Chapter Ten

|Power Shift|

The office was small, making it feel cluttered as Arthur slid into a corner chair, sliding his books underneath the chair. Behind him came the principal and a school counselor, two people Arthur had never spoken to face-to-face in an actual administrative setting. He felt sweat forming on his brow, and he almost felt queasy again as they started asking him questions.

"Do you think Miss Crosswire was trying to do social damage to someone in particular, be it you or someone else?" the counselor asked. Arthur nodded firmly, "I don't think she wanted to hurt me, but Naomi is her sworn enemy right now. She seems to have a crush on me, and she thinks that my family's caretaker will try to be my girlfriend."

"So you think she's delusional?" the principal asked. The counselor gave him a stern look. "Delusional" was not the right word. The principal cleared his throat, "Well, you think she has an idea of how things truly are that is very different?" he questioned.

"Yes," Arthur nodded. The principal bounced on his heels before looking to the counselor, "Well, Miss Crosswire has simply tried to name drop and cry to get out of her problem. Because we agree that she had ulterior motives, I think we're done here. If you have any classes with Muffy, don't expect to see her any time soon," he smiled.

Arthur nodded, shaking the principal's hand before heading back to class. Once there, he noticed a new text on his phone from Muffy. He waited until class change to check out what she had to say. He expected her to know that he told the principal enough information to get her suspended. Instead?

I'm going to miss u;(

Arthur shuddered at the emoticon, putting away his phone as Fern and Sue Ellen approached with Francine not far behind. Maria ran after, laughing as she scared Francine. The girls looked like a large group of friends, something Muffy seemed to hate when she was "in power." Arthur could tell her Brat List level had changed. He didn't know who her replacement would be, but he could tell that her power was gone, and without power, the main things that made her a Brat—ruining friendships, damaging reputations, etc.—were no longer on the table. Muffy was the one on the bottom. Arthur's move was successful.

|After Naomi|

Arthur was sitting in the den watching Naomi play with the kids. A light knock sounded at the door, so he decided to answer it. Fern appeared in the doorway with Sue Ellen not far behind. While Sue Ellen carried her school supplies, Arthur could tell this was more of a personal mission than a study session.

"We want to meet her, well I do," Fern whispered meekly. "I…I just want to know why."

Arthur sighed heavily, "I'm sorry, but I just can't do that to her. She's great with my siblings, and I don't want to change that. When my arm is healed, you can do whatever you want with her, but while I can't take care of them, she needs to be the one to do it. Can you give me that long?" Arthur asked firmly. Sue Ellen shook her head. "Why not then?"

"She faked these documents, Arthur. She tricked a private investigator!" Sue Ellen hissed in a hushed whisper. "Now let us meet her so we can get to the bottom of this. What if she killed someone, a kid even? What would you do then?"

"I'm sorry, but I just…she needs to be with the kids. Please, just leave," Arthur said firmly. As he did, Naomi called out from the kitchen to see who was at the front door. "No one!" Arthur called back before turning to the girls, "I don't want to close this door in your face, but I will if that's my only option."

"Fine, let's just go," Fern sighed, trying to peer around Arthur but turning to leave anyway. Sue Ellen shrugged, beginning to walk up the path as a familiar limousine pulled up outside. Fern turned to Arthur with pleading eyes, "You aren't going to let her in, are you?"

"No, you all need to leave," Arthur said firmly, watching as Muffy pranced past the girls with her nose in the air. "You heard me, Muffy. I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, I am required by my mother to apologize to Naomi in-person for the supposed damage I did. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her," Muffy replied with a snooty tone. "Is she here right now so I can do that?"

"She's working," Arthur replied, closing the door and latching it. As he did, Naomi appeared, drying her hands with a dish towel, "Is everything okay, Arthur? You seemed to be having a pretty intense conversation."

Arthur exhaled slowly, "It's fine, honest. I was just declining a study session with friends, or so-called friends," he lied. "They always make me do all the work," he grinned, moving back to the den. As he did, Naomi peeked out the door. To his surprise, the girls were gone, as well as the Crosswire's limo. Arthur hoped they would leave Naomi alone, but he knew that all three were just getting started with whatever their respective plans were.

|Another Talk from Jane|

Jane knocked on Arthur's door and stepped inside. Arthur was struggling with his math homework, a pile of bunched-up papers making scratchy noises at his feet. Jane smiled sympathetically before sitting on Arthur's bed. He turned to face her, not knowing what exactly she wanted to talk about.

"I just tucked in the twins and walked Naomi home. Mrs. Crabapple decided that Naomi's outfit wasn't much worse than anything else out there, so I guess that issue is resolved," Jane smiled. "I was worried about the investigation, but truly, I see no reason we should look down upon Naomi. She did make some poor choices, and I hope you realize the magnitude of her decisions. Do you understand?"

"I do, Mom. The course at school was pretty basic, but Dad told me everything I need to know. Is that why you're here, to give me The Talk again?" Arthur asked nervously, blushing slightly. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with his mother.

"I was just making sure you understood how decisions affect one's life. Her story about having to find employment outside her home area was pretty striking to me, and I've learned from online research that many girls like her face prejudice almost everywhere they go. That's the real reason I'm here, to ask about your friends," Jane said, leaning forward and giving Arthur a firm look. "I heard about the picture, and Naomi told me she made up with Muffy, but I want to know how serious this is. I called the school and they said they spoke to you."

"They wanted to know if Muffy meant anything by it. I told them she did. They've been out to get her since she got here," Arthur explained. Jane nodded, "I gathered that from what Naomi told me. Girls have always been out to get her, but how high school girls fit into this equation is a little beyond my comprehension. Are they after her because she's Naomi, teen mom, or are they after her because she's Naomi, Arthur's cute babysitter?"

"The second one," Arthur muttered. Jane could barely hear, but she could tell by his expression which choice he made, "Well, I'm sorry to hear you're having such girl troubles. I didn't realize they were this bad when you told me before, but I understand now, I fully understand."

"Why are you saying it like that, Mom? I'm fine with this. I'm ignoring all of them, every last one, especially Muffy," Arthur said firmly. Jane nodded, "I know you'll make the right decision. But Arthur? You're sixteen. Having a girlfriend is normal, and since you've never discussed it before, I just want you to know we're okay with you having a close female friend, as long as you're careful of course, and we won't pry. But you need to tell us about any of these threats, for the safety of your siblings," Jane smiled. Arthur nodded, "I know, Mom, but I don't want a girlfriend. I really do just want to study."

Jane looked over Arthur's shoulder to his jumbled-up math homework, "Might I recommend finding a girlfriend who can help you do just that?" she smiled, patting his head and tiptoeing out of the room so that Arthur could get back to work.

Arthur scoffed as soon as the door was closed. He did not want the drama associated with having a girlfriend, even if she could help him study. While he needed someone's help right now, he wanted someone who was good at math, which just happened to be Brain. He smiled at the idea, closing his pages inside of his book and tucking them into his backpack for the next day. He'd simply ask Brain for help on the bus; the idea was almost comical. Arthur smiled as he climbed into bed, flicking off the light and trying to get the idea of a girlfriend out of his head.

|Arthur's Unexpected Homework Help|

The next morning, it was pouring down rain. Jane couldn't let her broken oldest son out in the downpour, which meant Arthur got a ride to school…which meant he couldn't get homework help from Brain. He was almost angry with the setup and angry again at his broken arm, but he got to school thirty minutes earlier than usual, which got him a seat at a table with George, Alex, Sue Ellen, and Fern, who were discussing the math homework from the night before.

While George had good ideas about how to do the problems, and Alex was able to get the correct answers despite not showing work, Sue Ellen seemed to know everything the boys didn't. Even Fern was copying her work easily, getting the right answers in one minute rather than ten. Arthur was surprised as he did the same, his mind finally understanding the concepts it couldn't grasp the night before.

"I didn't realize you all had so much trouble with this," Sue Ellen said with a friendly smile. "We should start an after school study group," she suggested. George shook his head, "I have to work. Someone has to pay for the dates around here," he chuckled.

"I'm available," Fern nodded. Arthur shrugged, "If I need the help, I don't mind showing up. Where do you want to meet?" he asked. Sue Ellen thought for a moment before suggesting the Elwood City Public Library. Everyone agreed, and the group made their decision. As they did, Arthur's usual busmates arrived, along with Buster. He pulled Arthur to their usual hangout spot, but Arthur's mind was on Sue Ellen, as well as his mother's suggestion. Was Sue Ellen a girl he could date AND study with? He blushed at the thought, and wondered if he was getting into even deeper problems.