Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read this. It's my first ever fanfiction and I'm hoping it will come out alright. It takes place eight years after FTi, and the TJM movie never happened. Anyways, there we go! Short and sweet. Let me know what you guys think and I hope you like it!
Disclaimer:I do not own Hey Arnold or any of its characters.
The steady pounding of her heart drummed loudly through her ears, mixing with a series of shallow, uneven breaths. They appeared to grow louder as she trudged forward, sloshing angrily though a thick expanse of mud and land as the water came pouring down. She was miserable and it showed. Her clothes were soaked and clinging to her body with rain and sweat while she sported a series of cuts and bruises on her tired limbs. Her hair knotted in difficult tangles, angled in different directions and touseled wildly with the gentle grace of a stormy wind. She'd even fallen down a couple of times, coating herself with a generous amount of grime. Not exactly a sight for sore eyes, but it hardly mattered. She had more pressing issues than looking presentable
Not that her grandmother wouldn't have a thing or two to say about it... The old woman would blow a fuse upon seeing her and it normally wouldn't phase her except for the fact that she had already given the woman a tough week. A part of her felt a pang of guilt at her recent behavior because she knew just how tiresome she could be. But she couldn't just let her grandmother run her life and make her decisions for wouldn't sit with her, and if she had to live rebelliously in order to prove that to her, then so be it.
Still, she thought, I should cut her a break.
Her thoughts were momentarily cast aside as the mansion came into sight, sending a small sense of relief through her. She slowed down her pace but kept forward in anticipation, the adrenaline rush from earlier gradually wearing off. Her trek into the mountains and several nights under the star-lit sky had ended horribly, and that was putting it lightly. It was a miracle that she was able to last as long as she did.
A groan escaped her as her muscles protested, begging her to stop but she kept forward, the promise of food and warmth fueling her tiresome body. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, warning her of something, urging her to remember. Something she forgot...
But the voice was vague and very faint and so she quickly dismissed it and forgot all about it by the time she reached the over-sized house. The doors were surprisingly unlocked when she twisted the door knob and she counted it as a small victory before she let herself in, expecting a lonely and, quite frankly, miserable walk up the stairs and into her room. The world, however, had other plans for her. Standing across the expanse of marble floors in expensive designer dresses and costly, tailored suits, were a crowd of a hundred or so guests, most of whom were now focused on her, their lively chatter and drinks forgotten. The response rippled through the crowds with a domino effect until she had an entire audience before her.
She stood with wide eyes as they gaped at her appearance with horrified expressions, their eyes as wide as saucers and their limbs unmoving as they stared her down with fear and disgust. She gulped almost inaudibly and moved forward slowly, limping her way toward the stairs at the end.
She winced when the music stopped, leaving the loud sloshing of her squeaky sneakers to painfully reverberate themselves throughout the room. Her pace quickened on that note, depositing sludge and wet grass onto the waxed marble floors like a slug leaving its trace.
A sour grimace formed on her lips when they suddenly retracted from her path as if her atrocious appearance were somehow contagious. Their eyes were glued to her, boring holes into her as she passed, soliciting a scowl in response. She stared them down, challenging them to speak up, but no one responded. She only paled when she caught sight of her grandmother. Her eyes glared daggers into her before she sighed and dropped her head into her hand in embarrassment. Beside her, her grandfather was writhing in laughter, his eyes and mouth bespeaking amusement. That somehow made things worse.
She turned her attention back forward, just in time to crash into one of the waiters, who was completely oblivious to everyone's reactions as he entered the room with a large tray of seafood balanced on his hands and shoulder. He stumbled back a few steps, crashing into a steady line of waiters sashaying in with balanced trays. Food went up and spiraled in different directions, showering the guests and sprinkling the floors with bundles of caviar, crayfish, lobsters, and other seasoned marine life.
Screams and gasps thickened the air with panic and uncertainty as the guests scrambled about in different directions, slipping over food, tumbling into one another, and shoving past each other in a rushed beeline towards the door. Helga yelped and ducked out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting trampled.
The last of the guests scurried out the door several hours later as they entered their limos and disappeared into the distance, leaving her grandparents and her in an uncomfortable silence. Nobody spoke a word and she risked a glance up at them from her position on the floor. Her grandfather was currently surveying the area with a raised eyebrow before a smile tugged at his lips and his bellowing guffaw filled the room. He wiped a tear from his eye as he settled down and shook his head in amusement. His eyes landed on his granddaughter and twinkled mischieviously. "What a grandiose entrance!" He cackled and gesticulated animately with his hands at the scene that unfolded, "Oh," he smiled, "What a delight you are my dear! Simply spectacular. It gets better and better each time around!"
Her grandmother snapped out of her silent rage and looked over at her husband in irritated disbelief, "Raymond! We are not encouraging this!" she sighed heavily, her face distraught as she took in the damage before her eyes fell inevitably on Helga and she visibly tensed. She drew out a long breath and let her expressionless mask appear before coming forward and stepping in front of her. She towered above Helga as she looked down with a frown. "Go to your room and fix yourself up. I want you in the throne room by this time tomorrow night. And don't be late." she warned before casting her one last glance and retreating up the stairs with her silently elated husband.
She was going to get hell for this.
-24 hours later-
She straightened her back and leveled her shoulders, walking in with every ounce of grace and confidence that she could muster. She knew it was a weak attempt at forgiveness, but being the perfect, obedient little princess was everything that her grandmother had ever hoped for her. She spent years instilling in her the ways of a proper lady-everything from how to eat and talk to how to walk and dress, and Helga spent all of that time rebelling in any way that she could.
Her grandmother stood beside the fireplace watching the flames flicker silently, her face void of any emotion. She was pretty attractive for a grandmother. She had short, layered, dark blonde hair, a figure that most women yearned for, and a bone structure that still stood strong despite the subtle signs of aging on her skin.
"You wanted to see me?" Helga asked innocently enough, careful to cough down any sarcastic comments.
Her grandmother turned and took in her appearance before smiling in approval.
"Yes," she gestured towards one of the chairs in front of her, "Take a seat, we have much to discuss."
Helga ignored the shot of nerves that coursed through her at her grandmother's words and wordlessly took a seat. She felt eyes on her and made an effort to sit up straight with her legs neatlýtucked to the side and her hands gently clasped on her lap. The perfect picture of a lady.
She glanced back up to find her grandmother studying her carefully, a sad smile playing on her lips. Her eyes brimmed over with some foreign emotion while her thoughts seemed to dance behind them. They were cryptic and undistinguishable but there was a certain light behind them that she couldn't miss. It was never easy to decipher her grandmother's facial expressions and reading into her actions usually gave her a headache but she was certain of one thing, and that was that silence was usually a bad thing. It unnerved her and she hated it. The unspoken tension was starting to circulate around her and she scowled in response, effectively cutting off whatever spell had contained her.
Her smile faltered a little and she turned her light blue eyes back to the fireplace. "You remind me of your sister when you look like that," her eyes held a nostalgic, faraway look, "Always so well-mannered, pleasant, and beautiful...Yes, Olga had this angelic charm to her. She lit up a room with her presence."
Helga stiffened at the mention of her sister, it's been almost eight years since her death and she couldn't bear the memories that still haunted her to this day. She went by a new name now, had a new home, and an entirely new reputation, but every other night she would have the same constant nightmares. She would close her eyes and still hear her screams, still picture that frightened look of desperation on her face, and still feel that wave of hopelessness as she watched her slip away.
"Yeah," her voice turned sour, "Isn't it just such a shame that you don't have your golden grandchild instead? With her around you wouldn't have to settle for second best."
"Helga, you are not second best. Granted, you're a lot more difficult than your sister but I respect that."
"Really?" the sarcasm came back, "Then mind explaining the endless lessons on how to be sophisticated, the complete makeover, the private tutors, the new wardrobe, and-ugh-all of those pathetic suitors that you've been throwing at me?"
Her eyes widened at that last observation.
"Yeah that's right sister, I've caught on to your little antics!"
She shook her head and looked back at her with a serious expression, "Helga you're not like other girls, you're practically royalty and royalty comes with responsibilities. All of those things were in your best interest."
Helga scoffed, "We're billionaires not royalty. We're supposed to be able to do whatever we want and get away with it."
"Not yet we aren't, but we will be soon enough." she cast her a side glance, "It would be even sooner if you accepted one of those suitors."
"Crimeny! I am not about to be wed to some pompous, insensitive, swaggering peacock who's at least twice my age or younger," She sent her a pointed look, "Besides, I'm only seventeen and I've never even had a boyfriend! "
Her grandmother frowned at this, "Yes, I've taken notice of your...antisocial tendencies." her eyes narrowed, "And that is why I have decided to take the matter into my own hands and fix your little problem."
Her breath caught in her throat. This is it, her punishment for yesterday afternoon. She was finally going to send her away to some fancy boarding school in a foreign country filled with snotty rich brats.
She closed the space between them and stood directly in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her chest, "Starting tomorrow you're moving back to Hillwood to settle your unresolved conflicts and starting school at Hillwood High. I'm settling you into a boarding house so that you come across as much human contact as possible and I'll be getting an evaluation on your behavior and conduct throughout your stay from a trusted source. Any misconduct or lack of progress on your behalf and I'll have no choice but to send you to a preparatory school for young elites in England, where you will be monitored and escorted daily. Do I make myself clear?"
She felt her jaw drop in horror throughout her entire explanation. How could she do this to her? How dare she send her to the place that she deemed her own personal hell? Didn't she realize the pain she'd be inflicting on her? She looked up at her cold, hard eyes and saw the answer clear as crystals. She didn't care. She's just as greedy and selfish as Bob was. No wonder Miriam ran away...
The thought of them sent an involuntary stab of pain through her chest and she clenched her fists in response, glaring off at the floor like it was at fault. Stop thinking about them! It's bad enough that you have to stay in a place infested with memories of them...
Helga glared up at her in defiance, her mind already formulating a response. She knew arguing against her was futile but her nature refused to stay silent. She couldn't just sit there and pretend to respect her decisions. Everything she endured here never stemmed from the best of herinterests but certainly from hers. She opened her mouth to protest before something finally processed in her mind and she gasped in realization,
"W-Wait! You mentioned a boarding house...?"
She nodded, "Yes, I purchased a mansion nearby and, originally, I planned to have you move in with me but you clearly need more than a healthy dose of social interaction and so I settled for a boarding house. It was conviniently near too."
She felt her insides go cold as her words fully registered in her mind.
The last time she saw Arnold and his family was the day that they saved the neighborhood. He kept his distance afterwards and she did the same, thinking it was for the best. They were only nine...she didn't even get to say goodbye to him. To anyone.
"I had your room remodeled and refurnished of course, with your own bathroom and everything." she added quickly, misreading her reaction.
"What's the name? " she asked suddenly.
"Hmmm? Oh," she smiled, "The Sunset Arms. Anyways, that's a week away. You'll see it soon enough."
Arnold...