I woke up this morning too Big Bob's yelling.
"Get up, girl! I need to get to the hardware store, pronto!"
"Fine, Bob, but why do I need to go?"
"You don't, you need to get down here and talk to me before I leave!"
I got up out of my bed, and went downstairs, and was shocked to see several boxes and trash bags in the foyer. Big Bob and Miriam were holding a box each.
"What are all these boxes?"
"We cleaned out your closet, we found all these old books, footballs, and Christmas lights you've been storing in there forever! So, we're throwing it all out."
My jaw dropped. "You can't! That's my stuff!" I grabbed the end of the box Big Bob was holding and tried to tug it away from him, but to no avail. He just grabbed it right back.
"It's too late, little lady! You should have kept it neat! If you did, you would have all your things."
"But why are you doing this? I need my stuff!"
He looked at me as if I was crazy. "The money, girl! Beeper sales are down."
"But why my stuff?"
"Because I sure as heck don't want to sell my stuff!"
"But…but…but…"
"No buts, Olga! I need that money!"
"But Dad!"
Miriam and Big Bob walked out the door. Helga stood on the doorstep, in shock as they dragged out the boxes and bags full of her books and mementos from over 6 years of her life.
"No! Don't! You can't!"
"It's too late, Helga."
I turned around. Arnold was standing there, on the staircase.
"Helga, I know. And I don't like you."
I looked at his eyes, they turned red.
"In fact, I would never like you! I wish I never…"
No.
"…Ever…"
NO.
"…Met you. I hate you!"
NO!
Thank goodness, I woke up. My heart was pounding and I felt that it was so real.
I got up and got dressed. I knew what I needed to do.
"Dr. Bliss, what should I do?"
I was at Dr. Bliss's office.
"Well, Helga, I think this could be a sign."
"A sign of what? That I should clean my closet?"
"No, you know what you need to do."
I looked at her. She smiled and nodded.
"ARE YOU NUTS? I can't tell him! Didn't you hear what he said in my dream? He hated me!"
"But Helga," said Dr. Bliss, "the longer you wait, the more pain you will feel. But if you tell him now, imagine the weight off your shoulders."
I stared at her, not in disbelief, but in understanding.
"I told you once, the only way you'll know how he feels is if you tell him. I think that time is now, but you don't have to yet. Follow your heart, Helga."
I left the building, walking faster and faster, thinking to myself. Should I? Is it time? By this time, I was running, and, you know what happens next…
BAM
Wow, look, pretty stars. My vision slowly clarified, his face was forming above me.
"Are you okay, Helga?" asked Arnold.
"Yeah, football head, I'm fine."
"You sure? You seem a bit off."
"How so?"
"The face you're making."
"Nothing, its only because of something I just realized."
"What's that?"
"None of your business, Arnoldo."
"Well, maybe it should be."
I looked at him, and I saw a look of understanding in his eyes.
"What?"
"Helga…"
I looked away.
"I know, Helga."
"Know what?"
"You know… I've known since forever."
More silence. I could not find the words.
"I've known a long time. Do you think I never heard the entire poem from your parrot? Honestly, you believe I did not see the inscription in the locket before the lights went out in my basement. And you talk pretty loudly when you're outside of my windows or behind those trash cans."
I did not look up.
"Helga…"
Oh, well. Might as well admit it.
"Arnold, I…"
"I like you too."
Okay, lets freeze here. At this point, I feel this wave of cold blood run though my veins. My throat feels like its filled with cotton and my stomach jumps higher than you could imagine. I could not believe it. Arnold liked me. Not just liked me, he liked me liked me. I just could not accept it. I was just…speechless. Nevertheless, I just had to say it.
"What did you say?"
"Yeah, since I figured it out, I was thinking about it. Every single time you were mean to me, I understood why. Why do you think I barely ever got mad at you? Because I knew."
My eyes closed. I was absorbing his every word.
"It would have been easier to just tell me. I've hinted about it before. Remember when Lila dumped me, and I asked you if you've ever felt that way about someone?"
I still didn't speak.
"Helga..."
I opened my eyes, and I looked straight at him.
"Arnold, I have to say one thing."
"Get up, girl! I need to get to the hardware store, pronto!"
"Fine, Bob, but why do I need to go?"
"You don't, you need to get down here and talk to me before I leave!"
I got up out of my bed, and went downstairs, and was shocked to see several boxes and trash bags in the foyer. Big Bob and Miriam were holding a box each.
"What are all these boxes?"
"We cleaned out your closet, we found all these old books, footballs, and Christmas lights you've been storing in there forever! So, we're throwing it all out."
My jaw dropped. "You can't! That's my stuff!" I grabbed the end of the box Big Bob was holding and tried to tug it away from him, but to no avail. He just grabbed it right back.
"It's too late, little lady! You should have kept it neat! If you did, you would have all your things."
"But why are you doing this? I need my stuff!"
He looked at me as if I was crazy. "The money, girl! Beeper sales are down."
"But why my stuff?"
"Because I sure as heck don't want to sell my stuff!"
"But…but…but…"
"No buts, Olga! I need that money!"
"But Dad!"
Miriam and Big Bob walked out the door. Helga stood on the doorstep, in shock as they dragged out the boxes and bags full of her books and mementos from over 6 years of her life.
"No! Don't! You can't!"
"It's too late, Helga."
I turned around. Arnold was standing there, on the staircase.
"Helga, I know. And I don't like you."
I looked at his eyes, they turned red.
"In fact, I would never like you! I wish I never…"
No.
"…Ever…"
NO.
"…Met you. I hate you!"
NO!
Thank goodness, I woke up. My heart was pounding and I felt that it was so real.
I got up and got dressed. I knew what I needed to do.
"Dr. Bliss, what should I do?"
I was at Dr. Bliss's office.
"Well, Helga, I think this could be a sign."
"A sign of what? That I should clean my closet?"
"No, you know what you need to do."
I looked at her. She smiled and nodded.
"ARE YOU NUTS? I can't tell him! Didn't you hear what he said in my dream? He hated me!"
"But Helga," said Dr. Bliss, "the longer you wait, the more pain you will feel. But if you tell him now, imagine the weight off your shoulders."
I stared at her, not in disbelief, but in understanding.
"I told you once, the only way you'll know how he feels is if you tell him. I think that time is now, but you don't have to yet. Follow your heart, Helga."
I left the building, walking faster and faster, thinking to myself. Should I? Is it time? By this time, I was running, and, you know what happens next…
BAM
Wow, look, pretty stars. My vision slowly clarified, his face was forming above me.
"Are you okay, Helga?" asked Arnold.
"Yeah, football head, I'm fine."
"You sure? You seem a bit off."
"How so?"
"The face you're making."
"Nothing, its only because of something I just realized."
"What's that?"
"None of your business, Arnoldo."
"Well, maybe it should be."
I looked at him, and I saw a look of understanding in his eyes.
"What?"
"Helga…"
I looked away.
"I know, Helga."
"Know what?"
"You know… I've known since forever."
More silence. I could not find the words.
"I've known a long time. Do you think I never heard the entire poem from your parrot? Honestly, you believe I did not see the inscription in the locket before the lights went out in my basement. And you talk pretty loudly when you're outside of my windows or behind those trash cans."
I did not look up.
"Helga…"
Oh, well. Might as well admit it.
"Arnold, I…"
"I like you too."
Okay, lets freeze here. At this point, I feel this wave of cold blood run though my veins. My throat feels like its filled with cotton and my stomach jumps higher than you could imagine. I could not believe it. Arnold liked me. Not just liked me, he liked me liked me. I just could not accept it. I was just…speechless. Nevertheless, I just had to say it.
"What did you say?"
"Yeah, since I figured it out, I was thinking about it. Every single time you were mean to me, I understood why. Why do you think I barely ever got mad at you? Because I knew."
My eyes closed. I was absorbing his every word.
"It would have been easier to just tell me. I've hinted about it before. Remember when Lila dumped me, and I asked you if you've ever felt that way about someone?"
I still didn't speak.
"Helga..."
I opened my eyes, and I looked straight at him.
"Arnold, I have to say one thing."