Helga G. Pataki was afraid and Helga would strangle anyone who dare spoke those words. She knew it was a normal human characteristic, but she liked to think she was above normal human protocol. Helga was the girl who bows before a nine year old boy in ceremonial clothing and praised him like her own God, but enough about her unhealthy hobbies. Helga was afraid. Dripping in cold sweat, her heart hammering a mile a minute and eyes wide open as she shove people out of her vision and try to escape the walls that were slowly closing her in. She kept repeating to herself, just a few more halls and sweet, sweet freedom.
She was nearing her target and when she saw the door with a tiny pink woman in a dress she was inwardly cheering at her arrival. She shoved pass the various dweebs as she called them and push open the door of freedom. The first person to meet her eyes was her best friend and favorite companion Phoebe Heyerdahl.
Phoebe offers her a gentle smile and pulled from her blue backpack a bottle of water. Helga grunted and snatched the drink thanking her friend in a short breath before drinking up the drink. Phoebe watched the display with a cool expression. Once Helga body seemed less tense then when she had enter Phoebe began the conversation.
"So I am taking he still pursuing despite your disapproval," Phoebe question, eyes peering down at the watch wrap around her wrist. They had time to stall till the bathroom was siege by the sophomore gossip hoard.
Helga angrily toss the beverage into the nearby open trash bin. She put both her hands on the edges of the sink and glared into the mirror of her reflection.
Her hair was shorter sharing a similar style of Pataki's female and she kept her monobrow despite protest by all of her female and even male friends. Two studs, one green and the other blue were on her right ear and a pink one on her left. She wore her new signature sweater that she began wearing during high school when her pink dress outfitted her. It was a warm pink and resembles the older dress she wore as Cecile. Thankfully no one she wanted to know noticed the similarities. A brown belt separated the sweater and a brown short skirt that showed off her long legs that were covered by white stockings. A pair of combat boots which Helga stated, showed others she was still a badass, completed the look.
After taking a second to gather her restraint, Helga whirled around to face her friend and began to rant, "No, Pheebs, the little freak still pursuing me. I don't know what to do. I beg Lila to work her perfect charms on him and she started bawling on me yelling, she would if she could. Melodramatic don't you think? And the worst part is I can't pound the guy because Mister Rightious gets on my case about doing the right thing and all that bullshi-"
"Helga!" Phoebe frown at the phrase Helga almost said. Helga toss her eyes at her friend's interruption, but apologized regardless.
"Sorry, I forgot. No potty mouth Sally here, right?"
"Hai."
"So want to know why I am so out of breath?" Phoebe opens her mouth to respond, but Helga interrupted. "Yeah, I bet you do. So I was walking and minding my own business when the taco head comes and starts listing why he likes me. It was weird. But get this he was determine to get me to taste this plain flavor gum he been chewing all day."
"Disgusting."
"You think? I said, 'No thank you, I prefer to keep your germs far from me.' He kept insisting saying he wanted to have a part of him on me. Just one bite and I could spit it out so he can have a part of me as well. Ick. So I ran because he was starting to gather a crowd with his stupid taco head."
Phoebe frowns and guessed the next part, "And Arnie pursued?"
"As fast as his legs took him. I manage to lose him by the water fountain two halls down, but he's not dumb, dumb. He probably figures I went hiding here. I just needed company to keep him back a bit."
Phoebe pucker her lips out and began to bite at the bottom of them considering the plan in motion. Classes just ended and people were strolling around outside in the hall. Helga and Phoebe were only here still because they were both part of the Drama Club, Helga being an actor and Phoebe working backstage. Helga needed to practice with the other main leads and they couldn't afford to skip.
"I will create a diversion?" Phoebe suggested.
Helga squinted and looks down at her master in crime, "Describe."
"Lila: decoy number four."
Helga scoffs the idea off, "Lila to heartbroken to prove assistance."
"Arnold: decoy number one?"
Helga groaned at the suggestion.
Asking Arnold for help to get his cousin off her back was never easy and proved to always be awkward. Arnold would try to get Helga to see the good in him after all was said and done. Helga, however, saw through the guise of it all. Arnold was hoping that Helga would take Arnie off Lila's eyes and onto his instead. It disgusted Helga to no end how conniving Arnold was sometimes. And yet strangely it turns her on.
But her arousal could be handled at another time; she had to get rid of the creature.
"How?" Helga asks grudgingly. Phoebe smile and began to explain her plan.
"I will call Gerald. Gerald will invite Arnold, since they are attached by a hip no matter any circumstance. Once Gerald and Arnold arrive I will snug an arm around Gerald's arm, and you around Arnold's explaining our situation as we go on-"
"Just finding an excuse to grab a feel of Geraldo's biceps, huh, Pheebs?" Helga asks, arms cross with a sly smirk on her arm. Phoebe turns a shade pinker at her plans being pull from under the covers so quickly. She tugs on her red glasses and straighten her white button shirt. Helga took note this being a sign she was corner in her own wrong doing.
Nevertheless, Phoebe responded with flush skin and narrow eyes, "No, I am looking for the best interest at heart. If we get to cup a feel of their muscles that is a pulse in the plan, yes?"
Helga smirked at her excuse and gave a small chuckle, "It's okay, I don't mind getting to rub up against the football head either. Not in ways I really want…Now if they were naked…Think you can make a plan with that scenario?"
"HELGA!"
/\/\/\
"Mmm-Mmm-MMM, I got to tell you man, I wonder if how my life would be with the kid with the cabbage head instead sometimes. I bet his life is normal. Never gets himself into the insanity you put my poor heart into."
"Gerald we were doing the right thing and isn't that good?"
"What would be good is to just get out after school hours without saving someone's life. I am starting to think about charging for your advice and pureness."
"Gerald…"
"I am just saying."
Arnold grin at his friend's jabs for a split second and looked back to the scene in front of them. It was another one of those bullies' attacks. It had been on one of their friends, Eugene's locker. Words like faggot and queer were smear on his locker door with marker thankfully. The people who did the crimes were still unknown by the principal and the school was looking into it, but there were a series of bully crimes around the school as of lately.
They were cruel and vicious from throwing paint down onto unsuspecting students during a speech (Phoebe) to even stripping of clothing through blackmail (Patty). It was depressing to see Arnold to see his friend suffer for a hate crime so Arnold had volunteered to clean the mess with Eugene. Eugene had accepted his help and Gerald grudgingly help as well.
After an accident from Eugene slamming his head into the locker while sliding on a wet rag, it was just Gerald and Arnold left cleaning the mess. Arnold squeezed out the rag and glance back at the almost clean locker. There was a huge F left to be washed and then they could depart.
Gerald went to reach to wash the F, but was distracted by the buzzing of his phone.
"Hello?" Gerald answer. When the voice responded his face lit up. "Phoebe! How you doing, girl?"
Gerald got up and abandons his work to go talk down the hall. Arnold rolls his eyes at his friend's quick dismissal and let his own thoughts wander. He imagines himself riding off into the clouds with his plane. It was cloudy and the sounds of his plane buzzed loud and clear reminding him of a humming bird or a bee. He dove downward and push past the thin clouds with ease splitting them apart making his way towards-Snort.
Arnold blinked. He turns his head towards the sound of the snort and wasn't surprised to see his cousin Arnie. He wore a dull pair of jeans dusted in some sort of dirt, and a plain button up white shirt. The only color on his whole attire was the bright orange bowtie. It was a gift from Lila he never bother taking off. Arnold hated it.
"Arnie, what are you doing here?"
"I was looking" Snort. "For my girlfriend." Snort.
Arnold frown, "Lila or Helga?"
"Helga." Then his face transform into a tiny smile and his eyes went half lidded, "I love her."
Arnold shook his head and responded, "Right."
Arnold didn't see the appeal Helga had over Lila. Lila was a goddess in his mind. She was attractive, but was subtle about her appearance. She was nice, always willing to help others just like Arnold. And Arnold always had a thing for redheads. Helga was… Helga. Arnold never gave her a look in fear of her yelling and threatening to him pound him.
But Arnold should thank Helga for giving Arnie a diversion from Lila. An image of Helga kicking him like a football she loved to call him so much ran through his head and he shook the thought off. Helga disliked the affection Arnie poured on her.
Arnie joined their lives in seventh grade, after Arnie's parents died and he was forced to move in with Arnold and his grandparents being the only relatives that were willing to take him in. Arnie hadn't change much in those three years, still dull, still pursuing Helga, still ignoring Lila.
Some things don't change. Before their deep conversation could continue, Gerald storm in his face still bright and filled with joy.
"Phoebe asked to meet her by the girls' bathroom. Come on dude, let's clean up and meet her."
Arnold watch as his best friend scrubbed furiously on the locker wall and was done in less than a minute. When Phoebe called Gerald would run for her. Arnold chuckle at his friend frantic behavior and gave a look at Arnie.
"Want to come along? I feel like Gerald going to ditch me to be with Phoebe and I hate being the third wheel."
Arnie snorted and his dull eyes glance behind Arnold. Arnold frowns and follows his eyes. Instantly his eyes brighten, "Lila!"
Lila smile and ran up to the group, ignoring Gerald and, much to his disappointment, Arnold to talk to Arnie. "Arnie! There you are. I was looking for you."
"Hey." Snort.
"Why didn't you stop to talk to me earlier?"
"Helga." Snort.
Instantly, Lila smile disappeared and Arnold frown at her disappointment. He was more than willing to give her attention she desperately seeks. In the form of stolen kisses and I love you's.
"Arnie, I am pretty sure Helga interest lies elsewhere, just ever so much. I insist on one date?"
"No thanks." Arnie pushes pass Lila and went back to the conversation with Arnold, "I wouldn't mind joining." Snort.
Arnold held back from snapping at his cousin's rudeness. He glances back down to the pretty redhead, but her eyes were downward playing with her pretty petit hands. God she was pretty.
"Lila you want to come?"
Lila looked up shock written on her expression. "Oh, sorry Arnold, forgot you were there for a minute, I am ever so sorry. Join what?"
He ignored the sting of her words and chooses to continue with an uneasy smile, "Me, Arnie, and Gerald. We are going to pick up Phoebe by the girl's bathroom once Gerald done cleaning."
Lila frown, "I believe I will pass. I think I spotted…someone in the bathroom I do not feel like seeing at the moment. Now I will be going, bye Arnie, Arnold, Gerald."
Arnold blink, Lila avoiding someone? That's a first. He turned to Gerald to get his opinion on it, but he just shrugged and said girls. Arnold sighs and nodded, lifting himself up and heading towards the girl's bathroom.
/\/\/\
Rhonda was used to being part of the popular crowd and knew what was needed to be at top. Ridiculing her fellow classmates were one of them, but sometimes she thought even her rebellious attitude went too far. When the leader of the cheer squad, Stacey, had taunted Rhonda about hanging out with the only men who would give her the time of day was Eugene, Rhonda had to act.
There were too many rumors floating around about her loss of interest in boys after Harold. Many of the girls were even saying that Rhonda preferred a member with more curves. They mocked her in public, saying that Rhonda needed to be in the boy's locker-room claiming that they weren't comfortable around her. Rhonda had been desperate to prove she wasn't an outcast doing anything to prove it.
Rhonda grudgingly had said she wouldn't hang out with someone as queer as Eugene, he met nothing. When Stacey heard that she pushed Rhonda with that sinister smile of her's.
"Prove it," Stacey had said. She pushed the marker into Rhonda's hands, "Show me how much you don't like queers."
And Rhonda did. She gotten away with no one spotting her and now she was in the janitor closet sitting on a bucket looking down at her hands. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket and with a sigh Rhonda reached down and answered it.
"What?"
There was a lot of noise in the background but the distinct voice of Stacy managed to get through, "Rhonda, darling, I saw what you did. I am impressed. Maybe you're not a pussy eater like I thought. Me and the girls thought it would be fun if you joined us for more fun! What do you say?"
Rhonda gulped knowing full well the type of fun they had in store for her. Everything in her screamed no, but what someone thought of her always managed to scratch her and remind her.
With a tired voice she responded with a forced, "I would love to, darling."
/\/\/\
Author's Note: Pretty much a story revolving around mysterious harassment crimes that begin to spiral out of control. What starts as teenagers rebelling and fooling around soon takes a dark turn. One of the main candidates in this twisted play of emotions is Rhonda. Arnold, Helga, Arnie, Gerald, and Phoebe manage to get roped in along the way as well.
I am not entirely sure if I should make Rhonda a lesbian or not. I am still thinking about it, it would help with the peer pressure part, but it's not really a needed thing for the story.
There will be scenes with Arnold and Helga as promised, but it's a slow thing. Once Rhonda's pranks get out of hand will the real romance start happening.
