CHAPTER FOUR: OPERATION F.R.E.S.H.M.A.N.
Francine spent the night at Muffy's house the night before school started. Everything had been quiet all summer, but the girls knew that was about to change as Bailey dropped them off at busy Elwood City High. The place was swarming with teenagers, and though the girls thought they were prepared, they felt small among so many strangers.
As they stepped into the gym, they noticed Sue Ellen sitting with Maria and Jenna. All three girls had grown some during the summer, and while Francine and Muffy had attempted to wear their best outfits, Sue Ellen's beautiful dress out-shined them both. She'd grown some over the summer, Francine noticed, but she'd also gotten prettier. And judging by the way she was looking at Arthur, her feelings also hadn't faded.
Francine looked Arthur over from her spot across the gym. He'd grown a lot over the summer, a fuzzy mustache covering his upper lip. He looked lanky now, as if his body didn't fit his clothes. He was awkward, nearly falling from his seat a few times while he and Buster joked around with Alex and a few other guys. He still wasn't girl material, but Francine and Sue Ellen wanted him anyway.
When the bell rang, the gym emptied of people. Francine and Muffy headed to the second floor, where they had freshman English together. Sue Ellen and Maria entered the room soon after they did, and shortly before the tardy bell chimed, Arthur and Buster rushed in, filling the last two seats.
Arthur immediately blushed as he took a seat next to the door. He could feel Sue Ellen and Francine studying him. None of the other girls seemed to know he existed, yet these girls were hunting him. He felt like a deer during hunting season as the morning announcements chimed through the school.
"Welcome to Elwood City High School," the principal began, beginning a spiel about new rules and other school business.
While he spoke, Buster, who was forced to take a seat at the opposite side of the room, studied his surroundings. The only people he knew in the class were Arthur and the girls. Everyone else was a stranger, and though Francine and Sue Ellen were staring longingly at Arthur, no one else seemed to know he existed. Buster sighed. His poor friend didn't just had lovers, he had fangirls.
As the day went on, the three kept encountering each other—Francine had art with Sue Ellen, Sue Ellen had math with Arthur, Arthur had science with Francine—but that was the only class they all had together. Buster tried to persuade Arthur to change schedules, but he felt that would make things worse. He just had to ignore them. Despite his visual changes, his personality and mindset on girls hadn't changed. He enjoyed his boyhood and he'd make it last as long as possible.
Sue Ellen and Francine were determined to change that. It was a battle for them where everything was a weapon. Clothes, intelligence, service—Francine and Sue Ellen were focused not just on being the best at everything but being better than the other girl.
And then, it happened. Two months had passed, and for this entire long eternity, all Francine wanted to talk about was Arthur or Sue Ellen. Muffy had heard all she could hear about both of them. When Francine showed up after softball practice one afternoon, Muffy had Bailey deliver a message: 'Until you get your mind straight, we're done.'
Francine begged to get inside, and Bailey, not wanting to get involved, allowed her inside. Muffy was in her bedroom on her laptop, browsing celebrity gossip sites while talking on the phone. When Francine barged into the room, Muffy threw the phone towards the window in fear.
"Who were you talking to? And what is this?" Francine asked, tossing her note onto the floor. Muffy glared as she grabbed her phone from the floor. Not only was it still in tact, the call was still in progress.
"Hey, do you mind if I call you back? Something just barged into my room. No, no, it's probably one of Mother's cats, but I better go check," Muffy smiled. She pressed a button on her phone and tossed it onto the bed. Her face changed in this moment from a courteous smile to a glare of pure anger, "How dare you barge into my house!" Muffy exclaimed.
"Then explain yourself! What did I do to you anyway?" Francine asked with a booming voice, her tone vicious in nature.
Muffy shifted her weight and crossed her arms, "You know exactly what I'm mad about. All you can ever talk about is what Arthur is doing, what you're doing to one-up Sue Ellen—you never want to hang out with me anymore! Until you change your ways, we're done!
"And for your information, I was talking to Jenna. She's taking off of sports her freshman year, and we learned in my math class that she's into celebrity gossip too," Muffy grinned.
Francine wasn't smiling. In her eyes, Jenna was an ally of Sue Ellen and not to be trusted. To Muffy, she just wanted a friend, but Francine was not accepting of her choices, "You can't talk to her! What if she tells Sue Ellen my plans? What if-?"
"She's just as sick of this crap as I am," Muffy interrupted. "Both of you have lost. it," Muffy enunciated. "Until you both stop being so crazy, we're hanging out with other people. I want to talk to Jenna. She's fun like you used to be. I like fun. I like celebrity gossip and fashion and any conversation topic that's not about Arthur Read or Sue Ellen Armstrong."
"Fine, we'll talk about something else. Who's in the news today?" Francine asked, moving towards Muffy's laptop. Muffy closed the cover and shook her head. "What? I thought that's what you wanted."
"You have to prove yourself to me, Francine. Swear him away. Tell me you're going to let go," Muffy said firmly.
"Why do I have to let go? I just have to wait for him, and while I'm waiting, I have to keep Sue Ellen from-"
"Shut up!" Muffy screamed. "Do you even hear yourself? You are trying to persuade a boy into loving you. You can persuade a dog or a cat or even a fish into loving you, but a boy is an independent person. Move on! Get over yourselves!"
"I thought you supported me," Francine whispered. "I thought we were friends."
"We are, but I'm sorry, I don't do crazy," Muffy said firmly. "Now, why don't you go figure yourself out or something, then we'll talk," Muffy suggested.
Francine was hurt, but Muffy was right. Arthur had driven her crazy. She couldn't convince him to like her, and who knows what she was missing out on by only focusing on him.
Across town, Sue Ellen was having the same revelation thanks to Fern. Sue Ellen had been overly focused on her fashion and grades since starting high school, and though she had plenty of boys wanting to be with her, none were Arthur, so she'd rejected them all. Now, she realized how ridiculous that was because Fern accused her of not living enough.
So they both entered school the next week with the intention of letting go of Arthur entirely in an attempt to move on with their lives. They entered Elwood City High with their respective friends like always.
But as Sue Ellen and Francine and their friends entered the gym, they couldn't help but notice Arthur with another girl: Prunella.