Chapter 2: Back Out While You Still Can
The next morning Bob was showing Jordan his cell phone store. The college graduate took notice of the business man's eagerness to get his store noticed, and was beginning to feel pressured.
"So over here we got something called iphones? Don't ask me who decided to replace beepers with those things. Then over here…"
Bob looked to see his daughter's friend looking around, quickly taking notes on the information he was giving him. As nervous as Jordan was about not doing anything to humiliate the store, Bob was more concerned about how quickly they could make it succeed.
"Over here are just your standard flip phones. One day they'll make an iphone the same price as that piece of junk. Yeesh, there's something I never thought I'd hear myself say." After pointing out a few things in the store, the salesman eagerly turned to his new, unhired associate and asked "You getting all this?"
The anxious graduate quickly looked up from his notepad to see the impatient look on the salesman's man. "Huh? Oh yeah, should be great."
P.S.118
Helga was grabbing her needed books from her locker, not thinking about what Wolfgang had said to her the previous day. After grabbing her needed items, she turned to her friend and said "See ya in class Pheebs."
"Certainly Helga." the intelligent girl replied.
Lurking from behind a nearby corner was Wolfgang and his slow sidekick. Wolfgang listened to the discouraged sigh that relinquished from Phoebe, knowing it must have something to do with the way things ended on the field the previous day.
The trouble making eighth grader turned to his friend and proudly said "Show time!"
As Phoebe was heading for class, she saw two shadows appearing on the floor. The small girl turned around, tightly holding her books to her chest.
"Oh dear!" she gasped, after taking notice of the evil boys standing before her.
Wolfgang stood there proudly with his hands on his hips and laughed "Hey there dork. Where's your gang?"
Hoping to avoid any trouble, Phoebe hesitantly replied "I'm sure they're awaiting in class for the first lecture to begin."
Just as the small girl was beginning to continue heading for her room, she listened to the cruel eighth grader say "I'm surprised you're not afraid to face your friend."
The small Asian girl then turned back to face Wolfgang with a perplexed look as she continued to listen.
"After the way she stormed off the field, I can't imagine how angry she is at you losers for not supporting her."
Edmund began to laugh at his friend's plan to manipulate Phoebe and added "Yeah. I bet she's too chicken to go to class."
Wolfgang then rolled his eyes at his sorry friend's constant attempt to make himself look good. He shoved Edmund aside and sighed "Shut up."
Classroom
While most of the class was silent, wondering what type of mess they had gotten themselves into, Arnold was looking forward to practice that afternoon.
He turned to face his best friend who seemed to have something on his mind (the opposite of how things usually were) and asked "So, you ready for practice this afternoon Gerald?"
Gerald looked up from his paper to view his friends around the room. Dead silence was occurring, implying there was only one thing on their minds.
The tranquil boy then turned back to face his friend and sighed "Yeah man, should be great."
The remaining student then entered the room to take a seat beside her best friend. Helga looked up from the drawings she was busy making in her notebook to watch Phoebe take a seat beside her.
"Ready to kick some butt at practice this afternoon Pheebs?!"
The quiet girl looked hesitantly from her friend to her desk. If what Wolfgang said was accurate, not being supportive of Helga's desire to practice could have an affect on their friendship.
The small girl let out a solemn sigh and replied "I'm looking forward to it Helga."
The students then looked up to see their perky teacher entering the room with a stack of papers. "Good morning class. Today's going to be a very special day! Do you know why?"
"We get to eat in class? Alright!" Harold jumped excitedly in his seat, raising his arms in the air.
"Well no, not exactly Harold."
"Oh I know! We get to start the exciting lesson on fractions! Oh how wonderful!" Eugene raised his hand in excitement.
"Almost Eugene. We're having our test on decimals." Mr. Simmons said, as he began to hand out the test.
The students moaned at the answer. A test on top of practice against their biggest rival. It was not starting off to be a good week.
By the end of the period, all but a couple people were expecting to do poorly when they handed in their tests. The baseball game at the end of the week seemed to be more important to do well on than anything that could be handed to them in class. Yet, they weren't looking forward to practice either.
Cafeteria
By the time morning classes ended, Arnold was ready to get to the lunch line. If he was lucky, there would still be a tapioca remaining.
While the boys were approaching the lunch line, Wolfgang and Edmund were entering the cafeteria. The evil students were searching the room for their next victims when a table caught their eye.
"Let's go!" Wolfgang motioned for Edmund to follow him.
Table
"How do ya reckon ya did on the test fellas?" Stinky asked the other boys.
Harold began unwrapping his sandwich as he moaned "Oohhh okay I guess."
"Yeah. It was kind of hard to concentrate when we've still got practice to think about." Sid agreed, not too confident he did well.
"I reckon we…" Stinky was preparing to concur before noticing their rivals approaching the table.
"Well, well. If it isn't the wussy seventh graders."
"AHHH!" Sid screamed, as he grabbed hold of his hat.
"You folks ready for a beating?" Wolfgang grinned, as he hovered over Sid.
The small boy sunk lower in his chair, grabbing hold of his hat as he begged "Please! Don't hurt me!"
Wolfgang grabbed hold of his chest and began to laugh as he said "Haha if you should worry about anyone hurting you, it's football face!"
Sid slowly sat up in his chair, hesitant about what he was hearing. "Huh?"
Stinky lifted an eyebrow at the accusation and asked "I don't reckon Arnold would do anything to hurt us. On account of he's the one always solving our problems."
Wolfgang continued to grin as he countered "Oh really? Then let me ask you this. Why did he volunteer you to play us this weekend?"
Stinky began to scratch his head and replied "I'm confused. I thought that was Helga?"
"Yeah! It's her fault we're in this mess!" Harold exclaimed, no longer caring about his lunch.
Wolfgang chuckled at their confusion and added "But football face didn't do anything to stop it. He just assumed you'd be willing to play."
The boys then looked at each other as Wolfgang and Edmund left the table, content with their work.
Lunch Line
"I don't know about this man. If we lose, it's back to playing in the street for us." Gerald pointed out to his optimistic friend.
As Arnold grabbed the last of the tapioca, he replied "We don't have a choice Gerald. If we back out, they're just going to keep bugging us about it."
"Whatever you say Arnold."
Table
"Alright Pheebs, you'll take left field. With us practicing in our usual positions, these whimpy classmates of ours shouldn't have a problem beating those moronic eighth graders."
Arnold and Gerald approached the table to see Helga announcing her plans for practice, while Phoebe sat quietly sipping her milk.
Gerald took a seat beside his girlfriend as Arnold pushed his lunch over towards Helga and asked "What's going on?"
"Just showing Pheebs plan for practice this afternoon. If those idiot classmates of ours follow instructions, we won't have a problem winning Saturday." Helga said confidently.
Arnold picked up his girlfriend's plan as Gerald leaned over to take a look at it himself. The once placid boy shook his head at the game plan and sighed "Mm, mm, mmm! Talk about determination."
Snatching the paper back, Helga pointed a finger and scoffed "You said a mouthful there pal, and I'm not about to let these loser classmates of ours blow it for us, right Pheebs?"
The quiet girl set her drink aside as she looked over at her impatient friend and cautiously replied "Huh? Oh yes, of course."
Classroom
Lunch ended and the students were back in their seats, waiting for the afternoon classes to start. Arnold was sitting in the front desk when he saw the remaining students enter the room. "Hey Sid, how's it going?"
The skinny boy shook as he slightly turned to face what he now thought of as his dangerous classmate. "Huh? Oh fine, just fine Arnold."
The blonde boy then watched his friend race off to his desk, and said to Gerald "What do you think's wrong with Sid?"
The easy going boy lifted an eyebrow at his friend's question and asked "How much time you got?"
The boys then turned to face forward in their desks as they watched their teacher enter the room, ready to start their Nutrition lecture.
Not caring to take an interest in it, Helga sat writing plans and positions for everyone that afternoon in her notebook. She rested her head in her hand as she angrily thought to herself…
Stupid class, can't handle a stupid game of baseball against those stupid eighth graders. The only one up for it is ARNOLD….
Pttss...Arnold! Mr. Goody Two Shoes, Mr. Sensitive, Mr. Always Has To Look On The Bright Side. How it annoys me. And yet…
I love it! Oh my darling, at last you're mine! Finally, your kind and sensitive ways have seen past my harsh and brutal exterior! Only you know the truth my love! Only you can ignore the harsh remarks that slip my tongue each day, knowing what lies beneath them is a kind, sensitive soul.
The emotional girl's scowl turned to a set of dreamy eyes as she pushed aside the notebook to rest her head in both her hands and gaze sweetly at her beloved. Phoebe listened to the sweet swoon that escaped her friend. Although she as well knew the tender traits Helga possessed, she also knew how much winning an even such as this meant to her.
To be beaten by something as simple as a baseball game would make her feel as vulnerable as it made her look unsuccessful.
Once the last few hours of class ended, Arnold turned in his seat and asked "You guys ready for practice."
Rhonda was headed for the door when hearing this. Before leaving, she turned towards her classmate and said "We better win this weekend. I'm giving up shopping for the new items in this months Pre-Teen Miss magazine to make sure we don't lose the field."
As the students stood from the seats, Gerald glared at the warning and said "Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to let her down."
Helga's House
The pigtailed girl entered her home to switch out her school books for her baseball gear. Upon entering the front door, she noticed Jordan sitting with Olga at the dining room table, discussing his journal entry with Bob about the cell phones.
"I'm so excited for you daddy!" the perky girl screeched.
Jordan tapped his pencil against the table as he listened to Bob say "Right. So what kind of information are we looking at here? I don't want anything that'll scare off the customers!"
A perplexed look formed on the college graduates face until he at last replied "Well, from what you've described to me, we could list a few types of phones and their features your store sells. Preferably the most popular ones to grab their attention, and the least popular to have them consider one, rather than ignoring them when they walk into the store."
"Hmm...different types huh? What kind of weirdos do we have to worry about this attracting?" Bob wondered, imagining the worst that could happen.
After considering this a moment, the group noticed Helga walking back downstairs with her baseball bat and glove.
"Hello baby sister! Would you like to work on daddy's new ad with us?" Olga asked eagerly.
Helga rolled her eyes as she was approaching the door and replied "Gee sounds great Olga. But I've got to get to practice...and away from you."
Although they hadn't heard the last of what Helga said, Jordan noticed the sad expression forming on Olga's face and said "I know how you feel. My brother doesn't enjoy spending time with me either. He's really not very nice."
Gerald Field
While all but one person had arrived, Rhonda stood on the field brushing her hair and sneered "Can we please get started? I didn't sacrifice my shopping hours to stand and stare at you people all afternoon."
"We're just waiting for Helga. She's got our plans." Arnold pointed out.
Harold clenched his fist at the thought of considering to wait for the girl who he felt started the mess. "What are we following her stupid ideas for? This is all her fault anyway! I say we…"
The husky boy was then cut off from his whining as the group heard "Ahh suck it up ya big baby!"
Everyone turned to see Helga marching onto the field with her gear and notepad, ready to give orders.
"Alright listen up people. Pheebs, you're taking left field again. Geraldo, first. Stinko, hot corner…"
"Hot corner? What in the heck is that?" the country boy asked.
Helga smacked her face at his ignorance, having explained this to him at practically every practice.
Normally Phoebe would eagerly step in to explain things. Wolfgang's information that morning had filled her mind with uncertainty. No matter how much she disagreed with Helga's ideas over the years, she was always there to support her. The malicious eighth grader that morning, made it seem as though Helga now felt the complete opposite about her friend.
As the quiet girl stood staring at the ground, Gerald stepped in to say "You're on third Stinky. Try not to get hit."
Helga then continued on with her instructions as the pointed to the nervous boy in the cowboy boots and said "Sid, you take right field."
Rather than worrying about how dangerous the position was, he was more concerned about how close Arnold would be standing to him. Wolfgang said Arnold didn't care about what happened to them. Did that mean he was willing to go to extreme lengths to win...even if it meant seeing someone get hurt?
After not hearing the usual scaredy cat complain about his position, Helga pointed to Lila and said "You're center field!"
Lila (as well as a few other classmates) had yet to find a reason to fear the ball game. Aside from losing the privilege of calling the field their own, they hadn't been given a reason to believe their friends were actually out to get them.
"I'm ever so certain I just adore center field Helga!"
The only good thing Helga found to be about Lila was never having to worry about a complaint. While her perfect attitude was unfathomably annoying, in came in handy when she needed a crew to give orders to.
"Princess, you're on second. Pink boy, you take catcher."
Harold crossed his arms at the order, beginning to feel as though losing the field wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if it meant not putting up with her anymore "Okay...Madam fortress mommy!"
"Alright Arnold. Looks like you're shortstop shortman."
Sid's eyes widened at the sound of this, feeling Arnold was going to be too close to the field. The nervous boy began to shake as he thought to himself…
Oh no! What if he catches the ball...then turns around and throws it at me! Or, what if he 'pretends' to slide across the field after catching it, and rolls right into me! Ahhh!
"Uhh Sid? Are you ready to start?"
The paranoid boy then shook his head to see Arnold waving a hand in front of his face. "Huh? What?"
"We're starting freakazoid now get your scrawny butt to right field!" Helga yelled from the pitcher's mound.
Sid took one last nervous glance at Arnold before moving in that direction. Helga turned to face the batter as she rolled her eyes and scoffed "Pttss...freak!"
Eugene then stepped up to the plate, preparing to swing at the first pitch. Surprisingly, the boy hit the ball on his first swing. He began racing towards first base while the ball headed in the direction of right field.
As opposed to paying attention to the game, Sid was giving his full attention to the people in it. The boy in the cowboy boots stood in the field, eyeing how close Arnold may think about stepping back towards him. He watched the blonde boy turned to face him and listened to him say "Hey Sid, heads up!"
While Eugene was overwhelmed by the fact he had made it to first safely, the group was on its way over to see Sid laying unconscious on the field.
Sid at last began flickering his eyes and opened them to see an evil face appearing before him. "Ahh!"
"Well, well. You dorks practicing for the game Saturday? You're just wasting your time!" Wolfgang laughed.
Helga marched over to point a finger at the stuck up boy and scowled "We'll show you who's wasting their time! I've got plenty of protein shakes left over!"
"Not those things again." Gerald sighed, knowing they didn't help anyone last time.
"Haha you pathetic saps are wasting your time! The lot is ours!" Wolfgang laughed, exiting the field.
Edmund laughed at his friend's fierce attitude and said "We sure showed them, huh Wolfgang?"
"Would you shut up already?"
After a few hours of practice, Rhonda complained "Can we please stop this? I need to go home and shower."
While Helga rolled her eyes at the complaint, Arnold took notice of the sun going down and said "Alright. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."
The class began walking in separate directions, happy to have that disaster behind them. Arnold looked to see Helga grabbing her gear and asked "Mind if I walk with you?"
The pigtailed girl let out a heavy swoon as she held her supplies close to her heart. After snapping out of her daze, she shook her head and smirked "Whatever floats your boat football head."
The two walked down the street together, wondering how the game would go on Saturday. Arnold noticed the quietness taking place between them and said "Things should go well Saturday."
Helga rolled her eyes at his optimism and smirked "Pttss...yeah. If Klutzilla can make it to first safely again, and Mr. Paranoid can keep his eyes on the game, we should have a fair shot."
Arnold began to rub his girlfriend's hand. Although she didn't appear to be optimistic, an admirable quality she possessed was her determination.
"Well, as long as we work together, everything should be fine."
Helga felt he was a bit dense for having such a great amount of faith in such a simple plan. Looking into his emerald eyes as she felt the sweet touch of his hand made it overwhelmingly hard to disagree with him about anything however.
"Uhh I guess so."
The two at last made it to her porch. Arnold stood before his girlfriend, not quite ready to say goodbye. While he understand the nervousness the class was facing, Helga was one person he never had to worry about having second thoughts in a tough situation.
"Thanks for coming."
Helga felt her beloved reach up to kiss her on the cheek. The sensitive girl placed a hand on her face, feeling her mind had been put at peace.
A moment later, she shook her head and scoffed "Yeah well, everyone better bring their A game tomorrow."
"Whatever you say Helga."
Jordan's House
After a day spent helping Bob think of a new ad for his business, Jordan began making his way home. He entered the front door to hear chuckling coming from the living room. Once he set his things down on the dining room table, he entered the living room to see his brother in front of the TV.
"How's it going little brother?"
"Shut up! We're watching TV." the rude teen waved off his brother.
The visitor then laughed at the remark and said "Haha yeah. You sure told him Wolfgang!"
"Shut up Edmund!"