INBOX (1)

TO: List - Mr. Simmon's Class

FROM: rhondawlloyd

RECEIVED: Saturday, May 31st, 2011 at 11:08 a.m.

MESSAGE:

Good morning dear friend,

It is my honor and pleasure to officially welcome you to The Best Summer Vacation Year 5 (2011)! This is our final summer before senior year and a time to celebrate! No more SAT tests, no more AP Classes, no more books or homework!

First order of business: tonight is my beach party. It will begin at eight and go until we run out of firewood, which could be anywhere from midnight to four! I'd also like everyone to know that this party is open to everyone at Hillwood High, so alcohol will be served. Plan accordingly.

Second: I have already made a list of everyone's vacation dates, and will keep you updated on any changes.

Nadine - Costa Rica June 1 - 15
Lorenzo - Spain and Italy June 1 - September 1
Iggy - Chicago June 4 - 8
Rhonda - Paris June 10 - 17 / Monte Carlo July 20 - 23 / Greece July 24 - 29
Eugene - California June 12 - 20
Stinky - Arkansas June 13 - July 15
Lila - Pleasantville June 14 - August 3
Thad - Las Vegas June 22 - July 14
Phoebe - Japan June 30 - August 20
Sheena - Connecticut July 15 - 20
Harold - Israel August 1 - 31
Sid - New York August 3 - 10
Gerald - Florida August 10 - 19
Brian - none
Arnold - none
Helga - none

Third: Dates for other events are as follows - Monday, July 4th Fireworks at the Pier / Sunday, July 31st - Sunday, August 6th SHARK WEEK / Sunday, August 31st, End of Summer Ball

Fourth: Meet at our usual spot at noon tomorrow if anyone wants to hang out.

See you tonight!

xoxo Rhonda

Helga's heart was hammering hard against her chest as she shut her laptop. This couldn't be true.

Arnold didn't have a family vacation planned.

That meant. . .Oh, no. She and Arnold would be spending an extended amount of time together. This was terrible. Worse than terrible! God-awful!

The way Helga saw it, she either had two options: ignore him and spend the days alone, or change her attitude and befriend him.

She really, really, really hoped everyone's vacation plans suddenly got canceled. There was no way she could change fourteen years of bullying in a day. Or a week. Or even a month.

Over the years, the constant attacks lessened. Helga and Arnold were put into separate classes, ate at different lunch tables, and had minimal interactions during school. On occasion she'd be forced to spend time with him while Gerald and Phoebe went out, but she had forced herself to be semi-respectful.

But she'd never had to do it for more than a few hours.

Helga pulled up the e-mail again, staring at the dates of departures. From the looks of it, everyone was gone in the middle of June. The horrible lull days between now and Fourth of July, when it got to be so hot everyone in Hillwood would melt.

Fuck, Helga thought angrily as she readied herself for the day. She had planned on hanging with Phoebe, maybe go see a movie or something. Phoebe would give her advice on what to do.

"I think you should just be nice to him," Phoebe said as the girls entered the movie theater.

"Thanks for the wonderful advice," Helga spat sarcastically as she handed over their tickets. "I mean, it's bad enough that Olga's arriving in soon, and with her around I'll want to be out of the house as much as possible."

Phoebe toyed with the end of her blue shirt, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I think you're letting your childhood fear of being made fun of stop you from experiencing a wonderful summer vacation with Arnold."

Helga crossed her arms indignantly over her chest. "What are you talking about, Pheebs? I hate that Football Head."

Phoebe laughed, "Helga, it's me you're talking to. Ice Cream won't change, but he definitely can choose to ignore you. On the days when everyone's gone, do you want to be fighting with him or having fun with him?" Helga didn't respond. Instead she turned her focus on the movie trailers for all the upcoming summer blockbusters.

Phoebe continued to whisper, "You guys could get along well this summer. You just have to be a little nicer."

~HA~

Arnold smirked as she spun around in his desk chair. He shut down his computer, letting out a low chuckle. This was just too much.

"What's so funny?" Gerald asked from his red flip-out couch.

"Guess who the only three people who aren't going on vacation this summer."

Gerald sat up and faced Arnold, "You, obviously."

"Two more. I'll give you three guesses." Arnold held up three fingers, laughing as Gerald took this silly guessing game seriously. Gerald sat up straighter and stared intently at the clock above Arnold's head.

"Uh. . .Thad?"

"Nope." Arnold lowered a finger, "Two more."

"Brainy?"

Arnold nodded, holding up one last finger, "Yeah. One more."

Gerald stared at Arnold's face, watching as his eyes expanded, as if that was going to send telepathic waves to give Gerald the answer. It was silent for another minute until Gerald finally realized why Arnold looked half-insane. Gerald covered his open mouth with his hand, "Oh, shit."

"Bingo," Arnold lowered his last finger.

Gerald fell back on the couch, laughing, "Oh my God! You know what this means, don't you?"

Arnold covered his face with his hands, sighing. "I'll be dead by September?"

"You guys will be the only two in Hillwood." A playful smile crossed Gerald's face, "If I'm not mistaken, I think summer love is in the air."

Arnold fought through the shock of Gerald's statement, trying his hardest to keep his composure. Sure, Helga was mean and sarcastic, but she still had her nice moments. "What about Brainy?"

"Helga's already friends with him."

Arnold was lost. "So?"

"Let's be serious here, Arnold. Three months alone together, someone's bound to break first. And I'll bet you anything Helga will jump at the chance to hook up with you."

Arnold burst into laughter. Why would Helga ever want to be with him? It was Helga G. Pataki, for Mighty Pete's sake! "What are you even talking about, Gerald?"

"Through my years of experience, I have picked up on the mysterious ways of women through observation. Helga's been my toughest case, but I finally cracked her. I know her now, inside and out, and can tell you everything she does before she does it. And before this summer is over, she will make a move on you."

Arnold rolled his eyes, "You sound so confident, Dr. Love."

"I'm confident because I'm right. . . Look, tonight, I'll bet you anything Helga's gonna show up in a revealing bikini and someone's going to hit on her. And that someone will get punched."

"Alright," Arnold replied skeptically. "Sure, I'll be on the look out for guys getting punched. What else, Oh Great One?"

"Don't act so shocked."

Arnold shrugged, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, I'm just saying. . . keep it in mind. Girls get offended easily."

"I don't even understand what you're talking about anymore, Gerald!" Arnold laughed and tipped his head back in his chair. He could see through his skylight roof at the warm noon sun hiding behind the clouds. Arnold loved summer vacation. He just wished Gerald didn't go all psycho on him so suddenly. Usually the heat made Gerald act weird, but this was over-the-top insane that Arnold hadn't seen in years. "Look, we should go get some lunch. Maybe on the way you'll tell me more mysteries of the universe."

"I don't do the universe," Gerald laughed, "just women."