exactly what are your intentions toward Arnold?"
"What?!?"
"I apologize if I seem too forward or intrusive into things that are admittedly none of my business, but for reasons I will soon reveal it is vitally important to clarify just how you feel about him. It's a matter of record that 'you don't like him like him; you just like him', but is that how you truly feel?"
Lila was flabbergasted at this invasion of privacy, even though Brainy had conceded that it was such. "Um, Brainy, as you have said this is really..."
"I acknowledge that, Lila, and were it not vitally important I wouldn't have asked. Please believe me when I say it is no exaggeration to say that the future happiness of several people depends on your answer. Including possibly yourself."
Lila still hesitated, understandably.
"It might be good for you to tell someone, someone who's good at covering up things, like his own competence for instance?"
Lila struggled internally with the pros and cons of what she was about to do for a few more moments. But he was right; getting the subject off of her mind would be beneficial. Finally she too broached the subject.
"It is as you say, as I have said. I don't like like Arnold, I only like him."
"Truly and honestly?"
"Truly and honestly."
"But you used to like like him."
"I thought I did, when I thought he like liked me."
"And now that he does?"
Lila gave her head a decisive shake, as if trying to settle the subject once and for all. "I still don't. I won't. I was just fooling myself before; I know now that he's not that oh-so-special someone I've been looking for. He's ever so nice and sweet, and any girl would be oh so fortunate to have him, but he and I are simply not meant to be."
"I see." Brainy slowly let out the breath Lila didn't realize he'd been holding. He gave a small smile, then his face turned serious again. "Then you should tell him."
"I have, ever so many times."
"Then he apparently hasn't gotten the message. Lila, I don't think you realize it, but at least on a subconscious level, you've been manipulating him."
Lila gasped, outraged. But her curiosity gave her pause. "Go on."
"Haven't you noticed how he follows you around, hanging on your every word, carrying things for you, doing things for you, things a boyfriend would do, like he was hoping to get that position?"
Lila still struggled with what she was hearing. "I, I had no idea..."
So Arnold's not the only dense one crossed Brainy's mind. Then he tried another tack. "Lila, I've noticed things about you, heard things. I can guess the kind of life you've had. Born and raised in the comfort, the security, the love of a two parent home in Pleasantville. No worries, no cares, your only concerns your assigned chores; because you knew that no matter what, your father and mother would always be there for you and love you."
The tears rushed to Lila's eyes at the word 'mother', fighting to get out.
"But then something happened. I don't know what, but I can guess. Perhaps the loss of a parent, along with a failure to keep the farm going with just your father and you."
"That's exactly what happened." whispered Lila.
"And so you come here," Brainy continued, "to the big city. Here you are, all alone in a strange place. You were raised on love and kindness, and you wanted people to like you, so you were your true, kind, honest self, to everyone. You became what some of us have labeled Miss Perfect. Am I right?" Mutely, Lila nodded, tears now crisscrossing the area below her eyes.
Brainy noticed her condition; he pulled a package of tissues from a pocket and offered her one, which she accepted. He continued.
"It's no wonder the guys here fell for you, especially Arnold. Have you ever heard his story?"
HOOOOOOOOOOONNNNKKK!!!!!
"I'll take that as a 'no'." Brainy then told her of a little boy whose parents disappeared when he was one. A boy who had been raised right, by his grandparents. A boy whose optimism, whose sense of right & wrong had carried him through many a dark time in his life. A boy who, despite the love of his family and many friends, had in some ways suffered twice as much as she had; for at least she still had one parent.
Before he finished he found he'd given her half the tissues in the package in an attempt to stem the tide of lachrymal fluid, or at least to clean up afterward.
When the story was over, Lila looked and felt a mess. She excused herself to go straighten her appearance, inside and out.
Brainy checked the time, not believing his luck that Phoebe wasn't there yet. Boy, Helga must really be on a tear today, he thought with a smirk.
He put away the smirk when Lila returned.
She took an extra minute after seating herself to collect her thoughts. "I had no idea. The poor dear. I must go to him and..."
"That's exactly what you must not do." Brainy urged, taking her hand in the process. "You'd be leading him on again, even if you don't intend to."
He then noticed he was holding her hand, and let go, embarrassed.
"Look, Arnold is in love with the idea of being in love. He's been infatuated before, and every time it's resulted in heartbreak. Ruth MacDougal, our one-time substitute teacher Miss Felter, some girl I'm pretty sure he met at the beach, 'Cecile' for whom he still carries a torch, Lila, if you tried to care for him now you'd just be adding yourself to that list of girls who broke his heart. You're already on it, but this would put you in a category by yourself."
"What can I do, then?"
"Make it clear to him where things stand between you. Leave no room for doubt, make sure he understands that there isn't anything between the two of you, and there never will be."
"But that seems so cruel."
"Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. It's like releasing a wild animal for which you've developed affection. You have to let him go and make him forget about getting back with you, because you know it's best for him."
"Then what will he do?"
"Someone else will be there for him, someone who was there every time some girl broke his heart, someone who was there when you dumped him before. And we both know who that someone is."
Realization slapped Lila upside the head then. She understood what Brainy had in mind, which was more than he had let on.
But there was still something she didn't understand, something she had to know.
"Brainy, why are you doing this? What is your interest in the matter?"
"I have my reasons," Brainy responded. Then he noticed Phoebe had finally entered the building, heading for them. "Which I will soon make clear, to both of you."
He then stood to acknowledge the arrival of their new colleague. "Hello, Phoebe. Would you please join us?"
It was interesting to see the change in size of Phoebe's eyes refracted through her glasses, as she froze. Lila stifled a giggle; only a number of minutes ago, that had been her.
"B-Brainy?"
And so ends Chapter 5, much the same way as Chapter 4. Things will start to become more clear next time. Please continue to read & review, and to send in suggestions about what the other teams might do for any particular person. If you don't want to leave it on the official ff.n reviews, you can e-mail me nftnataol.com or IM me by looking for Nftnat.