We see a phone
The alarm goes off
ALARM: It's Big Bob's Beepers, he's the king, Big Bob's Beepers, ching-ching-ching, Big Bob's Beepers!
HELGA: Why do I use that song as an alarm?
BOB: Olga!
HELGA: It's Helga, DAD. Always has been. Always will."
BOB: Yeah, yeah. Listen, I'm gonna need you to move some of these beepers today. I need that box to patch up some broken drywall. So why don't you stand in front of the mall for a few hours and see if you get any bites?
HELGA: Why don't you stand in front of heavy traffic? (muttered)
BOB: What was that?!
HELGA: In case you've forgotten, DAD, I have this little thing I have to go to for the next decade or so. It's called SCHOOL?
BOB: Hey, hey, hey! Don't talk back, lil' lady. Actually, that might work out even better. Try pawning them off to your little friends at school. Kids are into the retro thing nowadays, right? They think it's hip."
HELGA: Whatever. Anyway, have you seen my backpack? I've got to get going soon
BOB: Huh? O-oh yeah –here, I'd been using it as a pillow.
Big Bob leaned behind one of the boxes and pulled out Helga's backpack. He tossed it over to his daughter and she nearly dropped to the floor by its sheer weight.
BOB: CRIMINY! This thing weighs a metric ton! What did you put in here?!
BOB: I stuffed it full of beepers, and saved you extra work. Now get on out there and if you want to eat dinner tonight you'll sell that stock!
Helga dragged the bag behind her.
BOB: Thanks, BOB
Helga takes a coffee pot from the table
HELGA: I'm gonna need this
Helga ran into her best friend, Phoebe outside
PHOEBE: Good morning, Helga. Ready for another glorious day of academic discovery?
HELGA: Pfft – is that what they're calling it nowadays?
PHOEBE: Another day of entrepreneurial endeavor gone awry?
HELGA: It's gone A.W.O.L., S.N.A.F.U. and every other acronym under the sun. And if Big Bob thinks I'm going to waste another afternoon touting his wares he's got another thing coming.
PHOEBE: Have you suggested to your father that perhaps he should consider selling a more advanced cellphones at his store?
HELGA: Please, Big Bob is as stubborn as a mule. The only way you're getting him to sell new phones is if we're finally kicked out on the street and someone with more sense takes over.
PHOEBE: You know, Helga, you're welcome to sleepover at my place any time your situation becomes unbearable. My parents don't mind, and...
HELGA: Hey look – it's Football-head and your Tall-Hair Loverboy
ARNOLD: Good morning, Phoebe.
He looks at Helga, and smiles
ARNOLD: Good morning, Helga
GERALD: Morning, ladies. He winks at Phoebe.
PHOEBE: Good morning, Arnold…Gerald (Phoebe blushes when she says Gerald's name)
HELGA: Hey, Gerald. Hey Arnold
Arnold starts to hand Helga's hand
HELGA: What are you doing?" (she hisses)
ARNOLD: Come on, Helga. We go through this every morning.
HELGA: Then you should know the game by now!
ARNOLD: Just let me hold your hand, just this once.
He gives Helga a sad, puppy-dog-eyed look to cajole her. Helga sighs and rolls her eyes
HELGA: Alright, I...
MILES and STELLA: HEY ARNOLD!"
The kids turn around and see it's Arnold's parents, Miles and Stella
MILES: There you are! We've been looking all over for you!
STELLA: We still want to hear about all your amazing adventures from growing up in the city!
ARNOLD: Gosh, I'd love to tell you more…but it's a weekday again. I have to go to school, remember?"
MILES: School! Darn it, I knew there was something I forgot about!"
STELLA: Arnold, I don't think we've been properly introduced to your friends
ARNOLD: I haven't?"
STELLA: I'm Stella, and this is my husband, Miles," said the woman, gesturing to her husband. "We're Arnold's parents."
ARNOLD: Uh…well, this is Helga. And this is Gerald and Phoebe."
GERALD and PHOEBE: Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Shortman," they both said.
Gerald leans in close to Phoebe
GERALD: They've already introduced themselves to us twice
PHOEBE: Must be short-term memory loss
PHOEBE: It's impossible for us to know all the side-effects of waking from a ten-year comatose state induced by sleeping sickness. Arnold's parents truly are unique specimens in modern science.
GERALD: Yeah, well, it's still really weird
PHOEBE: I concur. But Arnold seems to be taking it in stride.
Miles, eyes at the coffee pot of cold liquid in Helga's hand
MILES: Hey, whatcha got there?
STELLA: You shouldn't be drinking coffee for breakfast. It stunts your growth.
PHOEBE: Actually...
She looks at the stern looks from Arnold and Gerald.
PHOEBE: Never mind.
Stella pulls a bottle of think orange liquid seemingly out of nowhere
STELLA: Here, why don't you have this papaya-mango-and-guava energy that I made for us? Nutrition is so important, especially during breakfast, the most important meal of the day. I'm sure your folks would agree.
ARNOLD: You should try some. It's really good.
MILES and STELLA: And good for you!
Helga looks at the shake, then to Arnold's parents, then to her friends. Flustered, she shakes her her head and turns around.
HELGA: I-I have to go.
HELGA: Wait – where are you going?
HELGA: I left something at home. Don't wait up, OK?" she yelled as she ran as fast as her feet would carry her in the opposite direction.
We see Arnold, Gerald, TJ and Spinelli on the streets
TJ: Gosh Mr Simmons is getting pretty hardball lately
SPINELLI: Yeah, giving us a day to do three assignments
ARNOLD: Yeah, even someone like me can say that's pretty harsh
Arnold and Gerald sees a man and a young girl
ARNOLD: Hey, is that…? Yeah I think it is!"
GERALD: Who is this?
EDUARDO: Arnold. Buenos dias!"
ARNOLD: Eduardo!" What are you doing here?
EDUARDO: I've come to visit you and your parents to see how you are adapting. How are they enjoying life in the city?
ARNOLD: They are…adapting.
Gerald's eyes wanders to the girl beside him.
GERALD: Wait a minute, aren't you...
EDUARDO: Yes Gerald. This is Jiçu, the daughter of the rulers of the Green Eyes. Her mother and father have allowed her to leave San Lorenzo to see the world, and have left me in her care. She is excited to see Stella and Miles as well.
ARNOLD: Well, actually I'm on my way home.
Jiçu's eyes wanders over to the kids in the group until they stops on TJ.
TJ is taken a back as Jiçu approaches him, he steps back as she gets close. Eduardo notices this and smirks.
EDUARDO: It looks as though Jiçu has taken an interest in one of your friends
ARNOLD: Huh? Oh, that's TJ
JICU: Tee-jayy,
TJ backs away until he trips over the curb.
GERALD: Looks like TJ's got a secret admirer,
SPINELLI: And that secret is OUT!
The rest of the kids laugh
Arnold talks back to Eduardo
ARNOLD: Come on, I'm heading to the boarding house now. Follow me – I'm sure mom and dad will be thrilled to see you
The gang plus Eduardo and Jiçu arrives in front of Sunset Arms but just as Arnold is going to open the door, a green Packard rolled up in front of the building and honked.
ARNOLD: Grandpa? Where are you going?"
GRANDPA: Hey Shortman – just heading to the police station. I've got to bail your folks out of jail.
ARNOLD and EDUARDO: Jail?!
GRANDPA: Hop in – I'll explain everything on the way
We cut to Arnold, Grandpa, Eduardo and Jiçu at the police station.
GRANDPA: Look, I'm sorry about all the trouble, officer
ARNOLD: Why were they detained?
OFFICER: A concerned citizen saw these two jokers bus surfing downtown. We had to take them in for disturbing the peace. Yeah, it takes me back to my days in high school. Anyway, no damage was caused, so I guess they're free to go.
They stop in front of a cell where both Stella and Miles are sitting patiently on a bench attached to the wall.
They see their son
MILES and STELLA: Arnold!
OFFICER: Alright, you two,
The officer as he unlocks the door of the cell.
OFFICER: Stay out of trouble, okay? Don't let me catch you using our transit system as your personal skate park
Miles and Stella get out of the jail cell
MILES AND STELLA: We missed you!
ARNOLD: I missed you too, you guys,
Miles looks up and notices his friend.
MILES: Eduardo! What are you doing all the way out here?
EDUARDO: Hello, old friend. I've come to see how you are adjusting to life in the city.
MILES: Oh, fine, fine – we're doing spectacular. We just had a little misunderstanding this
morning. Apparently you can't ride the bus if you don't have any money….
STELLA: So we improvised!
GRANDPA: Uh…let's go, guys. Packard's waiting outside,
STELLA: Oh, boy! I want to sit next to Arnold!
MILES: Me too!
ARNOLD: You can both sit beside me – I'll sit in the middle, OK?
Later that evening, Arnold, Grandpa, and Eduardo sit around the small table in the kitchen to discuss the situation with Stella and Miles.
GRANDPA: I'm worried about the two of them. At first I was elated to have them back, but as the days went by I began to notice some peculiar things…
EDUARDO: Please explain
GRANDPA: Well, there's the short-term memory loss….the odd, almost obsessive fascination with Shortman…
Grandma suddenly bursts into the kitchen, wearing a marching hat and holding a baton, while she steps in time to the sound of the whistle she blows in rhythm. Behind her, Stella and Miles marches in time behind her; Stella smashes a pair of cymbals while Miles beats a drum. Jiçu follows closely behind, clapping her hand against a tambourine and laughing.
GRANDPA: And then there's stuff like that
We see Arnold by the dinner table looking at his homework
MILES: What's wrong Miles
ARNOLD: I'm having a hard time getting how this algebra thing works. Could you help me?
MILES: Of course
MILES: After all, I was a scientist once upon a time so how bad could...
His eyes go wide as he stares at the open page on the text book as if looking into a vast abyss.
MILES: Oh… well, it has been a while… um… did math always use letters?
STELLA: Let the doctor give it a try.
Stella takes the page and after one look at the open page and shouts
STELLA: What in the heck is that? Math never looked like that before!
GRANDPA: I mean you two have been asleep since the Obama administration. Stuff changes.
STELLA: So, what should we do tomorrow? There's still that botanical garden exhibit! I really want to check that out.
MILES: Yeah! What do you say, Arnold?
Arnold looked at them and blinked.
ARNOLD: I have school again tomorrow.
MILES and STELLA: What?
MILES: Again?
ARNOLD: It's only Monday night
STELLA: Well how many days a week is school, anyway?
ARNOLD: Um, Monday through Friday?
MILES: What? Why that's… five days a week then!
STELLA: Glad you haven't forgotten all your math skills. (She chuckles) But seriously, you have to spend seven hours a day, five days a week in that place? That's criminal… how can they do that to kids? I ought to take it up with the superintendent… give him a piece of my mind…" she pounds her fist against her palm with a fiery look in her eyes
GRANDPA: You sure those greeneyes people didn't give you two a partial lobotomy while you were asleep?
We cut to Arnold in bed
ARNOLD: Man it seems like my parents are really off
Arnold sees his parents in his room
ARNOLD: You guys are really… stealthy sometimes." he said.
MILES: Want a bedtime story?
ARNOLD: Um, that's okay, I think I'm just going to go to sleep. Thanks, dad.
The next morning when Arnold arrives downstairs in the kitchen, his mother greets him with a warm smile
STELLA: Hey, Arnold! Dad is still working on breakfast, but here I made yours already. It's in the fridge
ARNOLD: Wow I wonder what it could be?
Stella comes back from kitchen holding a baby bottle
STELLA: Here you go, sweetie
We see Arnold shocked
STELLA: You're old enough to hold it up yourself now, right?
ARNOLD: Mom? I'm eleven…
STELLA: Oh! You are… aren't you… I'm sorry, Arnold. Wow, it feels like just yesterday we were bottle feeding you.
GRANDPA: At least she didn't offer the alternative, eh short man?
Turning red, Arnold scratches the back of his neck awkwardly
ARNOLD: Um, I think Gerald wanted to meet early… I'll just being going now…
Arnold dashes out the front door
We cut to Mr Simmons teaching the class
SIMMONS: All right class, for the next phase in our first unit in math we're going to be jumping into the exciting world of quadratic..
Mr Simmons sees Miles and Stella at the back of the class
SIMMONS: I'm sorry, we appear to have two new students…
All students turn their heads to the back of the room, Arnold included and he gasps in horror to see none other than Miles and Stella standing at the back of the room staring ahead and smiling
ARNOLD: Mom, Dad?
SIMMONS: Oh, hello Mr. and Mrs. Shortman. "Did… Arnold forget something?"
STELLA: Oh, no,
SIMMONS: Then… what…?
MILES: Well, we just wanted to spend some time with our boy. There just aren't enough hours in the day!
The entire room bursts into laughter, which doesn't deter Miles and Stella from their constant smiling
SIMMONS: That's… that's very sweet and a very, um, special kind of sentiment but… well, within the school hours there is a certain… um… separation of child and guardian, that is to say um…
HELGA: Oh man. Only thing more entertaining than a football head is a whole family of em, ha!
TJ: Talk about embarrassing
CURLY: And I thought my parents were freaks!
RHONDA: No, you're thinking of you. But still…(laughs)
Miles and Stella faces sink when they at last noticed Arnold's deep embarrassment
STELLA: Oh, Arnold? Should we wait outside?
ARNOLD: No! Just… go do something! Anything!
We cut to Arnold, Gerald after school by the building
GERALD: Hey Arnold. I was thinking, I haven't seen much of you this week. Sorry about that. Wanna meet up at Gerald field later?"
GERALD: Yeah, that'd be great.
HELGA: Count me in,
Arnold turns around to see Helga
HELGA: I could use a little fresh air. Too much asbestos or something in that emporium…
ARNOLD: All right. Five o'clock? Should give us time to finish our homework.
They all nod and part ways
Arnold goes back to the boarding house
MILES and STELLA: Hey Arnold!
ARNOLD: Oh, hi mom and dad
MILES: We're sorry, Arnold.
STELLA: Yeah, in hindsight that was probably not the best move…I hope you're not mad.
ARNOLD: It's okay, mom, just… maybe don't do that again. It was a little embarrassing.
STELLA: I know, and we're sorry. We just feel like we've missed out on so much that… well, we want to make up for it all. We don't want to miss out on any more of your life.
ARNOLD: It's okay. I understand. And there's plenty of time for us to bond. Right now I was gonna go hang with Gerald, though. I'll be back between six and seven.
MILES: Hey, that's great. We were just thinking, maybe we could find a way to spend more time together during the day. We thought maybe we should try… home schooling?
ARNOLD: Ha, good one.
Arnold laughs it off, but then abruptly panics when he realizes apparently he's serious, ARNOLD: What? No!"
STELLA: Oh think about it Arnold, it could be great!
ARNOLD: But… I'd barely ever get to see my friends!
MILES: You'd… get to spend more time with us…?" Miles said.
ARNOLD: Yeah? Well maybe I've spent enough time with you guys already
Walks out of the kitchen and out the front door
MILES: Okay, bad idea
Grandpa Phil pokes his head into the room
PHIL: Well, you sure ruined that potentially heartwarming family moment.
STELLA: I thought reconnecting with him would be easy. I didn't realize just how much we really had missed in his life.
GRANDPA: Oh just one of his many painfully illuminating boyhood problems. He tends to have one of those every eleven minutes or so.
Arnold goes to Gerald Field but sees Helga, Phoebe and Gerald standing in front of the field
ARNOLD: What's going on here?
We see Helga, Pheobe and Gerald
GERALD: What the heck is this?
What are all these kids doing on our field?
HELGA: Hey! Shrimps! What do you think you're doing here?"
We cut to Cornchip Girl and Mitch
CORNCHIP GIRL: Uh Mackenzie, you're facing the wrong way to bat
MITCH: Yeah, stop being so darn thick
Mackenzie turns around
MACKENZIE: You want me shove this bat up your butts again?!
Cornchip Girl and Mitch are in shock
MITCH: I want my mommy
HELGA: Snot nosed little brats. What do they think this place is? Some kind of play land for kids? We've got important stuff to do here!
ARNOLD: We'll just have to share it. I mean, we don't want to be like Wolfgang used to be to us, right?
GERALD: I guess. Man, one minute you're in the fourth grade, and next you just find yourself looking at the next generation taking over your field… I bet they don't even know who it's named for! Kids these days.
HELGA: We need another trash can day. That'll thin their ranks a little.
GERALD: Helga, we're not throwing a bunch of little kids in trash cans just to...
Gerald pauses to think
GERALD: Actually that might not be such a bad idea
ARNOLD: Look, guys let's just do something else.
We see Rhonda with a group of kids who seems to be pontificating as they cling to her every word as she stares at her smartphone.
When she noticed Arnold, Gerald, Helga and Phoebe she stops and smirks at them.
RHONDA: You guys aren't actually still trying to play ball here, are you?" she asked, "Seriously, aren't you all just a little old for that now?
HELGA: Aren't you a little young to need major reconstructive surgery to your broken nasal bone? Helga retorts, shaking her fist.
Rhonda shakes her head
RHONDA: What's that I hear? Is it time for Helga's daily empty threats? C'mon everyone, the mall awaits. You four are welcome to join us of course.
Rhonda leads the other larger pack of kids away. Arnold looks at his feet somewhat sadly.
ARNOLD: Too old for catch in the park?
HELGA: Ah, maybe she's right. Guess we're not getting any younger. Well, I've got to sort beepers anyway, or I'll have to deal with Big Bob's nagging all night. See ya in the funny papers, folks.
Helga stomps off back in the direction of the beeper emporium
PHOEBE: I suppose I have homework to do. See you later, Gerald?
GERALD: Yeah. (He winks) I'll come by and we can work on… anatomy.
PHOEBE: Great. (Phoebe giggles) and gives him a little peck on the cheek as she skips off homeward
Gerald looks at Arnold, then smiles
GERALD: Hey, just you and me then Let's just toss the football, huh? We don't need the whole field
ARNOLD: Sure Gerald
After what felt like an hour, but had really been about fifteen minutes, Arnold and Gerald continually toss the football back and forth between them, with neither of them finding much to say, both looking contemplative and somewhat bored.
GERALD: This just isn't happening is it?
ARNOLD: You're not feeling it either, huh?
GERALD: Maybe Rhonda's right. Maybe we are just too old for all the stuff we used to love
ARNOLD: Maybe. Everything's changing.
GERALD: Yeah, well. The only real guaranteed constant in life is change, my man.
ARNOLD: Gerald? You and me, we'll always be friends, right?
GERALD: Of course! What you and me have is unbreakable. Hey, Phoebe and I were gonna meet up later to… study. See you tomorrow, man
ARNOLD: Yeah. See you tomorrow Gerald.
Arnold sticks out his hand to initiate their customary secret handshake, which Gerald doesn't appear to notice and has already turned to leave in his excitement.
ARNOLD: Everything's changing…" Arnold sighs, looking at the football Gerald had left.
We see Arnold sitting on the bleachers
MILES and STELLA: Hey Arnold!
Arnold looks up to see his father and mother walking towards him.
MILES: Why so down?
ARNOLD: Hey, dad, hey mom, It's nothing… I just…
STELLA: Hey. We're not going to pull you out of school, Arnold. We were just looking for a way to spend more time with you.
ARNOLD: I know. Things are just so different that I… I don't really know how to deal with it all.
MILES: Arnold, I know your mother and I are just… forever struggling to catch up. But, we just don't want to miss out on any more than we already have.
ARNOLD: Yeah. I want that too. And I'm… I'm really glad to have you both back. Everything's just kind of confusing right now.
Stella looks at the football sitting at Arnold's feet and smiles
STELLA: Well, I know one thing that isn't confusing. A little good old fashioned American football.
Arnold and his dad looks at one another and grins
ARNOLD: We're ready
Arnold and his parents play football. However Arnold throws the football at his dad so hard that it sends him crashing into the garbage cans.
MILES: Well that was quite the throw Shortman
We see Arnold and his mother going to Miles
STELLA: Oh Miles, you're still as clumsy as ever
ARNOLD: And I love it
They all laugh
