I'm a bit late. Truth told, I knew it was coming but forgot until Tumblr started getting flooded. So here are the first four days...a wee bit late.
As always, thanks to Craig Bartlett and Snee-Oosh for letting us play in their playground.
So without any further ado: Day One- Growing Pains
This puberty thing was just ridiculous. And frustrating, don't forget frustrating.
He'd been lucky enough that most of what his grandmother noted as "growing into manhood" had happened during the summer. Unknown pains in his bones from shooting up two clothing sizes and three shoe sizes in three months, hair suddenly appearing in places that had been smooth the week before, his voice sounding like he had just gone through a bad cold; constantly cracking and changing. His underarms sweating, taking constant showers because he always felt dirty and sweaty.
He felt horrible; his emotions swinging from frustration because he was perfectly fine with the body he had at the beginning of the summer, thank you very much, why the hell did all this crap have to happen in a ninety-day period- to feeling absolutely horrible because his grandparents had to buy him new clothes and shoes twice. His grandmother had the foresight the second time to buy everything an extra size and a half larger. His clothes were baggy and his shoes were too big the second time exactly forty-five days before everything suddenly fit just right.
Most of all, he was angry. Angry that he didn't have anyone with whom he could talk to about this. His Dad was God knows where in South America instead of here explaining to him exactly why he needed hair in his nose or why his voice seemed to crack at the most inopportune time. Or why in God's name the damn bed was sticky when he woke up. He knew what it was, he had the internet, but having his Dad here to talk to about these things would have been great.
Logically, he knew that he'd chosen to come back to the States, and that his parents had to remain "just a while longer" but he was going through puberty, he was allowed to be moody and petulant. And as much as he loved his grandparents, there was absolutely no way in the world he was going to talk about this stuff with his grandmother.
They were about seven days before the beginning of the new school year when his body finally decided that it was taking a break from rapid physical changes. His hormones calmed down, his body stopped doing weird things and suddenly deciding to spurt up another foot, his chemical balance evened out, the storm had passed.
The storm had passed leaving him a foot taller, fifty pounds heavier and an octave lower. Gerald's dad had taken pity on him one summer afternoon and taught him how to shave so he no longer looked ragged. Things were looking up.
Three days before school, his grandmother knocked on his bedroom door.
"Come in," he called out, still not quite used to his new voice. The door opened and his grandmother walked into the room carrying a large shopping bag full of new button down shirts.
"For school." She announced as she placed the bag on the bed. Arnold upended the bag and went through the shirts.
"Thanks Grandma. But I'm not sure if button downs are going to be my style anymore."
She placed a hand on his chest and peered up at him, her eyes wise.
"Trust me Kimba." Her voice was steady and sane. "You can always take it off after school but always wear one."
He smiled, a hand reaching up to cover hers. "Okay Grandma. I promise."
Grandma Gertie was a psychic.
His first day of school began normally; he got dressed, wearing one of the button downs his grandmother had bought him, pick up breakfast and met Gerald at the bus stop and arrived at school
And then it all went to hell.
It seemed the girls had all gone through puberty also.
He didn't recognize some of his classmates, sometimes having to take a second look when someone waved to him or greeted him in the hallways.
They were walking down a side hall discussing Rhonda, who they'd just seen holding court in the main hallway and looking damn good, according to Gerald, when Gerald suddenly froze in the middle of the hallway, causing Arnold to run into the back of him.
"Man, warn a guy when you suddenly stop, would ya?"
Gerald's response was a strangled squeak. Arnold stepped around him and his eyes widened.
Standing by an open locker was Phoebe. The young girl had spent her summer in Japan with her paternal grandparents so nobody had seen her the entire summer. She looked a few inches taller, her body was thin and willowy, her dark hair was up in two artfully messy buns on her head. She wore bright orange leggings and an oversized neon orange and pink anime cat shirt. In short, she looked amazing.
"Wow," Was all Arnold said.
"I can't go over there," Gerald squeaked out. Arnold gave him an incredulous look.
"Gerald, it's Phoebe. I mean yeah, she looks great but it's ju…s…t…"
His voice trailed off as the blond Amazon on the other side of the open locker straightened and slammed the locker door.
Helga Pataki had also disappeared over the summer, to her grandparents it was rumored, and had come back with the puberty gods smiling down on her.
And, damn, was he ever going to be taller than her?
His eyes widened and he froze in the exact same spot as Gerald, understanding for the first time why Gerald refused to move.
It seemed as if puberty was not quite finished with him yet.
Every nerve ending seemed to be electrified, his skin felt tender and…
His pants had suddenly grown a size too small.
He panicked, taking a step backwards into the small side hallway, grabbing Gerald's arm as he slunk back. There was no way in hell he could go out there…and face Helga…with his body doing THAT!
"Dude, my Dad didn't warn me about this!" Gerald's voice had reverted for a moment to his summer pubescent crackle and squeak.
Arnold chanced a look down at his own covered body, terrified at how bad it was going to look, because it felt pretty damn bad, like if he took a step out into the hallway everyone would know.
The shirt.
The oversized button down shirt his Grandmother has bought for him and that he had worn was long enough that the bottom of the shirt covered the entire zipper area of his jeans. Nothing was visible, he wasn't sending a signal to everyone in Hillwood High everyone look at the perv who can't keep it in his pants, we all know what he's thinking.
He let out a relieved Whoosh falling against the wall. Gerald was digging in his book bag, trying to find a folder or book, something to hold in front of him. He glared up at the still giddy Arnold.
"Let me borrow your shirt, man."
"Hell no, I need it!" Arnold hissed back.
"What are you two doing?"
Gerald yelped, almost falling over his book bag. Arnold looked over at Helga and Phoebe who were standing just outside the hallway, giving them both odd looks.
"Hey, how was your summer?" Arnold greeted both girls giving Gerald time to organize his stuff and attempt to get under control.
"Very educational." Phoebe brushed a piece of hair from her face as she talked and behind him, Arnold heard another strangled squeak.
"Oh for the love of Pete!" Helga whipped off the gray zip up hoodie she was wearing revealing a thin "Evil Twin" tee shirt, and tossed the jacket to Gerald. "Give it back to me at the end of the day and for Pete's sake, get a grip, man!"
Arnold choked. Where had those come from? Phoebe was studying the ceiling, her face a shade of pink.
Helga looked at Arnold and gave him a quick once over. At that moment, he mentally thanking his grandmother and how she just knew.
"You got a little taller football head." She grinned and he swore he was never not going to be without another button down for the rest of his teenaged years. "But I'm still taller than you."
Relaxing now that he was comfortable enough to know that nobody would see any problems he might have, he pushed off the wall just as Gerald stood up, Helga's hoodie now strategically tied around his waist, and shouldered Helga's arm.
"Maybe, but guys keep growing long after girls stop."
"Keep telling yourself that Arnoldo,"
He may have never said anything to his grandparents, but as always, his Grandmother just knew. He owed her an extra hug when he got home from school.