Okay, so I wanted to write today, and I stumbled upon a prompt. I thought I was a super cute idea, so I made this little one shot for you. Enjoy! Just super quick, super fluff, just to help loosen up writing. Ehhh. If you'd like to suggest prompts, I enjoy taking them!
It was getting close to eleven, which means it was getting closer to the time that Helga was supposed to call with the final verdict of our paper outline. She was responsible for doing the final touches on it, and it was due to be submitted by midnight tonight.
I mean, Oh God, please let her call soon! I have no idea when she actually intends to. I had just badgered all this morning to please, please, please alert me as soon as she finished – and she was never one to really get things done in timely manner. I had learned this through hard years of having her as a lab partner, which is why I usually did all the time sensitive work. However, this time I knew I wouldn't be home in time to put the work into it. Which left it up to her. Why won't she call me!?
Maybe I should call her. But she has always been one to yell when she feels rushed or put out, and I don't want to make her get distracted from the project if by some chance she isn't finished.
I released a heavy groan, falling by onto my bed and digging the heels of my palms into my eyes. Maybe if I wished really hard….
As if my magic, my phone began to buzz from the bedside table. I quickly jumped for it, my heart skipping as I read Helga's number. Oh thank heavens.
"Helga! Hi! I was starting to…worry?" my voice cracked as she responded in a somewhat garbled fashion.
"Oh, sure, whatever."
"I'm sorry?"
"That is the stupidest idea I think I've ever heard!"
"But I didn't say anything about an idea? Wait, are you saying you have a problem with the hypothesis now?" I retorted, my cheeks starting to burn with anger. She was not doing this with less than an hour to turn this in. Seriously?
"I don't think you understand the consequences this could have on me if I go through with this. I could be humiliated!" her garbled voice filtered back over the line, her tone in hysterics now.
"Consequences? Hega, it's just a paper on the effects of microwave radiation. As long as we turn good work in, the project itself doesn't really matter. How is that humiliating?" I was starting to get really confused by this sudden outburst. "Are you okay?" I asked cautiously.
"Are you serious?" Even more garbled voice, and a distant sounding laugh. Was I on speaker phone? "He'd never even talk to me again, much less listen. He'd laugh in my face, I'm positive!"
"Helga…I know Mrs. Shusterman is a bit..manish, but there's no reason to start being snappy. She won't care, I promise. Is the outline done at least? Just let me-"
"Well how's it supposed to be? What will I say?"
"If you'd just let me finish!" I tried to retort, only to be cut off again.
"I can see it now. Just picture it, now Pheebs." Pheebs? "Me walking over and just word vomiting that I'm freakishly in love with him. Like Arnold would totally be okay with that."
I jerked the phone away from my ear, staring at it like it had suddenly turned into a venomous creature. Did I hear that right? I glanced around my room skeptically. Was this a prank? This had to be a prank. Or maybe I just misheard. I peered back at the phone a moment before shoving it back to me ear, raising the call volume once more. I could just make out a very far away sounding Phoebe saying, "But it's senior year and you'll never get another chance." For some reason, I felt my breath catch.
"Listen Pheebs, thanks for the support. But Arnold is much better off not knowing how I feel about him, trust me. There's no way to not sound creepy after this many years."
It went back to tiny voice Phoebe. "Well it's not like you have to mention the shrine or the poetry. Just that you have feelings."
I should hang up…
"He's too good for me. Too nice, too sweet. Besides, like you said, it's senior year. He doesn't need to spend the rest of the year avoiding me because of a silly love confession. But speaking of, I have to call my football headed love about this shitty science outline. He's probably dry heaving while staring at the clock waiting on my phone call."
I heard a pause and my heart practically stopped.
"OH MY GOD PHOEBE THE PHONES ON!" I could hear garbled Phoebe, who was quickly overshadowed by shrieking Helga followed by the call going dead. I pulled the phone away from my ear and peered at it curiously. I should not have listened. I should have hung the phone up; I should have hung up the phone!
No more than a second later it buzzed to life again with Helga number. I tried to let it ring a few times before answering casually.
"Helga!" I answered, my voice way too cheery and cracked. Crap. "How's the outline?"
"I'm about to submit it," she answered in a strained voice, louder as she was actually speaking into the receiver. "Hey, super weird by the way, buuut, I think I may have butt dialed you a second ago?" Her voice rose painfully.
"Oh, yeah," I tried to laugh. Tell or no tell? Could she see the call time? Don't tell. "It rang like a second ago, but as soon as I answered you had hung up?"
"Oh, okay. Sorry about that. But yeah, outlines sent!" I could hear the relief in her voice, which I guess I couldn't blame her for.
"Awesome. Thanks. I really appreciate it," I said lamely, fumbling with the drawstring to my sleeping pants. "But hey, listen," I said with a deep breath. "I just want you to know that you can tell me pretty much anything you want to, whenever you want to. I won't judge," I added, hopeful she'd rust me.
"Ooookay? Too much microwave radiation for you. Night Arnold!"
The phone clicked off. "Night Helga…Love you too."
