Here's the next episode, which is going to be... well, sort of a flashback to 'Eugene Goes Bad', but this is going to be a longer chapter... because... I'm setting up another Rhonda-centric episode in the original timeline for the next chapter! How will this play out? You'll see! Anyway, enjoy!
And so, over the course of the week, Nadine, Phoebe and I helped out with the newspaper, making sure they had the pure facts, making sure we didn't make up anything, and Arnold was really proud of my skills. It was a pretty good week, despite my little incident with making my own newspaper, but hey, no harm, no foul. And after our school week, me, Nadine and Phoebe had a little of our own fun, hanging out for the weekend, helping ourselves in our studies, and we even decided to have a sleepover Sunday night before school, which is what we did.
The three of us girls were laughing as I was getting comfortable in my bed, Nadine and Phoebe in their sleeping bags as I smiled to them. "That was the best weekend ever, huh girls?"
"Indeed." Phoebe smiled. "Though it was pretty surprising this week to see Eugene being a bad boy."
"Yeah..." I said. "I don't know what caused that bad boy phase, but whatever it was, he probably got over it..." I shrugged.
"I think Arnold mentioned something about Eugene's favorite TV Show hero not being as real as he thought..." Nadine said.
"Really?" I said. "Well, that was Eugene's problem..."
"Yeah, I just saw Eugene back in his regular clothes the other day, so I think he may have gotten over that phase by now... let's face it, Eugene's just NOT the bad boy type." Nadine shrugged.
We girls laughed as Phoebe yawned, "Yeah, I can't wait to see what tomorrow is going to bring us."
"Don't we all, Phoebe... don't we all..." Nadine sighed.
"Good night, girls." I smiled as I turned off the light.
"Night, Rhonda!" Nadine and Phoebe smiled as they laid down as I decided to go to sleep. I've decided tonight was a good night to visit my mysterious voice...
Inside the hallway with the doors, I walked towards a familiar doorway and knocked.
"So, your little newspaper thing didn't go well, hm?" Deep Voice said.
"How do you know about that?" I asked.
"I'm living in you, duh!" Deep Voice stated. "I do remember a similar incident... but I guess some people are smarter than I thought..."
"Stuff it, Deep Voice. I need to ask some more about you." I said as I sat down.
"Fire away, princess. I'm sure you have an Arnold dream to go back to." Deep Voice said.
"Well, mostly, it's about the way you talk about... some things. You say there was a similar incident to the newspaper thing? What do you mean?" I asked.
"Let's just say I saw this sort of thing, but it lasted longer... we'll leave it at that." Deep Voice said in a... bit of a confident voice. "But the way you handled it was much better... heck, I can say your love life is going good..."
I smirked. "Of course. When doesn't it?"
"So... you wouldn't be upset if... say... you saw Arnold kissing one of your OTHER friends?" Deep Voice asked.
"What are you driving at?" I asked.
"I'm just saying, you are handling the fact that Arnold seems to have eyes for... blech... Ruth." Deep Voice said.
"It's just a schoolboy crush, every boy has those." I shrugged. "At least I'm making good progress with my friendship with Arnold..."
"Really... what if you saw him kissing... one of your other friends, but not you? How would it make you feel?" Deep Voice asked.
"Look, I wouldn't care... if he chooses, he chooses!" I frowned.
"But you wish it was you?"
"Are you trying to break me, Deep Voice?" I asked, turning my body away from the door.
"Of course not... I'm just simply... asking a simple question." Deep Voice said. "Don't worry, you don't have to answer right away... next time you come over, I hope you have the answer... well, you should probably go back to your Arnold dream... he's waiting for you..."
I sighed. "Fine... but when I get back to you, I will tell you that I wouldn't care if he chose me or not!"
"We'll see about that..."
Before I could question her anymore, I already vanished...
...right into another dream as I was treated like a movie star, walking along the school hallways.
"Hey, Rhonda! Looking good!" a bunny version of Eugene smiled as he hopped by.
"Rhonda Lloyd, you are simply the best girl in existence." Sheena swooned as she landed on the leg in her back as it hopped away.
I did a little smirk as I pointed towards Sheena's way as I passed by a headless Curly, as Curly's head was bouncing around a ping pong table by two flamingos that looked like Stinky and Sid. Curly smiled as he said, "Yo, Rhonda! Have a great day!"
Stinky and Sid the flamingos squawked as I went towards my locker and opened it as I pulled out a small ice cream cone that never seemed to melt.
"Rhonda..."
I heard the faint whisper of Arnold's voice as I saw him smiling and waving at me. I sighed happily as I started to skip right to him... closer and closer I came... closer... closer...
All of a sudden, from out of nowhere, Nadine appeared in a flash of white light, with an evil smirk on her face as I blinked in confusion. I stared, confused. What was going on?
Nadine gave a big smile to Arnold as she dipped him down. I came closer as I stopped, staring at the two. Nadine looked at me... with her big... devilish eyes staring into my soul as she puckered her lips... I gasped. No, no, it couldn't be! Please say it wasn't so!
The ice cream I was holding in my hand started to shake as it jumped up and slammed me in the face as I saw Nadine and Arnold... kissing! Each other! On the lips!
"No... no..." I said, shaking, scared.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I got up and started crying as I heard someone jump up. "Rhonda?"
It was Phoebe as I looked towards her. "Rhonda, are you okay?"
I started breathing heavily as I looked over to Phoebe. "Oh, Phoebe, I had a horrible dream! A nightmare! Arnold was kissing somebody who wasn't me!"
Phoebe gasped as she hugged me. "Was it Ruth?"
"No, no, it wasn't Ruth. It was somebody else..." I sniffled.
"Who?" Phoebe asked.
"Girls?" I heard Nadine yawn. "What's going on?"
The minute I heard Nadine's voice, my eyes then turned into rage as they turned towards Nadine as I grabbed her face and started to shake it violently. "I'M GOING TO STRANGLE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU, YOU LITTLE-"
"Rhonda, what the heck? Stop! Stop!" Phoebe said as she pulled me back, forcing me to let go of Nadine. I started breathing heavily as Nadine yelped, scared.
"What is wrong with you, Rhonda?" Nadine frowned.
"YOU KISSED ARNOLD IN MY DREAM, YOU LITTLE-" I started to scream.
"Rhonda, Rhonda..." Phoebe put her hands on my arms, calming me down. "Nadine would not do that to you... she would never do that... just relax..."
I sighed, calming down as I looked at the clock. It was about six AM, the time to get up. I sighed as I took a deep breath.
Around six-thirty at breakfast time, as my mother was giving us breakfast, I sighed as I looked at Nadine. "Nadine, I am so sorry for what I did. I don't know what came over me."
"Hey, it's okay, Rhonda. You were just having a nightmare." Nadine smiled. "It's just perfectly natural."
"See?" Phoebe smiled. "Glad you two made amends."
"Yes, we did." I smiled.
"Rhonda, could you pass the salt?" Nadine asked.
"Sure, bestie!" I smiled as I grabbed the salt... and chucked it at her. "TAKE IT, YOU LITTLE WITCH! YOU WANT THE PEPPER TOO? I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU!"
Phoebe stared in shock as I chucked the pepper at Nadine's head. Phoebe turned to me with a frown. "Stop that! What was that for?"
"She kissed Arnold in my dream!" I frowned.
"Rhonda, it was only a dream! I didn't kiss Arnold! It wasn't real!" Nadine glared at me.
I sighed sadly. "I know, Nadine, but I just can't help hating you. Nadine, you hurt my feelings."
"What?" Nadine frowned. "You are letting a dream get in the way of our friendship?"
"Rhonda, you are hurting yourself." Phoebe frowned. "You're letting your own emotions talk for you..."
"What Phoebe said." Nadine said. "You are being irrational."
"I KNOW!" I screamed at Nadine as I got up and stormed off... right into a corner.
"Uh... what are you doing?" I heard Phoebe asked.
"I stormed off in the wrong direction." I muttered.
"Rhonda, I can't believe you are doing this!" Nadine said.
"Don't speak to me!" I frowned as I decided not to make eye contact with Nadine. "You did this to me, Nadine. You did this to me!"
"For goodness sakes, Rhonda, how would I even know about the dream until you mentioned it to me? Besides, I do NOT like Arnold in that way!" I heard Nadine say.
"Oh sure, that's what you say now... but you'll see! He'll fall for your freakish hair style and bug lifestyle!" I said.
"I'll have you know, I've been wearing this hairstyle since I was four!" Nadine glared as I made eye contact with her in an angry way.
"Well, why don't you CHANGE it? A little CHANGE won't hurt anyone!" I frowned.
"Says the girl who wears the same red shirt every day!" Nadine pointed out.
"It's a different shade of red! I have crimson, scarlet, ruby and maroon, you maroon!" I glared at Nadine.
"It's still red to me... DRAMA QUEEN!" Nadine glared.
"BUG FREAK!" I growled.
I heard Phoebe groan. "This is going to be a long day..."
Over at PS 118, Nadine and I were giving each other the silent treatment as Phoebe was looking between us. As we reached our locker, Phoebe asked, "Rhonda, Nadine, I know you're not talking to each other right now, but can you two AT LEAST try to make an effort to talk to me?"
I opened an eye as I said, "Sure. Phoebe, tell Nadine her lifestyle is horrible and I would never live with it."
"Phoebe, tell Rhonda I think she is over-the-top and being an irrational witch!" Nadine frowned.
"Phoebe, tell Nadine the sixties called, and that they want their looney carefree style back!" I glared at Nadine.
"Phoebe, tell Rhonda the nineties gave a call and that they want their snobbish witch style back!" Nadine glared at me.
"BUG FREAK!" I yelled.
"DRAMA QUEEN!" Nadine growled.
"Okay, you two are being ridiculous!" Phoebe looked at the both of us.
"There is nothing ridiculous about this!" I crossed my arms.
"Yeah!" Nadine frowned as she crossed her arms. "If she's going to be irrational and blame me for it, I'm not speaking to her!"
Phoebe groaned. "Okay, I hate to suggest this, but Nadine, why don't you just apologize?"
"For what? Something I didn't do?" Nadine glared. "Fine. Rhonda, I'm sorry for something that ONLY HAPPENED IN YOUR DREAM, AND THAT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!"
I sighed. "Phoebe, I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm sorry, I can't forgive Nadine..." I then turned to Nadine and yelled at her, "ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DON'T MEAN IT!"
"Girls..." Phoebe started as I took my stuff from my locker and started to walk off angrily.
Over at class, I decided to ignore the glares that Nadine was giving me as I looked up to Mr. Simmons as he was asking for volunteers to read a poem they had wrote.
"Now, who would like to go first, anybody?" Mr. Simmons asked.
Phoebe raised her hand.
"Ah, yes, Phoebe, do you have a good poem?" Mr. Simmons asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Phoebe said as she got up and went up to the classroom as she coughed. I looked up as she started to recite the poem.
"Friends are the best in the world...
Sometimes they fight, sometimes they bite,
But in the end, they are good friends.
Even if a friend is irrational to another,
They know they must find forgiveness in each other.
Even if it's a dream one friend has about another friend's wrongdoing,
The friend KNOWS the other friend doesn't mean it's ensuing.
So, friends, please forgive each other,
And this whole mess will be left behind, and not be a bother."
I glared at Phoebe, and I had a feeling Nadine glared at Phoebe as well, because I figured out what she was trying to do. I crossed my arms as I think Nadine probably did the same.
Phoebe blinked as she asked, "Uh, was that good?"
"It was very good, Phoebe." Mr. Simmons said as everyone except for Nadine and I applauded. "Anybody else?"
As Phoebe sighed and went back to her seat, I shook my head. Phoebe should know better because I will NEVER forgive Nadine for what she did to me!
At recess, Nadine and I were walking towards a jungle gym to try it out, all while giving each other the silent treatment... when all of a sudden, a paper bagged monster jumped out as me and Nadine screeched, about to grab each other... until we heard the paper bagged monster say in Phoebe's voice, "APOLOGIZE!"
We glared at Phoebe as we turned around and started to walk off angrily as we heard Phoebe say, "I'm sorry, was that too much?"
Over at the school library, I was checking my e-mails when I noticed a message. I paused as I clicked the message. On it was a dancing animated monkey as a voice bubble said, "Friends forgive and forget! Friends forgive and forget! Friends forgive and forget!"
I frowned as I glared at Phoebe, who was sitting next to me. Over next to her was Nadine, who was glaring at her for the same reason. Phoebe shrunk a little as she said, "Uh... was that all right?"
Me and Nadine were just sighing as Phoebe was doing... uh... some odd dances. I think they were Japanese dances, but I wasn't too sure. And I'm pretty sure Nadine didn't know what they were either.
Phoebe panted as she looked at us. Phoebe blinked. "That didn't work either, huh?"
"Phoebe, I am TRYING, I really am... but I can't forgive Nadine." I sighed. "She and Arnold both betrayed me."
Nadine glared at me as she said, "Arnold didn't betray you. Nothing has changed. He would NEVER pick me over you. Ask him!"
"I can't do that!" I groaned. "He'll know I like him!"
"He knows you like him." Nadine and Phoebe groaned.
"No, no, I mean, I like him, like him." I sighed.
"Oh yeah, that's a good point..." Nadine said as we were re-entering Mr. Simmons' classroom.
"Well, don't worry, I'm sure there's a way you girls can work it out..." Phoebe said as we sat down.
As soon as the class settled in, Mr. Simmons smiled as he said, "Okay class, it's time for a special project... a project that is 'Uniquely You'! You will be working in groups of three to talk about something that is very unique within that group... okay, let me assign your groups... Harold, Stinky and Sid."
Harold, Stinky and Sid smiled as they hi-fived.
"Phoebe, Eugene and Curly, you will be group two." Mr. Simmons said. "Arnold, Rhonda, Nadine, you will be in group three."
My eyes widened in shock as I'm pretty sure Nadine's eyes did the same. It had to be fate. There was no other reason for it...
Phoebe just looked at us with a look of shock. This was going to be an interesting week, that was for sure...
That's the sixty-eighth 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!