Dear Arnold

By Ahhelga

Summary: "You haven't been forgotten. We all miss you. She does, most of all, despite her lack of letters. Have faith. With love, Phoebe." Arnold had kept his promise about keeping in touch, much to the surprise of many. Their letters, their news from Hillwood, especially now, are so dear to him, just to hear how everything has changed.

Disclaimer: Definitely do not own Hey Arnold! (Sadly.)


Rhonda

Dearest Arnold,

Pleased you liked the picture of moi, and my family, in Prague. Gladiator style sandals are so chic there, and as you can see, Mummy and I are most certainly in style. Daddy Dearest always knows about formal dressing, with his Armani suits. I think I could throw in a good word to send one of his smaller, older ones to you. It would be very dashing. I hope you like suede purple suits, Arnold.

…Oh, you know I'm kidding, hun. I would of course send you only the best.

All formalities and horrific jokes aside, school is such a drag. Teachers underestimate my power, so they think I'm some little prissy girl who slacks off. Of course, I really don't see the point in some of my classes (like Calculus? Honestly, who needs THAT?), but there are some that has some value to them. Probably my favorite class would have to be Economics. It's a class only for the seniors, and I have the luxury of being the only junior in the Business Academy. I had my wonderful daddy to thank for that. I mean, he was the boss of my Economics instructor for a good ten years or so.

Oh! You wouldn't believe who is in the class with me though. EDMUND! You remember him?! Hung around Wolfgang for a good chunk of our adolescence (but he later on branched off with some dorky kids into that Japanese stuff, or whatever… I THINK he hung around Phoebe at the time. Though, that was two years ago, and different stuff happen all too much in time). Well basically, he passed that awkward adolescence, turned into an awkward pimpled teenager, and becoming an awkward businessman. Really, he's not that bad, and truth be told I hang around him more than I do with some of our previous classmates. Maybe it's the fact that he is in two of my classes, whereas most others aren't even close by.

Anyway, the business class is good for me, I think. I mean, both Mother and Father are into the whole business aspect of life; they've been telling me to get in it ever since I was a little girl. Not long after you moved, Father decided to bring me to a typical day at his office, and I learned the magic of advertising. Of course, advertising isn't exactly right for me. I think I'd rather be like my mother in public relations. I'm sure I'd have a knack at it.

Arnold, you really should consider this high-life. With enough education, I could see you as a CEO. Of course, you'd probably be the nicest one ever known, but still, you have the logic to be one. Maybe not… I don't think you'd be able to handle aggressiveness with your employers. You should be a leader of SOMETHING, though; you have enough of that leadership skill. Maybe you could work with the UN, or politics. Oh, pooh, now listen to me, telling you what you should and shouldn't be. I'm sure you don't want me talking like one of those stupid career advisers that come to school every other day or so.

Besides, it's much more important to tell you everyone's status; in the social "food chain", their relationships, and whatnot. Think of me as your personal People magazine, only with people who you know personally, those that are most certainly not stars.

Let's start with… me! I'm single as of yesterday (woo-hoo!), so drop me a number of one of your local guys. Heh. I'm still interested in fashion, and I'm still pretty popular. Hm, while it's a shame most everybody doesn't know me yet, I could say I know basically all of our year's students, and a considerable amount of the upperclassmen. It's the freshmen and sophomores I have yet to conquer. I'm kidding, you know that. However, I can say that I do know what's going on in the school much more than anyone else, and that's saying a lot. Relationship wise, especially, with all the switching on and off, which reminds me that Lila and Stinky are yet again broken up.

Those two are on and off like a closet light switch in a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Oh my juvenile analogies. I can tell you Stinky does have his eyes on a girl in his little clique of indie kids. I caught them rubbing each others' backs as I was on a make-up run during 4th period, flirty and whatnot.

Honestly though, Stinky and Lila's relationship is better than your dear Gerald and his mademoiselle Phoebe. Those two have sexual tension like crazy. They make out at every party I host, as "friends with benefits" but the way they walk home together after their school activities tells me otherwise. However, I have no part in that, because Gerald has had his share of girls, as has Phoebe with boys. They even look like they could just be really close best friends. Hey, even I could be wrong, it's happened before.

Anyway, let's see, there's Iggy, who joined the tech team and hooked up with a girl named Amelia in drama because of them constantly being with each other. I give them till Christmas break. His relationships never last more than a semester.

Speaking of all this drama, Eugene came out at the end of last year. He's been really bringing up the GSA's publicity. Now he's known as something other than "that guy as every lead in drama productions". He's going out with a sophomore named Nikolas, but he and Sheena are still really close-knit friends even though she's been hanging out with her Earth Club freaks a little more than the Drama-dorks now. (And I use those terms lovingly.)

Campfire Lass and Chocolate Boy have been going steady since the eighth grade. (Yes, we still call them by their childhood nicknames; they're the ones who insisted on it.) Their relationship is quite odd. Both are so obviously in different cliques. He's the smoker-chill type, while she's anal about even the slightest change in organization, the type that goes to SAT preparation classes two years before she takes the SAT. I'd go into more detail, but honestly, you can justimagine what it's like—-an addict and an overachiever with OCD.

But Park's first name was revealed finally last year—-it's Ju Yeoung (I hope I spelled that right!). Even though it's not that bad, he's been so embarrassed, and was revealed to be a crybaby—-which furthered the teasing. So far this year, he's alright, and he's more chill about it. It might be those Ju Jit Su classes.

Let's see… Katrinka moved back to Hillwood in the summer (something about restraining orders, but you didn't hear that from me!), and was lesbian, but now she's "back to being straight" (currently dating this super-hot-super-tall-and-super-talented-basketball-player named Bryan).

Sid just got expelled. Sid's some sort of a "bad ass" rebel type of guy. Sometimes he's just a slacker. It seemed it was only a matter of time till he was finally kicked out. I should know, since he has been in my class every single year before now.

Helga has been in my classes too. She was a loner, but now she's got her own group of friends. I don't really talk to them. Thank goodness that unsightly eyebrow has thinned out, or I'd be thoroughlygrossed out.

Speaking of grossed out, Brainy has become quite the creep and terribly unpleasant; you could deep fry a canola with all the oil on his face. Still, if it weren't for English class with the guy, I wouldn't even know he existed.

Harold was the same for a while. He's a bit of an ass now sometimes, but he's tolerable. Almost the class clown, really. Still has a gut, and sweats like a woman giving birth, plus he's still got that unibrow, but he hooked up with this chick who wore too much make-up last year, and Patty before for a few years till freshman year.

Curly is still a weirdo.

There's Nadine. She's currently with Kendrick, who you would've known if you stayed with us till the sixth grade. But I swear, I don't know where she finds the time to be with me or Kendrick, 'cause she's juggling a gazillion extra activities. But that's not my problem, since she manages it well.

I may be leaving out some people; but I'll update you in them some other letter. What I want to know is about YOU. I mean, you've told me next to nothing about your life over there! Sure, sure, I know you live in some village out on the boondocks and you're home schooled and your family and friends are all so wonderful; but I mean, come on. I want the juicy stuff. Have you met any ladies there? Do you have a replacement Gerald? (He certainly doesn't have a replacement Arnold, but he's got a stand-in group of friends. All decent, mostly jocks, some are airheads.) Is there some drama where the local meat man had an affair with the mayor's wife? Those things are important too, Arnold!

Of course, I'm not saying I hate your letters. I love hearing from you, no matter what you say or how long ago it's been! Anyway,ta-ta!

K.I.T,
Rhonda


Author's Note: Rhonda's more of the longer ones (yeah, they're THAT short), since I decided she'll be the one to introduce the reader what's been going on in the Hillwood kids' lives, romantically and socially, just as Gerald introduced Arnold's back story. She had some major key points that needed to be brought up. Also, I felt she had to talk about herself for quite a bit (surprise, surprise). I wanted to create my reasoning of a perfect Rhonda. She's popular, sure, but honestly, won't have the best reputation or expected to know everyone. Here, I wanted her to be a bit cruel and typically snooty, but all the while having good intentions. It was kind of easy for me to write, seeing as how I am a teenage girl, among many girls like this... And why did I choose to mention the people in this letter? Well, just think, in high school, people distance themselves while others get closer. I would think that people like Park would get closer while people like Sid got farther. And I think Park—-excuse me, Ju Yeoung—-would make a lovely Korean, which is the reasoning of the name choice.

calla08 - I'm just glad you enjoyed it, and I'm glad you feel that way But there are many unoriginal elements, which I'm hoping will be a benefit in a way so that it could be easy for me to write. Haha. Thank you for the review!

That's me
Ahhelga
AKA Pauline