The next episode in line... oh, I was SO waiting to do this one! 'The Aptitude Test'! Anyway, enjoy!
The first day back at school after Thanksgiving break, after reuniting with my friends, I had already explained the story on how I had my Thanksgiving break with Arnold, which, of course, got Nadine and Phoebe excited and Lila rather curious.
"Oh my God, that's awesome!" Nadine laughed.
"I can't believe you finally had a chance to spend more time with him!" Phoebe smiled.
"But of course!" I laughed. "Yeah, Paris may have been a missed opportunity, but hey, at least I spent time with my buddy."
"Have you confessed yet?" Lila asked.
I frowned towards Lila as she looked down. "Sorry, just ever so curious."
"Well... not exactly, no." I sighed. "But that's all right. I still have all the time in the world."
"Better do it soon..." Nadine said.
"Enough about me, though. What about you girls? You've got to tell me all about your time in New York, Nadine!" I smiled.
"Oh, it was the best trip I ever took!" Nadine smiled. "Sure, not a whole lot of bugs to see, but me and my parents still went around and explored New York... and the Macy's parade... the best! We even had Thanksgiving dinner in our own van, that was the best!"
"Cool!" I smiled.
"Kentucky with my relatives went about the same. Not a whole lot to go around, but there seems to be a lot of country. But that's all right. Helping out the relatives and enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with them was grand." Phoebe smiled.
"Awesome!" I smiled. "Maybe I should go to Kentucky sometime..."
"I don't think so." Phoebe shook her head. "Even though I like visiting my relatives, Kentucky is mostly country and... well, let's just say that if you were to go with me, you'd lose your sanity."
"Oh come on, Kentucky can't be THAT bad!" I laughed as Phoebe rolled her eyes. "So, Lila, how were your grandparents?"
"Oh, they were okay." Lila smiled. "I told them all about my time in the city, and they're proud of how far me and Daddy have come in the city."
"Wow... what I wouldn't give to be in your shoes, Lila..." Nadine said.
"Oh, trust me, back at the farm, I was more of a... helping cowgirl with a school education." Lila smiled. "I may attend school, but I yearn for the days I actually rode horses, hung around with the animals, and helped my dad feed the chickens. It's an experience, that's for sure."
"I wouldn't mind being as smart as Phoebe." I said, pointing to Phoebe, who smiled. "Saying scientific stuff, figuring out answers... it's like a scientist's dream come true."
"Oh, Rhonda, I'm not THAT smart..." Phoebe giggled.
"Come on, Phoebe, you totally are!" I laughed.
"Well, aside from being myself, I wouldn't mind being Nadine." Phoebe smiled. "Her curiosity in bugs is like a science... in fact, any animal curiosity she has can be considered a science."
"Come on, Phoebe, I just like animals, that's all." Nadine smiled. "Of course, this means you'll have to do sports, if you like them."
"Well... I guess since every girl is taken... I'm always ever so curious about wondering what the mind of Rhonda is like." Lila said, out of curiosity. "I've always wanted to get out of my farmer's girl comfort zone, just to try it out."
"Trust me, Lila, the mind of Rhonda Wellington Lloyd is an awesome place." I smiled. "Once you're in, you never go back!"
"Well, it's all silly... but it's all good too." Nadine said as we reached Mr. Simmons' classroom.
"Yeah... but wouldn't it be fun to just DO all that?" I asked.
We started to ponder about this as we entered the classroom and took our seats. Pretty soon, class had begun.
After the recess period, we were all looking up to Mr. Simmons as he was making an announcement.
"Class, I hope you'll all share my excitement for the Parkay Aptitude Test." Mr. Simmons smiled as he started handing out a few tests. "Now, I took this test when I was your age and that's when I discovered my lifelong passion for teaching."
I just shook my head as I looked at the test, then flipped it over as I got my pencil ready. Aptitude test, huh? Determining what future job I could possibly achieve? Well... I always dreamed about being a model... or an actress... maybe a writer. Who knows?
We followed the instructions clearly, stopping a bit because Mr. Simmons was ordering Harold to put his lunch away because he was eating during the middle of class. Seriously? Well, Mr. Simmons does have a bit of backbone, I'll give him credit for that.
Pretty soon, the test had started. It seemed pretty straightforward, really. Some were multiple choice, some asked questions on what I'd rather do with my life... I just answered questions that suited myself the most, which I'm pretty sure everybody was doing as well.
It took some time... I think about a half-hour to forty-five minutes... maybe? I wasn't sure. Either way, the lunch bell rang as I had just finished my test and closed the folder.
"Lunch time! Yeah!" Harold sighed in relief as he ran out. Most of us quickly followed as Mr. Simmons started to talk to Eugene.
I quickly joined up with my girls as I told them, "So... this aptitude test? What a scream, huh?"
"Indeed." Nadine smiled.
"Girls, just between you and me... what do you think you'd like to be?" I asked.
"Modern scientist. Hands down." Phoebe said. "If not that, maybe science teacher."
"Crossing my fingers for veterinarian or entomologist." Nadine smiled. "Of course, I wouldn't mind doing sports."
"Gosh, I don't think I'd get a wink of sleep until the test results come back." Lila said. "But if I would want to be anything, I wouldn't mind being a cow-girl. Sure, the city is fun, but it's nice to go back to the country once in a while and rope some cattle or ride some horses."
"If it's country life you want, I'm pretty sure my parents know of a small area a little out of town. I don't think they'd mind taking you there." I smiled.
"It'll be almost like home?" Lila asked.
"Sure." I said.
"What about you, Rhonda?" Nadine asked. "What do you think you'd like to do with your life?"
"Honestly? I'm not quite sure yet. I would love to be a model... actress? Writer?" I shrugged.
"Why a writer?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know, it just came to me." I shrugged.
"Well, whatever the outcome, I'm sure we can all accept what we are, no matter what." Lila smiled.
"...Model-slash-actress?" Lila said in shock as she looked at her test results. "This can't be right!"
"Science teacher?" I said in surprise as I looked at my test results that Mr. Simmons handed us. "I'm not THAT smart!"
"Entomologist?" Phoebe blinked in confusion. "Well... I guess it is sort of a science..."
"Ranch hand?" Nadine blinked. "I could have sworn that... that..."
All four of us looked at each other, first in shock, then in denial, then in worry, then looking at the test results again, to make sure our eyes didn't fail us. It was obviously the next day that we got our test results back.
"This has to be a mistake..." Lila said. "I'm ever so not model material."
"I love animals! Ranch hands HURT them!" Nadine frowned.
"I'm actually fine with this result. As long as it's a science, it's fine with me. Not what I want, but hey, can't be perfect." Phoebe shrugged, indifferently.
"Science teacher? Of all the things I didn't know what to be, it's a science teacher?" I frowned. "This has to be an error, this has to be!"
"Come on, Rhonda, all the test results are filed by computers... and computers don't make mistakes." Phoebe said.
"But..." I started before looking at my test results.
"You know... we should give each of these a try." Phoebe said. "Who knows? Maybe these WILL be our jobs. Besides, just because that's what it says on the tests DOESN'T mean it's going to likely come true."
"It would mean trying to think of what one would do..." Nadine said.
"Why not? We were talking about that the other day." Phoebe smiled. "Who knows? Maybe the jobs can be perfect for us."
As I pondered about this, I noticed Arnold talking with Gerald as Arnold sighed, "I just don't get it. Woodsperson?"
"Come on, Arnold, it's not that bad." Gerald said.
"I just can't understand it!" Arnold groaned as they walked off.
I paused as I said, "Let's try it. We all said we wanted to be in each other's shoes... well, looks like we're getting it."
"But Rhonda, I don't know if..." Lila said.
"No buts, Lila. We wanted to try it, what better way than now." I said as I looked around. "Let's get busy."
Later that night, I was looking over a science book as I sighed. I wasn't a scientist. And I was, at best, a fairly okay science student. How am I supposed to teach science at this rate.
I paused as I tried to get into Phoebe's mindset. "Hmmm... if I were a scientist... I would..."
I started doing calculus problems as I started talking like a scientist. "And if you take the two and multiply it by E to the fifth power..."
I was now dressed in a white lab coat with purple gloves as I adjusted my glasses and examined this new problem I had. "And the final digit of pi is..."
"Honey, time for breakfast!" I heard my maternal parental person call.
"I'll be down in one minute and twenty-one seconds." I called down before I changed clothes, my white lab coat and purple gloves were pretty nearby, which is far from coincidence. Hmmm... I'll have to examine it later.
I walked downstairs as I went toward my parents, who looked at me in shock. I nodded. "Mother, Father."
I sat down as I enjoyed my breakfast.
My maternal and paternal parental units looked at me oddly as they started whispering amongst each other. My paternal parental person turned to me as he asked, "So... sweetheart... how's school?"
"School is perfect." I shrugged. "In fact, I'm learning only from the best. Did you know there are approximately four thousand buildings in just this city alone? And there are approximately three billion, two hundred and ninety six thousand, seven hundred and forty three buildings all across the United States of America?"
My maternal parental person started to open her mouth before I said, "No. Of course you didn't. I wouldn't expect you to know this... little trivial fact."
"...That's nice." My maternal parental person blinked. "...So... uh... your friends, they're treating you well."
"As well as they ever have." I explained. "With my fellow friend units having different occupations for their futures, I figured, why not get started on what my occupation would be like now? It's an excellent jam of proportions."
My maternal and paternal parental persons raised their eyebrows as my paternal parental unit asked, "Friend units? Honey, I don't know what you are learning in school, but I'm pretty sure scientists don't talk like that."
"Mother, father, I must say, I am deeply offended by your tones. You don't accept my new way of thinking, which is understandable. Nobody is meant to understand." I said as I took a bite out of my pig made product. "Well, I have had my breakfast."
"You only took one bite." My maternal parental unit said in worry.
"Most scientists don't usually have time for big meals... just small ones. From now on, I expect small meals for the hungry scientist." I said. "And now, my dear parental units, I'm off to school."
"Parental units?" My maternal parental unit said as she looked at my paternal parental unit. As I was about to leave, I heard my maternal parental unit say, "We need to have a talk with her teachers..."
Over at school, I saw my friend units, Nadine and Phoebe coming over. Phoebe was basically wearing the same thing, except her glasses were now more bug oriented, green and black. Nadine was wearing a cowboy hat, and her spider hair was now down full length as she was wearing overalls over her green shirt.
"Howdy, Rhonda." Nadine smiled. "So, how goes the scientific endeavors?"
"Completely all right, fellow friend unit Nadine." I nodded. "I've not come close to solving the issue of world peace yet, but with the right amount of science, I may be able to solve world hunger."
"Well, me and mah folks went into a farm after Ah asked them about exploring the life of the farm, and Ah learned how to rope a bull with one hand." Nadine smiled.
"Nadine, Rhonda, we're not switching personalities. We're just doing the jobs to see if they work out well for us." Phoebe said. "You didn't need to change into what your job was suited for."
"Ah reckon it felt it good to fit the sit-I-ation, pardner." Nadine said. "Besides, ain't you wearin' different glasses yourself?"
"I went to my optometrist to get new glasses yesterday!" Phoebe frowned. "It's just a coincidence they're green and black! Besides, I studied bugs after my appointment, and found it's basically the same thing as other scientists or researchers would do. I mean, come on, just because you put on a lab coat, Rhonda, doesn't mean you act like what you wear! Come on, I bet LILA understands THAT!"
"Yo! Make way, people! The model has arrived!"
My eyes widened in curiosity in shock as Nadine and Phoebe turned. Our eyes widened to see a red haired girl, with her hair all riled up, and her clothes were a black shirt with a blue skirt, and a red hoodie wrapped around her waist. Upon closer look, we can see that it was...
"Lila?" Me, Nadine and Phoebe said in shock.
"Holy cow... you look... different." Nadine said in surprise.
"Yeah, that's the way of a model!" Lila rolled her eyes. "Now, you gonna follow me... or are we gonna get tough?"
"Lila, are you okay?" Phoebe asked.
"Never better, darling." Lila laughed a bit... a little maniacally, much to our concern. Lila then gave a little soft chuckle. "A little too much, sweethearts?"
"Oh, well, we're glad you're not a psychopathic monster out to kill us, Lila." I smiled.
"I'm just acting like who I should be... the perfect model." Lila smiled... before turning to Stinky, who was about to talk to her. "Talk to the hand, brother!"
As we were going in, Phoebe groaned. "This is going to suck..."
Pretty soon, at recess, me and my friend units were hanging out together as Arnold and Gerald came over, Arnold said, "Hey girls, you're never going to guess what just happened yesterday!"
I looked over to Arnold as I guessed, "You went into the park, stumbled into an interdimensional portal which brought you five thousand years into the future, where you took advantage of the advanced technology to build a time machine, and now you're back, to bring us all with you into the year 7002, where we are transported to work at the Thinkatorium, by telepathically controlled flying dolphins?"
"No." Arnold stared blankly at me.
"Oh." I said, disappointed.
"Auditions for the Yahoo Soda commercial is up, and they're looking for kids ages seven through fourteen to audition." Arnold explained.
"Well, who would ever guess that?" I rolled my eyes.
"The auditions are this weekend, hopefully you guys will be able to try out! I know you're a good actress, Rhonda." Arnold smiled towards me.
"I'm sorry, Arnold, but I'm no actress. Lila is." I said, pointing towards Lila, who was doing poses.
"Yo, what is the haps, people?" Lila posed as she pointed towards Arnold and Gerald.
Arnold blinked in confusion. "Oh... okay, I guess I'll see you guys when you're not acting strange."
As Arnold and Gerald walked off, I frowned. "I'm flattered to see my boyfriend unit thinks I'm good at acting..."
"Rhonda, you are good at it. Mostly. But Arnold's not your boyfriend uni- I mean, he's not your boyfriend!" Phoebe frowned.
"Yet." Nadine said. "Rhonda, if you want to rastle up your boy, Ah reckon you can try lassoing up a good way to bring him closer to you."
"It would slightly be near impossible, Nadine. You see, my parental units believe in the lifestyle they are in, and Arnold is, unfortunately, not in that category. I love him, but I don't know how to express the feelings." I said.
"Yo, Rhonda, if you want your little boytoy, you've got to be extreme! Dress to impress! Girls rock!" Lila smirked.
"I guess I could try it... but who knows?" I said. "Chances of me getting Arnold are close to the failing record... forty to sixty-five percent."
"Come on, Rhonda, don't get your hands up in a hootenanny!" Nadine said.
"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" Phoebe yelled. "That's it! I think we need a talk with Mr. Simmons!"
"See?" Phoebe sighed as she pointed our teaching unit to us. "Ever since the aptitude test, they've been acting weird! Lila isn't her usual self, Rhonda's turned into this neurotic scientist, and Nadine speaks in a Western accent."
"Yo, Mr. S! What's happenin', my main bro!" Lila waved. "Don't touch the stuff."
Mr. Simmons paused as he looked at Phoebe as I was punching numbers on a calculator. "I think I see your point, Phoebe. Something is off about them."
Mr. Simmons turned to us as I said, "Rhonda, Nadine, Lila, I think you girls are taking this test too seriously. It's supposed to be a guideline, not the deciding factor in your career choice. Only you can choose your future."
"Come on, Mr. S! It's not the end of the world!" Lila smirked. "Besides, I'm the model here!"
"I'd be interested in listening to you, Mr. Simmons. I'm sure my friend units have other things to do..." I rolled my eyes.
"Well, look at the time, I better catch up on my ropin'." Nadine said as she started to walk off.
Mr. Simmons paused. "I wonder... could you girls excuse me for a minute?"
Mr. Simmons then ran into the classroom as he started to look around. We waited for a bit as Mr. Simmons peeked out. "Girls, can I see you for a moment? I think I made a mistake in grading... for everyone!"
I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"So, when I handed everybody their final grades, I said that this would be an example of what your lives could be." Mr. Simmons explained to the class as he sighed. "Well... as it turns out, somehow, during the events of yesterday, I didn't catch any of the testing results and found that some test results got mixed up with others. In other words, there's a huge mistake in the aptitude tests. And I want to apologize for what has happened."
We all nodded in understanding as we got our real test results.
"Thank God!" I sighed as I looked at my real test result. "Model-slash-actress. This is more me!"
"Ranch hand!" Lila smiled in excitement as she was now putting her hair in braids. "Oh thank goodness I don't ever so have to act like a rejected 90s kid."
"Science teacher." Phoebe smiled. "I'm still fine with the result."
"ENTOMOLOGIST!" Nadine laughed. "YES!"
We were all hugging each other now as we were laughing. I sighed.
"Man, that was pretty fun, trying each other's career choices out... even if we did act a little silly." I said.
"I'm just glad to have these back." Lila smiled as she pointed to her braids.
"Well, it's going to take me a while to get my spider-hair back, but I can get it recovered in no time!" Nadine said.
"Say... didn't Arnold say something about a Yahoo soda audition?" I said. "I better ask him!"
With that, I ran off as I heard Phoebe say, "That Rhonda. Never change."
And there's episode ninety-four! How do you like it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!