Gerald

"I hate when you did this, Gerald. I'm your best-friend; why shut down on me like this?"

"You can't understand, Arnold" I sighed, taking a step back. I never meant for us to turn against each other like this; especially after what had just happened a few months ago. "You just can't. You live in this utopia and cannot relate to having the one woman you loved snatched away before your eyes."

I watched Arnold hiss loudly, eyes narrowing menacingly as he slammed his notebooks loudly against his desk. "You really think my life is perfect? Did you forget that the state now owns my grandmother and my grandfather is now dead!?"

I grew quiet, beginning to stare at the lamp besides my bed. I flicked it on and watched the bright light illuminate my side of the bedroom. I had empty fruit snack boxes, dirty laundry, and half-empty soda cans scattered aimlessly across the floor I had just vacuumed a few days ago. I took in a small, breath.

"Arnold…."

"No, Gerald, you listen!" he shouted, face turning a murky shade of red as his nostrils flared. "Stop saying I can't understand! I can and I am trying to help you! My relationship with Helga is far from perfect. Aside from my current issues with my family, Helga has her own demons that she faces. We are not the power couple you think we are."

"Couldn't tell." I snottily shot back, sneering. "You and Helga seem to always have it together; always happy together, cuddled together, laughing together, you two are damn near inseparable! I don't understand why you feel the need to constantly remind me how shitty my love life is compared to yours."

"I don't!"

"Then what was that snide comment about me losing Phoebe to my own greed, huh? What do you call that?"

"The truth!" he roared, inching towards me. By now there were a few of our floor mates standing outside our door, peering in to see what was going on between Arnold and I. Arnold and I never got into any 'real' fight before today and as in sync as we were, the tension that had built up from this morning escalated into simple fury and rage on both sides. He had said a few things to a few of our frat brothers that were brought back to my attention during lunch. I wanted to avoid confrontation so I decided to speak with him one on one before his 1:30 lecture. Arnold admitted to saying those things but attempted to defend himself in saying he worded them incorrectly and wanted to apologize for how they came off towards others. By then I was seeing nothing but red and was practically ready to fight my best-friend. Word had gotten back to me that a few of our frat brothers-Kevin, Michael, and Durand- inquired about my love-life and who the 'mystery' girl was that got away from me senior year of high-school. Arnold being the good person he was did not outright give them exact names, dates, and details as they wanted but flat out told them that I lost the love of my life because I was too busy testing the waters with other women and going off my insatiable lusts rather than raw emotions of my heart. Only Arnold would make my stupidity sound so profound and poetic, but it did not deter from the fact that I was now heated and ready to punch that football headed backstabber in the face for putting my business out in the open. It was bad enough our fraternity was notorious for recruiting womanizing, sardonic, sex-crazed assholes; it became worse when I became classified as 'leader' of the wolf pack and inherited the moniker of 'Hit-and-Quit Gerald'.

"You lost Phoebe because you were too busy sticking your 'Johanessen' in Ariel. Then, if I recall correctly, a few months after we started our first semester of freshman year, you were banging this chick Monica, then her twin sister Mona, then these triplets, Iowa, Irene, and Iris, then was caught getting a BJ from your teaching assistant, Mrs. Ingalls, in the track and field locker room!"

I growled, stepping up to Arnold in full height. I shoved him. "You know nothing about that, Arnold!"

"Oh really?" he shoved me back. "I don't know how you became such a man-whore since Phoebe left for Japan? Or is it that I don't know how it tears you up inside that you blame yourself every day she is not here? Or could it be that I know it burns your soul to know she is engaged to some rich Asian jerk that can afford to pay both of our college tuition with a single swipe of his credit card?"

"Shut up!" I shoved him back. I watched mercilessly as Arnold slammed into his armoire, knocking down his iron and a few stray books. He drew in an angry breath. "You have your perfect relationship! You have the woman you want to marry on your arm, sleeping in your bed damn near every night. You have that woman that you can see bearing your children. You have that, Arnold; so how dare you judge me!?"

"No one is judging you, Gerald. I'm trying to tell you that you messed up and it's time you stop blaming everyone else for your problems. You blame Helga for not telling you about Phoebe's engagement, you blame me for not giving you the right advice, you blame your parents for not accepting Phoebe. You blame everyone but the person responsible."

I grew silent. I backed away from Arnold who clutched a metal rod hanging from besides his desk. We stared as each other, breathing heavy as tempers flared. I turned to see a much larger hoard of our neighbors crowd around our bedroom door; scurrying when I flinched towards them. I reached out to slam the door before I watched Helga march in and fling herself towards Arnold. "What the hell!?"

"I'm fine, Helga." He spoke softly at her, still eyeing me. "Gerald and I were just talking."

"Not from what Princess Wellington-Lloyd told me." She barked, kneeling down to cradle him. She examined him for a moment to check for bruises before looking at me. "What the hell, hair boy? Are you trying to start World War three?"

I ignored Helga and reached for my red hooded sweatshirt. I grabbed my keys from atop of my desk and mumbled that I would be back tomorrow. I had planned on sleeping at the frat house that night until things simmered down between Arnold and I but Arnold wouldn't let it go. Before I could make it down the hall and towards the elevators, he yelled out to me. I wanted to disregard him and put in my ear buds to drown out the current gossip that was swirling around our hall, but Arnold called out to me again; this time throwing a shoe that hit me in the crevice of my back. I grew angry all over again. "What the hell, Arnold?!"

"So you are going to run away, huh? Just like that?"

"What do you want me to say? You seem to have all the answers about me, Arnold."

"I'm your best-friend, Gerald!" he shouted, nudging Helga off his back as he stormed up to me. "Of course I know; which is why I apologize for how I said things to the guys but I DON'T apologize for the message."

I scoffed, shrugging his hand from off my shoulder. "Whatever you say, Arnold."

The elevator doors opened. I tried to step in but Arnold pressed the emergency stop button. I snatched out my headphones, glaring at him; shoving him in a fit of rage. Arnold punched me in my nose and I returned the favor. Before things could truly escalate, Helga had raced towards Arnold, holding him back against a wall as Sid and Stinky held me on the opposite side of the hall. I watched Arnold struggle to get out of Helga's death grip she learned from watching too much wrestlmania as I struggled to break free from Harold and Stinky. Helga shouted that she would not let go until we both calmed down and were able to converse logically and calmly; unlike a bunch of baboons fighting over the last banana. I sighed as my body grew lax after watching Arnold tussle less and less. Once Stinky and Harold finally let me go, Helga did the same for Arnold. I held my nose and checked to see if there were any traces of blood. Arnold had a mean right hook and I could have sworn he learned that from Helga herself. It was not bleeding but I could tell it was fractured. I winced at the small pain as I tried to touch it.

"Don't touch it." Arnold said softly, walking towards me. "You may break it"

"You got halfway there." I retorted, growing angry again. I watched Arnold step away; eyes widening slightly in fear that I would hit him again. I had to reassure everyone I was not going to take a cheap shot at him; getting annoyed when Helga and Harold got in position to pounce. "I think it's fractured."

"I'll go get the nurse." Helga spoke calmly. She grabbed Nadine and Rhonda who were watching from the sidelines to head down with her to the campus clinic as Stinky and Harold took it upon themselves to disperse some of the crowd that remained loitering.

I sighed, looking at a very apologetic Arnold. "I'm sorry, Gerald. I just got so angry. I really am sorry for telling the guys what I said but as your best-friend, I will only tell you the truth."

"The truth that I lost Phoebe? How is that truthful, Arnold?" I attempted to keep my voice steady in fear of starting another rumble. "She left because her family was leaving and they hated me."

"Though that is true, you are to blame as well. Let's be honest right now Gerald, do you really think Phoebe would have left if you would have been man enough to stick it through with her during one of the most difficult decisions of her life?"

"Defending her boyfriend against her racist prick of a father should be a no brainer, Arnold."

"You did not make things any better, Gerald!" Arnold took a moment to collect himself. "I admit, Phoebe should have stood by your side and defended you more so than she did but she was between a rock and a hard place and you sleeping around with another woman did not help the situation."

"So why all of a sudden do you give a damn about my love life, Arnold?" I shouted, unable to maintain my temper. I watched lazily as Harold and Stinky got in between Arnold and I to keep the level of animosity and physical contact at a minimum. "Why now do you decide to open your mouth? Why not before we got arrested and were forced to serve a three-month jail sentence for hijacking a plane; almost ruining our chances in getting into college?"

"Because you were finally maturing, Gerald! You were going after the woman you loved and not letting her slip away from you without so much as a fight. You were finally willing to put the work in to make a lasting relationship."

"What do you know about making things work for a lasting relationship?" I spat. "You have the perfect one that rivals any one that any of our friends have ever had."

Arnold remained quiet, tightly clenching his fists before slamming one against the wall beside him. Harold, Stinky, and I watched closely as we heard Arnold drop the F-bomb and a couple other ones. It stunned us. Arnold only used brash language when he was either incredibly irate or could not find the right words to say in a difficult situation-which was very seldom. "Jeez, Gerald do you think being in a relationship is rainbows and butterflies? I am in love with a woman that has so many issues, even a shrink can't really help her. She has an emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive father, an alcoholic and a drunk for a mother, and a perfectionist of a sister who lavishes in all of the family glory; leaving Helga to compensate and fend for herself."

"Arnold…"

"Then you have me, the 'nice, good' young man every adult wants their daughter to one day marry when in reality, I am pissed off and angry at the goddamn world because I have literally no one but Helga and you by my side! My parents were never found in San Lorenzo, my grandmother is a ward of the state, and my grandfather died a few months ago. I had to sign over the rights to the only home I knew to Oskar and his wife in hopes that they would take care of the boarding house while I am slowly losing my sanity in trying to keep a straight face when my entire world is crumbling before me!"

I quickly embraced Arnold, Harold and Stinky following suit as we consoled our friend. I knew lately things have been rather stressful for Arnold but I never would have guessed as to how stressful. When Dr. Bliss came with a signed order from a judge stating that Arnold was unfit to truly give his grandmother the care she needed, it took both me and a policeman to keep Arnold from wringing the poor woman's neck as she and her two henchman waltzed into Arnold's home and placed his grandmother in a straitjacket. About three weeks later, Arnold received a call from one of the caregivers he hired to look after his grandfather while he was away at college during the weekdays; telling him the unfortunate news of his sudden passing. Arnold went ballistic, throwing his notebook at our professor while he punched a fellow classmate for trying to aide him. He was escorted out by campus security and detained for almost three days. With all of the emotional turmoil, Arnold thought it best to sign over the rights to the boarding house to Oskar and his wife; who, so far, have been doing nothing but running it straight into the ground. They were currently leasing to crack heads, prostitutes, and allowing Oskar's extended family to stay rent free. Though Ernie and Mr. Wynn were still boarding there, it was very little they could do.

"I'm sorry, man." My voice was no higher than a soft whisper, my pulsating nose damned to hell. I released Arnold and watched as he wiped away a tear or two.

"I am too, Gerald; I never should have said anything but it needed to be said."

"What can you do about it?" I shrugged, silently screaming for joy as I watched Helga and the girls return with Nurse Hammer. "It's not like I can change anything right? Phoebe is engaged to be married; I can't compete with that."

"Maybe not but what had…have…with Phoebe is real; and maybe when she comes back to visit the states sometime this year you can maybe meet up with her and see if there is any sliver of hope left for the both of you." Arnold took a pregnant pause, groaning. "I sometimes feel like I don't know you anymore. Ever since she left, you have been sleeping with women like it was a competitive sport. That isn't you, Gerald."

I didn't respond; instead I followed nurse Hammer downstairs to the campus clinic to ease the pain of my fractured nose.

Turns out, it was actually broken and I was instructed to wear a cast for a few weeks as well as have minor surgery to install a small metal plate where my left nasal bone used to be. It was shattered beyond repair and for about seven months I did not let Arnold live it down. That was our first actual fight we have ever had- almost two years ago. It was towards the end of sophomore year of college and began because our fraternity brothers had found a picture of Phoebe in my room in a shoe box underneath my bed. They asked around to see who she was and though every person they asked could have said something, I was gracious they did not. Arnold did not say her name but he did confirm that she was my ex-girlfriend- the girl I got arrested on 'terrorism' charges for. Before I even had the opportunity to step foot on campus at North-Hillwood University, I was already a common name and a notorious figure. I was not supposed to be inducted into a fraternity until late sophomore year but because of my infamy, I managed to get Arnold and I in by the end of our first-semester. Everyone we have ever known and been friends with attended NHU and it served as our last hoorah before we permanently separated into adulthood. I was a political-science major with a concentration of pre-law, Arnold chose pre-medicine, Helga was a double major in creative writing and English, Rhonda fashion design, Harold and Stinky both chose criminal justice with hopes of joining the force in the future, Sid and Eugene both chose theater- Sid often times screaming in agony as Eugene insisted they do musicals together while Curly…well….he was still just Curly.

I clung my jacket closer to shield myself from the brutal winds of the oncoming snow storm. I had forgotten my hat at the apartment and was forced to buy a pair of earmuffs from a local vendor near the library. I clenched my scarf closer around my neck as I waved at the figure across the street. I promised this would be the last time Arnold would have to come and pick me up at indecent hours.

"Thanks, man." I huffed, entering the vehicle. It was a bit smaller than what he and I were used to but we made due with the money we were given. "I had no idea it was going to get like this."

Arnold and I did our signature handshake. "Gerald, I was in the middle of something." He chuckled.

Judging by his clothing, I could tell he either rolled right out of bed or threw on something quick to keep me from waiting. I scoffed, rubbing my hands together against the heater. "Helga can wait. I'm sure she will still be in the mood once you get back."

He playfully shoved me, putting the car in gear. "Better hope so. I was planning on proposing tonight, you know."

Damn. I forgot. Arnold had dragged me to the jewelry store before we left to help him pick out a ring- since I was so-called a 'seasoned' ring shopper. Being inside of Tiffany's again only brought the sickening feeling of nostalgia and I was willing to say and do anything to get out of there. "Damn, man. My bad. Did you get to that part yet or did I interrupt that too?"

"No, you interrupted a very intimate part but I forgive you." He chuckled, allowing a conniving grin to curl upon his lips.

"What?"

"I forgive you only because you plan on buying your best bud one of those chicken sandwiches from McDonalds he has an addiction for."

I laughed as Arnold pulled into a drive-thru. He sure had a way of getting over on me. He was lucky I didn't spend my last on the coffee I was planning to buy before he had called and told me he was waiting outside. He would have been buying his own weird tasting sandwich. "How do you eat this stuff, man?"

"Hey, I think it's better than back home."

"Yeah, only in Japan do they create weird stuff that makes the rest of the world say 'What the hell'?"

Arnold laughed, inching closer towards the window. "All jokes aside, you nervous?"

I let in a shallow breath, beginning to play with the tassels of my scarf. I refrained from wearing this scarf often because it reminded me too much of her. The day she came by to drop it off was on my birthday almost four years ago. I have not seen her since. She came to the states once to visit Helga during a prolonged hospital stay due to a softball injury that left her almost paralyzed from the waist down but I did not find out until it was too late; she already had left and headed back on her plane to Tokyo, Japan. I kept the scarf in the white box with the red-ribbon bow she had given me to preserve her scent. If I sniffed it closely, I could still smell the faint scent of her perfume- Vera. I rested back against my seat as Arnold inched closer to the drive-thru window. It was my third day in Japan and I was getting more and more anxious to see Phoebe. I chose to study abroad for the simple fact of seeing her. It was a graduation requirement that all seniors do at least one semester abroad in a foreign country to touch on politics and international relations. Seeing as how international relations was an interest of mine and Japan was one of the countries on the list, I chose to come to Tokyo instead of Sao Paulo, Brazil much to Arnold's disagreement. Once Helga had found out about Arnold and I choosing the study abroad in Tokyo, Helga immediately decided to follow; the rest of the gang doing the same as a final trip with all of us together.

"Is it obvious?"

Arnold nodded. "Don't sweat it, Gerald. You will be fine."

"Does she know I'm here?"

"No. I made Helga promise not to tell her."

There was a moment of silence. "Why did Helga fight tooth and nail to keep us from coming here? Is she hiding something we don't know?"

Arnold shrugged. "Beats me. Helga only told me about Phoebe's engagement because I accidentally overheard one of their video-chat conversations."

"Damn." I mumbled, running a single hand through my miniature coiled, fro. "That's not reassuring."

"Don't worry about it, Gerald." Arnold smiled, inching towards the window. "I'm sure Phoebe will be delighted to know you flew half-way around the world to study abroad in the hopes of get her back."

I chuckled. "Some may call that romantic; others find it absolutely insane."

"Call it what you will, but I need my Shaka-Shaka chicken and unless you want Helga to wring your neck for keeping me longer than an hour, you better pay this lovely woman so we can head home."

I lightly punched Arnold before digging into my wallet and pulling out a wad of foreign currency I was not sure how to convert just yet. Hopefully he was right.

A/N: Hey kittens! As promised, first chapter of the sequel. This story will be a bit longer than my first so I plan to go into more detail and give you all a more in-depth experience as to the relationship between Gerald and Phoebe. I hope you all liked this chapter. I have been eating onion rings and peanut butter all day and felt the urge to write. Now it's off to bed for me. I need a nap. I thank you all for reading and I am humbly grateful. I invite you to explore deeper into my dark, twisted fantasies. Just when you thought you figured me out, I leave you guessing. ^_^ Until later this week kittens!

-SensuallyPassionate