And now, for the next chapter of this story, and I'll just say this now, we are about almost done with this story! Just a couple more chapters and this'll be marked on the Completed pile! Man, it feels like an accomplishment completing a story I made after two years of it being dormant! Well, let's get right to it! Anyway, enjoy!
Everybody in the Lloyd household were talking quite a bit as the adults there seemed to be reconnecting with old times, Mrs. Lopez and Sammy Redmond were sitting together as Mrs. Lopez gave a small grin.
"No kidding? You really took your son out to a ball game?" Mrs. Lopez asked in surprise.
"Sure, he admires it a little differently than I do, but he still admires the game all the same!" Sammy gave a small laugh. "You just got to make sure that he acts like a kid at times, you know?"
Mrs. Lopez sighed. "I suppose so... it's been so hard to hang out with Lorenzo since his father passed away, but he's making good leeway with the friends he has. They're giving him at least something that I couldn't even try to give."
"You think your kids are the best!" An old man scoffed as Sammy and Mrs. Lopez both gave an annoyed look towards the man in old fashioned clothes. "Well, I'll have you know that my grandson is the best of the best!"
"Mr. Higgins, with all due re-" Mrs. Lopez started.
"SMYTHE-HIGGINS! SOME OF US HAVE HYPHENATED NAMES, YOU KNOW!" Rex Smythe-Higgins said in annoyance.
"Of course you do." Mrs. Lopez shook her head. "Anyway, with all due respect, we are not comparing our children's accomplishments!"
"Yeah, we're just talking about having fun with with our kids." Sammy pointed out.
"Bah! I have plenty of fun with my grandson! Trained him plenty when it came to the Tour De Pond, helped him learned the matters of ancient Hillwood history, and even the upcoming races! Right now, I'm gambling for him to secure a spot in the 'Mister America' spotlight!" Rex said.
"Why are you even here?" Mrs. Lopez groaned, holding her head.
Not too far from the adults, the kids, three boys respectively, were looking towards their parents as they looked at each other.
"Our parents..." Lorenzo sighed.
"My grandfather..." Rex Smythe-Higgens III gave a groan as he held his head.
"Nice little picture opportunity!" Alan smirked as he held his camera up and snapped a photo of the arguing Rex I talking the ears off an annoyed Mrs. Lopez and a trying-to-smile Sammy Redmond.
"Lorenzo? Alan? Rex?"
The three boys immediately recognized the voice as they all smiled, turning to the boy that made the sound and smiled, "Arnold!"
Lorenzo, Alan and Rex paused as Arnold and Rhonda approached the three boys as they said, "You know him?"
The couple sat down as all three said at the same time, "Uh, yeah! He sort of helped me become the sort of person I would be now!"
Arnold gave a smile as he said, "It's good to see you three once again. I never knew you three were friends."
"Oh, we're not." Lorenzo said, with his Spanish accent a little thick. "We're more... acquaintances than anything. But our families know the Lloyds, and they often host a party at least every year."
"Wait, I thought you were attending school last year." Arnold raised an eyebrow.
"I was. But when you're here for a year, man, you tend to get invited with your parents to the rich parties." Lorenzo shrugged. "Actually, Alan, Rex and Rhonda knew each other BEFORE I came along."
"What brings you out of the hovel of your grandparents?" Rex III raised an eyebrow.
"Rex..." Arnold gave a frown.
"Sorry. Old habits are hard to break, especially when you have a grandfather who... you know, has a slight hatred to your grandfather." Rex III gave a little chuckle of embarrassment.
"Well, seeing as you're acquainted with the... acquaintances that attend this party, I don't think I need to introduce you to them." Rhonda smiled.
"Ah, Rhonda, still as delightful as ever." Alan said... as he looked over to Arnold and noticed them holding hands. "I see you two are dating now."
"H-huh?" Arnold said in surprise as Rhonda's eyes widened.
"Oh, well, er... you see, it's not... we're not entirely dating..." Rhonda said.
"We sort of are... it's just... well..." Arnold blushed a little as the three boys looked at each other. "We do go to the same school together and all..."
Rex III gave a laugh as he said, "You see? I told you the next boy Rhonda would set her eye on would be a boy from her school! Pay up!"
"Wait, what?" Arnold asked in confusion as Lorenzo and Alan gave money to Rex III. "What's going on?"
"Well, you see, ever since we've been going to these parties, me, Rex III and Alan had placed bets on who Rhonda would date." Lorenzo said in embarrassment.
"Wait, what? You placed bets to see what boy I would be interested in?" Rhonda glared at the three rich boys angrily.
All of them shrunk down as Alan said, "It's not what you think. You see, last year at last year's party, you always talked about all the wonderful boys you've seen and always wished to date someone that was equally mature, but has the right amount of being a kid in your eye. I... made the bet that you'd go out with someone the opposite of that..."
"And I made a bet you'd go out with a celebrity." Lorenzo said in embarrassment.
Rhonda looked at all three boys with a frown on her face as Arnold patted Rhonda on the back, slightly calming her down a little. "Take it easy, Rhonda. I'm sure they don't mean any harm in nosing about our business..."
"Ha ha! So you two ARE a couple! Arnold, you should have told us!" Alan gave a smile as Arnold smiled nervously.
"I would have to say, I wouldn't have thought that Rhonda would set her eye on someone as middle-class as you are, but here you go." Rex III shrugged.
"Hey, Rex! I'll have you know that Arnold is a lot more mature and has more of a rich vibe than you tend to believe!" Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Sure, he's not rich, but does he have to be? We're not living in a time where rich people have to be married off to other rich people. We're always old enough to make our own decisions, you know!"
Rex III paused as he looked down. "I suppose you're right..."
Rhonda could only give a grin as Lorenzo said, "So, Arnold, why don't you catch us up with everything? Tell us what's been going on since we last seen each other!"
Arnold paused as he looked towards Rhonda, who gave a smile and a nod before turning to the boys. "I'd be happy to tell you everything... you see..."
Meanwhile, near the Lloyd entrance, Buckley was looking outside, looking rather concerned as Brooke was holding his hand to calm him down. "Bones would never be late to a formal party. I hope nothing bad happened to him..."
"Don't worry, I'm sure they're just running late, that's all." Brooke said, calming down the nervous man. "Besides, I'm sure your friend would never be late unless he had a valid reason..."
"But he's supposed to be starting the music up right now!" Buckley said in worry. "I just want him to be okay, that's all!"
Brooke paused as she looked out at the night sky in concern. "I'm worried for him too... but I'm sure he'll come in time... come on, we better tend to the guests before they get concerned..."
Buckley paused as he sighed, looking down. "I just hope you're right, for goodness sakes..."
With that, Brooke and Buckley left the entrance and started to go off, leaving the door closed. As soon as everything was all clear, Curly popped his head from behind the shrubbery next to the house as he popped out and ate the last of his beef jerky before tossing the wrapper on the sidewalk. He then opened the door as quietly as possible and nodded towards the bush as two other characters emerged.
"You better be doing this right, na no da..." One of the figures mumbled as she and the other figure went inside.
"Trust me, by the time I do this, they'll be too confused to even wonder what the heck is going on..." Curly chuckled to himself as he followed his friends inside... not realizing he left the door open... as a menacing shadow was just approaching the wrapper the beef jerky was in...
All the while, as soon as Arnold and Rhonda were away from the three boys and their joyful conversation, catching up as best as they could, the two of them found a secluded space as Arnold looked towards the short raven-haired girl nervously. "Er, Rhonda, you're probably wondering why I wanted to talk with you alone."
"I was wondering why you took me a little farther away from the others..." Rhonda said as she looked towards Arnold nervously.
"Well, I was thinking, and well... ever since you approached me about going to this party and then hanging out with you that week, I'm not going to lie, I started to form something for you." Arnold said as Rhonda raised an eyebrow. "I can't explain it, but the more I started to hang around you, the more I began to feel... well, something different for you."
"Arnold?" Rhonda asked.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well..." Arnold took a deep breath. "I like you, Rhonda... but more than that, I think I like-like you. If that makes any sense."
Rhonda put her hand over her heart as she felt a little touched by that gesture and Arnold's cute widening eyes. "Arnold Shortman... you're a very sweet boy. I'm glad you managed to tell me, because, well... I've been thinking about this as well, and... I'm beginning to like-like you too!"
Arnold's eyes widened in surprise, before giving a small smile. "You really do?"
Rhonda giggled as she leaned over and nuzzled his nose. "I really, really do!"
Arnold's smile widened even more as he pulled Rhonda into a hug, with Rhonda returning the hug right back as both of them felt comfortable in each other's arms at the moment. Arnold paused as he said to her, "I guess this means we're official now."
"I think we became official the moment I asked you to the party..." Rhonda gave a small laugh as they separated. "And you know what? I'm so happy that you're my boyfriend! I mean, who wouldn't want you? You always keep a calm and cool demeanor and you're always yourself, no matter what!"
"And you've certainly grown from the haughty girl I've seen hang around..." Arnold gave a small grin towards him.
"Oh, I am not haughty." Rhonda lightly pushed him with a giggle.
"Yes you are, you're just denying it right now." Arnold upped his voice a little as he laughed.
"Okay, maybe you're right." Rhonda held his hand and stared at the boy's face with a smile... before pausing. "I guess that just leaves telling the parents that we're official..."
"If it's to be that way, I guess it's time to face the music..." Arnold said as he and Rhonda got up as they turned to see Brooke and Buckley had arrived, talking with the other adults.
"Guess it wouldn't hurt to try..." Rhonda smiled as she and Arnold headed back into the party, heading straight for their parents...
But just as they reached the party, the lights suddenly turned off as a familiar voice rang out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your party to bring you the music of me, Curly Gammelthorpe!"
"CURLY?" Rhonda said in shock... before holding her head. "Oh no..."
Arnold's eyes widened in surprise and raised an eyebrow as he wondered what the heck Curly was doing there, with the others looking seemingly confused.
And with that, that's the end of this chapter! How did you guys like it? Next time, Curly attempts to admit his crush on Rhonda... and the lion is about to make his appearance! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!