Disclaimer- I don't own Hey Arnold! *Don't sue me!*
*~Prologue~*
Arnold walked slowly up the steps of the Pataki house. Helga and himself were going to be doing a project for school together. He knocked on the door. "Come in!" came daft and drunk-sounding voice. Arnold turned the knob, and the door swung open into Helga's house. He walked over the threshold, and looked around. The first thing that he noticed was that there were lots of pictures of a blonde girl that he at first thought was Helga. But no, he realized, this must be Olga, Helga's older sister. In one family portrait, Helga's mom and dad, Miriam and Big Bob, had their arms around Olga, and they were both smiling at her. Arnold noticed that Helga was near the edge of the photo, looking at Bob, Miriam, and Olga with a scowl on her face. Helga was like that in ALL of the pictures. Arnold heard footsteps upstairs, and then he saw Helga coming down the stairs. She got to the bottom, and asked "How's it goin', Football Head?" as usual.
"I'm fine, Helga, how are you?" Arnold asked, ignoring the football comment. He was used to it by now. Helga gestured up the stairs to her room. "We should start working on that stupid project now, shouldn't we?" she scoffed. The two started upstairs.
***
On the way upstairs, Arnold noticed even more pictures of Olga. There was an entire room upstairs devoted to Olga. It was full of her trophies, awards, and various other things. Miriam and Bob had even had her baby shoes bronzed, and they were mounted on the wall, on a plaque of shining mahogany wood. Arnold's eyes widened. He expected to find a room like this one for Helga's achievements, and baby shoes, perhaps even an old blanket. There was none.
***
When Arnold and Helga had finally gotten a good start on their project, it was time for dinner. The two went downstairs, and to Arnold's surprise, found Miriam on the couch, asleep. Helga paid no attention, she just walked into the kitchen. Arnold decided not to ask questions. Helga made two TV dinners, and they brought them back to her room. They ate in silence for several minutes. Then, Arnold asked," Is Olga coming for a visit anytime soon?" Helga scowled.
"Yes. She's coming next week. Perfect, I-can-do-anything, pretty, smart Olga." Helga blinked. "What's it to you, Football-head?"
"I just wondered. Where do your parents keep your awards, and your baby shoes? I noticed Olga has a room, so where's yours?" Arnold asked gently. He had to tread carefully, he wanted to avoid upsetting Helga. Something in her eyes flickered. Arnold swore he saw pain there. But only for a split second. "Umm, well, my awards and stuff, they got really bad water damage from a flood, and uh, my baby stuff, it uh, was burned up in a fire." Arnold nodded. He didn't quite believe her, though.
***
"Olga! Get your scrawny little patoot down here, now!" Big Bob yelled, 10 minutes later. Helga and Arnold both went downstairs. "Hello Alfred," Bob said. Arnold didn't even bother to correct him.
"What did you want, Bob?" Helga asked, her voice hard.
"Your mother is asleep, and I'm hungry. You have to fix me something to eat. Now," he responded, harshly. Helga grumbled, but she went to the freezer, and pulled out a TV dinner. She thrust it into the microwave, and glared at Bob.
"Excuse me young lady!" Bob roared, and slapped Helga in the face. Helga didn't respond, she just stood there. Red marks started forming on her cheek. The microwave beeped, and Helga robotically moved to get it. She opened it, and thrust the TV dinner at Bob. He took it, and tore off the plastic wrapping. "Get me a fork," he said, loudly. Helga got him a fork.
***
Later that night, Arnold couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between Bob and Helga. How was it possible? The next day at school, Helga had a bruise on her cheek, plus bruises on her arms, and neck. People asked her what happened, and she always told them that she had fallen down the stairs the night before. Helga ran into Arnold at lunch, and he motioned for her to sit down.
"Is there something going on with your father, or did you really fall down the stairs?" Arnold asked.
"I...I..." Arnold saw the hurt in Helga's eyes. "I..I fell down the stairs, okay, Arnoldo?" With that, she got up, and walked out the door.
***
That night, when Arnold got home, he grabbed the cordless phone, and brought it up to his room. He dialed Helga's number.
"Hello!" Bob answered, practically roaring into the phone.
"Hi, is Helga there?"
"Oh, Olga? Yeah, sure. OLGA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" he screamed. Arnold could hear footsteps running down the stairs.
"It's HELGA, Bob." She picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hi, how are you? This is Arnold." There was a sound like she dropped the phone. Arnold could hear a distant voice. "OLGA would have never been such a klutz! You're such an idiot! I'm ASHAMED to have a daughter like you! You can't even get me a TV dinner without being all snotty!"
"I don't care what Olga would have done! I'm Helga, dad, and I'm trying to have a telephone conversation!" Helga picked up the phone. "Arnold? I'm sorry," she said. "It's o-"
"BOB! GET OUT OF HERE! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! PLEASE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" There was silence, then a sharp sound that Arnold couldn't distinguish. He heard soft crying sounds, and then there was a click. Someone had hung up the phone. Arnold put the phone back in the cradle. 'Oh God' he thought. Then, he grabbed the phone book, and dialed another number. There was a click as the person on the other end picked up.
"Hello, Child Social Services, this is Sharon, how may I help you?"
***
*~Prologue~*
Arnold walked slowly up the steps of the Pataki house. Helga and himself were going to be doing a project for school together. He knocked on the door. "Come in!" came daft and drunk-sounding voice. Arnold turned the knob, and the door swung open into Helga's house. He walked over the threshold, and looked around. The first thing that he noticed was that there were lots of pictures of a blonde girl that he at first thought was Helga. But no, he realized, this must be Olga, Helga's older sister. In one family portrait, Helga's mom and dad, Miriam and Big Bob, had their arms around Olga, and they were both smiling at her. Arnold noticed that Helga was near the edge of the photo, looking at Bob, Miriam, and Olga with a scowl on her face. Helga was like that in ALL of the pictures. Arnold heard footsteps upstairs, and then he saw Helga coming down the stairs. She got to the bottom, and asked "How's it goin', Football Head?" as usual.
"I'm fine, Helga, how are you?" Arnold asked, ignoring the football comment. He was used to it by now. Helga gestured up the stairs to her room. "We should start working on that stupid project now, shouldn't we?" she scoffed. The two started upstairs.
***
On the way upstairs, Arnold noticed even more pictures of Olga. There was an entire room upstairs devoted to Olga. It was full of her trophies, awards, and various other things. Miriam and Bob had even had her baby shoes bronzed, and they were mounted on the wall, on a plaque of shining mahogany wood. Arnold's eyes widened. He expected to find a room like this one for Helga's achievements, and baby shoes, perhaps even an old blanket. There was none.
***
When Arnold and Helga had finally gotten a good start on their project, it was time for dinner. The two went downstairs, and to Arnold's surprise, found Miriam on the couch, asleep. Helga paid no attention, she just walked into the kitchen. Arnold decided not to ask questions. Helga made two TV dinners, and they brought them back to her room. They ate in silence for several minutes. Then, Arnold asked," Is Olga coming for a visit anytime soon?" Helga scowled.
"Yes. She's coming next week. Perfect, I-can-do-anything, pretty, smart Olga." Helga blinked. "What's it to you, Football-head?"
"I just wondered. Where do your parents keep your awards, and your baby shoes? I noticed Olga has a room, so where's yours?" Arnold asked gently. He had to tread carefully, he wanted to avoid upsetting Helga. Something in her eyes flickered. Arnold swore he saw pain there. But only for a split second. "Umm, well, my awards and stuff, they got really bad water damage from a flood, and uh, my baby stuff, it uh, was burned up in a fire." Arnold nodded. He didn't quite believe her, though.
***
"Olga! Get your scrawny little patoot down here, now!" Big Bob yelled, 10 minutes later. Helga and Arnold both went downstairs. "Hello Alfred," Bob said. Arnold didn't even bother to correct him.
"What did you want, Bob?" Helga asked, her voice hard.
"Your mother is asleep, and I'm hungry. You have to fix me something to eat. Now," he responded, harshly. Helga grumbled, but she went to the freezer, and pulled out a TV dinner. She thrust it into the microwave, and glared at Bob.
"Excuse me young lady!" Bob roared, and slapped Helga in the face. Helga didn't respond, she just stood there. Red marks started forming on her cheek. The microwave beeped, and Helga robotically moved to get it. She opened it, and thrust the TV dinner at Bob. He took it, and tore off the plastic wrapping. "Get me a fork," he said, loudly. Helga got him a fork.
***
Later that night, Arnold couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between Bob and Helga. How was it possible? The next day at school, Helga had a bruise on her cheek, plus bruises on her arms, and neck. People asked her what happened, and she always told them that she had fallen down the stairs the night before. Helga ran into Arnold at lunch, and he motioned for her to sit down.
"Is there something going on with your father, or did you really fall down the stairs?" Arnold asked.
"I...I..." Arnold saw the hurt in Helga's eyes. "I..I fell down the stairs, okay, Arnoldo?" With that, she got up, and walked out the door.
***
That night, when Arnold got home, he grabbed the cordless phone, and brought it up to his room. He dialed Helga's number.
"Hello!" Bob answered, practically roaring into the phone.
"Hi, is Helga there?"
"Oh, Olga? Yeah, sure. OLGA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" he screamed. Arnold could hear footsteps running down the stairs.
"It's HELGA, Bob." She picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hi, how are you? This is Arnold." There was a sound like she dropped the phone. Arnold could hear a distant voice. "OLGA would have never been such a klutz! You're such an idiot! I'm ASHAMED to have a daughter like you! You can't even get me a TV dinner without being all snotty!"
"I don't care what Olga would have done! I'm Helga, dad, and I'm trying to have a telephone conversation!" Helga picked up the phone. "Arnold? I'm sorry," she said. "It's o-"
"BOB! GET OUT OF HERE! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! PLEASE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" There was silence, then a sharp sound that Arnold couldn't distinguish. He heard soft crying sounds, and then there was a click. Someone had hung up the phone. Arnold put the phone back in the cradle. 'Oh God' he thought. Then, he grabbed the phone book, and dialed another number. There was a click as the person on the other end picked up.
"Hello, Child Social Services, this is Sharon, how may I help you?"
***