Hello, fellow readers!

I'm here with another 'Hey Arnold' story. Although I have one currently in the works (feel free to check it out), I felt this idea was too good to pass up. Unlike some of my other fics, which deal with more adult and even some darker themes, this fic was designed more like a typical episode of the show. Harmless, fun, but with a broader message in mind that everyone can understand.

I even searched around the archives and I'm pretty sure this idea is original, or at least hasn't been tried before on this site. So I hope you guys like it. Please review and let me know what you think! Feedback is always helpful to me.

On with the story! Enjoy!

The Wasp Presents- Longest Monday: Revenge of the 5th Graders

Chapter 1. Trash Can Day Returns

It was a beautiful day in Hillwood. The sun shined, birds sang, and the city hummed along with its usual sights and sounds; cars honking on the freeway, stoop kid harassing passerby's, construction within the potholes by the union men. Spring had finally come in full force, as April had been quite inconsistent in the weather patterns. But it was the last week of May, with the promise of summer on the horizon, and you could feel the excitement in the air at P.S. 118 Elementary School.

"Man, I cannot wait for this year to be over. 5th grade has me reeling," Gerald moaned as he and his best friend, Arnold, walked the city blocks towards the red brick building they went to Monday through Friday.

The boy with the blonde hair and oblong shaped head responded more evenly.

"Come on, Gerald. I mean aside from the fact that Mr. Simmons has given us more work than last year, being a 5th grader hasn't been so bad. We're the second oldest kids in the school. And next year we'll be at the top of the food chain."

"Whatever you say, Arnold," his best friend replied a bit skeptically. "I do admit it's nice being on the other side of the wedgie for once. But man, Wolfgang is worse than ever."

And no sooner had Gerald spoke those words, they observed the burly (now) 6th grader laughing while pulling the waistband of a second grader's underwear over his head. Thankfully, they were on the other side of the street so he didn't notice them.

"Yeah well, Wolfgang likes easier prey these days," Arnold shrugged. "The point is, I'm glad we're finally in a position where we're left alone-OUCH!"

As he and Gerald had rounded the corner to school, he had unceremoniously walked straight into Helga Pataki, who was also closely followed by her best friend, Phoebe.

Shaking his head, Arnold picked himself off the ground and offered a hand to help the blonde girl up, but he could have guessed what happened next.

"Sorry, Helga. I-"

"Arnold, I uhh…I mean why don't you watch where you're going, football head!" she spat furiously. "Geez, I always knew you weren't the brightest bulb on the porch but if you were any clumsier you'd trip over your own shoes!"

"I didn't mean to-"

Helga slapped his hand away, got herself upright and started brushing off the sleeves of her dress.

"Yeah well, whatever, just stay out of my way Arnoldo, if you know what's good for you! Come on, Pheebs, let's leave it to these oafs."

"Coming!"

As the girls walked away, Arnold and Gerald could only stare, slightly bemused.

"I'll never understand what Phoebe sees in old unibrow."

"Is it because you'd like to spend more time with her as opposed to her spending it with Helga?"

Gerald blushed a little at that comment.

"I don't know what you're talkin about."

"Whatever you say, Gerald," Arnold replied with a playful smirk.

"At least I don't have to deal with a female that torments me all the time."

"Helga, doesn't torture me…okay she kind of does," he admitted when his best friend gave him a raised eyebrow. "But I think she's getting better…a little."

"Man, Arnold, you give her too much credit."

"My theory is that her bark is worse than her bite."

"Yeah, well you can test that theory some other time. Right now, we gotta get inside before the bell rings."

And with their trademark handshake, both boys set off for the doors of P.S. 118.

The first four periods went by without much incident (aside from Harold mistaking glitter for sprinkles) and soon Arnold and Gerald were walking towards the lunchroom.

"It's really nice out today. Why don't we all sit outside together?" Arnold suggested.

"I'm down," Gerald agreed. "Let's tell the other guys."

As they made their way down the hall, however, both boys couldn't help but notice certain groups of kids were actively avoiding them. Some huddled together and avoided eye contact, while others scurried away faster than a Road Runner.

"Uh, what's with these people and why are they running away from us like we got the plague or something?"

Arnold too was puzzled, as he saw a younger fourth grader, one he knew by sight but not by name, duck into a janitor's closet as they approached.

"Well not every kid is doing it," he surmised. "Just…fourth graders."

"Fourth graders?" Gerald asked. "Why should they be scared of us?"

"No idea. It's not like we're mean to them or anything."

"Well let them be all weird," Gerald shrugged, as he opened a candy wrapper. He crumpled it up and held it up high as if holding a basketball. "Scottie Pippen shoots!" He proceeded to shoot the wrapper into the trash can by the lunchroom doors.

"He scores! Nothing but the bottom of the barrel!"

Arnold chuckled. Gerald was a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls and his 33 jersey of Pippen was a memento of that fact.

"Actually, I think this is getting pretty full," he said, peering down into the mess of garbage that was almost to the rim of the can. "In fact, most of them are."

It was then that Gerald looked as if he had been hit with a water cannon, before slapping a hand to his forehead and laughing.

"Oh man, I almost forgot. That explains everything!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Arnold, don't you remember? A week from now, it's Trash Can Day. The first Monday of June."

That brought back memories for the blonde boy, none of which were pleasant.

"The day before trash pick up where fourth graders are unceremoniously stuck into trash cans by fifth graders. I remember."

"Yeah, except we're no longer fourth graders, buddy," Gerald said sliding his arm around his best friend. "We're fifth graders. And this year, things are going to be a lot different."

Arnold chuckled a bit, but the thought of dumping students in trash cans that were only a year younger than them felt…off for some reason.

"Does it feel strange to you that we'll be the ones doing it this year?" he asked Gerald. "I can't really wrap my head around it."

"Nah, it's cool," Gerald replied. "It's tradition. You said yourself last year that we should continue it."

I did say that, Arnold thought with a small bit of regret.

"Anyway, we gotta tell all the guys today at lunch. Let's get a table on the blacktop."

Arnold nodded as they entered the cafeteria doors, wondering just how his fellow classmates would react to the upcoming event.

As it turned out, the rest of the 5th graders were very enthusiastic about the prospect of participating in Trash Can Day, only this time as the perpetrators. Sitting outside on a relatively warm spring day, Mr. Simmons' class was positively abuzz with chatter.

"I can't wait to stick a fourth grader in a trash can!" laughed Harold as he munched on a sandwich. "It'll be awesome!"

"While I for one detest the thought of going near garbage," Rhonda stated pompously with a shudder. "I do think this will be quite an enjoyable spectacle."

"This year it will be our turn to take out the trash," Phoebe said happily. "No pun intended."

"Trash Can Day is a fourth grader's worst nightmare, a fifth grader's best friend," said Stinky. "And I'm sure glad we ain't fourth graders no more."

"Like all kid legends, Trash Can day is a tradition, passed down from kid generation to kid generation," Sid explained to all listeners. "And in honor of tradition, I think it's time we hear the story again. Gerald is the keeper of the tales."

"Hey, wait a minute! I want to tell the story! I know it!" Curly shouted as he jumped up and down.

"Say another word, and old Betsy here will make sure you'll wake up in two weeks needing a new haircut," Helga growled showing Curly her first. It had the desired effect as the bowl cut boy fell silent.

"Erm…thank you, Helga."

"Don't mention it, hair boy."

Gerald stood up and cleared his throat before beginning.

"As you all know, Trash Can Day occurs on the first Monday of June. The day before the big pick up where all the nasty, maggot filled garbage stews in the sun for hours. As I also stated last year, no one knows how exactly it started. But it's been going on for four years now, and the principle remains the same. On said day, fifth graders all around the city find unsuspecting fourth graders and plop them into trash cans, leaving them smelling like the end of a sewer line.

"My fellow 5th graders, you know what it's like to be dropped into a can of filth. Well this year, it's payback time. As my man Sid pointed out, it's tradition, and I'm not going to be the one who breaks tradition. Are you?"

A chorus of 'no's' and 'no way' rang throughout the lunch table.

"Then it's agreed," Helga spoke up again. "By this time next Monday, the fourth graders are going down."

"Into the trash can!" cackled Curly, and for once no one tried to shut him up, only more whooping and hollering.

Arnold was glad to see his fellow classmates in agreement, as they were very rarely united on anything. He himself had deemed Trash Can Day as harmless fun. So why did he feel conflicted?

"We'll need a plan to ensure none of the fourth graders escape before proper 'canning' as they say," Phoebe explained.

"How hard is it to chase down and grab the little dweebs?" Helga said with a dark chuckle.

"No, I think Phoebe's right," Sid countered. "If we want this day to be a success, we'll have to get every single fourth grader before the day is done."

"So, who makes the plan?" Stinky drawled.

"How bout Arnold and Gerald?" Sid suggested. "They almost made it the entire afternoon without getting trash canned last year. They probably know every nook and cranny in the neighborhood."

Arnold looked at Gerald, who shrugged as if to say, 'I'm in if you are'.

"Alright, we'll do it," the blonde agreed. "Gerald and I will come up with something over the course of the week. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Just don't screw it up, bucko. Otherwise we'll be the laughingstock of the school."

Ignoring Helga's usual swipes, he nodded at Gerald who in turn nodded back.

"It's settled then. We'll plan and begin preparations starting tomorrow. And by Monday, the fourth graders won't stand a chance."

There was more collective agreement until Sid raised his Yahoo soda bottle in the air.

"To Trash Can Day!"

Everyone else followed suit and affirmed.

"To Trash Can Day!" they repeated.

They drank in silence before moving on to the next topic of conversation. Though Arnold had done just as his classmates had, he couldn't help but feel that same conflicting feeling in his gut.

Quit worrying, he chided himself. It's just an annual prank. All the kids before us went through it. What's the big deal?

Despite the attempt at self-reassurance, the pit in his stomach only grew larger.

Well that's the first chapter. I hope it makes for a nice introduction to the storyline. More will be coming soon!

~TheWasp