Hey, guys!
First off, I can't believe we're so close to the end. Many of you correctly guessed the order of the last few chapters, and after this one I think it's rather obvious who the final two people are. So no bonus points for guessing this time around, haha.
Anyway, so we've come to Gerald, the consummate cool kid. As always, I hope I've done him justice.
I didn't really get a whole lot of responses for Phoebe so I'm just going to get straight to the story for this chapter.
Please let me know what you think by hitting that review button and enjoy! :)
The Cool Kid- Gerald Johanssen
Fuzzy Slippers never lies, so when he told me to always look out for number one, I believed him. I mean, can anyone prove otherwise? Fourth grade, any grade really, is full of times when people are gonna knock you down and laugh at you. Isn't that the way? That's why I stay cool and do what I gotta do to handle my own business.
I mean look at my other classmates- Harold, Rhonda, Eugene…don't even get me started on Sid- always gotta be wildin out over crazy stuff. But most of them never learn. I deal with crazy all the time aka my annoying little sister Timberly, and my stupid older brother Jamie O, who is always taking what's mine. What can you do except keep your chill? I ain't a sucker. I'm already the best athlete in my grade and no one can tell the old legends like I can. High tops and my Scottie Pippen jersey never did me wrong and I'm sure as heck not going to let anyone steal what thunder I got. You can't trust people, man.
Well…I guess that isn't strictly true. I know I can count on my main man, Arnold. He and I have been buds going back to preschool. He's one cool cat and we do almost everything together. But if I had to knock him for something, it's that he's got a people problem- he believes in them too much. Always has to look on the bright side. I'll ask him why and he says, 'someone has to', so basically, I've stopped asking and let him believe in people all he wants. Because let's be real, if he didn't, who would?
Maybe I'm crazy, but sometimes I get jealous of Arnold. Okay, I probably am crazy for thinking that, but look at all the stuff he does at his boarding house. Collect rent, fix the house, go up on the roof and watch the stars (more like city lights actually). The guy has freedom and his grandparents depend on him. That's more than I can say for myself, always hearing it from my parents- "clean your room", "take out the trash", or my personal favorite: "time to clean the gutters." And Jamie O avoids it because he's out all the time with his high school buddies, and Timberly still plays up like she's too little to do anything. I can spot a lie from her a mile away.
As much as I put things in perspective for Arnold when he gets out of touch with reality, I have to admit, he does the same for me sometimes. I can complain all I want about siblings, parents and having to do chores, but I know Arnold wants exactly what I got. He doesn't mention it often, he's pretty good about taking things in stride, but he can't fool his best friend. Ever since he found that map he's been trying to find a way to get to San Lorenzo and find his parents. I can't say I blame him, so even though I'm usually the one to pull him back to earth, I haven't this time around. I can't be the one to wipe out any hopes he has of locating his folks. How much of a jerk would I be if I did that to my own best buddy? Now that's one urban legend I would not want to pass down.
I guess it's pretty clear he and I have different family lives for obvious reasons. We also handle women differently haha. I mean, my man is as chivalrous as it gets and a classic gentleman. Me on the other hand, I'm not too far from that, but this where Arnold gets it wrong. You can't be too straightforward with females, there needs to be a bit of mystery there or else they won't give you a second look. I bet anything if he did that with Lila, they'd be together in a heartbeat, instead of him always pining after her. And he'd definitely be able to get the monkey off his back; otherwise known as Helga G. Pataki.
I openly admitted I was jealous of Arnold in some ways, but that's why I brought up how we handle the fairer sex, because that's one category for Arnold I wouldn't wish on anybody. His first crush turned out to be a stick in the mud, his second doesn't even like him back, and he has to deal with a living nightmare every single day. Helga Pataki might be the meanest chick I've ever come across, and her anger couldn't be directed at a nicer person. See, that's the one thing I've never really understood. Not just the fact that Arnold won't stand up for himself, but that he should be the target of all the pranks, insults, spitballs…the whole nine yards. I've known them both my whole life and never did I see my man do anything to Helga unless she pushed him to the edge first. He practically takes the abuse lying down. So what on earth compels that girl to behave like that? It blows my mind. I mean I've heard rumors that she actually likes him but…nah, I just can't see it, even if she has helped us out a few times. Arnold still won't tell me what happened with her on that rooftop at the FTI building. I just hope Helga went easy on him whatever it was.
Makes me glad that my girl is sane…okay so Phoebe isn't exactly my girl yet, but she will be. She's really smart, cute, and nice…everything a guy could want. She really brings out that 'warm fuzzy feeling' in me that people talk about and I think I do the same for her. Because I would do anything for her. Part of me feels I should have asked her out already, but the instincts are telling me that the time ain't right just yet. I gotta play it cool and play it for number one…or thirty three in my case (my man Scottie is underrated). That's the one piece of advice Jamie O gave me that wasn't crap. And when Jamie O isn't trying to bust on me, you know you better listen.
Baritone, keeper of the tales, basketball star, middle child, future boyfriend of Phoebe Heyerdahl…it is what it is, man. All I gotta do, is just play it cool.
Gerald, to me, was the consummate cool kid. Popular, but friendly to everyone and not a person who thought his shit didn't stink. He's the perfect foil to Arnold as far as a best friend goes. The two get along without much trouble but also view the world in different ways. I also think his attraction to Phoebe is considerably more stable and less complicated than the whirlwind that Arnold and Helga go through.
Anyway, two more to go and I for one cannot wait to publish the final chapters. Keep your eyes peeled!
~The Wasp
