Let's get this next chapter on the road again! Anyway, enjoy!
The next morning, Phoebe was already getting out as she noticed Helga was standing nearby, on the steps.
"Good morning, Helga." Phoebe chirped.
"Yeah, yeah." Helga rolled her eyes as she motioned her over. "Let's just get to the bus."
Phoebe just gave a sigh as she just followed Helga. "My, aren't you chipper."
"I had a bit of a... busy night." Helga groaned, holding her head.
"Writer's block?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow.
"Something like that." Helga sighed. "Say, are you doing okay? I know you were upset yesterday because of Gerald."
Phoebe paused... then sighed as she and Helga arrived at the bus stop. "I'm doing all right now. But after everything that Gerald had done behind my back, I just don't think I can see him the same way as I used to. I mean, I don't mind being friends with him, but I just... well..."
"Don't share the same sentimental feelings you once had?" Helga paused as she looked at Phoebe. "You know, Pheebs, sometimes, there are things that you just have to let go."
"Like how you can never let go of your love for Ice Cream, no matter how hard you try?" Phoebe asked.
Helga raised her unibrow up as she frowned, "Don't try to rile me up. Anyway, the point is, you don't need Tall Hair Boy. You're smart, you're beautiful in your own way, and I'm sure any guy would be lucky to treat you right."
Phoebe paused as she nodded, sighing. "Maybe you're right, Helga..."
Helga smirked. "Heh, I know I'm right. Come on, our bus has arrived."
Phoebe looked up and noticed, that indeed, the bus had just went around the corner as the two entered inside. As Phoebe sat down next to Helga, she noticed Arnold was sitting not too far away. She yelped as she picked up a book, and started to look inside, blushing furiously.
She did not dare tell Helga that she had some odd, lingering feelings for Arnold, Lord KNOWS that she would look at someone the wrong way. Helga raised an eyebrow as she looked over... and noticed Gerald, who was happening to sit right next to Arnold. She frowned as she looked at the book reading girl next to her. "Don't worry, Pheebs, he's not looking this way."
Phoebe gave a sigh in relief, having realized that Helga thought Phoebe had noticed Gerald, but her eyes kept being glued to the book as she said, "If you don't mind, I like to stay like this until school."
Helga shrugged. "Your funeral."
Phoebe sighed as she kept her nose inside the book. Helga paused as she looked around, thinking to herself.
"Next order of business... look over to find a new boyfriend for Phoebe! I'm sure she'll appreciate the trouble." Helga nodded as she looked over towards all the boys. "Not Sid, not Stinky, definitely not Harold... for sure not Curly... Peapod Kid? Maybe... hey, now that I think about it, why IS his name Peapod Kid? I mean, I know I casted him as a peapod in that food groups play we did, but... then again, did we just not remember his name? Note to self, find out Peapod Kid's true name. Okay, moving a little further..."
It wasn't until her eyes settled on Arnold as she gave a smile. "Ah yes, Arnold... the love of my life, and the nicest boy that burns my..."
Helga gave a slight blink of her eyes as she looked at both Arnold and Phoebe, as another thought entered that said, "These two work so well together..."
Helga gave a frown as she slapped herself. "No! Not this again! Okay... okay... I don't know what's going on with me today, but I just can't... and yet..."
Helga held her head. "I am so conflicted..."
"Hm?"
"Huh?" Helga turned to see Phoebe had turned to her.
"Did you say something?" Phoebe asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Helga shook her head. "I don't think so."
Phoebe just looked at Helga for a mere moment before turning back towards her book.
Later on, when recess time came rolling around, Phoebe was putting her books away at her locker, and was about to close her locker up when she heard a voice.
"Hey, Phoebe, Phoebe, my main gal!"
Phoebe just gave a groan as she closed her locker, a smiling Gerald standing right behind the door of the open locker. "Hello, Gerald. How are you?"
Gerald laughed. "Man, you know, things have never been so great."
"Huh-uh. Sure. How's your new girlfriend?" Phoebe said in a silent fury.
Gerald looked at Phoebe as he laughed. "New girlfriend? Surely, you're joking, my little lady."
"Joking? Really? Then how come I saw you flirting with Sheena, telling her the same thing you said to me, and I quote, 'the sweetest, yet nicest girl that a man like me has ever laid his eyes on'?" Phoebe frowned, raising an eyebrow.
Gerald yelped a bit as he said, "Er, well, I say that to every girl I see."
Gerald's eyes widened as he realized what he said. Phoebe, on the other hand, frowned as she said, "Do you want a shovel just so we can have that grave get deeper?"
The boy looked over at Phoebe in worry as he said, "Look, Phoebe, I'm sorry if I did that, it was an honest mistake!"
Phoebe sighed as she said, "Gerald... you're a good guy, I'm sure. And I know that you are a good person deep down, but you flirt with just about any girl you see and... well, I just can't go with somebody that can flirt with the first pretty face he sees."
Gerald paused as he looked down. "So... I guess I can't take you back, then?"
"Don't get me wrong, Gerald. I don't mind being friends with you... but you hurt me too deep. I can't go out with you again. I'm sorry, but I can't." Phoebe said as she started to go off. "I have to go. Helga needs me for something important."
As Phoebe went off, Gerald looked down in disappointment as he sighed. At least she's willing to be friends, so that was about as much as he could get...
Phoebe gave a sigh as she started to go around the corner... accidentally bumping into someone.
"I am so..." Phoebe started to get up... then yelped as she noticed that she had bumped into Arnold. "Arnold, I-I am so sorry."
Arnold sighed as he got up, collecting his books. "That's okay. Not the first time I bumped into someone at a corner."
Phoebe blushed a bit... before turning to Arnold. "I... I guess you heard all of my conversation with Gerald."
"I did." Arnold sighed. "I'm sorry you had to talk with him."
"I knew it had to happen eventually." Phoebe shrugged. "By the way, still on for that science project?"
Arnold nodded. "Of course! Did you have a project in mind?"
Phoebe paused as she blushed. "I got... quite a few ideas."
"All right. I'll come on over to your place and we'll discuss ideas." Arnold smiled. "Guess I'll see you after school."
Phoebe nodded as she said, "Of course! We'll talk more later!"
As Arnold and Phoebe walked together towards the outdoors, Arnold didn't notice a distant blush that started to grow on Phoebe's face.
With that, the third chapter has ended! How did you guys like it? If you guys have any suggestions for this story, please leave them through PMs/Private Messages. Also, I would like to thank MarioDS01 for giving me a few ideas that will be coming up in the next couple of chapters! Just a heads-up for ahead of time! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!