Hey Arnold! Living With Helga
AN: This is a warning that this story will later become M Rated. This chapter is K. Enjoy!
Disclaimer For Story: Obviously, I don't own Hey Arnold! or the first movie or the jungle movie. Craig Bartlett, Viacom, and Nick does. :) I also don't own any song lyrics I post in these chapters. They are purely inspiration for my writing, and ways to make it clear where I'm headed in the story, and confuse you to death... Don't you love me?
Chapter 1: Did he really love her?
October 6th, Evening...
Did he really love her...?
The question had been burning in Helga's mind since the moment they left San Lorenzo. Of course, Arnold had sat in the back with his parents on the airplane going back to Hillwood. It was understandable since he had not seen them since he was a baby. Helga had sat up front with Phoebe and Gerald, making small talk and avoiding anything to do with her or Arnold's feelings. Ever since that day, Arnold and she had never discussed the kiss...
Now, it was October 6th. Nearly three months since San Lorenzo happened, and things were still the same. Helga stood on top of the Beeper Emporium with her binoculars. She watched Arnold walk down the street towards his house; the street lights were just starting to come on. She narrowed her eyes with determination. She was going to make sure that his feelings for her were real, that the kiss he gave her wasn't a kiss of gratitude or even a kiss of death.
She went inside the Beeper Emporium with a new plan set forth inside her 11-year-old mind. No, she wouldn't stalk him tonight or call to get the truth out of him like she used to do. That was too difficult and too risky. Besides, what if he did just like her as a friend and the kiss had just been a thank you? She would be torn to pieces all over again, and the last thing she needed was awkwardness in her last year of P.S. 118. She definitely didn't want to ruin the bond she had created with him over the summer.
She turned off the lights. She noticed the candles around her shrine were starting to die down, so she went to the right of her shrine towards her "Love Box". She opened the love box, pulled out her 24 volumes of poetry, one by one, and sat them aside. She pulled out a pack of incense fragrances at the bottom of the love box, and smiled. It had been a while since she cast a spell, not since fourth grade, but after all that happened, she saw a need for it. She was looking for one book in particular, something different than her poetry, and finally found it, along with the incense sticks she buried at the bottom exactly for this occasion. She grabbed a lighter she had laying to the side of her shrine, and with that, relit the burnt-out candles. Soon, the room was glowing. She looked up to her shrine in awe. No matter how many times she saw her love god, he was always perfect in her eyes. Absolutely perfect, and always would be.
She lite up a couple incense sticks and gently sat a cast-iron bowl in front of her shrine. She waved the incense sticks around, and slowly, a yellow and red fog surrounded her. She closed her eyes, kissing the two powder packs of incense she had purchased at Madam Blanches specifically for this occasion. She opened them and poured them in the bowl she had. She molded the two incenses together with her hands and took a deep breath. She lite a match on the powdered incense. The light from the incense turned blood red and the room grew even more foggy. She stood up and walked over to her shrine with the incense sticks in her hands. She sat on her knees in front of her shrine.
"Arnold, my little football-headed love god, my muse, my passion, my inspiration! If only I knew your true feelings for me! Whether it 'tis gratitude or unconditional; whether you care or not. Arnold, you kissed me and yet this school year, things are the same. You haven't spoken of San Lorenzo or the kiss we shared! You've forgotten how it feels to be joined together; to partake in a breathtaking kiss that lifts up both of our feet in wonder. But no more!" She waved her incense sticks around, closing her eyes in concentration. "I want you to burn for me, my love! I want to set your feelings free again! I want you to feel what it feels like to be in love! Your pure heart invades my soul, my darling, may it fill with fire and passion for me! That hole that has been filled by your parents, may you use your renewed heart to love me! Eternally, unconditionally, and forever." She breathed in the incense through her nose, and suddenly began to cough harshly. She jumped from her seat and away from the smoke, trying to catch her breath. She blinked rapidly. "Huh...maybe I used a little bit too much of the fire of love powder. Oh well." She held her dirty hands together with a smile and stared at the smoke in front of her. "Oh, Arnold!" She knelt down again and worshiped her work...
It was 3 am across town. Arnold suddenly woke up out of a deep sleep, opening his eyes in confusion. He was wide awake all of a sudden and didn't understand why. Usually, when he woke up out of a deep sleep, it was because something was wrong. He didn't have any nightmares about his parents that night, so it wasn't because of his dreams. He sat up from his bed and looked over at the time. It said 3:06 am.
He sighed. "Well...I might as well go downstairs and get some milk to help me fall back asleep." He walked downstairs and to his surprise, his Grandpa was walking out of the bathroom as he came down the hallway.
"Whew, don't go in there for awhile." He shut the door and looked at Arnold in surprise. "Hey there, Shortman. What are you doing up at this hour?"
Arnold shrugged. "I don't know, Grandpa. Usually when I wake up out of a deep sleep, something is wrong. Are my parents okay? Are they still here? Did any of the boarders leave overnight?"
"Oh, Arnold. You're not having those nightmares about your parents again, are you? Miles and Stella are home, have been for three months now." He put his hand on his chin, thoughtfully. "Kind of wish one of them found a job though, bills are piling up."
They both walked into the kitchen.
Arnold went to the fridge to pour a glass of milk. "I don't think I was dreaming about them...not since a couple days ago. Grandpa, why do I keep having these nightmares that my parents are still gone?"
They sat down at the table together. His grandpa thought a moment. "Hmm...I have no idea. Well, you don't need to worry now,Arnold, everything is good here. Your parents are alive and they're not going anywhere this time."
He nodded and looked down at the table. "I know. I just wish I could convince myself of that. Maybe I'm worried they're going to leave again. How do you get rid of that fear, Grandpa?"
Phil patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Give it some time, my boy. The nightmares will end. Everything is still new to you."
Arnold looked down at his hands and thought about something else. "...I still can't believe Helga did this for me. I knew deep down she was a good person, but I never expected so much at once."
Grandpa laughed, taking his hand off his shoulder. "I told you she likes you, Arnold! Pookie did the same thing to me when we were kids!"
Arnold sat up and blinked. "Wait a minute...Grandma? My grandma picked on you because she liked you?"
Grandpa nodded. "She was afraid I didn't feel the same way, Shortman, so she hid her feelings for me."
Arnold nodded. "I realize that's what Helga has been doing now, but I'm not exactly sure what to do about it. I mean, since we've gotten back from San Lorenzo, I haven't focused too much on it. I've been focusing on getting to know my parents again."
"Well, that's completely normal, Arnold. They've been out of your life for over ten years."
"I know, and I have been wanting to talk to Helga about all of this, but the few times I've tried, she's pulled away. I mean, I've tried to hold her hand on the walk to school but she makes up an excuse every time. Not only that, but sometimes I'll talk to her in class or at her locker, and she'll avoid me because she has something else to do."
"Sounds like she's afraid of something."
"I wish I knew what that something was. I mean, from what Gerald told me, the class already knows she loves me, so it can't be that. And she has to know how I feel about her."
"Did you tell her? Or was your parents' story right and you just kissed her?" Grandpa smirked.
Arnold fiddled with his hands in nervousness. "Well...yeah. But I didn't know exactly what to say after we kissed. I don't know how to get the words out that I want to tell her."
"Tongue tied, huh? Your father was the same way with your mother when they were dating. Constantly afraid he would do or say something wrong."
Arnold looked up. "Does that feeling ever go away?"
"It usually gets worse as you get older."
Arnold sighed, not reassured at all. "Well, thanks for being honest with me."
"Anytime, Shortman. I'm going back to bed. Don't stay up too late! Just because it's your twelfth birthday doesn't mean you don't have school tomorrow." Grandpa pondered for a moment. "…unless, of course, I call your principal and tell him you're having a family issue and need to stay home with your parents…that would be a good way to stay home, maybe go to the beach..."
"No thanks, Grandpa. I can't avoid my issues with Helga, and I still need to go to school tomorrow."
Grandpa shrugged as he walked out of the kitchen. "Suit yourself, Arnold. I thought a beach trip would be the perfect way to relax."
Arnold put one hand to his chin and glanced out the window. He didn't know for sure whether it was true, but he had a feeling something was wrong with Helga. His Grandpa did have good intentions, but he couldn't avoid her forever. He needed to talk to her about that summer, but he had no clue how to start the conversation.
October 7th, Morning...
Arnold sat next to Gerald on the bus to school. "Hey, Gerald."
"Hey, Arnold," Gerald smirked. "So, rumor has it that you and Pataki are dating."
"Helga and I are dating? We're not dating right now. I still need to talk to her about what happened in San Lorenzo. Where did you hear we were dating? Oh no, you didn't start the rumor, did you?" he said, remembering that Gerald and his parents saw them kiss.
"Why would I do that to you and Pataki? We've all been through too much this summer together for me to blackmail you. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't heard about it. Rumor has been going around the school a couple weeks now. I'm not sure if it's something Rhonda has spread or somebody else saw the two of you together. I just figured it was true by now since both of you haven't said anything about it."
Arnold sighed. "Gerald, don't you think if Helga and I were in a relationship, I would've told you by now?"
"I don't know, man. All I can say is...people don't just fake the kinda kisses you two shared together. And those blushes...are you sure you two only kissed? I remember kinda losing sight of you a few times before we reached the airport…"
Arnold sunk in his seat, embarrassed. "Gerald! I was trying to talk to her! And…she barely said anything to me…I could barely say anything…she said I should be with my parents."
Gerald smirked at him. "I knew it. So, it is true, isn't it?"
"I'm confused. I just told you that were not in a relationship. Why would we be dating?"
Gerald shrugged. "Because you two obviously like each other, just like me and Phoebe. It's okay to admit it. I wouldn't mind going on double dates with you both. You know Phoebe and I just started going out recently, and we wouldn't mind having company on our dates for a change..."
"...Wait a minute, I knew about Phoebe but... I thought you hated Helga."
"Hated her? Man, I never hated the girl. I didn't like the way she treated you in the past, but that's the past. After seeing all her videos and encouraging her to be open with the class about her feelings, my feelings for her changed. I think I saw her as a human being for the first time in my life. She also went pretty far to help you get to San Lorenzo, and even encouraged me not to give up on you after you betrayed the whole class. Now, that's loyalty. She had more faith in you than I ever did. You can't find that everywhere, Arnold. And if anything, she's a much better choice for you than Lila could ever be. At least this one you don't have to chase around and make her like you like you instead of just like you. You know Helga loves you with everything she has! Even before you kissed, she sacrificed her locket. Eduardo and I saw it. You could've rejected her right then and there, but she didn't care about that; she just wanted you to be happy, and wanted you to be with your parents."
The bus stopped in front of the school. As Arnold and Gerald walked out, Helga stomped past them. She was clearly in a bad mood and obviously missed the bus that morning for some reason.
Gerald shook his head. "All I can say is Arnold, if I had to pick between this Helga," he held out a hand, "and the Helga I got to know in San Lorenzo, I would pick San Lorenzo."
Arnold sighed with a shrug. "I still don't understand why she's been acting this way again. I thought I made my intentions clear by kissing her..."
"Apparently it didn't sink in. You need to express your feeling for her with more than a kiss."
"I can't." Gerald's eyes widened as he continued. "Gerald, this doesn't feel the same as when I like-liked Lila. I... don't exactly know how to describe it, and I feel like saying that I like-her-like-her just isn't enough. I mean, Helga said she loved me, and I wanna say that too, but I don't want to string her along in case...in case I'm just confusing my own feelings. I mean, I'm really grateful for all she's done, and she deserves a lot more, I just...don't know if I can give it to her, even though I would like to..."
Gerald sighed at the sight of Helga as he walked in the school with Arnold. She slammed the door to her locker and headed to class, threatening Harold with her fist before walking in.
"Look man, you gotta do something or you're going to lose that girl forever. She's already bullying the class again, or have you not noticed?"
Arnold sighed and looked at Gerald at a loss at what to do. "I can't change her, Gerald. You know that."
"Well, at least do me a favor and encourage her to go back to the way she was. I was actually starting to be friends with her." He sighed and both walked to their seats in the front beside each other.
Rhonda looked up as Helga passed her. "Hold it right there, Pataki. We need to have a girl-to-girl talk, right now!"
Helga growled as she faced Rhonda. Her morning had not gone well at the beeper emporium. "Can it, Rhonda-Lloyd. You're the last person I want to deal with today."
"Hmm. Going back to your pre-relationship bullying days, I see. Don't you think that might hurt your new relationship?"
Helga scowled. "I don't have a relationship, princess. Where did you hear that crap? From one of your air-headed friends?"
"No, I got it from a much more reliable source. So, how is your relationship with Arnold? Didn't it start in San Lorenzo? Do you two realize your only the second couple in our grade to get together this year?"
Helga was starting to get fed up. "It started in San Lorenzo; it ended in San Lorenzo. The poor sap just wanted a summer romance like he did two years ago when we did that Babewatch episode on spring break. For crying out loud, haven't you noticed that we haven't been out on dates? Holding hands? Looking in each other's eyes like lovesick buffoons?!"
Rhonda blinked. "Wait...what? But...I thought. Arnold's parents told us on the airplane back they saw you kiss! You mean to tell me that you haven't been on dates afterwards, at all?!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Lloyd, but this isn't where you're going to find your gossip of the year at."
"But...his parents. They told me and Nadine..."
"I hope you two aren't the ones spreading rumors, otherwise your dentist is going to get his Christmas bonus two months early!" She cracked her knuckles.
"But...Helga, nothing else happened in San Lorenzo after you kissed? You two just... broke up?!"
Helga shrugged as she tried to act unaffected. "Yeah, yeah, but on good terms. Didn't work out, end of story. Sorry that we couldn't do more to fill your need for hearing and spreading insane gossip around the school." She walked away to sit down.
Rhonda was speechless as she tried to continue the conversation. She was really hoping to be closer friends with Helga after everything that happened. She was very confused. "But...but...you seemed so cute together! You just...complement each other!"
Helga banged her hands on the desk and stood up. "Look, Rhonda-Lloyd, if you're so obsessed with getting gossip material, why don't you date that football-headed creep?"
Rhonda sighed, turned around to look at Nadine, and whispered. "What a disappointment..."
Arnold had been watching the whole thing from his desk and felt his heart sink in his chest. Yes, Helga and he were definitely due for a long talk, that was for sure. Summer romance and a break-up? He needed to talk to her before this rumor got any more out of hand.
Gerald turned to whisper to him. "I told you so."