It was Friday morning, and the students were waiting for the bus. Mr. Simmons had gotten all of their teachers to let them come on this fieldtrip because they were his best (and favorite, but he didn�t let anyone else know) class. All of them were wearing bathing suits under their clothes. Arnold and Gerald were talking about what they were going to do if they were allowed free time on the trip, Helga was telling Phoebe where to punch to deck a person the quickest, and, of course, Rhonda was talking to Nadine and Sheena about how her bathing suit and sunglasses were so chic and fashionable. Mr. Simmons was running over his lesson plan
with himself when the bus came. The kids loaded on and he did a head count. Everyone was there. They headed to the beach and got there after a fifteen-minute drive. They got off and headed to a pavilion Mr. Simmons had reserved. He got them calmed down and they started their first �learning experience.� He taught them about the animals and plants living there and they tried to get as many as they could, gathering plants and catching animals. He taught them how they interacted in their eco-system. Near the end of the trip, about three hours before it was time to go home, Mr. Simmons announced the final activity.
�Now here�s your test for today. I want to see how much you remember from all of the things that we did, so I�m having a scavenger hunt. On the list are names of various plants and animals. You need to remember what the particular thing is, where we found it earlier, and how to properly collect or catch it. As always in scavenger hunts, the first one�s back here with all of the correct items wins. I�m pairing you off and the groups are: Sid and Nadine, Sheena and Eugene, Rhonda and Harold, Park and Peapod Kid, Stinky and Iggy, Brainy and Curly, Phoebe and Gerald, and Arnold and Helga.�
Helga�s heart almost stopped as he read the final pair. Arnold was disappointed when he heard Mr. Simmons say Gerald�s name with Phoebe, and was shocked when he heard his own with Helga. Gerald and Phoebe weren�t sad or disappointed at all when their names were called together. The teams left with their lists.
Mr. Simmons was sitting down and relaxing a little at the pavilion when the kids left, then decided to walk around the beach a little. He knew the first kids would take at least over an hour, so he knew he had some time to himself. He wandered around the dunes for a short while, and then he stumbled upon a part of the beach with people. He looked at all the people
on towels and under umbrellas. A child farther out was floundering and the lifeguard rushed to his rescue. As the lifeguard pulled the child back to shore, Mr. Simmons noticed how cute the lifeguard was. When the lifeguard went back to the tower, Mr. Simmons headed over to the muscular male lifeguard with the oh so tight hot pink swimming trunks, intending to flirt.
�I hope that he�ll be able to like me, the way that I like him,� thought Mr. Simmons to himself. Mr. Simmons decided to take his chance (the pink trunks making him a little more confident) and approached the lifeguard.
�Wow, you really know how to swim well,� Mr. Simmons stammered.
�Thanks, My name is Trevor. What�s yours?�
�Robert.�
�Nice to meet you Robert,� said Trevor giving Mr. Simmons a delicate handshake. �I have a break soon, would you like to have a drink with me on the beach? I have a cooler of sodas over yonder.� Trevor pointed to a cooler sitting about halfway up the top of the beach.
�I�d love to, but how did you know that I was�.?�
�Gaydar,� Trevor interrupted. �I know a lame gay pick up line anywhere.�
Mr. Simmons blushed and the two of them started chatting.
Phoebe and Gerald were hunting far up from the tide line for their second item, a type of grass. They were on different sides of a largish dune.
�Gerald! I think I found it!� Phoebe shouted to him. He scrambled up the dune and slid down the other side. When he reached the bottom, he tripped over the self same grass and landed on Phoebe. They lay on top of each other. Phoebe giggled nervously then spoke. Her breath was heavy and sweet.
�I think you found the grass.�
Helga was overjoyed in being partnered with Arnold. Maybe her feelings of foreboding were correct yesterday! She forced herself to not be a jerk to him, and as soon as they were apart from the others, she spoke to him.
�Arnold, this is a scavenger hunt, so we�re gonna have to work together. Normally if we�re partnered we fight, and I admit that it�s usually my fault,� Arnold was shocked to hear her admit this. �But I really want us to cooperate on this, ok? I�m willing to be nice if you are.� Arnold was even more shocked as Helga put out her hand after her statement.
�Helga, I�m always willing to try and be friends, on or off a scavenger hunt.� He put his hand in hers and shook it. Her heart skipped as she felt the warm touch of his hand on hers, the comfortable pressure as they shook. Helga was about to shout, �Well don�t expect any friendship when we leave, football head!� when she stopped herself. �Don�t be a jerk!�
They headed off to search for their items. Later they were debating (not arguing) over which crab they thought was the first on their list. Arnold was amazed that Helga had refrained from losing her temper or calling him any names as they calmly argued over which one it was.
When Arnold put down a valid point Helga admitted he was right, astounding Arnold. Then as she headed towards the crab he found without sulking, Arnold was even more astounded. They went after the crab, trying to get it like they�d seen Mr. Simmons do it. It got near the water.
�Don�t let it reach the sea or it�s gone!�
Arnold obeyed Helga without thinking, leaping onto the crab with the net they were given for purposes just like these. He got it just before the crab reached the sea. Unfortunately, Helga had leapt too, and she knocked Arnold off the crab and into the incoming wave. As the wave receded, Arnold sat there, dripping.
�Arnold! I�m so sorry!� She rushed over to help him up.
�It�s ok, Helga.� His clothes clung wetly to him, showing the lines of his chest. Helga almost let go of him when she saw how hot he looked with his clothes wet. He went above the water line and took off his flannel and shirt and started wringing them out. Helga tried to stare at his fine chest without it actually looking like she was staring. When he started to take of his pants, Helga�s jaw dropped.
�Arnold! What are you doing?�
�It�s ok, I�ve got swim trunks on, Helga.�
�Oh, ya�. Doi, of course you would.� Helga started blushing at her mistake. They took a Polaroid of the crab in the net with the camera Mr. Simmons lent the students as proof they had caught it, and went after their next item.