"Skater Boy" by Miss Pataki
My third(!) song fic, which is enhanced by Avril Lavigne's "Sk8ter Boi"
A/N: Ooh! My first fic in which Lila actually has a significant role (Besides my yet to be released take on the Jungle movie)! If you've heard the song, I'm sure you can guess just who she plays. Just so you know, I'll probably be writing mostly all song fics as music and Hey Arnold! are my two passions. : smiles :
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"Okay, just go up and ask her. This is your last chance. Graduation's tomorrow, remember?" Arnold took a deep breath and nervously approached the girl he'd loved since grade school. "Uh, hi, Lila."
Lila whirled around and smiled, her long auburn braids the same way they had been the past eight years. "Hi Arnold," she replied, smiling.
He was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?
Her eyes drifted from the blue cap resting on his crown, down to his sneakers. He had changed so much. Ever since Sid and Gerald had gotten everyone excited about skateboarding and the like in seventh grade, several of the kids she'd gone to school with most of her life decided to become what Rhonda liked to call "fashion challenged." They wore baggy jeans and lived for the latest from One Dollar Short. Lila herself wasn't too fazed by this. She figured it was just their choice, just like she had opted for more feminine things, like dance classes.
He was a punk. She did ballet. What more can I say?
"Did you want to ask me something?" she questioned, looking back at Rhonda, Sheena and Nadine who were waiting for her.
"Yeah, well, I…" Lila smiled. He was so cute when he was nervous. She liked him since God knows when. She wondered if he still liked her. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go see a movie on Saturday," Arnold blurted out.
He wanted her. She'd never tell, secretly she wanted him as well.
"Arnold, I…" Lila trailed off. She couldn't believe he was asking her out! She was thrilled, but she tried to stay cool. She looked back at her friends. Rhonda had seen what had happened and was now shaking her head.
But all of her friends stuck up their nose. They had a problem with his baggy clothes.
She weighed her options. She could say yes, but he wasn't the kind of guy she could see herself with, truthfully. Sure, she liked him, but as all her friends said, skaters were like little kids who wouldn't grow up. Besides, Rhonda had told her dozens of times she could do better. Lila shook her head. "Sorry, Arnold. I'm busy. Bye." Just like that, she left. She was the only girl he'd ever truly fallen for and now he just felt defeated. He walked away sadly, wondering if he'd ever find someone.
Only one person saw how dejected he looked that day. As Helga stood in the shadows, clutching her locket, she murmured, "Oh, Arnold…"
He was a skater boy. She said, "See ya later, boy." He wasn't good enough for her. She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space. She needed to come back down to earth.
--
Lila sat on the couch in her now elaborate home, cradling her six-month-old daughter Cindy in her arms, trying to get her to sleep. It was the servants' day off, so she was alone for now.
Look at me, she thought. I'm only twenty-two, barely old enough to drink, and here I am, married with a baby already. Of course, it wouldn't matter if she wasn't married. Lorenzo was never around. He was always off on his business trips. Lila sighed. At least he was nobler than most guys. After all, they'd only been dating eight months when Cindy was conceived and he'd immediately suggested getting married. It wasn't so bad. And the house was pretty nice.
Five years from now, she sits at home feeding the baby. She's all alone.
Once she put Cindy down for a nap, Lila plopped herself down on the comfy, velvet-covered couch and flipped on TV.
"Oh, boy. TRL," she grumbled. Suddenly, the lead singer of the latest punk act caught her eyes. Her eyes bulged. "Arnold?"
She turns on TV. Guess who she sees. Skater boy rockin' up MTV.
Sure enough, there he was. The same guy she'd rejected so many times before was now the latest overnight sensation. Lila couldn't believe it. She grabbed the cordless phone and dialed her best friend.
"Rhonda, turn on MTV."
"I'm already watching, Lila. Who would've thought someone from Hillwood could make it big?"
"Yeah," Lila murmured, wondering where she'd be today if she'd accepted his offer.
"He's coming back here, you know," Rhonda told her. "Nadine and I have tickets. Wanna come? I mean, unless it's too weird."
"No, I'd love to go," Lila lied.
She calls up her friends. They already know. And they've all go tickets to see his show.
The concert hall was packed. More so than Lila expected. Luckily, Rhonda had snagged some seats in the front row. Lila was seated at the end of the row. She sat, fidgeting through the opening act, a local group she'd heard a few times before. When it finally came for Arnold's turn, she just stood there, speechless. She had always looked for maturity in guys; she'd just never seen it in him. She always thought of him as a child trapped in a young adult's body. And as he played a song about the girl who made his heart go faint, Lila felt that maybe she'd made a mistake.
She tags along, stands in the crowd, and looks up at the man that she turned down.
Lila didn't think she had felt more remorse. She wanted to talk to Rhonda about it, but her friend was completely focused on the cute singer in front of her. Lila sighed. She just sat there for most of the concert, thinking.
Maybe there was a way to make it up. Lila looked towards the stage. At the side was an entrance for VIPs. She didn't see anyone guarding it, so she figured she'd casually slip in. Maybe then she could right the wrong she'd made.
He was a skater boy. She said "See ya later, boy." He wasn't good enough for her. Now, he's a superstar living off his guitar. Does your pretty face see what he's worth? He was a skater boy. She said "See ya later, boy." He wasn't good enough for her. Now, he's a superstar living off his guitar. Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Lila quietly shut the door. She was sure no one had seen her.
"Hold it right there, Miss." Lila whirled around to face whoever had caught her. The blonde woman looked her over. "Lila?" she asked, a bit annoyed, in a familiar voice.
"Helga?" Lila ventured. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same about you. I'm here for every show."
Suddenly, it hit Lila. "You…you and Arnold are…"
Sorry, girl, but you missed out. Well, tough luck. That boy's mine now.
Helga smirked. "Funny how life comes back and bites you in the ass, huh?" Lila just nodded. "I guess I owe you an explanation. Remember that day back in fourth grade when I told you I had to play Juliet in the school play because I was in love with Arnold?"
"Yeah," Lila replied, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Well, I kept that up and on the same day you turned him down, only I was there for him. We forged a friendship that was rocky to say the least. But as they say, a kiss bridges the gap between friends and lovers. We've been together for four years now."
We are more than just good friends and this is how the story ends.
"He just fell for you like that?" Lila asked.
"No, but guys are fickle, hon. You didn't honestly expect him to wait for you, did you? Not after the way you rejected him every time he reached out to you or after you joked with all your friends about how immature he was?"
Lila turned red. "I guess not. It's just that he always seemed so smitten."
Too bad that you couldn't see, see the man that boy could be.
"He needed someone who would accept him for who he was. But eventually he realized it wasn't you. And he turned to the girl who'd loved him since preschool. He might look childish on the outside, but believe it or not, he really is wise beyond his years. The kids eat him up, thinking he's some kind of renegade teen who only cares about skating, but he's really a sweet, mature person. He's only a kid at heart."
There is more than meets the eye. I see the soul that is inside.
"I suppose I should be going," Lila told her.
"You're welcome to stay, but whatever floats your boat," Helga replied. She shot her a sympathetic smile that seemed to say, "Sorry, but you had your chance." Lila turned to leave.
Just then, Arnold himself came walking up to Helga. He pulled her into an embrace, whispering something in her ear. She giggled a little, but told him they had company.
"Lila?" he inquired. Lila turned around.
"Oh, hi, Arnold. Nice to see you again," she lied.
"Likewise. Did you invite her, sweetie?" he asked, turning to Helga.
"No," Helga replied. "But I told her she could hang out if she wanted. It was nice of her to stop by."
Lila's face burned as she gazed at his hand looped around her waist. It was almost too much to bear. "I really should go."
"Oh, okay," Arnold said, his eyes focused on Helga. "Did you invite her for Saturday?"
"No, but I was just about to."
"What's going on Saturday?" Lila asked. Helga just held out her hand. On it was the prettiest stone Lila had ever seen.
He's just a boy. I'm just a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? We are in love. Haven't you heard how we rock each other's world?
"Y'know, I think I'm busy Saturday. I really should get going. It was nice to see you again, Arnold, Helga," she said with fake cordiality. She opened the door to leave.
"I think you should get back out there. I can tell they want an encore," Helga remarked.
"If you say so," Arnold replied. "But don't stay too late. We have to be up bright and early for the recording session."
Helga just rolled her eyes. "My debut on your CD. Tell me what's wrong with that." He just kissed her.
I'm with the skater boy. I said, "See ya later, boy. I'll be backstage after the show. I'll be in the studio, singing the song we wrote, about a girl you used to know."
"Hey, you'll get your day. Now, go get some rest," he insisted, pushing her towards the door.
"I'm going, I'm going. But you know where to find me." She threw a key at him and winked before heading out the door, humming a little song she'd written herself.
I'm with the skater boy. I said, "See ya later, boy. I'll be backstage after the show. I'll be in the studio, singing the song we wrote, about a girl you used to know…"