Dance of the Green Eyes

Chapter one:

Rainy days

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It was a rainy day in Hillwood city. People who didn't have an umbrella were running for cover as fast as they could. Down near PS 118 wasn't any better; people were still scrambling for cover.

All but one young girl; her arms were crossed fingers gripping her exposed arms as she tried her hardest not to shiver. Her pig tails that normally seemed to defy gravity were being weighed down by the hard rain. Eyes glaring across the street as she stood on the corner her brow furrowed. The rain followed the curve of her unibrow and falls like a river on her nose annoying her to no end.

Deep growls started to stir from inside her throat.

"Figures" she mumbled. "I should have just started walking home on my own."

Her eyes widened when a car pulled up and the back door opened. The surprised look quickly faded and she sighed as she got in and pulled the door shut.

"… I'm sorry Helga."

Helga frowned as she looked over at her small Asian American friend.

"Pssh, don't be sorry Pheebs. It was no surprise to me."

Phoebe sighed and fiddled with her blue rimmed glasses.

"B-but she called… I don't understa-"

"Oh please Pheebs." Her voice becoming a whisper. "She's probably sleeping behind the couch again after one of her 'smoothies'."

Things grew silent. Phoebe looked sadly at her friend trying to suppress shivers but failing. In the front of the car Phoebe's mother Reba drove but every once in awhile would glance back, she felt bad for Phoebe's friend, but there wasn't much she could do.

Helga hated this. She hated the sad stares and the pity in Phoebe's voice. She was Helga G Pataki and she could take care of herself. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for her mother forgetting to buy a new umbrella after she broke the old one.

"We're 'ere sugar. Ya gunna be ok?"

Helga looked up and offered a grin.

"As long as I don't get phenomena, I should be fine."

Helga climbed out of the car shouting thanks as she shut the door and waved good bye to Phoebe. Sighing heavily a scowl formed on her face as she made her way to the door. Pulling her key from her dress pocket she unlocked the door and made her way inside.

"Moooooooooooooooommmmmmmm!!" Locking the door she checked the living room and behind the couch.

"Ah what the hell Miriam…" She grumbled.

She made her way into the kitchen glancing around she came to a stop as she heard a sound. Helga rolled her eyes and looked under the table seeing a curled up woman. Blond hair all messed up and a red tint on her cheeks. Her square wire rimmed glasses laying forgotten an arm's length away. The drool pooling near her mouth suggested she'd been there awhile.

"iWell that's an interesting change of pace…/i" Helga thought sarcastically.

Realizing she was still wet she started to make her way up to the bathroom.

Meanwhile at an old boarding house. An old man was sitting with his hand thoughtfully rubbing his chin next to a young boy holding a wrench and an old lady whose eyes were darting back and forth looking for something.

"Aw hell, what do you think we should do now?" He asked.

"Call the Plumber." The boy said in a matter of fact tone.

"I mean something that WE can do shortman."

"… Call the plumber?"

Sighing heavily the old man slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Ah come on Arnold! This ain't nothi-"

"AH HA! I'll get you Moby dick!!!" With that shout the old lady jumped off of where the three were sitting with a knife in hand. The old man looked out of the raft they were sitting on into the water.

"Awwww come on pookie! Get out of there." He said slightly annoyed.

"Grandpa, maybe we should call the plumber before grandma finds 'Moby dick'."

"Nonsense Arnold there's no reason to spend all that money on a small leak in the kitchen."

"B-but this isn't really a small leak anymore…" Arnold said, watching his grandma thrash around looking for 'Moby dick' with the knife firmly held in her mouth. Water was everywhere even above the cabinets. This was getting WAY out of hand.

"Eh so it's gotten a little worse, nothing we can't handle eh?" Grandpa was laughing at this point.

Outside the kitchen a straggly man was looking side to side as he snuck closer to the door ignoring the rain that was falling.

"Eh heh heh heh heee. I'm so hungry; it couldn't hurt to get some food before dinner…" He stopped before opening the door.

"Enh? Wha's this?" He leaned down looking at the black rubber coming out from the bottom half of the door.

"Eh heh, that crazy old man… why would someone do this?" He shrugged and gripped the door knob.

The last thing he was expecting was water to knock him over and carry him from the door and into the back lawn. He groaned as he looked up at the sky shutting his eyes as the rain pelted his face.

"KOKOSHKA YOU DURNED FOOL!!!" Oskar jumped up as Arnold's grandpa came walking up to him.

"Eh heh heh, hey Phil… ol' buddy…"

"DON'T YOU OL' BUDDY ME!" Oskar flinched. "You almost killed me, Arnold and Poo- AH! Where's Pookie?!" Phil looked around franticly.

"She's inside Grandpa." Arnold said as he climbed out of the raft "She climbed on top of the fridge before… what did happen anyways?" Arnold asked as he walked up to his grandfather.

"I'm not sure shortman… Kokoshka probably did it."

"Heeey I didn't do it! I was just minding my business and just tried to open the door and wham I'm attacked by water." Oskar said defensively.

"AH HAAA I've got 'em! We're eating whale tonight boys!!" Arnold and Phil looked at the kitchen door and sighed.

"Enhhh… does whale taste any good?"

"AH shaddup Kokoshka!" Phil yelled.

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Helga sighed as she laid on her bed. She just got out of the shower and was working on calling Phoebe. Putting the phone to her ear she waited until someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Pheebs, what's happenin'?"

Phoebe giggled.

"You seem to be in a better mood Helga, feeling better?"

"Yup, a nice warm shower cures being cold and wet from rain." Helga sighed. "So ignoring the fact that my day was a pain in the butt how was your day?"

"Weeeellll today Gerald came up to me and asked me to go to the dance with him…"

Helga rolled her eyes, ignoring her friends over excited tone.

"I knew tall hair boy was stupid, but asking you to a dance? What dance? We don't have one coming up. Unless he is gonna take you out to Chucky Cheeses and dance to the crappy music they play there and I swear if you ever go on a date to Chucky Cheeses I'm taking you to the loony bin myself!"

Phoebe erupted into a fit of giggles at Helga's small rant.

"No no Helga. They announced it this morning. You were late to school remember? That's what got you the detention…"

"It wasn't my fault that Miriam forgot where my school was… again. Anyways, why are we having this stupid dance? It's not a holiday…"

"They said something about celebrating PS 118's renovation."

Helga sat up. One side of her unibrow arched in confusion.

"… Renovation? Why the heck are they doing that?"

Phoebe was quiet for a moment.

"Well… it could be because of the hazards…"

"Hazards?" Helga asked still confused.

"… Remember when the monkey bars fell apart and broke Eugene's arm? Or when the stove in the cafeteria set itself on fire? Or when all the toilets in the boy's room decided to stop working?"

Groaning Helga covered her face with her free hand.

"It's bad enough walking by the door of the boy's room when it's in perfect working order… but when it does that… ugh."

Phoebe hummed in agreement.

"The girl's room didn't smell much better when the toilets in there followed suit. Not to mention the class room's seem to be falling apart also. Or did you forget how Mr. Simmons screamed when he had to move the cubbies and found that a huge rat had made its home in a big hole in the wall? Do I need to list more reasons for the renovation?"

Snorting Helga laid back on the bed.

"I think I get the picture. Our school sucks."

"I wouldn't say suck Helga… more like it's just old and-"

"Needs to be taken out back and shot?" Helga added with a grin.

"No Helga. Just fixed up a little…"

Helga laughed lightly.

"Yeah yeah… I get ya' Pheebs. When is the dance?"

"In a few weeks. You're coming right Helga?" Helga noted the hopeful tone in Phoebe's voice.

"Yeah I guess… nothing like drinking punch and making fun of people who dance weird. Besides I gotta make sure tall hair boy doesn't act all inappropriate with you."

"Helga, don't say things like that…" Helga could imagine the blush on Phoebe's face.

"Ah no worries Pheebs, if he grabs ya' I'll punch him right in the jaw with ol' Betsy."

Phoebe groaned in embarrassment.

"Oh Helga why do you say such things?"

"Because it's funny to hear you get all flustered." She chuckled.

"Very funny Helga. I gotta go dinner's ready. Make sure you eat before you go to sleep Helga."

"Yeah yeah Pheebs. I'll see you at school."

"Ok Helga, goodnight."

"G'night Pheebs."

Helga sighed as she hung up the phone. She was hungry… Bob was probably already home and he probably ate out. She was also pretty sure her mom didn't go out to restock the fridge or cabinet.

"Well… I guess its cereal for me again."

At the boarding house everyone was sitting down and eating while talking amongst themselves. The 'whale' was really a fish that they had in the refrigerator that Arnold's grandma decided to impale with the knife. It was ok… but rather chewy and the sides, broccoli and mashed potatoes. Oskar stared down at his plate frowning.

"Enh, I hate broccoli…" Oskar groaned.

"Ah shut up Oskar you mooch! Be happy you get anythin'." Yelled the tiny man across from him.

"Why you gotta be so mean Ernie? Suzie, make him leave me alone…" Oskar whined.

"Oh Oskar…" Suzie groaned. "Just eat your food…"

"Yes and stop being such a baby." The Chinese man added from beside Ernie, who was nodding in agreement.

"You said it Hyunh."

Arnold sighed as the boarders argued and adverted his gaze to his grandparents. Turns out grandma flooded out the kitchen while he and his grandpa were working on the stove. Putting rubber in the door so the water would get high. She even put the raft that his grandpa used to get people out of the school during that flood.

"Pookie, why's the fish all chewy?"

"The fish?! Why what you're eating there is whale! Right from the body of Moby dick!" Grandma laughed and grandpa started laughing also.

Finishing the last of his food Arnold got up from his chair and reached for his plate.

"I'll get that later Kimba; you can go out and play in the jungle if you want."

"Thanks grandma." Arnold said with a smile. "I think I'm just going to head on to bed."

His grandma frowned for a second, but quickly was smiling again.

"Ah tired from the sea voyage eh, Kimba? Well then goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

Grandpa ruffled Arnold's hair as he walked by. After he said goodnight to everyone Arnold made his way to his room. Once there he changed, stretched the kinks out his back and climbed into bed. He turned out the lights of his room with his universal remote and placed it by his potato clock.

"iI wonder if I could get Lila to go to the dance with me… She might go with me if I say just as friends. I mean Phoebe and Gerald are going together so I can't hang out with Gerald. I could say I didn't want to hang out alone./i"

Turning over he pulled the covers up.

"iI'll worry about it later. Right now sleep is a good idea…/i"