"Arnold!". Echoed a voice from all around that sounded divine and distinctly like Helga Pataki's. Arnold, drifting amuck in what seemed like a sea of space where he could see what looked like stars of many colors, some changing over time, all around him in the distance, getting farther away the closer to them he seemed to drift, didn't stop to think of the origin of the voice. "Arnold!". Echoed the same voice seeming much more aggressive and loud despite staying the same volume (almost like thinking of yelling would be). Arnold suddenly felt as if he was being pulled backwards in a straight line rather than drifting and the distant stars faded to black. As he got farther and farther from what he thought was stars he suddenly fell back into a pool of light that felt like warm water. Suddenly Arnold felt like he was impaled by an icicle as he struck ground and suddenly sprung awake. As Arnold woke up and became aware of his surroundings he heard a knocking at the door.
"Shortman… are you up yet?". Arnold's grandpa asked as he turned the door knob and held the door a crack open.
"Yeah…". Arnold said slowly as he turned his head toward the clock that read 7:27.
"So… I reckon you don't wana go out an play with your friends? Arnold's grandpa said as he looked out Arnold's window and saw Gerald, Eugene, Stinky and Harold playing football and getting into their regular relationship with the eighth graders; Wolfgang and his goons.
"Nah… I don't think so…maybe later." Arnold said while standing up and rather quickly changing from his blue pajamas into his usual outfit.
"Alright…" Arnold's grandpa said as he tried to hide a frown from his face.
"Well… me and Pookie will be downstairs if you need anything okay Shortman?" Arnold's grandpa said as he walked towards the door.
"Okay…". Arnold said.
Arnold walked over to his bed, laid down and stared up at the skylight. He reached over to his radio and pressed the switch on, and his favorite radio station was already tuned, and a slow jazz solo on a saxophone began playing.
As the clouds drifted by slowly Arnold daydreamed about drifting with them, similarly to in his dream, free of weight and stress. Free to just drift over everything that went on, observing and experiencing without getting sucked in and trapped. Arnold was suddenly startled as his pocket began vibrating and his favorite jazz song began playing. Arnold picked up his phone and saw it was Helga who was calling. "Hello?". Arnold said as he answered the phone and positioned it by his hear.
"Hey… I heard what happened… from Phoebe… about everything with your…" Helga stopped suddenly, feeling that if she continued with her sentence he would bring Arnold to tears.
"Yeah…" Arnold said.
"Sorry..." Helga stuttered.
"Well… I just wanted to say… I'm sorry… I know how you must feel…but you're going to be okay." Helga said coming to a complete halt as she ended her sentence.
"It's okay…" Arnold replied.
Arnold stood up and looked out the window at his friends playing football, now against the eighth graders. Slowly the sun that shone high in the sky was faded and blocked out by gray clouds and it quickly began to pour. Lightning struck a towering skyscraper and thunder rolled all over the city. Looking saddened, everyone who had been playing football in the street reluctantly headed to their own home.
"Arnold?" Helga asked.
"Are you still there?" Helga continued after a few second brake.
"Yeah…I'm here." Arnold said as sadness filled him.
Arnold fell back onto his bed. "Helga…sorry I got to go." Arnold said.
"Okay…don't beat yourself up about it okay?" Helga said.
"Yeah okay" Arnold said drifting into whisper.
"Okay bye." Helga said.
"Bye." Arnold said as he hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket.
Arnold stared up and watched the rain splatter on his skylight and create drops on the glass. Arnold grabbed his universal remote and pressed a small green button twice, and his fan began spinning at a moderate rate. Arnold pressed a blue button on his remote, the wall opened revealing a safe which he twisted the knob to open revealing a small purse like bag. Arnold, opened his bag and took out a pipe with red and blue lines that spiraled at the bowl and twisted together at the opposite end. Arnold opened a plastic zip lock bag, took out some of it's contents and put it in the bowl. Taking out a lighter Arnold took a hit from the pipe and held it for about twenty seven seconds.
AUTHOR NOTE: Hello I'm Alphanore. If you thought it uncharacteristic of Arnold to smoke at the end of the chapter IT IS. However it will be gone over; the reason and why he changed character such ways, as well as the other differences of his character I HOPE you realized other than that he smoked. No offense intended.
I wish you a constantly positive existence and that is why I wrote this AUTHOR NOTE on this "touchy" subject.
Sincerest Regards_Alphanore