Okay, next up is 'Suspended'! Now, I remember this episode a little clearly, and unfortunately, because of the new universe revolving around it, I think it'll be kind of impossible to follow this episode... the reason being, well... you'll see as the chapter goes along! Anyway, enjoy!
A day later, on Monday at school, I hummed a bit as I joined up with Arnold.
"Hey, charming." I said as we went in Mr. Simmons' classroom.
"Hey, beautiful." Arnold smiled.
"What's on the agenda for today?" I asked as Arnold was looking over a new list he wrote up.
"Well, after school, I figure we can hang out over at Slausen's." Arnold said.
"Oh, treating me somewhere special, are we?" I asked, coyly.
"Well... I guess you can say that..." Arnold blushed. "But we need to be careful with our budget, though... maybe just a milkshake."
"Hey, I'm cool with that." I said as we took our seats.
"You know, it's strange... this was supposed to be the first day that Harold got suspended from school, yet he's still here..." Helga pointed out in my head.
I blinked in confusion as I turned to see Harold just setting everything up. "You say Harold got suspended? How?"
"He insulted the principal, I don't know, I didn't get most of the story. All I know was that one day of last week, Harold got bored of school, and after seeing Wolfgang get suspended, he thought to get a similar idea. He got bored with life out of school the first day, and tried to get back in, only being suspended for five weeks... I know Arnold got suspended for two days because he questioned Principal Wartz' authority..."
"What? How can Principal Wartz just suspend Arnold for that?" I asked, out of curiosity.
But not before Olga and Mr. Simmons came in as Mr. Simmons gave an announcement. "Class, today, Principal Wartz assigned Miss Pataki to take a few students to the principal's office."
Everyone, including Harold, just groaned as Olga assured them, "Now don't worry, this is just for a couple of hours, besides, it'll be at most at least ten minutes of the students' time before we take them back to class and resume the day. I won't be too long."
"But class is boring without you around!" Harold complained. "I mean, I do like Mr. Simmons, but you're a great teacher!"
"Ah. That explains it." Helga muttered in my mind. "Harold has a bit of a student-teacher crush on Olga."
"Really?" I paused, examining Harold's lovesick expression as Olga was talking with him. "I'll be derned. So he is... I wonder what Patty would think of that..."
"Maybe you better talk with her next time you two meet. Maybe have her talk some sense into Harold..." Helga advised me.
I just nodded subconsciously.
"Rhonda?"
I blinked, being brought back to reality, as I saw Olga and Arnold turning to me. "Huh?"
"You're going to be coming with us." Olga said as Arnold got up. "Just for inspection, then you'll be in class in no time..."
I nodded as I got up. "All right, sure."
As Mr. Simmons proceeded to teach the class, me and Arnold followed Olga over to the principal's office.
As me, Arnold and Olga got over to the principal's office, Olga knocked on the door. She paused as she knocked again. "Principal Wartz?"
Olga opened up the door as we were treated to something... odd.
"Say, hello there, Mr. Manperson!" Wartz said, holding a sock puppet to another one.
"Say, have you seen Principal Wartz lately?" Wartz' other sock puppet spoke.
"Why, yes!" Wartz' first sock puppet said.
"Isn't he the most handsome principal in the world?" Wartz' second sock puppet spoke.
"Yes he is! He sure knows how to run a school!" Wartz' first sock puppet laughed... until Principal Wartz turned and saw us. He yelped as he put the sock puppets away. "Uh... how long have you three been..."
"The whole time." I just simply said.
After a long pause, mostly to hopefully forget we ever saw Principal Wartz doing what he was doing... he smiled. "So, what can I do for you?"
"You had Arnold and Rhonda on your list for inspection today?" Olga explained.
"Ah, yes, of course. Sit down, please." Principal Wartz said as he motioned us to have a seat. "Now then, I called you two here, specifically just for a few questions. Nothing big, just need an update on what's going on."
We nodded as Arnold and I followed directions. It was nothing too major, just Principal Wartz asking about any improvements we thought the school needed, and how classes have been treating everyone.
When it came to one certain question, Principal Wartz turned to Olga for that question. "Miss Pataki, you're mostly responsible for these two kids, mostly Miss Lloyd. What would you say is a biggest accomplishment for raising these two kids?"
Olga blinked as she said, "Well, I don't know a lot about Arnold, but for Rhonda... I feel pretty indebted to her. It's like she's my rock that holds me together. If I hadn't met her, I probably wouldn't be able to do a lot of the things I am able to do."
"Would teaching have been one of these things?" Principal Wartz asked.
Olga paused... then smiled. "Probably... but I wouldn't know."
Principal Wartz nodded. "Good enough answer for me."
As soon as Principal Wartz was done, he looked around, "Okay, if there's nothing else..."
Something was bugging me at the back of my mind (I'm betting Helga was pushing my mind a bit to ask me a certain question), I decided to say something, "Just one particular question in mind, if I may?"
"Yes, Miss Lloyd?" Principal Wartz asked.
"What would be the cause of terms for being suspended from school?" I asked.
Olga and Arnold looked at me in shock as Principal Wartz frowned. "Why do you want to know that?"
"I was just curious. I read something somewhere that a person can be suspended from school for getting into trouble." I explained.
"And let's hope nobody ever does, young lady." Principal Wartz said. "Well, it's just mostly common stuff, really. Kids can often get in trouble like pulling the fire alarms, hold a school hostage, emptying a fire hydrant can, calling their principal names, question a man's authority, talking back, that sort of thing."
"Suppose... suppose somebody was able to realize what they did was wrong and they try to go back to school?" I asked.
"They can't. If they do, I just increase the suspension by another week." Principal Wartz explained.
Olga and Arnold were alarmed by that as Arnold asked, "Even if the guy learned his lesson and tried to apologize?"
"Listen, Arnold, sometimes, life in the school isn't fair. But school rules are still school rules. Of course, if they did talk to me in a different area, somewhere off of school grounds, I may lift the suspension..." Principal Wartz explained. "But there's a very limited chance of that happening."
"Well, I'll make sure my class doesn't try to get in trouble then, will we?" Olga said as she turned to us.
"We'll be good, won't we?" Arnold and I said at the same time.
Principal Wartz smiled a bit. "Very well... oh, one more thing, Miss Pataki. I'm going to be out to a Principal's seminar for at least a couple of days this week. Can you give this note to Mr. Simmons when you get these kids back into the class?"
Olga nodded as she took the note from Principal Wartz' hand. "Sure, I'll do that."
"Very good. Don't forget, teacher's meeting after school." Principal Wartz said as we walked out.
As we walked out of the office, Olga couldn't help but hold her stomach, laughing out loud. "Did you see those sock puppets?"
I laughed a little alongside Olga. "Yeah, I know! Is this what Principal Wartz does in his spare time?"
"Guys, come on! Be serious." Arnold said as he dragged me and Olga back, but we were just so focused in our laughing as Arnold sighed. "You know, this could be one of those examples that could get you suspended, Rhonda."
I yelped as I kept quiet. "I'm good."
"Yeah..." Olga sighed. "It was still pretty funny, though."
"That was such a random question you asked." Nadine said as me, Phoebe, Lila and her were outside playing around in the jungle gym.
"Yeah, it's just weird. Why would you ask what would get people in trouble to get suspended? You know that if I got suspended, I'd be panicking! I can't live without my schoolwork!" Phoebe frowned.
"Sorry, girls. I guess it was just one of those things..." I shrugged. "Still, can you imagine someone like Wolfgang being suspended for messing around?"
"We'd be throwing a huge party in one of the classrooms!" Nadine laughed.
"If the principal allowed it..." Lila pointed out.
"Hmmm... good point..." Nadine said as I spotted Big Patty coming over.
"Hey, Patty, can I see you for a moment?" I called as Big Patty turned to us. She walked over as she sat down.
"Yes?" Patty asked, raising an eyebrow.
"How are you and Harold getting along?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"To be honest, I think we're pretty good with each other." Patty smiled. "At least, we know we're on good terms with each other..."
"Well, if you like him, like him, you might want to talk some sense into him to see who he belongs to. I noticed recently he's been making googly eyes on one of our teachers, Miss Pataki." I explained.
"Ooooohhh..." Nadine, Phoebe and Lila smiled as they listened in, Patty standing in shock.
"Really?" Patty said in surprise.
"It's a student crush thing. I know because Arnold experienced that one time when a substitute came in." I explained to Big Patty.
"I see." Big Patty nodded. "All right, I'll talk with him when I see him... which is going to be at lunch, right now!"
I nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Thanks for listening, BP."
"No problem, Rhonda." Big Patty nodded as she walked over.
"You really think Harold has a crush on Olga?" Nadine asked.
"Trust me, I can spot the googly eyes." I explained. "I'm that good."
"I can tell you are..." Phoebe and Lila giggled.
A little later, after school, as me and Arnold were having a milkshake, one of the radios was tuned into the horse race as I was listening in.
"It's Jumping Jehosophat in second, Leaping Leapfrogs in third, and coming out far in the lead... it's Frou Frou, the winner!" The radio announcer said.
I gave a warm smile as I got up. "Excuse me, Arnold, need to use the restroom."
"All right, take your time." Arnold said as I ran in and made a phone call to Choco.
"Choco, Olga here! How am I doing so far?" I asked.
"You're now up to one thousand and six hundred bucks! You're really doing it! Do you want to keep riding?" Choco asked.
"Yes, keep riding. Put my next bet on 'Yorkshire Pudding'!" I whispered.
"You're in for Yorkshire!" Choco said.
I smiled as I said my thanks, good-byes, and hung up as I went back to Arnold.
"Sorry about that, charming." I said as I snuggled close to him.
"It's okay, beautiful. I've been waiting for you." Arnold smiled as he kissed me on the cheek.
I giggled as I kept listening to the next horse race. It was going to be pretty sweet now...
There's episode one hundred and fifty-three! How was it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!