Before I begin this chapter, I'm sure most of you agree that 'Arnold Betrays Iggy' was the most stupidest episode in the series... well, it's my second least favorite episode, my first least favorite isn't going to be brought up until later. I mean, Craig Bartlett hated the short, and even the Mysterious Mr. Enter agreed that this was an 'Animated Atrocity'! I mean, I agree with that too! For one thing, a more accurate title would be 'Arnold's Tortured By A Very Irrational Iggy'! I mean, first of all, it wasn't even Arnold's fault, Stinky and Sid just guessed that's what happened, and just ran with it! They were correct, yes, but Arnold did not tell them! And on top of that, Iggy was being an irrational jerk! Instead of letting Arnold EXPLAIN what happened, he decides to just ignore what happened, and Iggy was stupid enough for him to believe Sid and Stinky that Arnold told them! On top of that, Arnold had no reason to make up for his mistake, why didn't he just send Sid and Stinky to apologize in the first place? Also, I'm going to quote Mr. Enter in that 'if you don't show others CONTINUALLY teasing him directly, it makes Iggy look like an asshole!' On top of that, Iggy extorted Arnold to do HIS chores for a week, and on top of that, he made Arnold wear a bunny suit in public and summoned the NEWS REPORTERS to get a glimpse of that moment! Is this all necessary!? Arnold had a RIGHT to hate Iggy for what he did to him afterwards! I just wish Arnold would have tried mentioning Stinky and Sid, the REAL people behind the madness, in the first place!
...I'm sorry, I ranted on this episode for too long. I don't know if I'm going to have fun referencing this episode. Half of me wants to skip this episode and move on to the next one, but I feel that if I did that, this story would be incomplete. So, I guess I'll have to see what changes I can make on this one... anyway, here's the infamous 'Arnold DOES NOT Betray Iggy AT ALL AND SHOULD NOT OWN UP TO THIS RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOULD HAVE TOLD STINKY AND SID-'... sorry, again, getting off topic. Anyway, enjoy!
A couple of days later, at school, me, Nadine, Phoebe and Lila were getting off the bus as we were discussing the latest book we were going to get for our book club...
"Bond or nothing, hands down!" I smiled as we continued walking.
"It's always James Bond, Rhonda." Nadine sighed. "How about we try another book for once?"
"I agree, Rhonda..." Lila nodded. "I know you're in love with those books, but I think it's time we move on to a new set of literature..."
"May I ask what?" I asked.
Nadine, Phoebe and Lila smiled as they passed me a book called 'Hound of Baskerville'. "Sherlock Holmes."
"Ah, the mystery novels." I said as I examined the book. "I guess we can talk about Sherlock..."
Before we went in, I suddenly heard Helga's voice.
"Stop. Listen over to Arnold's conversation with Stinky and Sid."
I proceeded to do so as I turned around to see Arnold, Stinky and Sid walking off the bus. Lila, Phoebe and Nadine turned to me in confusion as Phoebe asked, "Something the matter?"
"Just... listening." I said as I jumped off the banister. Phoebe, Nadine and Lila went down stairs and joined me on the side.
"Did you hear something?" Lila asked.
"I'm about to. Shush." I said as the four kept quiet as we saw Arnold, Sid and Stinky climbing up the steps.
"Come on, Arnold, what was so funny!" We heard Stinky say.
"I told you, I can't talk about it!" We heard Arnold say.
"Was it something he did?" Stinky asked.
"It was just something he was wearing, but that's all I can say." Arnold said.
"Was it a dress?" Stinky asked.
"No, of course not."
"Was it lederhosen?" We heard Sid asking.
"No, Sid, it wasn't lederhosen!" Arnold frowned.
"Well, come on, how bad could it be? I mean, it wasn't like he was wearing BUNNY PAJAMAS or something." Sid said.
We didn't hear nothing for a couple of minutes as we looked at each other, then we heard Stinky said in a gleeful tone, "Wait. You're pulling my leg, right?"
"I didn't say anything!" We heard Arnold denying.
"Iggy wears BUNNY PAJAMAS?" We heard Sid say in amazement as all four of us looked at each other and started to giggle a slight bit.
"The kind with feet and floppy ears?" We heard Stinky say.
"No! Of course not! I didn't say that!" We heard Arnold say, worried.
I just shook my head as I went into my mind.
"Is that all you wanted to let me hear? This is juicy gossip!" I chuckled in my mind.
"Laugh now, but pretty soon, when Iggy gets word that Arnold betrayed his trust, Arnold will try to get his trust for a few months, and Iggy will be an insensitive jerk, and he'll force him to wear bunny pajamas out on the street... with everyone, including a news crew, watching!" Helga told me in my mind.
I stopped laughing in shock. "Please tell me you're joking."
"Nope. Actually happened in my timeline. Arnold got humiliated pretty badly... and all because Stinky and Sid couldn't keep their yaps shut and framed Arnold..." Helga told me.
I looked back up as they were finishing up the conversation.
"Look, I promised Iggy I wouldn't tell, so you guys have to promise too!" We heard Arnold say as we peeked up to see Sid and Stinky's big smiles.
"Oh, don't worry Arnold, we promise." Sid smiled as the two followed Arnold inside.
"We won't tell a soul..." We heard Stinky say as we popped out and walked upstairs.
"Who knew..." Nadine shook her head.
"Yeah... I mean, a cool kid wearing bunny pajamas? Pretty embarrassing..." Phoebe giggled.
Lila glared at Phoebe as she said, "Wearing bunny pajamas isn't really that funny! I mean, why would anybody find that funny? It doesn't make sense!"
"Did you see the look at Sid and Stinky's faces, though?" I asked as I turned to them. "Girls, I have a feeling that Stinky and Sid are NOT going to live up to those promises..."
"You think?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, come on. If Iggy finds out by everybody and Arnold explains the whole story of what happened..."
"Iggy will not forgive Arnold!" I glared. "He will hold a grudge on Arnold for blabbing the secret when he really didn't, they just guessed! And furthermore, Iggy will keep holding that grudge until he summons an entire news crew to film Arnold wearing bunny pajamas himself! Do you girls want to see that?"
Nadine, Phoebe and Lila looked at me, before looking at each other as Nadine said, "Uh, that's completely random..."
"Not to mention convoluted." Phoebe sighed. "Rhonda, why would a news crew be interested in humiliating a ten year old by having the whole world watch him wear bunny pajamas?"
"Whatever the reason, we're not sticking around that long to find out that answer!" I turned to the girls. "If that secret gets out, Iggy will NEVER forgive Arnold!"
"For what?" Nadine asked. "Like you just said, Arnold didn't do anything, it's Stinky and Sid who should be responsible..."
"You want to see them tell the whole school?" I asked. "Wait until recess..."
Pretty soon, most of the fourth graders were at recess as Phoebe, Nadine and Lila were with me, watching as Sid and Stinky were telling the whole fourth grade class.
"What did I tell you?" I said as most of the fourth graders started laughing.
"There's bunny boy!" Sheena giggled as Iggy was coming over, wondering what the commotion was about.
"Where's your little bunny pajamas? Do you wear diapers too!" Harold laughed.
Iggy was starting to blush. "Wha-what are you talking about?"
"Oh come on, Iggy. Everybody knows about your bunny pajamas!" Sid smiled.
"Yep! Arnold told us all!" Stinky smiled.
Lila, Phoebe and Nadine stared in shock as they turned to me. Lila growled. "I'm sorry, but what insensitive jerks!"
"Arnold didn't tell anybody anything!" Phoebe complained.
We turned to see Iggy growling at Arnold as Arnold tried to explain, but Iggy would not have any of it.
"I can't believe you did this to me, Arnold!" Iggy yelled as he started to walk off as Arnold started feeling guilty.
I growled. "I can't believe he wouldn't let Arnold explain his reasoning!"
"I know!" Nadine frowned as we saw Arnold looking down in guilt. "Arnold didn't do anything wrong!"
"And yet, with his good guy nature, he's going to try to own up for a mistake he DIDN'T EVEN MAKE!" Phoebe yelled.
Nadine frowned as she said, "Rhonda, you go to Iggy and go get him, I'm going to have a little talk with Stinky and Sid AKA the REAL blabbermouths!"
"Good call." I said as I turned to Phoebe and Lila. "Phoebe, Lila, do you girls think you can try talking to Arnold and say that we all know it was not his fault?"
Phoebe and Lila nodded as Lila said, "You can count on us!"
"Great!" I smiled as I started off.
Pretty soon, I found Iggy sitting in a corner, just groaning. I went up and coughed as Iggy looked towards me.
"You too, Rhonda?" Iggy groaned. "Fine, go ahead. Just get it over with!"
"Iggy, exactly how many people came and directly insulted you thus far before I came over?" I asked.
"Before you? None. But I'm anticipating it." Iggy explained.
I glared at Iggy. "I'm not here to make fun of your bunny pajamas! In fact, I don't even find anybody wearing bunny pajamas funny in the slightest!"
"You don't?" Iggy said in surprise... before sighing in relief. "Well, at least I found one supporter..."
"But what you did to Arnold was ungrateful!" I frowned. "He was trying to tell you his side of the story, but you wouldn't even listen to him!"
"Arnold betrayed my trust!" Iggy growled. "He was coming in with my homework because I was sick, and he saw me in the bunny pajamas! He told me his word that he wouldn't tell..."
"And he DIDN'T DO THAT! Stinky and Sid were the real people who told... and they GUESSED that's what happened because Arnold would never break a promise unless he was in danger, and even then, it would be a secret for himself, not for another!" I yelled at him. "He never told anyone..."
"But Stinky and Sid knew... just because they guessed..." Iggy frowned, wondering if he should believe what I told him.
"OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!"
"OW, OW, OW!"
Me and Iggy turned to see Nadine carrying Sid and Stinky by the ears as she came to us. Nadine nodded. "HERE ARE THE REAL PERPETRATORS!"
"Why did you tug us by our ears?" Sid asked. "That really hurt!"
"Sid, Stinky, tell Iggy the truth! The real truth!" Nadine growled.
"What is it we have to tell?" Stinky asked.
"You know what!" I glared at the two. "You two hurt Iggy's feelings and betrayed Arnold's trust when you figured out Iggy's secret on your own and blabbed it to everyone!"
"Iggy, Stinky and Sid would like to say something..." Nadine started. "WOULDN'T YOU GUYS!"
Stinky and Sid shrank at Nadine's glare and yelped as Sid said, "Okay, okay, I confess! Arnold didn't tell anybody at all! We only guessed it after Arnold was laughing about something and we kept prodding him with questions! He turned red when we finally figured it out on our own and ran with it! It was just a fluke!"
"It's all true!" Stinky cried.
"Wait... then, Arnold DIDN'T tell anybody?" Iggy said.
"Right. You were being irrational!" I said as I turned to the two. "You two aren't off the hook just yet!"
Iggy looked down. "Wow... I guess I yelled at Arnold for no reason, then..."
"Exactly!" Nadine said. "Now, what are we going to do now?"
Iggy looked up to Stinky and Sid, who were shaking nervously.
Pretty soon, recess was about over when we saw Iggy dragging Stinky and Sid, coming up to Arnold, Phoebe and Lila as me and Nadine watched Iggy talking with Arnold.
"There we go..." I smiled. "Crisis averted. Arnold does not have to wear bunny pajamas in public..."
Nadine looked at me weirdly as she said, "You keep saying that, it's just... what the heck? It's so random!"
"Oh, don't worry about it..." I smiled as the four boys were talking... until Arnold was pausing, frowning as he turned towards Phoebe and Lila, who gulped nervously. I paused. "What's up?"
Phoebe and Lila then started talking in a fast pace as Arnold then looked towards me, a bit angrily. I blinked. What did I do wrong?
He walked right up to me and Nadine as he glared at me. I blinked. "Buddy?"
Arnold looked at me, angrily. "What the heck, Rhonda? What the heck?"
"What did I do?" I asked.
"You overheard my conversation with Stinky and Sid from the start, didn't you? You prevented me from doing something helpful for Iggy!" Arnold glared.
"I prevented you from an incoming crisis. You're welcome!" I frowned, not liking Arnold's attitude.
"I would have gotten Iggy's forgiveness on my own! You didn't need to help me!" Arnold frowned.
"I just saved your life!" I explained. "Why are you making this a big deal! You and Iggy are forgiving of each other, problem solved!"
"Maybe this was one of those situations where I didn't need HELP with this one!" Arnold frowned, glaring at me. "I can't believe you overheard a secret conversation!"
"Buddy, I did it for..." I started to explain.
"Don't talk to me..." Arnold looked down as he walked off. "I need some time to think on this..."
"B-buddy..." I started, my heart felt like it stopped.
Nadine, Phoebe and Lila looked over to me as the recess bell rang. I slowly started to walk, wondering just where I went wrong. I did good... why was Arnold angry?
He is in love with me... wasn't he?
Phoebe whispers in my ear, "Just give him some time. He's just confused and upset right now. He'll be fine."
I couldn't say anything... I only nodded.
That's episode one hundred and fourteen! How was it? The final episode of Arc 3 is coming soon, so don't miss it! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!