Okay, people were wondering for the longest time... the subject of 'Curly's Girl'! We all know this went deep into the relationship of our favorite rich girl and favorite psychopath of the Hey Arnold series... and people were probably waiting for this episode... but wait, how is this episode going to be possible, you may ask? Well... just wait and see, I do have a plan involving the idea of the episode in mind! Anyway, enjoy!
The next morning, I woke up as I got up from my bed. I looked at the clock sitting on Olga's bedside... 8:30. About enough time to grab a quick shower and everything before I head off to the park.
As I did my morning activities with ease, I went back to the room to make sure I had everything. Let's see... my old diary, which I was so close to getting all the staples out... I can see the envelope inside, and some words, but I barely could make them out. I decided to just take it with me, just in case. Also a couple of pencils, a notebook... okay, I believe I'm all set.
I hummed a little bit as I was about to walk out, when I noticed something on Olga's desk. Curiously, I picked it up. It looked like an envelope of some type... and then I gasped when I saw who she was addressing this to...
'Kevin Baker'
At first, I didn't know who Kevin Baker was... until I snapped my fingers. That was Monkeyman's real name! I squealed a bit as I looked at the envelope... just when Olga walked in.
Olga raised an eyebrow, before noticing the envelope in my hands. Olga gave a slight chuckle. "I see you noticed I've been writing to Kevin."
"Yeah!" I nodded as I looked to Olga. "So, you two are seeing each other now! Nice!"
Olga giggled. "Well... occasionally I get letters from him and I respond back. I have to admit, he's pretty cute when he's talking through letters..."
Olga sighed as she hugged the envelope close. Olga paused as she looked down. "Of course, now I feel bad about Carver... he's still a great guy, but for some reason, just seeing Kevin again brings back memories of when we used to hang out... before even Sharlene showed up. I know he likes me... but I just hope he's cool about the fact that I'm reconnecting with an old friend I haven't seen in a while..."
I paused. "Oh right, Carver... well, why don't you talk with him, and I'll deliver the letter to Monkeyman for you."
Olga sighed. "I... I guess I can talk with Carver, tell him what's going on... hopefully he'll forgive me for this, but..." Olga gave a lovesick smile. "I just haven't seen Kevin in so long..."
"Plus, he's a hero to everyone. Can't deny that." I laughed as Olga took the letter and finished up writing the addresses and put a stamp on it. She handed the letter back to me as I said, "Well, unless I see him or Harvey walking around, I'll just put the letter in the mailbox."
"Okay, you do that." Olga smiled as I left. "Have a good day, Rhonda!"
"You too, Olga!" I said as I walked off, letter in hand.
I ran downstairs and opened the boarding house door as I went outside and closed it. I started walking off for a moment and...
Strange. For a moment, I thought I heard the door opening and closing behind me at the boarding house. I turned quickly and noticed... nobody was following m...
Oh. I saw a bit of Arnold's ear hiding behind the stairwell. I sighed. Right, I had to lose him.
I turned around, pretending not to see anything as I continued onward, trying to make as many detours as I could. The only time I stopped was to put the letter from Olga to Monkeyman in the mailbox and... gosh darn it, he's still following me!
"I can't lose him!" I groaned as I kept walking, knowing Arnold was following me.
"Arnold's just being a concerned boyfriend, that's all. He's afraid you'll fall for Curly. Granted, I don't know how my Rhonda went out with Curly in my timeline, but..." Helga started.
"Hold the phone!" I stopped for a mere minute to talk to Helga.
I heard a ding in my head before I heard Helga's voice. "I know you can't see it, but I'm holding a phone, like you said."
"Visual pun. Clever." I rolled my eyes. "When did I... that is, the Rhonda of your timeline, date the psychopath?"
"I don't know EXACTLY what happened... I'm thinking probably after the art show for elementary school students that the fourth graders went to on Sunday..."
"What? When did we have time to do an art show?" I asked.
"Do you want me to tell you the story or not?" Helga yelled.
"Geez, sorry."
"And keep walking! Arnold will wonder why you just stopped randomly!" Helga said.
I nodded as I kept walking.
"Anyway, yeah. I don't know exactly the whole story, but the Rhonda of my timeline wore a very expensive mink coat that from what I heard was supposed to be a gift to her... uh..."
I looked down. "So... my parents were still alive in your world..."
"Yeah..." Helga sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"No, no, it's okay. Go on."
"Anyway... I don't know what happened after the Rhonda in my timeline got the mink coat ruined, but all I knew was that the students and I were... pretty surprised to find her and Curly dating... with Rhonda willingly going with the psychopath!"
"WHAT? OH MY GOD!"
"Don't worry. I learned a little later on she was blackmailed from Nadine, but it was still shocking at the time." Helga explained. "Heh, I actually feel bad for her now. We genuinely thought that when the week ended, Rhonda dumping Curly and hurting his feelings was low, but actually, she had a really justified reason."
"I see..." I paused as I took a left. "You think this is what Marcie wants to talk to me about?"
"I don't know for sure..." Helga said. "Dang. Arnold sure is a good tracker..."
"He's still following me?" I groaned. "Darn it! I need to talk to Marcie and Curly alone! How am I going to do it with him tailing me! Marcie, give me strength..."
I stopped in my tracks. "Did I just say 'Marcie give me strength'? I must be going crazy?"
"It's natural..." Helga explained to me. "Don't worry, somebody's on it..."
It was then I heard Arnold yelping as it sounded like he was being grabbed.
"GO! RUN!"
I just ran as I asked, "What happened?"
"I just sent Marcie a message saying we're having trouble shaking off Arnold, luckily Sid just happens to have a paranoia problem right now, nothing to concern yourself with." Helga explained. "Now come on!"
I nodded as I continued running.
Eventually, I reached the park where I saw Marcie and Curly waiting, Curly eagerly excited as he looked up. Marcie held a hand up before Curly could get up.
"Greetings. I'm glad you came over." Marcie said.
"I'm glad I could. What's the problem?" I asked. "Any updates with Solara?"
"So far, she's keeping quiet." Marcie sighed. "I don't know when she'll strike again, but I have a feeling it's not going to be good..."
"Why?" I asked.
Marcie sighed as she looked out the window. "Rhonda... do you know what is about to happen... about two months from now, the second week of June?"
"What? Uh... no..." I blinked in confusion.
Marcie said nothing else to me, but turned to Curly. "Do you hear that coming from her mouth? Do you hear it? It's like I told you before... she's not even the same person you know anymore!"
Curly frowned. "I don't believe it! She has to be there, she has to!"
"Curly, control yourself!" Marcie said before Curly could get up. Curly sat down in annoyance as she turned. "Forgive my colleague... but Rhonda, I want to know one thing... do you remember or at least have heard of... personality splits?"
"Personality split?" I blinked. "Well... I heard something like that from Helga... but other than that, no..."
"Well... then you probably heard of body possession, then." Marcie said.
"Of course I do. Helga's in my body, and she can possess me at any time, but she never does it except for a few times to hide her stuff..." I said as I pulled out Helga's locket. "I already learned about it when I asked about the locket."
"Hmmm... interesting..." Marcie said as I pocketed the locket back inside. "Do you know the full extent on how body possession works?"
"I think I can muster a guess..." I said. "Basically, if someone who doesn't exist in this world, but existed in a world similar to mine, is a ghost, she can do body possession, just live in a body and take possession of me at anytime..."
"Not just anytime... sometimes, when "Helga" takes possession of your body... the soul that originally inhabited the body would... just sleep until possession was over..." Marcie explained.
"So, in other words... if Helga took possession of my body now, I wouldn't be able to see what she was doing until I go back to consciousness?" I asked.
"That's... one way you can put it..." Marcie sighed. "But Rhonda, you need to know something very important. On that second week of June, it's the anniversary of..."
"Look, Marcie, I know you want to talk about the mysteries of this world to me, but right now, it's getting late... I really should go back to Arnold right now..." I said as I turned around.
"ENOUGH ALREADY!"
I yelped as I turned to see an angry Curly. "Cut the whole pretending thing! I know who you really are, so get out and let me see her?"
"What are you talking about, Curly?" I said in worry.
Marcie just shook her head as she backed away.
"Stop trying to be coy with me! Just bring her back! You done it so well in the past..." Curly growled as he was about to put his hands on me.
"Get away from me!" I said in concern.
"LET ME SEE HER, LET ME AT LEAST HEAR HER CHARMING VOICE AGAIN!" Curly yelled at me.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Somebody help! HELP!" I screamed as Curly looked ready to pounce me.
"Curly, stop it!"
Curly stopped as we turned to see Arnold walking in, obviously angry. Curly frowned as he glared at him. "Stay out of my way... FOOTBALL HEAD! Me and Rhonda are having a conversation!"
I turned to see that Marcie had stepped into the shadows and quickly transformed into Caroline.
"It seemed to me you were pawing at her and hurting her!" Arnold said as he took a step towards Curly. "Listen, Curly, I know you have an agenda against people... but nobody hurts Rhonda and gets away with it! You have a problem, you better talk to me! I know you were in love with Rhonda, but to creepily stalk her like this? To... flirt with her endlessly! That's not love!"
"Listen..." Curly looked at me, then turned to Arnold. "BUCK-O!" Curly turned to me... then frowned as he turned, "You better not cross me, you little... WET NOODLE!" Curly turned to me again... I noticed he was extremely worried as he turned back to Arnold, who looked steamed. "YUTZ! CLUTZ! Uh... come on, why isn't she... she..."
Arnold then ran up to me in concern as he hugged me. "Rhonda, are you okay, beautiful?"
"I'm all right, Arnold..." I sighed as I hugged him. "Thank you..."
Arnold sighed in relief as Curly just stared. I watched as Marcie, in her Caroline form, came out.
"Do you see it now?" Marcie said as she pointed to me and Arnold hugging. "Now do you finally understand? She's not the Rhonda you know, she never will be... what happened is what I just told you..."
Curly couldn't believe his eyes as he looked down. "For the longest time... and I thought... I see now. She's gone. She hasn't been there at all... just... just... something that she wanted me to believe."
Curly turned to Arnold and Rhonda. "I see now. You two are pretty happy with each other... I guess I can't stop that..."
"I'm sorry, Curly. It's nothing personal, but she already made her choice." Arnold explained.
"Save the sympathy, Arnold." Curly shook his head as he then turned to me. "As for you, I hope you're happy with that new life... now that I know she's never coming back..." Curly sighed as he started to walk off.
Marcie sighed as she turned to Arnold and I. "He needs some time to cope. But I'm sure he'll get over it pretty soon..."
"All right. Thank you, Caroline." Arnold said as Marcie walked off. Arnold smiled, turning to me. "You hurt?"
"No... I'm fine. Now that I'm with you..." I smiled as he held my hand.
"Well... since we have nothing else to do today... Slausen's?" Arnold smiled.
"Sure..." I said as we walked together, hand in hand...
Though Curly's mysterious messages left me to ponder... what EXACTLY did he mean by 'she's never coming back'? This was curious indeed...
And that's episode one hundred and sixty! How was it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks! And don't forget to check out and/or add tropes to the TVTropes page of 'Oh Rhonda!'!