Wal*Mart RP

Her thoughts of Arnold wearing a batman costume were interrupted when she heard Gerald calling Arnold's name. Her brow instantly scowled. How annoying. The last thing she wanted on this makeshift sorry excuse to be some obscure form of a date was the best friend around. Still though, compared to many of the others she tolerated Gerald the most. So it could have been worse. In fact sometimes she thought Gerald was pretty okay.

Well that it until he opened his mouth to make fun of her per usual. She rolled her eyes and then sneered in response to Gerald's comment about Arnold's hat. "Hey at least I have the round head for it." Yeah, so her retort to Gerald ended up being another stab at Arnold. Such were the ways of the Helga.

She let go of Arnold's hand to sock Brainy behind her without looking or blinking a sweat. As easy as if brushing a fly from her shoulder. She placed her hands on her hips and continued to glare at Gerald.

((Grrr...this is my second time typing this post. I tried to post before but I got the "This page cannot be displayed" when I tried to send it. I refreshed it but it told me there wasn't a post at all. My post got EATEN, lol! Has this happend to anyone else? Well, here I go again. ))

Brainy
As Brainy was hit, for the millionth time, by Helga, he registered the pain but didn't care about it at all. All he cared about was how beautiful the back of her fist looked for that brief second before the pain struck and he was knocked to the ground. The fact that she actually touched him, even in violence, sent what must have been a thousand butterflies throughout his entire body. The joy! The rapture! His beloved actually gave him attention! Brainy decided that the headache he would most likely feel later and the cracks in his glasses were completely worth it. Once they were all able to get out of this Walmart, he would simply go home, reach into the drawer in his room that contained his many pairs of extra glasses and replace the ones he wore now. Easy. For now, Brainy was willing himself not to pass out this time. He wanted to savor this glorious moment.

Gerald
'Yep, the guy's a masochist,' Gerald thought as he watched Helga sock Brainy and noticed the goofy, lovestruck look plastered on his face when he was lying on the ground. 'It's official.'

He looked at Helga a second later and grinned at her sneer. He wasn't intimidated by her even in the slightest. In fact, he found it kind of fun to push her buttons and most of the time didn't mean it in any way other than good fun. This time, his very presence seemed to push her buttons, for whatever reason that may be.

"Chill, Helga baby," Gerald said in his smooth, almost flirty tone. "Be cool. Didn't anyone ever tell you that your face might just stick that way? Oh wait..." He grinned again and winked at her.

[Ha, ha. I'm glad you feel I'm doing the character justice. A.G., you're an excellent Helga. In fact, everyone really nailed their roles. You too, Coloredskies. I know all about eaten posts. I lose mine constantly and it can get discouraging.]

Arnold kept his back to Helga in order to hide his troubled expression. Why did she always have to say such nasty things? Lila was her friend too. It seemed to Arnold that Helga had two completely different personalities sometimes. One moment she'd be threatening to cram a cheese sandwich up his nose and other times... she had a softer, kinder side. That was the real Helga, or so Arnold preferred to believe. When her fingers laced with his, Arnold smiled a quiet smile. He gently squeezed her hand, and wished Helga would just be herself around him.
“We can worry about that when we come to it, I guess. If there's really no way out then we won't have any choice but to wait for morning.”

Helga's barbed joke provoked an exasperated sigh from him. Okay, so she -was- being herself. He wouldn't have it any other way.

At the sound his name, Arnold turned and immediately grinned-- at least until he caught sight of Gerald's bruised face. Wolfgang. He clenched his teeth in anger, but concern for his best friend took priority over any feelings of outrage. “Gerald, are you okay??” The two of them instinctively knocked their knuckles together and wiggled their thumbs back and forth. The secret handshake was unspoken code for many different things, but right now it meant: Good to see you, man.
Arnold glanced back and winced sympathetically when Helga's fist connected with Brainy's face. He wanted to say something, but couldn't think what. Arnold was aware of the feelings Brainy harbored for Helga, and it hurt to watch her treat him the way she did. It wasn't his place to reveal Brainy's secret, and so Arnold kept his silence while he knelt down near Brainy and grasped his forearm in order to help him rise, unsteadily, to his feet. “Helga! Sheesh. Can't you see he's already been beat up enough?”

Helga:

Helga rose a brow at Arnold. What was he talking about? Gerald attacked her first. She blinked when she saw him walk behind her to help Brainy off the floor. Ooooh. She shrugged. "Arnold, if the guy hasnt gotten a clue by now, I cant help him and neither can you."

She frowned at Gerald and his comment about her face staying stuck. He was hardly one to talk at the moment so she smiled with a mock politeness. "Yeah well at least mine doesnt look like someone smashed it between the double doors. You look like you got your ass handed to you."

((ill get back to Lila in a few hours. I dont have my contacts in and staring so close to the monitor to read is making my eyes hurt. LOL))

Brainy
"Uh...thanks...Arnold..." Brainy said uncertaintly when Arnold helped him up. The blood quickly rushing from his head to the rest of his body made him feel dizzy but this was something he was used to. He honestly didn't know what to think of Arnold. Most of the time he liked Arnold alot because he was the type that defended his kind when bullies tried to pick on them. He had a brief flashback of when they were all in the fourth grade and Arnold had taken karate lessons of some kind...atleast that's the way it had looked to Brainy because Arnold had been wearing a white karate suit. He had defended Brainy and another friend from big (at the time) fifth graders who were trying to steal their lunch money. It was times like those that he had no problem with and even admired Arnold.

Other times, though, Brainy couldn't help but feel jealous. Arnold had had the love and affection of Helga since they were in preschool...during the time that Brainy himself had started his own stalkery, obsessive affection for Helga. He had seen the Arnold locket. He had heard her recite many poems and monologes dedicated to him. He knew exactly how Helga felt about Arnold.

Brainy let out a wheeze and just quietly watched Arnold, Gerald and Helga, trying not to get too lost in his own thoughts. Gerald and Helga were bantering a bit. He thought that this was much better for him to watch this rather then letting himself get consumed by his own jealousy. No matter how jealous he got of Arnold, he couldn't bring himself to do anything to him...the fact that he actually liked him overpowered it and he knew that Helga, despite the way she often treated Arnold, would be very upset. Plus, he was Brainy...he very much knew his place in the freshman class: one of the geeks.

"You mean my battle scars?" Gerald was saying, with a slight cocky tone to his voice, in response to Helga. He touched his face as though the bruise around his eye and the lump on his forhead were badges of honor. "I haven't seen a mirror yet, babe, but I think they probably look sexy. Chicks dig a man who has gone to war."

Brainy watched Gerald grin once more and turn to Arnold, responding to something Arnold had asked him when they arrived, though Brainy couldn't remember what it was. "Yeah man...I'm okay. Wolfgang can really deliver the punches...but, as you can see, I survived, right?"

((Meanwhile, back at the food court...))

"CURLY! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Rhonda screeched, shielding her perfect hairstyle from the barrage of pastries flying past her. Curly had claimed the top of a Coke machine in the food court and was defending his post by hurling cookies across the room.

When they had arrived a few minutes before, Sid had been underneath a table, trying to feel his way back to the door. After Arnold had arrived, the two of them had went in search for Harold. In the meantime, Curly had scaled said vending machine and went bananas with the desserts.

Stinky:

He walked up and stood next to Rhonda. As he yawned he outstretched his arm and caught a flying cookie in his hand by accident. "Wilikers, Curly you're a good throw." The next one hit him in the head. He rubbed his eyebrow and ate the other cookie, turning to Rhonda. "So he's your guyfriend why?" He kinda spit crumbs as he spoke.

((Epic LOL for your Stinky, agshepherd. ^^ ))

"He's not my 'guyfriend', Stinky" Rhonda snapped, using her fingers to create a set of sarcastic air quotes. "I just happen to have the bad luck of having to babysit." Curly chose that moment to drop from his perch and scurry over to Rhonda.

"But you know you enjoy our time together, my pet." He crooned, clasping his hands together and swooning. Rhonda rolled her eyes for the fifteenth time that night and gave him a shove. Popping back up, Curly retrieved his beloved shopping bag and blew Rhonda a kiss. "Until we meet again, my love" he promised, then scampered off in search of Sid and Harold.

Meanwhile Phoebe, Lila and Eugene were finished cleaning up the mess Eugene left on his little adventure..

Eugene
"Geez guys! We're all done already! It's so nice of you two to help me. You're real friends!"
They really are.. They never blame me for all this bad luck, unlike my other classmates, besides Arnold that is.. So, I'm very glad Lila and Phoebe are with me.
Actually I think..
"Whoops!
I'm okay!"
Hard to see anything in the dark.. Luckily.. how cool to use that word!.. I tripped on a step.. I didn't knock anything over this time!

Phoebe
"Please be careful Eugene! Just stick with me and Lila, okay?"
I watch Lila walking towards Eugene, grabbing his hand and lifting him back on his feet.
"I think we should try to find an exit, now that we're finished here..
Or maybe we can try to find the switch to turn on the electricity again."
They picked up their stuff, Lila still holding Eugenes hand, just to make sure he couldn't go anywhere while walking in the dark, and they tried to find their way towards the noise they heard in the distance..

((Where'd everyone go? ))

Taken aback by Curly's sudden disappearance, Rhonda transferred her attention to Stinky.

"So, Stinky..." she said casually, attempting to break the dark silence.

(( Yeah, I miss em too! The story needs some more Arnold Freddie!!! Where are you?!))

As Harold cut himself another slice of pie, he was suddenly overcome with the realization that he was all alone in the dark. The fork that was already halfway to his mouth paused in it's movements as he let out a slight whimper. Then he took another bite of his pie.

Oh man, when did it get so dark in here? A-and what's that weird shadow over in the corner? Aggghhhh, I gotta get outta here!

With that he rose from his seat, scooped up the rest of his pie and, surprisingly, grabbed hold of the water he had found for Rhonda. Then he started inching back towards the way he thought he had come.

"H-hello? Anyone there? Sid? Rhonda? Anyone?" He squeaked in a rather un-manly voice.

((Also, I made a super crude floor plan of a Walmart near where I live. We could use this as a basis of where things are in comparison to one another if it helps.

Click Here! ))

((Welcome to the game, SquirrelTamer!))

Squirreltamer wrote:((Also, I made a super crude floor plan of a Walmart near where I live. We could use this as a basis of where things are in comparison to one another if it helps.

Click Here! ))

((OMG Youre amazing! XDD Yes this totally works! LOL! EXCITE!! A green house that will be fun!! XDD - I guess Ill write for Lila and Stinky in the meantime))

Lila:
She shown her flash light over to the left. "I really dont know where the fuse box would be. This place is so big. . .and I don't really think I would know how to use one once I found it. Who's really handy with that kind of thing?" She frowned a little feeling useless.

Stinky:
"I reckon he thinks he is your guy friend." He yawned a little. The past couple a years Stinky hadn't toned much, he was still tall and skinny. . but his posture had improved some. Not that anyone could tell since it was dark and he was tired, wearing nothing but a wife beater and his pajama pants. "Which if you dont mind my observin' Miss Rhonda. . .you should have a guy friend by now, I think. But choo' dun. Or maybe I just dun pay attention." Shrug. It was then he heard Harold. He blinked and woke up a little and called out into the dark. "HAROLD! FALLA' TEH SOUND OF MA' VOICE!"

Rhonda threw her hands up in the air. Everyone was always wondering why she did not have a 'significant other' yet. Fact of the matter was, she just intimidated the boys away. She sighed.

Soon a faint mewling sound met her ears. Stinky called out, and Rhonda followed suit.

"Harold?! Can you hear me? WHERE'S MY WATER??"

Harold scampered into view looking frightened, but relieved at the sight of Rhonda and Stinky. His footsteps echoed on the tile as he moved towards them.

"When did the lights go out?" He asked in a small voice. Then suddenly he seemed to remember something and turned towards Rhonda. "Oh yeah - here." He said as he handed the water bottle to her, his pudgy fingers brushing against hers lightly as he gave it to her. "Where's Sid and the others?"

Stinky:

"Them lights went out like 3 minutes ago." He stiffed a small laugh. "Did you have your head so far in a box of fudgey nutties or somethin' that you didn't notice." He waved his flashlight around. "It's kinda cool. . like. . .campin'... cept backwards... cuz we're... inside.. not outside...we should light a campfire n find some marshmellers."

Rhonda quickly took the proffered bottle, trying to ignore a random blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Sid, Arnold, and Curly went off to look for you. We haven't seen them since Curly decided to stop hurling cookies at us and go look." Good Riddance she thought to herself.

"Well I didn't see nobody back there." Harold told them as he sat down on the ground began to pick at the pie still in his hands with his bare fingers. "Man, I could go for some marshmallows though. And did you say something about cookies?" He asked Rhonda hopefully.

((Ahahaha plot hole.))

Rhonda glanced around, her flashlight spinning in a wide circle. Pausing, barely believing what she was seeing, she reached down and pulled one of Curly's cookies out of the cuff in her pant leg.

"I don't believe it. How's that for convenient?" she asked herself, tossing the cookie at Harold. She turned her attention back to Stinky.

"Well, Stinky, you are the latest addition to our group. What's going on back at home base?" she queried, levering herself onto one of the tables and crossing her legs daintily.

((Don't sweat it, the food/grocery area is usually pretty big and full of aisles so it wouldn't be too hard for them to sort of miss one another))

Harold flashed Rhonda a grateful smile, which she surely missed in the dark of the store. Then he stuffed the cookie into his mouth. Gosh, he was eating a lot, he noted somewhere in the back of his mind. Then again, it wasn't too out of the ordinary and he'd been known to turn to food in times of stress.

Besides, Walmart food wasn't really all that bad.

"What's home base?" He asked as he watched Rhonda gracefully position herself a top one of the table tops. He licked a finger and reach back for his still half-eaten pie as he turned towards Stinky. "And what's up with the pajamas?"

Stinky:

He yawned. "Gosh darn Im gussin Miss Rhonda means the front of the store and I dunno. I think Arnold and Helga and Gerald went to venture to the back loadin' area to wait for a truck or summin'." He walked over to the table where Rhonda was sitting and hoisted himself up to sit directly on top of the table.

"Pajamas. Aw shoot, Harold. Sid had done woke me up sayin that there was a big goin on down at the Wal*Mart. If I was wise...which Im not. . .I woulda just rolled over n' stayed in bed. Now we're stuck here."

"Well we gotta find a way out of here." Harold said a little bit desperately. "N-not that I'm scared or nothing. I just... got somewhere to be is all." He turned his head to avoid their gazes. Absentmindedly he stuck his finger back into the pie. "Damn, I wish the lights would come back on. Can't see nothing like this...."