Here's the next episode, also our next two-parter, known as 'April Fool's Day'! By the way, warning ahead of time, before you read the episode, you may want to read another fic of mine that's on Deviantart called 'The Orange Parable', but it's not entirely required to read these next two chapters. Anyway, enjoy!
It's me again, Hank the Cowdog.
Gotcha! I was just testing you to see if you were paying attention to this. Anyway, let me get everything in gear.
Okay, let me try this again. It's me again, Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. And today was a special day... April Fool's Day. I yawned as I got out of bed. Olga was already out of the room, probably in the shower right now as I was gathering my new clothes.
"Hey, princess. How are you in the terms of April Fool's Day pranks?" I heard Helga ask.
"Honestly?" I asked as I was wondering what to put on... a new purple shirt, or a blue and green striped shirt. "I'm a little indifferent when it comes to April Fool's pranks... I can do some pranks to people as long as they're not harmful. Why do you ask?"
"Okay, quick little history lesson back in my world, but you know how Arnold doesn't do April Fools?" Helga asked.
"Yeah, he says, and I quote, 'I'm not really into the April Fools jokes, because I'm just too nice to hurt anyone's feelings'. I respect that, yet at the same time, he's just too easy a victim to pick on just because he doesn't want to hurt people's feelings." I said as I smiled. Purple it is.
"Well, on this April Fools', the one in my timeline, I... may have pushed Arnold a bit too far... and he tried to prank me. He blinded me."
"Oh God..." I gasped as I sat down, listening to Helga.
"No, no, it's okay. It was only a fifteen minute blindness moment." Helga explained. "But Arnold felt so bad, I decided to keep the blindness thing going. Eventually, he figured it out, but only after he dumped me in a swimming pool at the April Fool's Dance."
"Wow, Arnold must have really got you good." I chuckled.
"You have no idea." Helga laughed in my mind. "Anyway, I believe Arnold's grandfather still has that box..."
"Are you suggesting something, Helga?" I asked out of curiosity.
"No, no, nothing at all... but you better take that box with you, just in case..." Helga said.
I just raised an eyebrow and shook my head as Olga came in, all dressed up for the day.
"I'm done with the shower, sweetheart. You better hurry and get yours." Olga said to me. "Trust me, I know the next door boarders by heart."
"You really have made a lot of new friends, haven't you, Olga?" I said as I carried my clothes and went to the bathroom.
By the time I got done with my shower and got myself dressed up for the day, me and Olga came down as we just listened to Arnold and his grandfather talking.
"Come on, Shortman! It's April Fool's Day! Don't you want to play a prank on someone?" Arnold's grandfather asked as we came in and sat down.
"Not really. You know I'm not into the April Fool's pranks." Arnold said as he was tossing aside a plate of, I assume, rubber eggs. "Oh, hi Rhonda. Miss Pataki."
"What's going on?" I asked as I settled down.
"I'm going to guess there's a reason your wife's a little... excited for Christmas, even though it's only about a few months ago?" Olga asked.
"Oh, it's just Grandma's usual mix-up of holidays. We don't ask questions, we just run with it." Arnold explained.
"Really? Well... this is certainly an interesting take." Olga said as she started to poke her fork in the eggs... only to feel the rubber on it. "What the-"
"April Fools', new tenant!" Arnold's grandfather laughed.
Olga gave another laugh as well as she handed him a check. "Okay, that's a pretty good one. Oh, and here's the rent check. Hope you don't mind I added another fifty on there on account of... well, you know who."
I knew she meant me, but Arnold's grandfather smiled. "Oh, no, not at all. The poor girl needs all the help she can get. Anyway, what you're talking is crazy talk, Arnold. EVERYBODY loves April Fools' pranks!"
Arnold's grandfather then pulled out a purple box with a red ribbon. Olga chuckled. "What's this, a little late Christmas present?"
"Heavens no!" Arnold's grandfather laughed. "Actually, this is a prank. You give it to one of your friends, tell them it's a late birthday present, but when you open it, a blinding light flashes in your eyes!"
"Oh, you mean like a little camera." Olga asked as she opened the box. "How does it..."
A light flashed on Olga's eyes and she yelped as she covered her eyes. "Oh God! I'm blind!"
"Relax, it's just temporary. It'll wear off in a few minutes." Arnold's grandfather laughed as he showed it to Arnold. "But it's nice to know it still works. Here, Arnold. Try it on one of your friends. I tried it on Jimmy Kafka once, and it was a riot!"
"No thanks, Grandpa." Arnold said as he handed the box back over to him. "I just don't think anybody at school is really into April Fool's Day."
"Are you kidding?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Have you SEEN PS 118 on that day every year?"
Arnold put his hand behind his head as he sighed. "Well, I just don't like mentioning it because..."
"Relax, Arnold. Harold stopped being a bully to all of us, remember?" I asked as Olga blinked a few times. "Besides, the least he can do is less harmful pranks."
"I suppose you're right." Arnold nodded as Olga sighed in relief.
"Okay, I'm back now, I'm back." Olga said as she sat down. "All right, let's get right to it."
"Hey, uh, could I borrow that box?" I asked. "Maybe I can find a use for it."
"Oh, sure thing." Arnold's grandfather asked. "Got anyone in mind?"
"Not yet... but it's a just in case scenario." I said as I took the box.
"Yeesh. I guess you weren't kidding on the April Fool's thing." Olga said as we were all walking in, me and Olga walking in the school as we saw students messing around. "Back in my elementary school days, we never messed around with that day except for after school!"
"Guess times have been lenient since then?" I asked as we walked around.
"I don't know, maybe it's me..." Olga said as she walked off. "Well, see you in class, Rhonda."
"Okay, Miss Pataki." I nodded as Olga walked off. As I opened my locker, I yelped as a hand came out and pushed me.
"YIPE!" I yelped as I fell.
Then I heard two girls laughing from inside as I looked up. Nadine and Phoebe were getting out of my locker as Nadine said, "April Fools, Rhonda! We got you good!"
I chuckled a bit as I hugged my two friends. "How did you manage to get into my locker, and clear out the things that were in there..."
"You could say Curly helped out on that aspect." Phoebe said.
It was then I frowned. "How did he get my combination number?"
"Don't question it. It's Curly." Nadine sighed as Phoebe handed me my books, which she put in her backpack. "Anyway, I'll reorganize your locker when we get back after school."
"That's okay, girls. I needed that little perk-me-up." I said as I pulled out the little box.
Phoebe and Nadine looked at the ring box and gasped. "Is that a proposal ring box?"
"Oh my gosh, did Arnold propose to you?" Phoebe asked.
"Phoebe, we're way too young for that type of thing." I said. "And no, it's not a proposal ring box. It's actually a prank gift box. See, you give it to one of your friends and tell them it's an early or late birthday present. They open it, and blinding light flashes before your eyes."
"Really?" Phoebe asked as she opened the box. "So, does it work like a-"
The light flashed on Phoebe's eyes as they shrank. "GAH!"
"Rhonda, is Phoebe going to be okay?" Nadine said in concern as Phoebe covered her eyes as I reset the box.
"Hey, it's okay! It's just temporary blindness. It'll wear off in a few seconds to a few minutes." I explained.
"For heaven's sake, I hope so..." Phoebe groaned as she had her eyes shut. "I can see those little fuzzies running around my eyes, you know, when you close them for a while, and then you open them and they're still here, and you try to catch them, but all you're catching is air?"
"Don't worry, Phoebe. Olga made the mistake of opening the box too." I explained as me and Nadine took her over. "So where's Lila today?"
"Oh, she and Lorenzo are talking with each other. Ever since the whole school found out about Lorenzo and Lila going out together, they've been hanging out like it's a pretty common thing." Nadine explained. "She told us she'd catch up with us in class, though."
"Cool!" I said as something interesting caught my eye.
It was Caroline, and she seemed to be talking to Curly. Hmmm... maybe if I can give Caroline a little taste...
Oh... oh-oh! Oh, oh, oh! Oh, did I have something to do to Caroline!
Pretty soon, we were all in class as Olga wasn't in the classroom, but Principal Wartz was coming in, seemingly in a panic, telling us how Mr. Simmons got ran over by a steamroller... yeah, I'm not that convinced. I don't think none of the class was as Mr. Simmons rose out of his chair as a "ghost"... which was really him holding a flashlight and covering himself in chalk dust.
I just shook my head... but it was the announcement that grabbed my attention.
"We're having our first annual April Fools' dance tonight at the YMAA gym. Principal Wartz and I both will be there as chaperones, and I'll be crowing one lucky student the King of Fools." Mr. Simmons explained as Olga came in.
I looked up in interest. So did the rest of the class, as did Arnold, I noticed. We both looked at each other and blushed, thinking about the idea. Maybe this dance could be what we were looking for.
As Eugene was handing out the flyers, Mr. Simmons nodded as he said, "Right, now that our student teacher is here, why don't we get started on our day, shall we?"
I nodded as we started to get to work.
A little later, at recess, I looked over to my friends as I said, "I'll catch up with you guys, I need to do something first."
Nadine, Phoebe and Lila nodded as they went over to get the jump rope. I nodded as I looked around and... ha ha, there is Caroline... and she's talking with Curly and... those two cloaked figures? Hmmm... interesting. What were they... why were they wearing the...
I shook my head as I went over. "Excuse me, Caroline, Curly... Pudding and Bucky."
"Oh, Rhonda! Hi there, na no da!" Pudding, the female cloaked figure said as she lifted her cloak hood to reveal her smiling self. I looked at the girl. I couldn't explain it, but something about her struck me as familiar, as if I have been with her before...
"Say, Caroline, isn't your birthday next week?" I asked.
Caroline blinked. "Uh... I believe so, yes. Why do you care?"
"Oh... no special reason... BUT..." I said as I presented her with the box. "I felt that to thank you for helping me with the neighborhood and all, I figured I give you your birthday present pretty early."
"Oh cool!" Caroline smiled. "Thanks, Rhonda, you're really sweet."
"Uh, Ma- Caroline, it's a trap, don't open it." Curly said.
"Oh nonsense, what could-" Caroline said as she opened the gift... and the blinding light flashed in her eyes. "UGH!"
"April Fools, Caroline!" I chuckled.
"What the hell did you-" Caroline groaned, rubbing her eyes.
Pudding, Bucky and Curly looked concerned as she took Caroline, Pudding saying, "Come on, we need to get you out of there!"
The four then rushed off as I blinked in confusion. What the heck was going on?
I quickly followed them when they weren't looking and as I was following them, I noticed... something was changing in Caroline... did she always have wrinkles? On top of that, she seemed to be growing taller... like an adult.
"Come on, come on, let's get her in, quick!" Curly said as they went inside the school, and ducked into an empty classroom.
I blinked, confused. What was going on? I peeked inside as I saw Curly, Bucky and Pudding putting Caroline on the...
Caroline's hair looked a little grey-ish blonde... and she looked a lot like...
Like that old woman I keep seeing with that little girl every time I walk past. I knew the little girl was Solara, but who was the old woman?
Caro- the old woman groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "Looks like she got me good..."
I blinked my eyes in confusion... and that's when I heard Curly say,
"You okay, Marcie?"
HUH?
To be honest... I didn't see that coming.
And there's part one of episode one hundred and forty five! How was it? Don't worry, next part will be coming with a lot of explanations! But if you've been following the hints, maybe it's time everybody knows who Marcie really is! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!