Here's the next episode of this series, which, actually, this'll be more told in 'Flashback/Story' form, and that's 'Arnold As Cupid!' How will I portray this story? You'll see! Anyway, enjoy!
The next morning, on a Sunday, I was busy getting myself ready for the day, which apparently wasn't a whole lot. As I was brushing my hair to get it right, I heard the phone ring a couple of times. I decided to just let my parents pick up. I had just finally managed to get my hair just about the right length when I heard my mother call, "Rhonda, your friend Arnold's on the phone! He wants to talk to you!"
My heart skipped two beats, as I called, "I'll be right down!"
As fast as you can say 'Two Times Two', I was right downstairs as I took the phone from my mother and held it to my ear. "Hi, Arnold. What's up?"
"Hey, Rhonda, could you come down here for a while? I need your opinion on something, and I figure you were the type who knows what's in and out these days." Arnold's voice said.
"Sure, I think I can help you with that. I wasn't doing anything today, I'll be glad to come right down." I smiled a bit.
"Thanks. I'll see you over, then." Arnold's voice responded.
"See you later, Arnold." I smiled a bit before putting the phone down. I sighed a bit before composing myself. "Mother, would it be all right if..."
"Sure, Rhonda, you can hang out with your friend." My mother smiled as she kneeled down to me. "You know, he really has changed you a bit, hasn't he?"
"I'm not sure what you mean, mom." I said in confusion.
"Well, before, as a young girl, you'd obsessed over every small thing that would be no big deal, and you used to want everything... I mean, everything that's in fashion or something you want, you'd try to get it." My mom said. "But ever since your first day in kindergarten, when you made your new friends, you've started toning it down a little bit. You were always my perfect baby girl, but seeing you... well, I'm proud of you for being more perfect."
I blushed. "Well... you know me, mom. When I talk to people like Arnold, Phoebe, Nadine... it feels like I'm with people I'm more comfortable with."
"Well, I think it's sweet your friends haven't given up on you, nor have you gave up on them." Mom said. "Normally, the Wellingtons being spoiled, we'd keep wanting the latest ins... but you're different, Rhonda. You're still the same girl, but look at you... hanging out with friends, regardless of their statuses... I always was spoiled and was into the latest fashions as a kid, but I guess you got a bit of your father's friendliness and optimism."
"And when you were around him, you toned down your brattiness for him." I smiled to my mother. I knew the whole story on how my mom and dad met, dad was from a semi-poor neighborhood, with my mom being raised well in a rich neighborhood. My mother fell for my dad, and went out together for a while until they married... the usual 'mom meets dad' story.
"More or less. I'm still a bit of a spoiled girl... and trust me, I believe you are, too." My mother chuckled, patting my head.
"Aw, mom, I just got it at the right length!" I groaned as I felt around my hair.
"But you understand what I'm saying. I didn't used to have a lot of friends, and the friends I had, well, they were manipulative like I was." Mom said. "I'm just glad you're not following the same footsteps I took at one time..."
I sighed. "I know, I know, you used to be a witch to others, and you're afraid I'd be the same as you as I kept grewing up."
"But the important point is... you didn't. You're still into fashion like I am, but you're not afraid to take risks." My mother hugged me. "I'm so proud of you, honey!"
For some reason, my head started to feel relaxed as I hugged my mother back. "Thanks, Mom. I have to go to Arnold's now, can I be excused?"
"Sure. Go ahead." Mom said, letting me go.
"Okay, thanks." I said as I was heading out the door.
"Be back tonight." Mom called.
"I will, Mom!" I said, closing the door.
As I made my way to the boarding house where Arnold and his eccentric neighbors were living at, I noticed the front door opening as a man in a beige jacket and a bowler derby came walking out, all mysterious-like, carrying a briefcase. Looking closer, you can swear you don't see a FACE on that guy. That must have been this mysterious 'Mr. Smith' that Arnold told me about. I shrugged as I knocked on the door. Arnold opened the door and smiled, "Thanks for coming over, Rhonda. I need your opinion on something."
"Anything you need help on, I'm glad to oblige." I smiled a bit. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Could you come to my room, we can discuss more there." Arnold said as he led the way.
As I followed Arnold, I eyed the people eating breakfast at the kitchen table. At least three men and one woman. The first man was pretty short, but he had a tough demeanor. He can be tough, but at the same time, he has shown a nice side. This was Ernie Potts, one of the local demolitions people whose job is to get rid of the old buildings. Some people call him "Mr. Potts", but he mostly prefers to be called 'Ernie'.
The second man was a Vietnamese man with glasses, a small mustache, a blue business suit and brown khakis. This was Mr. Hyunh. I never did remember the first name... come to think of it, neither did anybody else.
The third man was a, pardon my language, bum. He was a balding man, with copper hair growing from the sides... and he was a bit overweight. He also had a grey suit on, though he never had a job in his life, from what Arnold had told me. This was Oskar Kokoshka, though a lot of us called him 'Mr. Kokoshka', he actually doesn't mind being called Oskar, either.
Sitting next to him was his wife, Susie Kokoshka. She had blonde hair, a pink shirt, and blue pants. How those two stayed married for years, I have yet to figure out. But maybe it's true love in work. Who knows?
After waving to them a bit, I followed Arnold to his room as we came inside. As Arnold pulled out his remote and summoned the couch, I sat down as Arnold pulled out what seemed to be a brand-new CD player. I looked at it in interest as I said, "That's a pretty nice CD player you got."
"Thanks." Arnold sighed. "After I lost my other one, it took me a couple of weeks just to get a new one."
"What happened to your old one?" I asked, curiously.
"Right, you weren't there with me when I told the story, but you see, for a while, I had a roommate." Arnold said. "Against my will, but I willingly let him in."
"Who was your roommate?" I asked.
"It was Mr. Kokoshka." Arnold sighed.
"Wait, the lazy one with the beard?" I asked.
"Yes, that Mr. Kokoshka." Arnold explained. "It all started a couple of weeks ago, Mr. and Mrs. Kokoshka were having another fight. It ended with Mrs. Kokoshka finally kicking him out and taking control of her life. Mr. Kokoshka tried a few people to see if he can move in for a couple of days, but they all turned him down."
"And you took him in?" I asked.
"Actually, he invited himself in before I could say a word in edge-wise." Arnold sighed. "At first, I thought it would be for a couple of days, but it just went crazy! He slept on my bed while I slept on the couch, he practiced his saxophone which distracted me from studying..."
"That would explain the one F on your math test." I giggled... before I noticed Arnold frowning. "Oh, sorry. Continue on."
"Anyway, he then invited two friends of his to play cards... though where he found those friends, I don't even KNOW." He rolled his eyes. "Mr. Kokoshka betted away all of his money... and then he bet my CD player, and lost it all."
"Oh... that's why you have a new one, then." I said, examining the look of it.
"Yeah, I'm still a bit peeved Mr. Kokoshka lost the CD player in the bet, but I moved past that now." Arnold explained. "Anyway, I figured enough was enough, and with a little help from Gerald, I tried to get Mr. and Mrs. Kokoshka back together."
"And... it went as well as you thought, in other words, NOT so well." I guessed.
Arnold nodded. "Almost, but not quite. Mr. Kokoshka has this problem of always thinking for himself, never for others. It wasn't until he decided to leave when he decided to let Mrs. Kokoshka keep something for herself... and it worked out."
"Wow." I said as I laid down on the couch. "That worked out good... though knowing Mr. Kokoshka, he's probably forgotten about his lesson he learned."
"Yeah, he went back to the way he was three days later." Arnold said. "I did get the CD player back, but it was all scratched up, and the battery case on it was busted. I figured I'd get a new CD player, and I guess that's why I called you here. You're really good when it comes to music, right?"
"Of course. I'm not only a fashionista, I'm also a well-trained musician." I smiled, flipping my head.
"Well, I need your opinion on a little music... which one do you think is the most 'in' right now?" Arnold said.
"Hmmm... that's a good question." I paused. "I hear rap sounds good these days, but then again, a nice jazz reggae album is good to listen to every once in a while. But then again, nobody can beat the classics..."
"The classics?" Arnold asked.
"Yeah, I hear there are a few classic Dino Spumoni songs that are related to popular culture nowadays, introducing new-generation kids to an older generation." I explained. "They're old songs, but they still strike a nice chord. I heard my dad listen to a few of those songs, and I have to say, they're pretty catchy."
"Hmmm..." Arnold said as he looked through his CDs. "I think I may have a Dino Spumoni CD somewhere... here it is..."
Arnold nodded as he put the CD into his new CD player and some nice Dino Spumoni music played. I smiled as I bobbed my head to the tune. "Sounds really nice, Arnold."
"Thanks..." Arnold said. "I'm going to go get the dishes washed downstairs. Thanks for the opinions, Rhonda."
"No problem. Mind if I stay in your room a while? I like this song." I smiled as I bobbed my head.
"Go ahead." Arnold said as he opened the door. "I'll be back up as soon as I can."
As Arnold left the room, I sighed as I laid down on the couch, just listening to the tune. I remember when I was just ALONE in that room a few weeks ago, trying to get the drawing out of the pink book...
My eyes wandered towards the bookshelf of Arnold's as I walked over there and counted all the books. Yep, all James Bond books were there. I selected a book and started reading it as I laid back down on the couch. I bobbed my head a bit before getting indulged into the book.
I must have been in the room for fifteen minutes or so, because I quickly heard footsteps, Arnold seemed to be running into his room.
I quickly put the book away as I sat down on the couch. As I was getting comfortable, Arnold was suddenly running in, a package in hand. "Rhonda, hold this for a minute!"
"Uh, okay, sure." I said as I took the package, Arnold taking the phone and calling a number.
"Gerald, Arnold. Could you come over here for a moment? I need your help." Arnold said as he hung up.
"What's going on, Arnold?" I asked.
"Let's just say..." Arnold sighed. "That I just got a package delivery for Mr. Smith, the mysterious figure that always lives in the boarding house... and everyone wants to know what's in the package."
My eyes lit up a bit. It sounded like a spy mission from the James Bond books that I've read. This was pretty cool. "Mind if I help you protect that package?"
"I guess I need all the help I can get." Arnold nodded. "Just keep holding that package and we'll wait for Gerald to come."
Well, today just got a little exciting for me. I was hanging with Arnold, AND I was actually living one of my own spy adventures! How could this day get any better?
And there is the thirteenth episode! How do you like it? Looks like I set up yet again for another episode in the life of Arnold... and Rhonda too! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!