And now, for Part 2 of 'Arnold's Valentine'! Anyway, enjoy!
I basically gave up struggling and trying to free myself at this point as I was just rolling my eyes, Nadine and Lila still carrying me by the arms and legs. Phoebe was walking right beside me as Lila decided to ask, "Here's another question, Rhonda. Suppose a friend of mine..."
"You." Me, Nadine and Phoebe sighed.
"...had this crush on the richest kid in school besides you..." Lila began.
"Lorenzo." Me, Nadine and Phoebe sighed.
"Someone like him." Lila nodded. "Anyway, what if he doesn't... like me like me?"
"It would hurt a little bit, but give it some time. At least be good friends with the guy." I explained. "If he falls for you, great! If he doesn't... well, you don't have to try again, but it would be good to reawaken the feelings."
"I guess I was just ever so curious." Lila said as we went into an alley.
"Here we are." Phoebe said as Nadine and Lila put me down. I decided not to run off at this point, I know they'd try to fetch me back again, so I stayed around.
"Okay, we're here." I groaned. "What's the plan?"
"Well... no doubt that Arnold and Cecile, the REAL one will come over... probably to Chez Paris, right there, across the street..." Phoebe said. "From what I've overheard from Gerald, the date with Ruth is taking place in Chez Pierre, which is the restaurant right here."
"When are they coming?" I asked as Phoebe dug around her backpack and pulled out a few earpieces.
"Arnold said he was going to take Cecile over there at 6:50 PM... and his date with Ruth is starting at 7 PM. No doubt he'll excuse himself to check up on his 'other date'... all the while, we put our plan into action!" Phoebe smirked, handing out an earpiece to me. "Now, Gerald will probably be with Arnold nearby, to take a quick look! That's when we put the plan into action. I'll bump into Gerald and... take him away somewhere. Lila, you wait nearby the restaurant and when Ruth arrives, get her away from the place and... I don't know, hang out?"
"Easier said than done." Lila nodded. as she was handed her earpiece.
"All the while, Nadine, when Arnold leaves to find Ruth, when she isn't here..." Phoebe smirked as she put her earpiece in.
"...I'll knock her unconscious and blindfold her, all the while, Rhonda, you're going to take her place at her seat." Nadine nodded.
"Uh-huh. And what if Arnold notices my height?" I asked, glaring at them.
"Just say, 'ze calcium does grow bones' or something in that French accent, you'll be fine." Phoebe smiled.
"Well, I don't see where this plan'll go wrong..." I muttered angrily as I decided to put my earpiece in.
"All the while, we'll talk in earpieces." Phoebe smiled as Lila put her earpiece in. Phoebe then pulled out a little radio from her backpack and switched it on. "Testing. Two, three. Lila, you hear me?"
"Yes, you're right there." Lila smiled.
Phoebe looked at Lila, then started to run all the way to the other side of the alley. She pushed the radio as Nadine put on her earpiece. "Testing. Two, three. Nadine, you hear me?"
"Actually, you're far in the other side of the alleyway." Nadine smiled.
Phoebe growled before stepping behind a garbage can. A few moments later, I heard Phoebe's voice through my earpiece, and Nadine and Lila probably hear it too. "Testing! Two, three! Four! Rhonda, please tell me you hear me!"
"Well, I don't know, Phoebe." I smiled. "You hide behind garbage cans so well..."
"Forget it!" Phoebe said as she popped out from behind the garbage can. "I'm just going to assume you all can hear me and you're all just testing my patience!"
"Yes, we are." Lila nodded with a smile.
"All right... got the plan down, then?" Phoebe asked.
Nadine and Lila nodded, as I muttered, "I'm doing this under protest."
"Great!" Phoebe smiled. "Okay, we only have about an hour, so just memorize what we have to do..."
So, for about forty-five minutes, Phoebe was busy training Nadine and Lila up for all the advice she was about to give. She wasn't giving anything to me because, as she said to me before she started, "You have the easy job! Why should I train you?"
I just shook my head. And so I decided to dig around in my book bag, just to see what I had. There wasn't a lot of homework I had to do, since it was going to be the weekend pretty soon... so we're good in that department.
That's when I noticed that small Valentine that I stuffed in my backpack earlier, the one that was in my locker. I frowned, looking at it. Curly must really think I'm dumb! Well, he's got another thing coming!
I was ready to open it and mock it! You know what? I was going to do that...
I opened the Valentine and proceeded to read it silently.
'To my special girl...'
I rolled my eyes. What a start... trying to lull me in... I kept reading.
'I've always admired you from afar, but was too shy to admit my feelings for you...'
Too shy? Please, Curly! You've been trying to get close to me since the beginning!
'...I didn't know how to express it because... well, your parents.'
I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't approve of you, either, Curly!
'I want to say a few certain words to you... but I need you to meet me somewhere. How about Che-'
"Rhonda!"
I looked up. "Huh?"
Phoebe was looking towards me. "It's almost time... you ready?"
"Sure..." I nodded.
"What are you reading?" Lila asked, out of curiosity.
"Just some love note, probably from Curly." I groaned. "Whatever, I wasn't done reading it, but I'm good enough to know..." I said as I gave it to Lila.
"All right..." Lila said as she pocketed the Valentine.
"Here they come!" Phoebe said as she turned to us. "Nadine, take Rhonda to the other side and go!"
"Right!" Nadine nodded as she took me by the arm and dragged me off.
"I can walk, you know..." I muttered as we went to the other side, sneakily before Arnold, Gerald or Cecile could notice.
We were now inside the restaurant, Nadine sitting at a far away table, but not too far as she kept an eye on Arnold and Cecile as I was waiting nearby the bathrooms as I saw Arnold and Cecile, coming in, they seem to be talking like old friends.
"Okay, you in?" Nadine whispered in her earpiece.
We heard Phoebe back. "Yep! Gerald's sitting nearby a park bench... and I am dressed for the occasion!"
"How?" I whispered. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
"I'll be going in..." Phoebe said. "Lila, you're keeping an eye for Ruth?"
"It's strange... she's not here." Lila said.
"Just keep looking." Phoebe said. "She'll come... anyway, I'm going in!"
I nodded as I kept my eye on Arnold and Cecile. Arnold seemed to look out the window as he motioned for Cecile to look. Cecile looked and chuckled a bit. Arnold smiled too as he and she continued talking.
"Come on, leave, leave..." Nadine whispered as Arnold got up, Cecile nodded. "Okay, and he has now left the building!"
"Great!" I rolled my eyes, though in my mind, I was furious.
"You're welcome, princess. You know, this is great! I've never would have thought of this plan!" I heard Helga say in my mind.
"Oh, shut up. You know I'm doing this against my will!" I growled in my mind.
As soon as Nadine motioned a French waiter to come over and whisper something in his ear. The waiter nodded as he came over to Cecile. Cecile looked up, seemingly confused, but nodded as she went over to the bathrooms.
"Okay... now I take over from here!" Nadine smiled. "You go over and sit at the table where Cecile was... you'll know what to do."
"Fine... but you're all paying for this!" I said as I went over to the table where Cecile once sat and sat down. I hummed a bit, waiting. I took a peek out the window to see Phoebe flirting a bit with Gerald, much to his surprise. I couldn't quite see what was going on, but I couldn't help but chuckle at it. I turned towards the window and peeked to where Chez Pierre was as I saw Arnold coming out, to disappointment.
I put my fingers to my earpiece. "Lila, you in?"
"Yes. Arnold left Chez Pierre." I heard Lila say.
"Ruth distracted?" I asked.
"That's the thing... she... didn't show up, at all." Lila said.
"Huh?" I said in shock.
"Wait, what?" I heard Helga say in my mind.
"What?" I heard Nadine said.
"What the what?" I heard Phoebe blink in shock, then I heard her say, "Uh, nothing, Gerald. Just a little... thought in my mind. You know I think I see something..."
I turned towards the window a slight moment to see Phoebe grabbing Gerald by the collar and kissing him on the lips, surprising him.
I had to giggle at that.
"By the way, Rhonda, I looked at that Valentine that you thought Curly sent you. Here's the thing, I don't think it's from Curly! I think-" Lila started.
"Save it for another time, Lila! Arnold's coming back!" I said as I kept my composure. I smiled as I said in a French accent, "So, where were we?"
"Well..." Arnold sighed... when he noticed something. "Cecile? Are you okay? You look taller than last I saw you."
"Uh... ze calcium in milk, you know, they grow big bones." I said in a French accent.
"I guess..." Arnold paused. "Though I'm not sure... there's something about you..."
I paused. "Oh, I don't know. After all, we've never... met each other before."
"Anyway... I was about to do it and... she wasn't here." Arnold sighed.
"I'm sure... she'll probably turn up soon." I smiled, nervously.
Arnold paused. "I suppose you're right. She was always late in her own fashion... I've told you that in my letters, you know."
I raised an eyebrow, confused. Who was Arnold talking about? "Uh... yes, I'm sure you did. So, about that other girl... I'm sorry, sometimes my mind slips. Tell me what you like about her?"
"Well... how do I put this?" Arnold sighed. "She's one of the prettiest girls I've known. Pretty, if not beautiful. She has this charm that I find pretty adorable at times. She panics over the smallest things, but I think that's just who she is... I know that she's a strong woman, she can easily tough it out on her own. Sure, she has friends that have unique beauty... but it's nothing compared to hers."
"Has anybody else... known about this girl?" I asked.
"No, not even my best friend, Gerald." Arnold sighed. "Actually, I'm kinda glad Phoebe was right there to distract him. Speaking of which, thank goodness he's gone!"
I turned to see that indeed, Gerald and Phoebe had disappeared. I assumed Gerald was kind enough to take Phoebe out in her own way. I smiled a bit, before turning to Arnold. "It is good, is it non?"
"Yeah..." Arnold said. "That'll make things easier when I finally see Rhonda and admit my feelings."
My eyes widened in shock. "Wait... who?"
"WHAT?" Helga said in my mind in surprise.
"Wh-" I heard Phoebe say... before she muttered, "Okay, did not see that coming."
"Wait a minu- what?" I heard Nadine say in shock.
"You might want to hear this from the card." Lila said in my earpiece.
I turned my head and whispered in my earpiece, "In a moment."
I turned back and said in my French accent, "I'm sorry, my mind went blank for a minute. But... Rhonda?"
"Yes. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. You know, the girl I told you about in my letters." Arnold explained. "How I've always had feelings for her since childhood, first as friends, then they slowly started to develop the more we hung out with each other."
"But did you not tell me you had a crush on Ruth at one point?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"I thought you remembered, but just in case... I only think of Ruth as a bit of a distraction, just to suppress my feelings for Rhonda... but Gerald always thought I had a genuine crush on Ruth. Yes, I think she's cute, but... I don't know, Ruth was out of my league. Rhonda was always there for me, always caring for me when I needed help... and I was always there for her when she needed help." Arnold said. "I always said she was pretty, cute and beautiful... and I do mean every word of it..."
I smiled. Arnold is in love with me... HE IS IN LOVE WITH ME!
"Uh... maybe check again? Maybe she's in there this time... and if not just... wait a few minutes." I suggested.
Arnold said. "You know what? I think I will!"
As soon as Arnold left, I couldn't help but feel a shriek of delight coming in... I decided to get up for a minute to go to the bathroom as I saw Nadine waiting with a blindfolded, unconscious Cecile as I jumped up and down.
"HE LOVES ME! HE LOVES ME!" I said in delight.
"I can't believe it..." Nadine said in shock. "Guess maybe he's not as stupid as he seems..."
"Let me read the Valentine that Curly NEVER sent to you." Lila said in her earpiece. "To my special girl, I've always admired you from afar, but was too shy to admit my feelings for you, but I didn't know how to express it because... well, your parents. I want to say a few certain words to you... but I need you to meet me somewhere. How about Chez Pierre at 7 PM? Trust me, you'll be surprised once you meet me. If you don't return the feelings... I understand. But maybe I can be your Valentine, at least? Signed, hopefully someone who'll be more than just a buddy..."
I gasped. "Arnold even signed it with my nickname for him! Oh happy days!"
"And he never told Gerald this?" Phoebe asked through the earpiece.
"Where are you, Phoebe?" I asked through the earpiece.
"Over at a nearby burger joint. Thankfully, I'm in the bathroom, so Gerald doesn't know our plans!" Phoebe said. "Okay, change of plans, girls! I'm still distracting Gerald, but we're now changing it to prepare Rhonda for her Valentine's Date!"
"How?" Nadine asked.
"Let's just get Cecile out of it first!" I said as I turned around. "I'm going back to the alleyway and meet up with Lila!"
"Right!" Nadine said as she was beginning to untie Cecile.
I was already leaving by the time Cecile was about to wake up.
I quickly met up with Lila back in the alley as Lila nodded. "Okay, first of all, we get you back in your own clothes!"
"Right!" I nodded as I took the beret off. Lila opened up Phoebe's backpack and pulled out a spare change of clothes. "That should do it!"
After a couple of minutes, I got my shirt, pants and slippers back on as Nadine came back. I asked, "How's everything going, Lila?"
"Arnold's still waiting... though he looks disappointed." Lila said, feeling bad as she took a peek around the corner.
"Not for long!" I smiled as I was about to walk out.
"Uh... Rhonda? Your hair... it's still brown! Arnold'll know something's up!" Nadine said.
I yelped as I looked in my pocket mirror. "Oh no, you're right! Arnold's going to know I did something to Cecile, and he might not love me!"
"Speaking of which, what did you do?" Lila asked.
"Just tricked her with the old 'Phone call' bit... and knocked her unconscious without her seeing me... but thankfully, due to new plan changes, I got her up and told her she hit her head on something, and I was there to help her up. She was pretty thankful." Nadine smiled.
"She's back in her seat?" Lila asked.
Nadine nodded as I tried to splash some water in my hair... I yelped as I looked in my pocket mirror. "Oh no, it's even worse! I can't go to Arnold like this!"
"You're going to have to, he's about to leave!" Nadine said, pointing to the window. I yelped as I saw Arnold, disappointed. Oh no! He's going to think I don't love him!
"What do we do?" I said in a panic. "Phoebe? Phoebe?"
Nothing in the earpiece.
"Great, she took it off!" I groaned. "What do we do?"
Lila looked between me and the window... she looked pretty determined. She grabbed the Valentine Arnold sent me. "I have an idea, just trust me, it'll work!"
"Lila, what are you-" I started as Lila left.
"Oh no, it's starting! Not now, not now, couldn't it have waited?!" Helga sounded like she was panicking in my mind.
I looked near the corner as I saw Lila run out around the same time Arnold was about to come out.
Both of them collided with each other.
Arnold groaned as Lila sighed. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry, Arnold..."
"It's all right, Lila. My fault." Arnold sighed as he got up.
Lila got up as Arnold was at first unaware of what he had picked up. "Here, this belongs to..."
Arnold took a good look at the Valentine. "...you?"
Arnold looked at the Valentine and read it. "Uh, Lila... where did you get this?"
"From my locker. Apparently someone had admired me from afar and I was to go meet him because he had something to say. I was just running late because I had a little trouble with my braids." Lila said.
I sighed in relief. I knew what Lila was doing... covering my skin so that I wouldn't have to explain my hair.
Arnold gasped. "Oh no... I thought for sure I put it in the right locker!"
"Right locker?" Lila tilted her head in confusion. "Whatever do you mean? Are you the one who put this in my locker, Arnold?"
Arnold sighed. "Lila, I'm sorry, there's apparently a misunderstanding. This wasn't meant to go to you..."
Lila nodded. "I sort of wondered about that. Arnold, don't take it personal, but I don't like you like you. I just like you."
Arnold took a deep breath. "Yeah, I feel the same way, Lila. Don't take it personal."
"I won't..." Lila paused. "But... I figured it was probably you who wrote it... I'm guessing you're in love with Rhonda?"
Arnold's eyes widened. "How did you guess that?"
"Because only she would ever call you buddy." Lila smiled. "Although I think it's sweet you're setting this up for Rhonda..."
"Well... it's a shame that she never came..." Arnold sighed.
"Hey, don't give up, Arnold." Lila smiled. "You'll get her someday. Just wait for the right time..."
Arnold paused... and smiled. "I guess you're right, Lila... Lila, do me a favor?"
"Sure, Arnold." Lila smiled.
"Don't tell anybody, ESPECIALLY Rhonda... that I have a major crush on her... I don't know how everyone will react if they hear I fell in love with the richest girl in my grade." I said.
Lila giggled. "Arnold, you have my word."
Arnold sighed. "Thanks, Lila. You're a good-natured person... and Lila?"
"Yes, Arnold?" Lila turned.
"I hope you find the right someone you admire." Arnold said.
"I will." Lila smiled as Arnold went back to Chez Paris.
Lila soon joined me as I smiled. "Lila... you're awesome."
"Thanks..." Lila smiled.
"Well... Arnold's in love with you... and you're in love with Arnold... now what?" Nadine asked.
"We're going to work harder!" I smiled. "When Phoebe comes back and joins us, we'll catch her up and we're going to discuss on how we can get both me and him to confess our love!"
Nadine smiled. "This is going to be an interesting year..."
Indeed, it was... as me, Nadine and Lila walked along to home, we saw Gerald and Phoebe talking with each other and giggling as they went together, hand in hand.
"Those two are the most adorable couple I have ever seen." Lila smiled.
"I agree." Nadine and I nodded.
Later that night, in my dreams, I was talking with Helga as I gave a smirk, with Helga just crossing her arms.
"How do you like that, Helga? He loves me!" I smiled.
"Yuck it up, princess!" Helga rolled her eyes. "You still have a long way to go... like both of you returning your feelings!"
"It'll come... it'll come..." I smiled. "So... your reaction on Lila with Arnold... was that why you were worried about Lila? Did Arnold have a crush on her in your dimension?"
"It started... with a little message I accidentally altered, about two days after the Valentine's date." Helga sighed. "I originally wrote 'Arnold Loves Helga' on it, but then I overheard... someone, along with your friend and Lila talking, and I panicked, and changed my name to that of Lila's."
I paused. "By someone... do you mean me?"
Helga nodded.
"Why didn't you just leave the message as is?" I asked.
"Come on, princess, I didn't want a big secret like that out in the open! I panicked!" Helga glared at me.
I sighed. "Anyway, if you don't want Lila crushing on Arnold that bad... I think I can arrange something for that."
"How?" Helga asked.
I smiled. "Because Helga... this isn't YOUR dimension. This... is MY dimension."
And there is part two of episode one hundred and eight! How was it? Bet most of you didn't see that coming, huh? Well, there's still a LOT more to go, so don't miss out! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks! And as usual, don't forget to check out/add to the TVTropes page!