Chapter One: The Dinner Party
Hey Arnold does not belong to me. But it sure gives me a chance to write about something.
Timberly worked furiously in the kitchen. The quiche and the wine were ready but the chicken fricassee was not. She dropped forks and knives all over the floor. Arnold walked in the front door. "Something smells wonderful darling," he greeted his girlfriend with a kissed. "What can I do to help?"
"Watch the chicken while I take a shower."
"It's not going anywhere. Can't I join you?" He squeezed her and she turned around angrily.
"No! Tonight Phoebe and Gerald are going to announce their engagement. We don't have time to fool around." Timberly walked into the bathroom and left Arnold to sulk. They hadn't made love in months. She acted differently towards him lately. Was she jealous of her brother and Phoebe? Did she want to get married? Did she still love him? Arnold picked up the forks and knives and got out the 'good' dishes. Worrying about what Timberly wanted didn't really matter anymore. He was beat and didn't feel like putting on a smile for all his old friends. And Gerald hadn't really spoken to Arnold anymore since he started dating Timberly.
They began dating when Arnold had moved to the city. He had just finished his internship in Las Vegas. He had been a clerk for a judge. After he graduated, he moved back to the city because he got a job as an intern with the Green Party. Curly was the one who first mentioned that Arnold would be a good political activist and he was right. In Las Vegas, Arnold petitioned the brothels and they were moved. A work/study program was created to help women get out of sex labor as a profession.
Timberly and Gerald were the first to welcome him to the city and there was an instant attraction between Arnold and her when they were reacquainted.
In twenty minutes, people would arrive and the apartment wasn't looking it's best. Timberly had left her Industrial/ Organizational books all over the place. Her grad student lifestyle was getting to him. Arnold threw the books in the computer room and shut the door. He checked the chicken and changed his clothes into something more appropriate from his t-shirt and jeans he wore to the office.
On the bed, Timberly had already laid out some clothes. Gray wool slacks, a dark blue long sleeved, buttoned up shirt, matching socks and black Armani shoes. "God," Arnold thought, "I hate dressing up. She's gonna make me tuck in my shirt."
Timberly was already dressed in a tight, little black dress. She was thin and the dress clung to her body. She didn't have the stereotypical African American girl body rather waifish. She was extremely beautiful. Her skin was like vanilla fudge and her eyes were soft brown. Her hair was cropped short and sexy. She looked at Arnold, "So aren't you gonna take a shower, Baby?"
"Do I have time?"
"Your stanky ass better make time," She glared.
Arnold stripped and jumped into the shower. All the hot water was gone. He heard Timberly shut the bathroom door. He decided to take advantage of his alone time and lather himself up really good. It was a cruel tease to have a beautiful, intelligent girlfriend who he couldn't connect with. He stood in there for a while until he heard the doorbell and jumped out and got dressed.
The first people to arrive were Rhonda and Lorenzo; they had gone to Stanford together and gotten married shortly after they graduated. Rhonda never had to work, since they were set for life. Lorenzo worked as the CEO of some fortune 500 company called RHOLO. The next few people to arrive were Nadine, Lila, and Sid. A few more people arrived but none of them were from Hillcrest. Finally, Phoebe and Gerald got there. Arnold was finally dressed by then and he walked out of the bedroom and greeted everyone. He looked all right except for his hair, he adopted 'the just woke up spiky hair look', which Timberly hated.
Everyone was catching up and drinking wine, snacking on munchies when the doorbell rang. Arnold opened it, a tall, blonde woman stood at the door biting her nail and staring off at the wall. She glanced at Arnold, "Is this the dinner party for Phoebe and Gerald?"
Arnold could barely breathe, "Uh huh..."
She walked in past him and found Phoebe. Phoebe squealed with delight, "Helga, I can't believe you made it!"
The two women hugged. Arnold's eyes bulged with disbelief, " That couldn't be Helga Pataki?" He walked over to her, "Helga, I can't believe you're here. Let me grab you a drink. What would you like?"
"A white wine spritzer," She answered very relaxed. She was extremely sexy; her hair was short like a bob, parted on the left and slicked behind her ears. She wore a dress similar to Timberly's except she filled it out more. She was very womanly.
He handed her the drink, "So, how's life been. What are you up to?"
"I am so sorry but I can't seem to place you," She looked at him curiously.
"I am Arnold, Helga."
She turned her head to the side slightly and looked into his eyes, "Ohmygod, it is you!" She grabbed his hand and gave him a hug, pressing her body tightly against his. He pulled away still holding her hand. He wished he hadn't 'washed up' so good in the shower now.
"You know I should have recognized you but you look a lot thinner since high school."
"Oh, I don't really workout like I used to anymore," He felt embarrassed and about to change color.
"Oh, but you look really handsome."
Timberly walked up to the blond, "He should look good. I dress him." she grabbed Arnold's arm. "I am Arnold's girlfriend, Timberly."
"You're Gerald's little sister?" Helga hugged Timberly and let go, "Girl, you look so good. I always thought you very pretty but I never imagined you would grow up to be so stunning."
Timberly softened, "Thank you. You're Phoebe's friend, Helga? You look different from what I remember as well."
"Anyway, I guess we'll get reacquainted with the wedding and all. It was nice to see you. Nice to see you again too, Arnold." She walked away and mingled with the others there.
Timberly was furious but she let go of Arnold's arm and began talking to other people, one of them Gary, Gerald's best friend from work. Arnold ignored it and took a seat on the couch next to Sid and spaced out.
Everyone had finished eating and Gerald and Phoebe made their announcement to their friends. Gerald began, "It has been a wild ride for Phoebe and Me. But I am pleased to announce that she has accepted my proposal. We're getting married in June." They went on for a while and Arnold downed a few beers.
The guests clapped and it was time for Arnold to make a speech. He grabbed a Heineken and rattled off, "Gerald, you and Phoebe are great for each other and I am happy for you two, cheers." He poured back his beer. And everyone looked at each other for a second and took a sip of their own drinks.
By eleven, everyone had cleared out of the apartment. Arnold was drunk and he sat on the couch watching Conan O'Brien. Timberly said goodbye to the last of the guests and slammed the door. "What the hell was that about with that blond chick?" she screamed.
"Huh?" he said. "Who?" he knew who but he didn't want to start this conversation when he was watching TV, not to mention the fact that he got weird vibes from Gary and her.
"Well, Arnie, you can clean up and sleep on the couch because I am going to bed."
Hey Arnold does not belong to me. But it sure gives me a chance to write about something.
Timberly worked furiously in the kitchen. The quiche and the wine were ready but the chicken fricassee was not. She dropped forks and knives all over the floor. Arnold walked in the front door. "Something smells wonderful darling," he greeted his girlfriend with a kissed. "What can I do to help?"
"Watch the chicken while I take a shower."
"It's not going anywhere. Can't I join you?" He squeezed her and she turned around angrily.
"No! Tonight Phoebe and Gerald are going to announce their engagement. We don't have time to fool around." Timberly walked into the bathroom and left Arnold to sulk. They hadn't made love in months. She acted differently towards him lately. Was she jealous of her brother and Phoebe? Did she want to get married? Did she still love him? Arnold picked up the forks and knives and got out the 'good' dishes. Worrying about what Timberly wanted didn't really matter anymore. He was beat and didn't feel like putting on a smile for all his old friends. And Gerald hadn't really spoken to Arnold anymore since he started dating Timberly.
They began dating when Arnold had moved to the city. He had just finished his internship in Las Vegas. He had been a clerk for a judge. After he graduated, he moved back to the city because he got a job as an intern with the Green Party. Curly was the one who first mentioned that Arnold would be a good political activist and he was right. In Las Vegas, Arnold petitioned the brothels and they were moved. A work/study program was created to help women get out of sex labor as a profession.
Timberly and Gerald were the first to welcome him to the city and there was an instant attraction between Arnold and her when they were reacquainted.
In twenty minutes, people would arrive and the apartment wasn't looking it's best. Timberly had left her Industrial/ Organizational books all over the place. Her grad student lifestyle was getting to him. Arnold threw the books in the computer room and shut the door. He checked the chicken and changed his clothes into something more appropriate from his t-shirt and jeans he wore to the office.
On the bed, Timberly had already laid out some clothes. Gray wool slacks, a dark blue long sleeved, buttoned up shirt, matching socks and black Armani shoes. "God," Arnold thought, "I hate dressing up. She's gonna make me tuck in my shirt."
Timberly was already dressed in a tight, little black dress. She was thin and the dress clung to her body. She didn't have the stereotypical African American girl body rather waifish. She was extremely beautiful. Her skin was like vanilla fudge and her eyes were soft brown. Her hair was cropped short and sexy. She looked at Arnold, "So aren't you gonna take a shower, Baby?"
"Do I have time?"
"Your stanky ass better make time," She glared.
Arnold stripped and jumped into the shower. All the hot water was gone. He heard Timberly shut the bathroom door. He decided to take advantage of his alone time and lather himself up really good. It was a cruel tease to have a beautiful, intelligent girlfriend who he couldn't connect with. He stood in there for a while until he heard the doorbell and jumped out and got dressed.
The first people to arrive were Rhonda and Lorenzo; they had gone to Stanford together and gotten married shortly after they graduated. Rhonda never had to work, since they were set for life. Lorenzo worked as the CEO of some fortune 500 company called RHOLO. The next few people to arrive were Nadine, Lila, and Sid. A few more people arrived but none of them were from Hillcrest. Finally, Phoebe and Gerald got there. Arnold was finally dressed by then and he walked out of the bedroom and greeted everyone. He looked all right except for his hair, he adopted 'the just woke up spiky hair look', which Timberly hated.
Everyone was catching up and drinking wine, snacking on munchies when the doorbell rang. Arnold opened it, a tall, blonde woman stood at the door biting her nail and staring off at the wall. She glanced at Arnold, "Is this the dinner party for Phoebe and Gerald?"
Arnold could barely breathe, "Uh huh..."
She walked in past him and found Phoebe. Phoebe squealed with delight, "Helga, I can't believe you made it!"
The two women hugged. Arnold's eyes bulged with disbelief, " That couldn't be Helga Pataki?" He walked over to her, "Helga, I can't believe you're here. Let me grab you a drink. What would you like?"
"A white wine spritzer," She answered very relaxed. She was extremely sexy; her hair was short like a bob, parted on the left and slicked behind her ears. She wore a dress similar to Timberly's except she filled it out more. She was very womanly.
He handed her the drink, "So, how's life been. What are you up to?"
"I am so sorry but I can't seem to place you," She looked at him curiously.
"I am Arnold, Helga."
She turned her head to the side slightly and looked into his eyes, "Ohmygod, it is you!" She grabbed his hand and gave him a hug, pressing her body tightly against his. He pulled away still holding her hand. He wished he hadn't 'washed up' so good in the shower now.
"You know I should have recognized you but you look a lot thinner since high school."
"Oh, I don't really workout like I used to anymore," He felt embarrassed and about to change color.
"Oh, but you look really handsome."
Timberly walked up to the blond, "He should look good. I dress him." she grabbed Arnold's arm. "I am Arnold's girlfriend, Timberly."
"You're Gerald's little sister?" Helga hugged Timberly and let go, "Girl, you look so good. I always thought you very pretty but I never imagined you would grow up to be so stunning."
Timberly softened, "Thank you. You're Phoebe's friend, Helga? You look different from what I remember as well."
"Anyway, I guess we'll get reacquainted with the wedding and all. It was nice to see you. Nice to see you again too, Arnold." She walked away and mingled with the others there.
Timberly was furious but she let go of Arnold's arm and began talking to other people, one of them Gary, Gerald's best friend from work. Arnold ignored it and took a seat on the couch next to Sid and spaced out.
Everyone had finished eating and Gerald and Phoebe made their announcement to their friends. Gerald began, "It has been a wild ride for Phoebe and Me. But I am pleased to announce that she has accepted my proposal. We're getting married in June." They went on for a while and Arnold downed a few beers.
The guests clapped and it was time for Arnold to make a speech. He grabbed a Heineken and rattled off, "Gerald, you and Phoebe are great for each other and I am happy for you two, cheers." He poured back his beer. And everyone looked at each other for a second and took a sip of their own drinks.
By eleven, everyone had cleared out of the apartment. Arnold was drunk and he sat on the couch watching Conan O'Brien. Timberly said goodbye to the last of the guests and slammed the door. "What the hell was that about with that blond chick?" she screamed.
"Huh?" he said. "Who?" he knew who but he didn't want to start this conversation when he was watching TV, not to mention the fact that he got weird vibes from Gary and her.
"Well, Arnie, you can clean up and sleep on the couch because I am going to bed."
