Cherry and Atticus Save the Neighborhood

chapter 5

The next morning, they were already outside of Sunset Arms and Gerald had arrived.

"Okay, you guys convinced me." Gerald said to Arnold, Cherry, Atticus, and Patch.

"Right," Atticus remembered their plan. "We are going to find that document, show the mayor, prove that the neighborhood is a legal national landmark and stop the bulldozers from knocking it down."

"And we're gonna do it all in the next 46 hours and 19 minutes..." Cherry added as the clock was ticking down, it felt so soon for some, but it would be plenty of time for the young heroes.

"Plenty of time." Gerald said.

"Come on, let's go." Patch said, excited.

"That dog worries me sometimes..." Gerald commented, not understanding Patch, but could tell he was excited.

They turned a corner at Green Meats to catch a bus, but had collided with the rude bully girl from earlier.

"Arnold!" the girl gasped the football-headed boy's name, but then looked very angry with him instantly. "I mean, watch where you're going, football head. Where is the fire?"

"Sorry, Helga, we're just in a hurry, we gotta find a government document that can save the neighborhood." Arnold told her.

The girl laughed at them. "If you think you're gonna save it, you're dopier than I thought," she smiled evilly. "All the papers are signed. In two days, this place is gonna be a parking lot. End of story. Any questions?"

"Yeah, do you think you could loan us some bus fare?" Arnold asked, seeing no money in his pockets, oddly enough.

"We're a little short." Gerald added.

"It's like I'm living in Loser City..." Helga rolled her eyes. "Oh, well, since my dad's Super Beeper Emporium is gonna be built on the ashes of your old lives, and I'm gonna get rich of all deal, I guess I can give you change for the bus." she offered money to Arnold and Gerald.

"Spoiled brat..." Cherry glared at Helga as they got on the bus.

"Yeah, and yet, I can't shake this feeling that there is something more about her." Patch wondered.

"Does she pick on you all the time?" Cherry asked Arnold.

"Yeah, she always calls me names and bugs me more than everyone else in school." Arnold replied.

"Maybe she likes you..." Cherry shrugged. "When I was growing up, if a boy bugged me, poked me, or pulled my hair, then it meant he liked me... Though if a boy ignores me these days, it's because I have the attractiveness of a dead moose and no one would be caught dead with me."

"Yikes." Patch winced.

"No one understands me..." Cherry droned.

"There's one thing you forgot to tell me," Gerald said to Arnold once they sat down, he didn't even seem to mind or care that there was a puppy on board with them. "Where are we going?"

"To the one person that can help us to find that document: Mr Bailey." Arnold informed.

"You mean that guy at the Federal Office of Information?"

"Right. I know he can help us."

"Yep, he will absolutely, positively--" Atticus said.

Scene changes to Mr. Bailey's work.

"I can't help you," Mr. Bailey told them after they stated their business and why they had come before he turned back to his computer work. "C-A-N, apostrophe, T. Can't."