Extra, extra, read all about it, next up is the adaptation of 'The Big Scoop'! Anyway, enjoy!

Over on a Sunday afternoon, Nadine, Phoebe and I were hanging around the park as I was busy reading the newspaper comics. Phoebe was looking through the financial section for a small project she was doing as she was writing down the prices. Nadine? She was looking through the sports section.

"Yes! The Red Sox won again!" Nadine smirked as she turned to me. "In your face, Yankees fan!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, whatever, Nadine. Your Sox can't outbeat my Yankers."

"Yankees. Yankees." Nadine glared at me.

"Oh, so you're rooting for them now, that's nice. Welcome to the Yankers." I smirked, knowing I was messing with Nadine.

Nadine just shook her head as she turned to Phoebe who finished her calculations. "Well, don't look at me, Nadine... I'm only a Cubs fan, we don't hurt anybody..."

Nadine sighed as I looked at one of the comics and laughed. "Man, can Snoopy work it!"

"So, girls, I think we should sign up for the school newspaper." Phoebe smiled.

"What brought that up?" Nadine asked as I looked towards my comics, but making sure I was listening to them.

"Well, it'll be a good activity for all of us. Plus, we need to do all the extra-curricular activities we can. Besides, aren't you two bored of the same routine each week?" Phoebe asked.

"What's boring about hanging with each other on school nights and doing slumber parties?" I asked.

"Nothing... but we need to spice some things up.." Phoebe explained. "Besides, I overheard Gerald talking with Arnold saying they're signing up for the school newspaper for about a month or so, SO..."

I looked up, paying attention. "Go on..."

"I knew I'd grab your attention." Phoebe smiled towards me. "Anyway, the school needs a writer, an interviewer, and a photographer. I can type up good stories, no problem. Rhonda, you're the most social out of everyone here..."

"How true and quaint." I smiled.

"So, you can be our interviewer. Nadine, you always like taking pictures of bugs, so taking a few school photos shouldn't be too hard!" Phoebe smiled.

"Hmmm... I've always wanted to do some good photography art... okay, I'm in!" Nadine smiled.

"If this means I can get close to Arnold, I'm in!" I smiled.

"Great!" Phoebe said as Nadine put on her dark sunglasses as we were backed together, holding a pose. "Glasses trio?"

"Glasses trio." Nadine smiled.

"They will strike in the papers!" I smiled. "Let's do it!"

Come Monday afternoon, after class, Nadine, Phoebe and I came over to the sign-up sheet for the school newspaper as we signed our names up. I nodded as I signed my name and my interest in the paper... obviously, interviewer.

"I think I'm going to like this little hobby." I said as Nadine and Phoebe signed their names. "Even if it's only for a month, it's nice to do something productive."

"Well, we got our names signed up... now we just need to arrive at the meeting..." Phoebe looked at the schedule. "...Tomorrow after school."

"I can hardly wait!" I said as Nadine shrugged.

Come Tuesday afternoon, me, Nadine and Phoebe were seated amongst some of the PS 118 fourth graders as Arnold came up.

"Thank you all for coming, everyone. Now, as everybody knows, the Weekly Word is a truthful newspaper, and I do intend to make sure it stays like this, so please, respect all news and treat it with dignity." Arnold said as we all nodded. "Now, next up is job assignments. If anybody has no objections, I would like to volunteer myself as the editor-in-chief, if that's all possible..."

Harold raised his hand, saying, "Oooh, oooh, oooh..."

Arnold looked over to Harold. "Yes, Harold?"

"What's an editor-in-chief?" Harold asked.

"Well, Harold, as everybody know, the Weekly Word is a student-run newspaper, and an editor-in-chief is the person in charge, from choosing the stories to making sure all the newspapers go out in time." Arnold explained. "Now, unless there's any objections..."

Nobody spoke up for about two minutes.

"Very well..." Arnold said. "You are now looking at your new editor-in-chief. Now, as for your other jobs, I will assign them each to you one by one..."

And so, Arnold started assigning jobs to everyone as we all nodded, some of them smiling because they got the job they wanted.

"Rhonda?"

I looked up to Arnold. "Yes, Arnold?"

"You're going to be my field interviewer." Arnold said. "You, Phoebe and Nadine go around the school and see if you can get any good stories... as long as they are truthful!"

"Buddy, I'm telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing BUT!" I saluted. "We'll do it."

Arnold smiled. "Great. I have faith in you."

I nodded as Arnold went to the next person in line. I smiled a little bit. He really cares...

And, so, me, Nadine and Phoebe started to go around the school, trying to find small things to look around for... we talked with every sport team, and we even talked with Coach Wittenberg.

"Well, yeah, of course all my teams are tough!" Coach Wittenberg said as he walked around as Nadine was taking pictures. "All my teams are tough because they are good at what they do!"

"Interesting..." I said. "So, Mr. Wittenberg, out of respect, how do you train up your teams?"

"By one simple rule... no matter what... if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" Coach Wittenberg said as Phoebe wrote it down.

"This is good information, good information..." Phoebe said.

"Keep posing guys, keep posing..." Nadine said as she kept taking pictures.

After we went around every person we could get, we came together as we handed the stories to Arnold.

"Now, have you girls checked your sources to be sure?" Arnold said.

"Cross our hearts." Phoebe said as she, Nadine and I pointed towards our chests and crossed our fingers.

Arnold looked over the stories and nodded. "Okay... I think I see a few that'll be good for the paper. Thanks, girls!"

"Happy to help!" I smiled as we decided to make our leave.

"Well, it's nice to get a extra-curricular activity!" Phoebe said as me, Nadine and Phoebe were out of school and having a milkshake at Slausen's.

"Yeah..." I said as I sipped my milkshake. "It's good to help out in the newspapers..."

"That, and it helps you're in love with the editor-in-chief." Nadine chuckled as I pushed her slightly.

"Oh, come on!" I said. "Speaking of newspapers, I have a couple spare quarters. I'm getting a newspaper so I can get the comics. Watch my shake."

"All right." Phoebe said as I got out of my booth and started to walk out the door to get towards the newspaper dispensers.

Well, the headache started the minute I walked out the door, which meant only one thing... yep, I turned around and there was Olga, inserting a couple of quarters in one newspaper dispenser as she opened it up and picked a newspaper out.

"Hi, Olga!" I said as she closed the newspaper dispenser.

"Oh, hello Rhonda." Olga smiled as she turned to me as I inserted a couple quarters towards the newspaper dispenser I wanted.

I peered over at the newspaper she bought and read the title. "Gossip Columnizer? Isn't that that newspaper that prints false stories?"

"Unfortunately..." Olga sighed. "Actually, this isn't for me, this is for my dad. Sometimes he likes to mock this paper, and sometimes he looks at it to see if there were any alien sightings."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why aliens?"

Olga shrugged. "I don't know. He probably had a bad experience in a field as a high school student and thought he saw an alien, the full story is a little complicated. Anyway, I often buy this paper for my dad just so he can have a look and laugh at it."

"Doesn't he read real news?" I asked as I opened the newspaper column.

"Oh sure, but as he always says, "Real news is fine, but boring. Gossip is where the juice and the money lies"." Olga said. "He was once an editor-in-chief for a school newspaper, and he wrote a lot of stories that basically got him in trouble, but it's the learning experience that counts, he always says."

"What type of stories did he write?" I asked, curiously.

"Mainly just started rumors and made up a few stories, exaggerating the truth, just the small things. Well, it had his school paper selling, for sure." Olga shrugged.

"Wait... students actually PAID money to read the paper?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, some schools still do it... most schools don't do it anymore, but I have heard a few schools still have students pay to read their student newspaper." Olga said as she put the newspaper under her arm. "Well, I better get home before dad and mom start to wonder where I've been. At least dad'll be happy I got this. I hope. See you later, Rhonda."

As I watched Olga leave, her words kept ringing in my mind, the ones that said, 'Students actually PAID to read the paper'. I smiled big as I walked back in, Phoebe and Nadine looked up to me, worried.

"Oh no..." Phoebe groaned. "When you smile that big, it means, "I have a get rich-quick scheme'. Rhonda, we need to point out you are already rich."

"True..." I kept that big smile. "But you know my parents. They keep me at an allowance rate. So, I have an idea on how we can ALL earn money!"

Nadine sighed as she leaned towards me. "All right, what's the scheme?"

"You can't be serious." Phoebe said as we were at her house, I was starting to write a resignation letter.

"Yep!" I smiled. "I'm starting my own school newspaper!"

"Rhonda, we have just STARTED working for the Weekly Word! You're going to give THAT up easily to make your own newspaper?" Nadine shook her head.

"Pretty much." I said. "It's a shame that I have to leave the school newspaper, but hey, I've had a good run."

"You were doing this for at least a day!" Phoebe pointed out.

I sighed. "Yeah, times sure have changed, but it's time for me to move on to bigger things."

"What happened to wanting to work for the paper to get close to your crush? What happened to that?" Nadine pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it'll be a shame I can't work for Arnold... and it'll be a shame we'll be competing, but my newspaper is going to be a hundred times better than the Weekly Word!" I said as I signed my name on the resignation note.

"Rhonda, this crazy scheme isn't going to work, we can tell you this much right now..." Phoebe groaned. "But if you want to go through with this, we'll help you as your friends..."

Nadine nodded.

"Thanks guys! It's totally cool, because I already signed your names in my resignation letter." I smiled.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Phoebe and Nadine glared at me.

"Why are you girls resigning?" Arnold said the minute I handed the resignation letter to him. "Your stories were good and truthful."

"True, they were... but your paper is... how can I say this politely... yesterday's news." I yawned. "Now, doing a paper on my own... it's going to be the best thing in the world!"

"Rhonda, whatever is working in that mind of yours, I will tell you now, it's not going to work. People read our paper to learn about the truth." Arnold sighed. "You're not going to try to make a gossip paper, are you?"

I gasped. "Arnold, do you really think I would stoop THAT low? No, I won't. I just think it's a good idea to have some competition..."

Phoebe sighed. "She's trying to do this for money."

"Rhonda... I don't know how to put this politely, but... I need to point out you're already rich." Arnold frowned.

"I know... but I figured, other schools can sell student newspapers to students, so I figure, why not charge for our papers. And before you say anything, I am aware that you would have probably said no to selling the Weekly Word..." I said.

"Yes, actually, I probably would have." Arnold said. "But Rhonda, even if you did charge for school newspapers, they go straight over to the sc-"

"To the editor-in-chief, where she will be counting her loot." I smiled as I walked off. "Come along, girls. We have a newspaper to create!"

Phoebe and Nadine groaned as I thought I heard Nadine whisper to Arnold, "We'll be back..."

"Okay... first of all, we have to think up a brand new name for our awesome newspaper!" I said as we were gathered in the basement of the school.

"Okay, but why are we in the boiler room of the school?" Phoebe pointed out.

"Easier thinking space." I simply said. "And now, let's put our heads together and think of an awesome name!"

I started pacing as Nadine and Phoebe just watched me. I smiled as I tried to think up some names... "The Weekly Bean! Nah, that'll never go anywhere... the Weekly Fun! No good... the Weekly Skate! Nah... the Weekly Rock! No good. The Weekly Gorilla? No..."

Nadine and Phoebe were rolling their eyes as I was thinking up a great name. I snapped my fingers as I glanced towards a small copy of the Weekly Word. "I got it!"

Nadine and Phoebe watched as I did a little fixing of the title as I smiled. "And here is the name of our new newspaper, girls!"

"...The Word?" Nadine blinked as she stared at the title.

"Rhonda, all you did was look at a copy of the Weekly Word, crossed out the word 'Weekly' and added an exclamation point." Phoebe frowned.

"Yeah!" I smiled. "Can you dig it, Phoebe?"

Phoebe just stared blankly at me. "No."

"Great!" I smiled, not listening to a word she or Nadine were saying. "Now all we need are some interesting stories!"

"Is it stories you want?" Curly said as he suddenly appeared in between us. "It's stories you can receive!"

"Where did you-" I started to point out to Curly.

"I heard you were starting a newspaper, sweetheart. Only natural I want in." Curly said as he held up a pencil and paper. "Besides, with you being editor-in-chief, you're going to need an interviewer."

"Were you just... IN the boiler room, waiting? What the heck?" Nadine pointed out.

"Wait, did you resign from the Weekly Word, too?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh no, I don't work for that newspaper. I just wanted to check it out." Curly smiled. "Anyway, you need the stories, you got the stories!"

I paused. "I don't know... can you give me good, truthful stories?"

"Hey, I'll be able to do that, sister!" Curly laughed. "Just send me out on the field, and I'll give you your stories!"

I paused, hesitating as I looked over to Nadine and Phoebe, who were shaking their heads, Phoebe mouthing, "You'll regret it."

I shrugged. "My associates say yes. You're hired, Curly."

I heard Phoebe and Nadine facepalm.

"You won't regret it." Curly smiled. "By this time tomorrow, we will have a great story!"

I nodded as I shook hands with Curly, then took it away as soon as he touched it. "Great. Try to handle everything, okay? And make sure they are REALLY great stories!"

As Curly left, Nadine and Phoebe groaned as Nadine said, "The idea is going to flop."

"Relax... what type of stories could Curly get?" I shrugged.

Pretty soon, we had gotten a newspaper set up as Curly handed me his story ideas.

"They're in." I said as I gave them to Curly. Phoebe and Nadine stared at me in shock.

"You didn't even loo-" Nadine started.

"Don't matter, they're in!" I said as I turned to Curly. "Curly, type up all this, Nadine, Phoebe, get the printing press ready! We have a paper to make!"

"But Rhonda!" Phoebe said.

"Chop chop, this paper isn't selling itself!" I said as I laid down on my easy chair in the boiler room.

Nadine and Phoebe sighed as they decided to get to work. Nadine called, "You know, it would be nice if you actually HELPED!"

"Don't worry..." I said as I pushed my hat down. "I'm helping. I'm supervising."

Nadine and Phoebe shook their heads as I pulled out a James Bond book and started to read it.

After about three hours of manual labor which I had no part of, Nadine and Phoebe groaned as they just finished up the last paper, Phoebe saying, "We're finished..."

"Awesome!" I said as I got up. "Okay, girls, Curly, we will give them to the company of the school!"

"Rhonda, shouldn't we at least LOOK at the paper?" Nadine asked.

"No time for that!" I smiled as I grabbed a handful of newspapers and put it in a bag. "There is money to collect. Charge a quarter a paper!"

"Rhonda..." Phoebe said.

"Chop chop, we're running behind." I said as I laid down on my easy chair, relaxing.

Nadine and Phoebe shook their heads as they and Curly left with the newspapers in hand. I sighed as I resumed reading my James Bond book.

About an hour later, we see Nadine, Phoebe and Curly coming down, the former two exhausted and worried as they were holding a sack of quarters. I smiled as I looked at the profits. "This is totally awesome!"

"Yeah..." Nadine said. "Though when we made a second come around, these people weren't happy about our paper."

"What's not happy about it? It's just the truth." I shrugged as I looked at the money in interest. "Look at all this cash!"

"Yep, the school fund will be happy to give this." Phoebe said as she took the money back before I could reach for it.

My eyes widened. "Wait... school fund?"

"Well, yes." Phoebe said. "The school paper is a non-profit organization. All profits go to the school. That was what Arnold was trying to explain to you before you 'resigned' to make your own school newspaper."

My eyes went into a state of shock. "So... I don't get all this money?"

"Nope!" Nadine said. "You don't get the money, nor do you keep it."

I paused. "So, I don't get rich from this?"

"Nope!" Curly shrugged.

"...So, I thought up this idea for nothing?" I said.

"Afraid so." Nadine said.

"Sorry." Phoebe shrugged.

I looked at it and looked down. "And I resigned from the team because of my selfish desires..."

"Yep." Phoebe nodded.

"Oh man..." I looked down. "I'm feeling a little guilty... come on girls, we're giving everyone their money back and cancelling the paper."

"Oh come on!" Curly said. "I really wanted to be a reporter, my stories are the juiciest!"

"Juicy how?" I asked as me, Nadine and Phoebe walked upstairs and out of the boiler room... where I saw an entire crowd of elementary school students complaining.

"THERE SHE IS!" A school student called.

"Huh?" I looked around. "What the heck is going on?"

"You should know!" Sheena frowned as she pointed to the newspaper.

"What, it's just a copy of 'The Wor-'" I looked closer at the headline and my eyes widened. "Arnold is in love a tree?"

I grabbed the paper and looked up more information. "Gerald plays with little sister's dolls? Harold is a loser and a wimp? Stinky has a Gold Mine in his nose? Eugene has gingervitis? What is this?"

"How can you say those things to us?" Eugene called as Arnold came up, disappointed.

"Rhonda, you said you were going to tell the truth in your paper! What are all these lies? They aren't true!" Arnold said, disappointed.

"Wait a minute!" I frowned. "I didn't even know of all this!"

My eyes widened as I turned to Curly. "Curly, did you know of this?"

"You said, 'Make sure they were REALLY GREAT stories'!" Curly yelped. "You didn't say anything about them being true!"

I looked around at everyone, who was staring angrily at me. "Hold it everyone, hold it! Now, I did not know about what was printed in this paper! I should have looked before I published it... and I am sorry for that. Now, as of right now, this paper is cancelled, and there will be refunds... you can have your money back."

With that said, everyone started running and grabbed all their quarters back as they walked off, I was on my knees looking at all the leaving students, except for Arnold, who was looking at me, disappointed.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, buddy... I let my own selfish desires and my stupidity do the talking for me..."

Arnold smiled a little. "It's all right, Rhonda. You were just being yourself."

"Really?" I asked, sniffling a little. "Does this mean I can come back to the newspaper club?"

"Well... not quite..." Arnold said as he handed over a paper and pencil. "You know how you like long and complicated apologies?"

"I have to do one for you?" I groaned.

"That's the idea." Arnold smirked. "Start writing, and once you're done, recite it."

I sighed, but I proceeded to work on it...

"...and in conclusion, the next time I try to think up an idea that sounds stupid in my head, I will think about it before I do it, it'll save me from harm." I read the last sentence to Arnold as he looked up. "Okay, can I come back to the newspaper club now?"

"All right..." Arnold shrugged. "You, Nadine and Phoebe can come back. The jobs of interviewer, photographer and writer are still open."

I smiled as I hugged him eagerly. "Thanks, buddy!"

Arnold hugged me back a bit, saying, "You're welcome."

And thus, I decided never to think up the newspaper scheme again as me, Nadine and Phoebe proceeded to go back to work on the field.

That's the sixty-seventh episode! How do you like it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks! And don't forget to check out and/or add to the TVTropes page of this story!