Sixth Grade Beginnings

Chapter 5

The wind blew through her long blonde pigtails as she walked proudly across her town in route to her best friends. Pleased with her accomplishment of getting Bob to let her and her friends help out, she wore a grin every step of the way. It seemed as though maybe today would be a good day, after all, she hadn't gotten into any fights with Arnold or her classmates. Nothing could go wrong, right?

Phoebe's house was only a few blocks away from where she stood at a crosswalk. Helga waited patiently for the signal to walk and followed the other mass of people also heading in the same direction as her. Silently, she listened to the noises of the city. Did they even really need to improve the city? Not only that, did reviving Bob's Beepers really benefit the city at all? How would he even stay in business even if they did manage to sell off his current stock? Hipsters or no, they alone wouldn't keep Bob in business so hopefully he would wake up and jump into the cell phone line. Thoughts upon thoughts entered Helga's mind until she reached her destination.

Stepping up the stoop, she rang the door bell. Seconds passed until a tall red haired women answered.
"Oh my! If it isn't Helga." Phoebe's mom greeted the small girl warmly. "Phoebe is almost ready I'm sure. Would you like to come in?" She asked politely.

"No thanks, Reba. I'll just wait outside on the stoop" Helga replied as she backed up and prepared to sit down.

"Suit yourself, darling" The women smiled before turning around. "Phoebe! Helga is here! Better hustle before she leaves you behind." She shouted behind her with her thick Kentucky accent.

Helga chuckled to herself at the thought of Phoebe rushing to get out just because of that. She had never left without her friend and she knew today wouldn't be the day she started. Especially with not how well everything seemed to be going. It was nearly the time decided for all five of them to meet at Arnold's house.

"Sorry for the wait, Helga." Phoebe apologized as she opened and closed her front door behind her.

"What? Did you forget notes or something?" The blonde answered patiently, slowly rising from her seat.

"No." Phoebe corrected, "I was actually in the bathroom."

"Oh." Helga replied, sort of shocked of how blunt her companion had been about it. "Well okay then, let's get going. God forbid we're late and Rhonda is early. She'll throw a fit." She said as she began to walk ahead.

"Coming!" Phoebe smiled, clutching her notes in her hand that she had prepared for today's meeting.

After school, Phoebe had promptly gone home to begin collecting all the information needed to proceed in a timely manner. Although her and Gerald had their own project to do, this one was much more important to her as it directly affected someone close to her. Knowing in her heart that she was willing to go far and beyond for her friend, Phoebe warmly smiled as she walked.

"So how did it go with your father, Helga?" The small girl inquired.

Helga let out a loud chuckle and gave her friend thumbs up. "Hook, line and sinker Pheebs! The moment I said free labor he was 100% down with the idea, even if he was a little skeptical."

"I don't suppose you explained to him our plan, did you?" Phoebe asked; holding her books closer to her chest for better support.

"Yeah right! If I had told him we were trying to get idol followers to buy his stupid relics, he would probably blow a gasket and say we were humiliating his business or something stupid." Helga laughed. "Besides, what does it matter how we sell them? Money is money."

"Yes..." Phoebe hesitated. "However I cannot help but feel we are deceiving him, Helga."

"Yeah well what the big oaf won't know won't kill him, right?" Helga said, now imagining him gathering dollars as they fell around him into a big pile and greedily smiling as he hugged his pile of money. "The end result is all that matters. Arnold seems pretty convinced that his goody do-good plan will be an amazing success so, whatever."