Things are not the way you dreamed for
Summary: Helga, after years of suffering for love and attention, finally confesses her love to Arnold. And he accepts the facts. But Arnold is not the guy she thought he would be.
She woke up, and immediately took a shower. She was tired of sweating every night and waking up thinking of him. As she opened the shower, she thought of her worst fears, her worst nightmares, that took her entirely, and every day was worse and worse. Why did she have that feeling that every moment she spent thinking of Arnold, her beloved, was a waste of time? She remembers him as the kind, goody two shoes, stupid football headed boy that held an umbrella over her head and liked her bow, when they both were 3 years old. Since then, she loved him, caressed for him, showed him her feelings by a hard mask of bullying, kissed him, stalked him. But 18-year-old Helga G. Pataki, recently Hillwood PS 218 High School graduated and most certainly having reaching adulthood and going to college, was still wondering if that was worth it now. Ever since he went to visit San Lorenzo and back, and he had his parents Miles and Stella back again with him, he's been a true mistery. Although she spent a bit of time wondering about Hillwood High, searching for his characteristic shaped head, it wasn't enough to find out what was ticking him right at the moment. Sure he spent time with Gerald but ever since he was distanced from Phoebe, being her the smart ass know-it-all she was, going to a private school and studying Physics, she couldn't get any information from him and less share a class and ask him, "Hey, hair boy, how's Arnold!". That would certainly bring out questions like "Why? Do you like him, like him?" or chirping "Helga and Arnold sitting in a tree".
Yeah, that kind of childish song was still around. And she didn't want to get out old Betsy, and have academic issues. Hell no, she was doing just fine! Getting straight A's like Olga, still writing poetry, she still had Arnold represented as a wooden statue in her room. But she still had this old habit of being the badass, to hide her true self. Everyone still feared her. And the worst part was, she had made no friends at all herself, which made her suffer a bit. She wouldn't go straight low like making friends with Wolfgang either, but she wouldn't befriend Lila or stupid Curly either. They were both so annoying. And they were together. Oh yeah, and to think Lila liked Curly. And Curly, being the annoying pro-disaster nerd he was, liked her too, and they started dating just to make Rhonda jealous!
She had excuses. She knew she had, to not make friends, to pass High School like it was nothing.
But she ached to tell him how she felt. Dr. Bliss recommended from time to time for her to practice at the mirror. Practice! Like if that was going to work! She could reach the big bathroom, that it was the only one actually having a mirror, step inside, start yelling an "I love you Arnold!" at her own reflection, then Big Bob would step inside too, yelling Miriam a "Where's my toothbrush and my coffee?!" and storm off, not without yelling her back a "Get down for breakfast, Olga!".
"It's Helga, Blob!", she would retort. She liked now calling her Blob, instead of Bob. At least would be a good hint for him to spell her name correctly for once and for all.
She dressed in a pink tanktop, blue jeans and a simple pair of white shoes. She did her hair in a bun, and marched down for 'breakfast'.
Breakfast was a piece of burned toast, thanks to Miriam sleeping on the couch forgetting to take them off a few minutes ago, and just coffee, again thanks to Miriam for not buying any milk. Honestly, Helga thought for herself, those 'smoothies' are destroying Miriam, wonder what the hell is she mixing on them?. It got worse since Olga stopped visiting and went on to marry a guy living in London. That was a good blow. Now they had the undesirable lamb only.
The only good thing about summer is that she would take a walk every morning, to not to listen Bob and Miriam yelling at each other and throwing things, like bottles and plates and having the house being a mess, along with the police calls about disturbs. That was a blessing she could avoid all that.
Just imagining them fighting.
"I HAVE TO GET TO WORK AND WHERE IS MY SUITCASE!?", Bob would yell.
Miriam would slur a "I don't know, honey… zzzz." She would fall asleep.
Bob would get mad at her and he would shake her. "WAKE UP, WOMAN! I SAID WHERE IS MY SUITCASE? AND MY LUNCH BOX?". Bob yelling again. "YOU DAMN GOOD FOR NOTHING!", He would drop her on the couch again violently then scream. "NOW I'M GONNA BE LATE THANKS TO YOU!". And then he would remember. "OLGA! OLGA?! URR.. HELGA, WHERE ARE YOU, YOUNG LADY?".
He would receive a blow to the head with his suitcase. Then he would receive another blow to the face with an empty lunchbox. "OW! Hey, my phones!", Bob would lament. A considerable amount of phones would be scattered to the floor.
"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR?!", Miriam would yell. "I'm not responsible for your stuff! I'm not responsible either that Olga isn't here! So quit bothering me and get to work!". She would cry, like she always did.
"Why is that you always burn my food?! Speaking of food, where is my lunch box full of food?!", Bob asked, sarcastically.
"Go buy a slice of pizza or something, I don't care!",
"You useless piece-a-shit! Look at what you did with my cellphones! They were all new! This will be cut from your salary!".
"I'm not your employee!".
"Oh, but there's gonna be a salary!"
Helga watched from outside, hiding nearby a light pole, at how Bob yelled those last words, then took his car and drove off like a mad man. Miriam was out on the porch, grabbing her head with her two hands and sobbing.
"Looks like it's always the same thing every day, huh, Helga?", someone asked Helga from behind.
"Brainy, if you don't mind, stay out of my business!", she said as she punched Brainy in the face and left for a walk.
But Brainy, being the weird-o he was, wouldn't stop following her for some reason by popping out of every trash can. Helga still wondered how did he do that. "Oh, c'mon, Helga baby, don't be like that", he breathed, as he corrected his nose from the blow. "You know I like you, and care about you".
Helga smiled sarcastically. "Correction, dweeb, you know you like yourself and you follow me like a rat every day just to be with me. That's stalking, pervert.".
"Like you did, and actually try every day with Arnold?", Brainy asked.
Her eyes opened wide in shock. She sighed.
"Touché…". She turned around to face Brainy. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "The thing is, Brainy, that I'm trying to profess my love for you-know-who, but I'm hopeless. There's no denying I fear he wouldn't return my feelings. I'm not good at showing off my heart either. So maybe, I should just move on and give up.". She tossed him.
Brainy almost fell out of the trash can. "So soon? You've got 18, Helga darling, you have all your life 'til 30 to tell him how you feel.". He sneezed.
Helga smiled truly this time, and helped Brainy get up. "You know what? You're right. Thanks buddy, but let me give you a piece of advice: stop being a creep". She kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, and get a bath. You smell.". He nodded, then he fainted. Helga simply shrugged and walked off.