Whoa Nadine!

A Hey Arnold! Fanfic

by sorrowXdarkness

oooOOOooo

Chapter Three: Mentor Me Not

How did I get myself into this situation? The mess in the Biology room, at the library and at Principal Wartz's office. I found myself cleaning up the mess in the science room all because a young girl let out all the frog specimens that were supposed to be dissected at the end of the week. I had to re-file the library card catalog because said girl felt the need to "rearrange" them for better access. The last was the worst as I had to apologize to Principal Wartz for the coffee spill all over his office space. Originally, we were there to formally apologize for the previous two messes yet somehow my little friend felt the need to grab the principal's mug and splash the content all around. I was lucky that the coffee cooled down by the time it reached her small hands. But enough of that, let's recap from two days ago.

My day began like any other day. A typical Monday where I ate my breakfast and bid farewell to my father. I caught up to the bus and sat between Rhonda and Lila. We really hit it off with Lila. Something resembling a trio of sorts. She was into fashion trends and open to nature observation. Before her, I never imagined getting Rhonda to come along in my field expedition. Or imagining myself getting my nails done. It was surprisingly refreshing. I settled with a natural gloss finish with polish. Us girls took a commemorative photograph of all the butterflies we captured before letting them go. Rhonda nearly teared up. We had Lila to thank for that.

I also have to thank a certain fifth grader. Never thought I would find myself thanking Wolfgang. Lately, he and his goons were tolerable at best. Apparently, they were occupied with tests week. Arriving at school, I took my seat beside Rhonda. We spoke briefly before Mr. Simmons came into the classroom. We all knew he was particularly excited, based on the look on his face.

"Good morning, class! I have exciting news!" Called it. "I had an interesting talk with Principal Wartz. It seems that the sixth graders are doing their annual mentoring program. Like some of you may already know, it's a week event where the sixth graders are assigned a fellow student from the second grade class to tutor and mentor."

Oh yeah, I thought. I remembered seeing that a few times each year; weird pairings for about a week. So what did that have to do with us? Well, apparently they needed some volunteers since there were more second graders than sixth. Mr. Simmons proposed that his class could fill the empty spots and mentor those younger minds. We shared a collective sigh, though I noticed a few were a bit excited. Harold wanted to teach his kid to eat a lot. Gerald was looking to teach someone how to be 'cool'. Rhonda was looking to instill some fashion tips to someone younger. I'm sure Rhonda was thinking that this could prove to be a wonderful opportunity for whomever becomes her 'mentee'. Lila was simply excited to have a little sister to look after and get to know them better.

As per Mr. Simmons' instructions, we met at the library to introduce ourselves. Instead of Mr. Simmons there, we had Mr. Packenham directing the program. We each were assigned a younger student. And somehow, I drew the short stick when I got paired up with Ramona Martinez. From what I heard, she was an intense girl that could easily match Curly in crazy. I wanted to switch, but I knew no one would switch their partner with me. Maybe Lila, but then I could potentially tarnish our relationship over it. Ramona seems fine at first, but I wanted to be cautious. Introducing ourselves, I also included some ground rules. I didn't want her to 'act out' as I explicitly told her I didn't want to see any of that.

Mr. Packenham said the first day was for introduction as we would start tomorrow. Activities like helping each other with assignments or playing games were encouraged to really narrow the gap between young and older. Before I left, I told her no funny business when we regrouped the next day. What I didn't know was that what I said she took to heart. The bang of her hair covered her eyes as her head stared down on the floor.

The next day, we met at the library. I wanted to share with her my passions with insects. I brought a picture book to show her the different bugs in their natural environment. From what I saw yesterday, she didn't seem to be the type of girl to be afraid of bugs. After a quick reminder to follow school rules, we began. I only managed to get her attention for a minute until something caught her eye. A custodian was passing by with a cart filled with caged frogs. I only took my eyes off of her for a moment when I saw a lovely picture of a cobalt blue tarantula. What I didn't expect was her teleporting beside the cart. The frogs were left there momentarily but Ramona felt the need to free all the frogs out of their cage. The door to a room was left open as they hopped into the occupied room.

The outcome? A wet situation in the biology room. I only found out by the outcry of students shouting that they were surrounded by frogs. I quickly got there to retrieve every last frog before returning them to their respective cage. The floor was a bit slimy as were my clothes. Ramona simply laughed. I apologized and tried to get her to do the same. She refused, looking away from both the custodian and I. My only response was a sigh. Not a good start.

We returned to the library as I suggested we try looking for a book that she might find interesting. "Don't cause trouble for anyone, okay?" I said, looking at her sharply.

She simply rolled her eyes before walking around. I told myself I would keep watch of the exits, in case she does think of leaving. Not even ten minutes later, I heard the cries of the librarian yelling her lungs out. Ramona put the cards out of their usual order in the library card catalog. I ran and quickly apologized. I offered to correct the problem. Ramona laughed as the librarian shook her head. It took the rest of the time we had, but it wasn't over it. We were both told to head to the principal's office. Principal Wartz was informed about the mess at the biology room and at the library. He felt it directly attacked what the school stood for. I pleaded to Principal Wartz that I would get this problem child in control. Ramona causally picked up his mug of coffee. Ignoring what I or the principal was saying to her, she kept shifting the content around.

Principal Wartz asked her to place it back down. She 'pretended' to lose her grip as she tilted the cup over as it spilled the brown liquid across his desk. Thanked heavens, it wasn't hot anymore. We nearly got detention by that stunt she pulled. When we finally left, I couldn't hold it anymore.

"What's your problem, Ramona? You misbehaved the entire time and you're not listening to me." We stood by the stairs on PS 118. I was fed up with how she has been behaving.

"Well, I guess you were right. I am a problem child." She turned her back to me before walking away.

"Huh?" But before I could ask what she meant, she stormed off. I shook my head in dismay. Only a few more days of this, I thought.

oooOOOooo

I met up with the girls. They both were with their respective 'little sister'. Rhonda just finished going over the basic checklist when looking yourself in the mirror at the school bathroom. The second grader nodded as she took notes. She seemed studious, sporting a pair of glasses. Lila's on the other hand, was small but energetic. Hair in a ponytail, she continued to jump up and down as Lila suggested they go for a dance lesson.

"That's a great idea, Lila. I should take my little sister to get our hair done."

I didn't know what to say. They were having a great time with their mentees. I wished I felt the same with mine, but I didn't. And when they extended their invite with me, I turned them down. It didn't feel right or me to intrude in their time with their sisters. Instead, I began walking around the town.

Half an hour later, I felt the need for a treat. Being near the park, I could faintly hear the chiming sound of the Jolly Holly Man. I should still be able to buy an ice-cream cone from him before he takes off. I stopped midway when I spotted a familiar teen walking nearby. His long mane was distinguishable as he proudly walked along the cement sidewalk. From where I stood, I could easily see someone running towards him. Their popsicle in hand was loose as they dashed on ahead. Somehow, my body sprang into action. Almost as if I knew what was going to happen; and it did happen.

A moment later, her popsicle fell on the grass, all while leaving a piece on his shoe. The splatter could be seen on his socks. I quickly apologized on her behalf. She cried though it was due to her loss rather than action. Wolfgang said not a word to me as his attention was on the second grader. His body towered over hers as the girl continued to cry. His hand floated above her head as I feared for the worst.

"Why are you crying?" His voice held no malice. It felt like a statement rather than a question. Ramona looked up at Wolfgang for a moment before looking at her fallen treat on the ground. She pointed at it. "I see. Are you hurt?"

"Nooo." She said through open tears.

His hand glossed over her head before giving a light ruffle. "That's good, as long as you're okay."

Ramona took notice as her eyes made contact with him. She still cried, but not overflowing with tears as she did before. His hand gave one last pat before retracting.

"I'm sorry, mister." She said. I was dumbfounded with mouth ajar. She was not one to apologize, even with instructions.

"I'm sorry too. And since you apologized so nicely, why don't I get you an ice-cream cone? My treat."

That instantly lifted her spirit. "Really? I want an ice-cream sundae!" What?! That was the most expensive thing on the menu. No way Wolfgang would get her that. I was about to step in, demanding that she pick something else.

"Okay, let me see how much it is and if I have enough..." Ramona cheered as we three walked up to the Jolly Holly man and his truck. Wolfgang looked over the menu, exaggerating his gestures. "Mmm, I only have enough for a single scoop...sorry."

"That's okay, we can still get one."

Wolfgang nodded as the Jolly Holly man turned his attention to his patrons. "Tell the nice man what flavor you want." He gestured.

"Can I have a single strawberry scoop?"

"Sure, kid."

"Hmmm..." She said excitedly. The pink swirl took form above the cone as the ice-cream man asked if she wanted sprinkles or not. "Rainbow sprinkles!" That answered his question as he covered every side with the colorful sprinkles. "Here you go, little missy."

Ramona took it and was just about to leave when Wolfgang spoke up. "Don't forget to say..."

"THANK YOU!" She chimed as she sat by the sidewalk with her ice-cream in hand.

I was beyond baffled. Wolfgang managed to get Ramona to apologize and give her thanks. Something I failed to get her to do all this time. I needed to know his secret. "So, I'm guessing she's with you?" Wolfgang began. I nodded before giving me thanks. He said it was no big deal. I wasted no time as I asked how he got her to not act out. I really needed to know the secret.

"It's not a secret. She needed to see I wasn't mad at her but worried."

Worried for her? I was more worried for myself as I recalled my actions at school. My voice was ringing through my head of the things I said to her. The words I used and how mean they were to someone so young. "You are actually amazing. I've been trying all this time to get her to behave and you only spent a few minutes. You're better at being her mentor than me."

"Mentor?"

I then spoke briefly about my situation, including the few messes at the school. He laughed. He actually laughed at my misfortunes. In response, I looked away. Embarrassed.

"Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Ramona. Ramona Martinez."

"Well, Ramona... my name is Wolfgang. My friend Nadine was telling me how rough today was for you."

"She's your friend?" She asked, almost discarding everything else he had said.

"That's right. A very good friend that woke up cranky today." He gestured at me as I groaned. "I told her that tomorrow we'll have a better day, okay? Because I know you can do it." The second grader nodded, agreeing with what Wolfgang said. "Good. Always remember to say 'please' and 'thank you'. I might come by one of these days to see if you are using your nice words, okay?"

"Okay!"

Wolfgang patted her head and left. But not before passing some advice. Sometimes, it is best to get the kid to agree to a compromise. Make them think it was their choice. I appreciated the words as I walked Ramona home.

With a fresh start, I convinced Ramona to work on her homework after school, so we could play at the park afterwards. We spent almost a full hour before making our way to the city's park. I asked her what she wanted to play. She suggested the swings. As we swung around, I initiated a conversation.

"Favorite color?"

"Pink...yours?"

"Green and turquoise."

"Favorite animal?"

"Butterflies! What about you?"

"Hm...kitty cats."

"They are so cute when they're so small." I added.

Ramona nodded. We spent the rest of the afternoon together with hardly a problem. Walking back, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry, mister."

I smiled as I praised her. Happy to see her using her nice words. I also mentioned that the next time I see Wolfgang, I will tell him the good news. Her mother was waiting for her by the door. She embraced her mother as I begin to take my leave.

"Nadine!" She yelled, embracing me from behind. "Thank you for playing with me!" I returned the hug. She was really a sweet child. I shouldn't have treated her like a problem child. Wolfgang made me realize that.

The rest of the week, we spent every afternoon together. I introduced her to my passion; insects. I showed her my babies; beautiful and majestic Monarch Butterflies. She was astonished as she stared at them. Reminded me of my first time.

By Friday, Mr. Packenham had us do a short presentation of what we learned about each other. Ramona was sweet with her words. She brought up how fun and smart I was. Her favorite animal was now the Monarch Butterflies.

When it came to my turn, I began with an apology. People were taken aback by what I started with. I spoke of how rude and presumptuous I was when I began. The things I said to Ramona and the impact my words had on her were inexcusable. However, I was glad. With help from a friend, I learned to not assume and truly get to know someone. Ramona is smart and has a kind heart. I never really thought of having a sister, but if I could, I would like it to be someone just as Ramona. These past few days, I saw a little sister in her and glad we had this opportunity to get to know each other.

Mr. Packenham clapped his hands. It seems we went beyond his expectation as the rest of the students agreed. Ramona and I shared a hug. Lila and Rhonda came by to embrace me as the applause died down. The girls agreed to celebrate with a slumber party at Rhonda's place, just the three of us. Unknowing to us, a fifth grader stopped by to check out the presentation before taking his leave. The teacher took a picture of us that day. It stayed in the bulletin board located outside the library as Ramona and I held hands.

-END OF CHAPTER THREE

Author's Notes:

Wolfgang seems to be helping Nadine a lot. I wonder how that would affect their relationship as fifth grader and fourth grader. Well, until next time! -sorrowXdarkness