With all these episodes, you're probably wondering, how the heck am I going to do episodes like 'Olga Gets Engaged', if some plot points from the original canon didn't happen? Let's just say, I can easily make up a new story for it, like right now! Anyway, enjoy!
Sunday morning, the day of the All City Competition. Nadine and I were with Phoebe as her parents dropped us off.
"Well, here you go, kids." Phoebe's father smiled. "Now, Phoebe, we'll be near the front of the audience, supporting you."
"Domo arigato, mom and dad." Phoebe smiled as she did a little bow.
"Good luck, sweetheart." Phoebe's mother smiled as her parents drove off to find a parking place.
I nodded as I turned to Phoebe. "Okay, Phoebe, you want us to quiz you on a few things you don't understand BEFORE going in?"
Phoebe looked at me and frowned as she said, "Rhonda, I'm the smartest girl in your group! When have I ever failed?"
Nadine and I raised an eyebrow. Phoebe looked down a little bit as she then said, "Okay, okay, the spelling bee thing during the last month of school. But not since then! Besides, I've been pretty knowledgeable in every piece of the world, geography, history, math, English, Japanese, you name it. I think I'm good to go!"
"Go get 'em, Phoebe!" I smiled as Phoebe smiled. She soon spotted Mr. Simmons as she went over to him.
Nadine and I looked over to each other and nodded. Today was a great day to give support to our best friend.
As we went inside to look for some seats, my headache started acting up again, which probably meant...
"I think I can see Olga nearby." I said as I spotted Olga talking with Sharlene. "Come on."
As me and Nadine came over, we started overhearing Olga and Sharlene as I noticed Sharlene was looking at a newspaper and Olga peering at it in curiosity.
"Okay, here's one for the history books..." Sharlene said as she pointed towards something in the paper. "Terra Grosh, age 34, crime, robbing banks."
Olga looked at the picture and frowned. "Doesn't seem like a good person to hang out with. Who would date him?"
Olga then looked up and saw me. "Oh, hi Rhonda, Nadine."
"Hey, Sharlene, hi, Ol-" I started before Olga covered my mouth.
"Uh, Rhonda, I would really appreciate it if you didn't say my name out loud. I'm kind of a big name here." Olga said, looking around nervously.
"Oh?" I asked.
"Yeah, this is the only competition SHE didn't win." Sharlene explained.
"Oh, this is the one where it was the 'too slow' aspect." I said.
Olga sighed. "Pretty much."
"So, if you are ashamed you lost this, why do you still come back here?" Nadine asked.
"To reflect on my mistakes." Olga explained. "That, and every year I go, I have a heart ridden with guilt inside."
"So, to distract her, I'd usually read off the paper and show some people that really, this is not the end of the world for her." Sharlene said. "Nowadays, we're just reading the paper now for people that could have had a chance, but ended up paying for crimes they committed."
"Is that healthy?" I asked.
"I don't know, but it does distract from the fact on what happened that day." Olga said as she turned to Sharlene. "Who's next on the paper?"
"Oh, here's one." Sharlene smiled as she pointed towards the paper. "Doug LeSham. Age 26. His crime, scandalizing rich people and tricking pretty women out of their money, getting them in debt."
My headache just... suddenly stopped all of a sudden as I suddenly heard Deep Voice.
"Doug LeSham? Isn't that... oh, of course! It's because Olga never went to-" I heard Deep Voice say before I heard him or her yelping. "Are you hearing me in here?"
"Yeah, I am." I thought in confusion. "What is this about Doug LeSham?"
"Look, I can't say, but let's just say that he would have been in trouble either way." Deep Voice explained. "Just listen..."
I peered my ear as Olga looked at the picture in the paper. Olga looked down.
"What a shame this guy went to jail. He looks really cute." Olga said. "Actually, I wouldn't mind getting married to him."
"Olga, the word 'SHAM' is in his name! Sham, as in a façade or fake. Do you want to be named Olga Fake?" Sharlene pointed out.
Olga's eyes widened as she said, "Uh, good point. Still, he does look cute."
"What if he wasn't your type, though?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"Then I guess I'd break up with him. No big deal." Olga shrugged. "Well, enough distractions, Sharlene. Not even the looks of criminal boys are going to be boosting my morale."
I could really tell Olga was a little guilty. I didn't know what to do, so I asked, "Would you like a hug, Olga?"
Olga looked at me and smiled a little. "That would be... pretty nice. Thank you, Rhonda."
I hugged her around the waist as Olga gave me one of her Olga-hugs back. She sighed as she said, "I feel a lot better. Thanks."
"No problem." I smiled.
I couldn't help but notice Nadine raising an eyebrow, but our attention turned as the All City Competition started up.
As expected, Phoebe did indeed win as she was holding the trophy to show me, Nadine and her parents.
"You did a marvelous job, Phoebe." Her mother said. "We are so proud of you."
"Thank you, mom." Phoebe smiled as she gave the trophy to her parents.
"We'll be sure to put this somewhere in our house." her father said as he took us along. "Now, what do you say we go for lunch? I'll buy."
"Thanks, Mr. Heyerdal!" I smiled. "That'll be awesome."
As me, Nadine and Phoebe were sitting in the back seat of the Heyerdal's vehicle, Nadine turned to me as she said, "You know, with the way you and Olga act towards each other, it's almost as if you two were sisters. Good sisters that get along."
"Well, she didn't have the chance to have a baby sibling, so I guess that may be part of the reason." I shrugged.
"Yeah... I guess." Nadine nodded. Then she paused. "Wait, what do you mean, she didn't have the chance?"
I paused. "I don't know, something about Olga's mother when Olga was really young and something bad happened. It was a little unclear, but all Olga told me is that her mother tripped and Olga lost her chance. That's all I know, really. I learned it when I went to return her report card."
"Wow..." Phoebe said.
"Maybe I should ask more about it next time I see her." I said. "I don't know, though. She felt a bit uncomfortable with the subject."
"Rhonda, if Olga trusts you with this piece of crucial information, I bet she can trust you with anything." Phoebe explained. "Even if she thinks we're really young, she seems to trust you."
"Yeah..." I sighed. "To think, I started out meeting Olga by chance... and now we have a good relationship building..."
"I'm sure Olga will still be there anytime you wish..." Phoebe smiled.
"Yeah..." Nadine nodded. "Everything is going to be fine."
I smiled. "True. True."
"So, what did you want to talk to us about?" Phoebe said.
"Huh?" I blinked.
"You said you had something planned that you needed to tell us. What's that?" Nadine asked.
"Well, girls..." I pulled them closer. "I think I have a way to confess to Arnold! I'm planning a party, and I'm planning on inviting him!"
"Oh, cool!" Nadine smiled.
"This is great to hear." Phoebe smiled.
"There's a little more." I said. "But I'll explain as we get going to lunch..."
And so, me, Nadine and Phoebe talked about my plans for the party, and setting it up for next weekend. This was truly going to be the best party in the world... pretty soon, Arnold will be in my grasp!
Pretty soon, I started making a list of the cool people and the geeks in my life...the cool people I wanted to invite, and the geeks that I felt had the right to stay out...
Already, I put Lorenzo and Rex on the cool list, just to get my rich people senses out of the way. I paused as I put some of the fourth graders I didn't find cool on the geek list, because I didn't want them to spoil the moment.
I paused as I thought about who else to invite. I already put down Arnold's name. Hmmm... Connie and Maria, they were chill! They were always cool with me, despite always calling me 'Anna'. I had to put them on the cool list.
I was getting on a roll here as I started to put down a couple more names for the geek list. Finally, it came down to my friends... Nadine, Phoebe and Lila. I paused as I thought about it. I don't know what happened, but something in me must have thought 'Cool is cool'!
I put Nadine and Lila's names on the cool list. And as much as I hated to do it...
And there is episode eighty-nine! How do you like it? Yep, I ended on a cliffhanger, though you can probably guess what happened. Anyway, next chapter will be soon! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!