All right, here we go with the final episode of Arc 3, known as 'Girl Trouble'! Anyway, enjoy!
Later, when I got home, I just sighed as I just walked up in my room and sighed. I can hardly believe what had just happened.
Arnold, the guy I love, and who loves me, just yelled at me for doing the right thing! Yeah, I was in the right to help him, and maybe I DID invade on a private conversation, but that didn't give him any right to be angry with me...
I didn't get it. Why? Just... why?
"Maybe he hated when other people helps him, because it gives him demotivation?" Helga suggested in my mind.
"I don't think so..." I sighed as I looked down. "Helga, why can't I just tell him you exist in my mind and that there's another dimesion out there where you live?"
"And have people think you're crazy? They would instantly laugh at you, even without evidence." Helga said.
"I only did the right thing!" I thought to myself.
I just groaned, frustrated as I laid my face down on my pillow.
"Rhonda, sweetheart? Is everything okay?" I heard my mom say.
"Yes, everything's fine!" I sniffled.
I heard the door opening and closing as I felt my mom sitting next to me. "Honey, you're crying on your pillow."
"It's too complicated, mom!" I cried.
She looked at me and her eyes brightened, as if recognizing that look. "I know that look. You have Lloyd dejection."
"Lloyd dejection?" I asked, looking up to her.
My mom nodded. "It's when a Lloyd gets depressed because they only did what they think is right, but people viewed it as the wrong thing."
"Yeah, that sums up myself today..." I sighed.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" My mom looked over to me as I hugged her.
"Oh, mom..." I sighed. "I was only trying to help my friend Arnold out after I overheard a private conversation and I succeeded, only to be yelled at by him..."
"Ah..." My mother smiled. "Boy troubles..."
"What?" I looked up and blushed. "Mom, I don't have a crush on Arn-"
"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to deny it." My mother smiled.
I looked up at my mother in surprise. "Wait... you know already?"
"Honey, from the very beginning, ever since you and Arnold became friends, we had a feeling that someday you two might be boyfriend and girlfriend." My mother giggled.
"So... you don't care if I'm in love with someone in a lower class?" I asked.
"Rhonda, we Lloyds follow a different set of rules than what is written out in the higher class." My mother explained.
"But isn't there some unwritten rule that I have to go out with some rich person or something?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"Honey, there's no such rule. I don't know where you got that from." My mother rolled her eyes. "No, the minute you were born, we knew you would be perfect for any guy in the world... and as you grew up, we wouldn't care about how you would live your life, as long as you kept the Lloyd's good name... which so far, you have."
I smiled, looking towards my mom as I hugged her. "Oh, Mom, this is the best news I've heard!"
"So, what happened with Arnold?" My mom asked as I looked up at her.
And so, I proceeded to tell her what I did today, leaving out the parts with Helga in my mind, because people would think I was crazy if I was talking about another person. After I finished the story, my mother hugged me.
"Oh, honey, Arnold is appreciative of you helping. He just hasn't come to terms with what had happened." My mom explained.
"Still, to take away his moment... I feel bad..." I looked down.
"Hey, don't look so blue." My mom smiled. "Have I ever told you about your dad and how he helped me out?"
"No..." I looked up to her.
"Well, your father and I were really good friends. Sure, we tended to argue a bit, but we were set and destined. Sure, we were both rich, but I just happened to like him, and he wasn't too sure on his feelings, but I knew he liked me somehow. However, one day, I got into big trouble with the toughest boy in school." My mom explained.
"You ran into a bully?" I asked.
"He wasn't really a bully, more... a 'get out of my way or you'll regret it' type of person." My mom explained. "He kind of threatened me, and I was ready to defend myself, but then your father had to step in and stop the boy from beating him up. He just grunted and moved on. Honestly, I am not sure what my best friend saw-" She sighed. "Anyway, I got upset because he thought I couldn't defend myself."
"Could you?" I asked.
"Are you kidding?" My mom laughed. "Even after attending a nice little karate class, I think I could have taken him down. I still have the moves in case somebody tried to do a... sneak attack!"
My mom grabbed me as I squealed in surprise and laughed as she tickled me. My mother laughed as she explained, "Only more shocking and surprising."
"Wow..." I smiled.
"Anyway, I got mad at him and yelled at him, but I refused to hear it as I walked out on him, leaving him with that depressed look on his face." My mom explained. "It kinda pained me to do it... well, actually... it DID pain me to do this. I just felt hurt that he wouldn't let me defend myself. It wasn't until after my friends told me that the guy who ran into me would have still outmuscled me if he hadn't stepped in. I felt bad as I called him to apologize for my irrational behavior. He forgave me, because he knew we were too close to give up on a friendship just like that."
"And you two started dating?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"Not until later in our years, but yes." My mom nodded. "What I'm trying to say is, Arnold will forgive you. Everything will come full circle in the end..."
As my mom said that, I heard my cell phone ringing as I picked it up. I was surprised to see it was Arnold. My mom smiled. "See? Full circle."
I picked up the phone as I leaned it towards my ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, Rhonda..." I heard Arnold, a little shy, yet shameful, say.
"Hey, buddy..." I sighed.
"Listen, I wanted to call to apologize for what happened today. You were in the right to defend me, and I really am appreciative for the help you gave me. I was talking with Iggy a little after school, and he told me had he continued holding the grudge, he would have forced me to wear a bunny suit in public. A little weird, I know, but also a little mean." Arnold sighed. "If you hadn't defended me, I probably would have been a laughingstock. So, I want to say that I'm really sorry for yelling at you."
I gave a small smile. "Aw, buddy, I forgive you. I'm sorry for overhearing your conversation..."
"Maybe it was better you did..." I heard Arnold smile a bit, knowing he was forgiven. "I guess it just... brings our friendship closer."
"Yeah..." I sighed, lovingingly as my mother smiled towards me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Thanks, Arnold. I guess everything's all good now."
"I think it has..." Arnold said through the phone. "Anyway, I have to go. I need to help Grandpa with a couple chores."
"All right, you go ahead and do that..." I smiled as I was about to hang up the phone. "Bye, Arnold."
"Lov-" I started to hear Arnold say before I hung up.
My mother looked towards me as she hugged me, I hugged her back as she said, "Full circle."
A little later, I was sitting downstairs, looking at my mother and father as my mother took a deep breath.
"What is it you wanted to tell me?" I asked, out of curiosity. My mom told me she and my father had a little surprise for me.
"Well, honey, do you remember how me and your mother attended the finishing school, we told you about?" My father told me.
I smiled as I remembered the time...
Wait... when did they tell me this? "Uh, Finishing school?"
"You know, the school we told you about when you were about four years old?" My mother smiled. "You were pointing to our little graduation photo as a little child, saying you always wanted to go there."
I closed my eyes, trying to remember my being four years old... but for some reason, nothing was coming up. That's strange... I should remember something like this, yet I don't! "Forgive me, my mind is on the blank..."
"Well..." My mother said as some of the maids came around and started cleaning up the area. I guess it was that time of the day for the Lloyds to have our maid services come in and clean up. "You told us how excited you really were and how you wanted to attend that school someday, like all the other members of your family. Well, you're the next Lloyd to go, and we figured, now would be a good time to do so."
I paused. "This... this won't interfere with my attending school, will it?"
"Oh, sweetheart, it's just an after school activity. All the Lloyds attended it after school, so we figured it was your turn." My mother explained. "Besides, it's only for a couple of weeks on Monday and Thursday for an hour, then four hours on the weekend. You'll be in and out before you know it."
"Besides, the Young Sophisticate After-School Polishing Academy for Boys and Girls is accepting new people, and we figured it was a good time for you to enroll!" My father said. "Don't worry, it's just for a couple of weeks. We said that people would enroll when it came to sixth grade, but they started becoming lenient when they said they would accept fourth grade or higher."
I nodded as I looked up. Great... I'm going to a finishing school... I should be excited for this, it sounds like a place I would go...
Yet... why do I not remember anything about it when I was four? And why do I feel a sudden uncomfortableness?
Whatever the reason, I was curious to see what this finishing school was like...
And with that, episode one hundred and fifteen and Arc 3 has been completed! How was it? Arc 4 won't be starting until a little later, but in the meantime, I'm probably going to focus on a couple of other Hey Arnold stories... PLUS a little side story in the cartoon crossovers section (that will have a few Hey Arnold characters in it) to occupy you over, so hope you guys check those out when you can! Anyway, Arc 4 will be ready once I at least get a couple of Hey Arnold stories (maybe one or two) and the Cartoon crossover story completed! Until then, hope you enjoy the wait, and don't worry, Arc 4 will be coming in no time! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks! And don't forget to check out/add new tropes to the TVTropes page of this story!