Slam
" Ugh!, Lucy Pines is a pain in the butt," a voiced said annoyingly.
" Well maybe if you didn't make that snarky remark at her, then maybe she wouldn't have pushed you into the ground," another voice said.
" Hey! she started it first Geraldine,". the voice replied.
Geraldine just shook her head " Oh Philip. When are you going to learn that she likes you. That's why she is always trying to get your attention," Geraldine pointed out to her older brother.
Phil just laughed " yeah right, she doesn't like me. If she did, then why is she always mean to me?".
" I can answer that," a voice called out.
Phil and Geraldine turned their heads in the direction of the voice.
" You can mom?" Phil answered back with a slightly raised voice.
" Mhm, and so can your father, who is here with me too in the kitchen. Now get your butts in here and tell us what the young Pines did this time,".
Phil and Geraldine did as they were told and made there way into the kitchen. They were greeted by their mother, who was finishing up cleaning dishes. While their father was drinking some orange juice next to their mother.
" Hey mom, hey dad," they said together.
" Hey kids, just give me a moment and.. there all done," Helga put down the dish she was cleaning, turned around, and then made her way over to her kids.
Arnold meanwhile drank the last of the orange before making his way over to kids.
" So Phil? what did the young miss pines do to you. Because you look pretty dirty right now,".
" well you see dad, and mom. she was calling names, and being quite rude. so i decide to give her a taste of her own medicine. next thing i know, my face is on the ground, and lucy had run off in the direction of her home,".
Arnold and helga gave Phil a disaproving look.
" Now phillip, what did we tell you about stooping down to a bullies level?".
" But mom?"
Helga shook her head " No buts mister. you never stoop down to one's level. In fact your father had his own bully at your age,".
" Pft, yeah right. Dad was a very well respected kid at my age. So i highly doubt anyone bullied him back then,".
Arnold smiled after phil stopped talking, and then placed his right hand on phil's left shoulder. " Actually, i did have my own personal bully at your age Phil,".
Phil looked back at his father with shock. How could a person be so mean to his dad back in the day? Everything his mom and dad told him was that his dad was a nice, and respected kid, who'd go out of his way to help people. So to know someone was bullying him made Phil start questioning why he was bullied as a kid, and who was doing it. Phil was about to ask both of those to his folks, but his sister Geraldine beat him to it.
" So why did this person bully you dad? and what was their name?" Geraldine asked. she, unlike phil, was very curious to know the story behind this bully that picked on her dad.
Arnold and Helga smiled at Geraldine wanting to know more.
" Well you see," Helga began," her name was Geraldine, i met her on the first day of preschool, and we hit off as friends. When she met your father though, oh man. You could see the crush she had for him from a mile away. They also met on the first day of preschool too. But that's besides the point. On the first day though she openly swooned at your father, and got laughed at for it. What i saw next i will never forget. Geraldine got up, and pushed a fellow classmate to the ground. I knew then and there that she was scared of expressing her feelings. So she resorted to bullying to hide them. Unfortunately your dad became her main target of it too. But being the man he was, and still is, he just shrugged it off and tried to bring out the good in her. What happened next might be a surprise to you two," Helga said as she finished her long explanation of this Geraldine girl.
" Um, surprise us how?" Phil asked as hevwas finally coming out of the surprised daze he was in.
Helga smiled " Geraldine became me".
" Wait what?" Phil shouted " but youre a nice mom, and you love dad so much. How could you have been so mean to him in the past?".
" As i said Phil it was cause i was scared of expressing my feeling,".
" Not to mention your mom didn't exactly have the best upbringing as a child too,". Arnold added.
" So wait, when did you exactly fall in love with dad on that day?". phil asked.
Helga smiled and looked at Arnold, who was smiling and looking at her back.
" He made a sweet comment about that pink bow i still wear from time to time, and how it matched the color of my pants".
" I still love that bow of yours by the way darling. It makes you look even more cute, and makes me feel very nostalgic,".
Helga blushed a bit at Arnold's statement before she turned her attention back to her kids.
" So you see kids, and more specifically phil. Lucy is probably scared of showing her true self and probable feelings she has for you. Because she thinks you'll reject her feelings and will maybe make fun of her after opening up to you. Do you understand?".
Phil nodded, but w everything he just learned made him feel overwhelmed. So much so that he needed to clear his head, and there was only one way for him to do it.
" Mom? Dad? is it ok if i go on a walk?" he asked.
" Sure, but be home by dinner time ok,". Helga said
Phil nodded and turned around to leave the house. Once he was gone Helga and Arnold turned their attention to Geraldine.
" So Geraldine. Want to help your mother I make dinner?" Arnold asked his daughter.
Geraldine nodded.
" Alright, lets get started," he replied.
Meanwhile at the Pines house
" What? i'm grounded? but why?," Lucy asked her mom in complete shock.
" Because you were being mean to phil shortman again," Pacifica pointed out.
" But mom! you know how i feel about him,".
" Yes i do. But being mean has consequences,".
" Hmph it's not fair,".
" It may not be fair," Pacifica began " But compared to those who can't be named. it's nowhere nearly as bad,".
" Whatever you say mom. now if you'll excuse i have to go sulk in my room now since im grounded.
Lucy turned around and made her way to her room. Once she was out of site Pacifica let out an audible groan.
" Man Dipper, i hope you have a way of convincing our daughter that this behavior is bad. Because i don't want her to end up like me when i was that age,".