Summary: Helga and Arnold on graduation night. Written for fluffybun for 2016 fandom_stocking on AO3 and dreamwidth.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just this story.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Helga lay on the ground in the deserted city park, not caring if she got blades of grass or dirt on her dress, and stared up at the night sky. Not that there were many stars visible. The city was too bright, especially tonight. Her cap and gown sat in a pile beside her, along with her shoes and purse. As soon as she'd reached the grass she'd kicked the high-heels off and carried them up the hill with her. This would be the last time in her life she ever wore heels.
Somewhere back inside the Town and Campus, the city's largest banquet hall, the rest of the gang was dancing at the after-party. The civic center would remain lit up for the rest of the night so that anyone who walked by could still read its marquis announcement: Congratulations Hillwood City High School Graduates!
Just a couple of hours ago, they'd filed into the civic auditorium to 'Pomp and Circumstance', listened to the speeches, including valedictorian Phoebe Heyerdahl's hopeful and encouraging speech about the future and all they would accomplish (Helga was the writer in the group and had helped her polish it), and received their diplomas. The highlight of the proceedings was the little white mouse that was turned loose during the benediction as part of a prank; the mouse scurried between the hundreds of legs of graduates-to-be, bewildered at the thunderous laughter in the room, until Mr. Garfield, the science teacher who was sitting at the end of one aisle, managed to scoop it up as it neared his foot and put it in his jacket pocket.
Helga was sure it was Curly who'd orchestrated the prank. The boy had always been a bit unbalanced. Arnold didn't agree. He thought it was someone else, but refused to say who. Well, no one could say he couldn't keep a secret.
Too bad the evening had ended on such a sour note. Even graduation night couldn't go right for her, not with her stinking mother.
"Criminy!" she lamented out loud. "What a lousy night!"
"Helga?"
She started and bolted up to sitting, heart racing. "Jeez, Football Head, what are you doing sneaking up on people like that?"
Helga caught his flinch at the use of his old nickname, with the old inflection she'd used to taunt him as a kid instead of the teasing term of affection it had become since their friendship had bloomed and they started dating. He recovered quickly and took a seat on the grass beside her.
"Sorry, Arnold," she muttered. She needed to say it even though she knew he already understood. "I didn't mean it."
He nodded. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."
Only Arnold would've known where to find her. "I'm fine."
Arnold reached down and she let him take her hand. They sat together in silence for a while.
"Everyone was asking for you on the way to the after-party. They were hoping you'd be coming."
"What a joke," she said in disgust. "I don't want anybody's pity."
That was far worse than if they'd been making fun of her or her mother, or both of them.
Miriam hadn't had control over her drinking for years, but it had grown worse since Helga started high school. She knew everyone in school, everyone in the neighborhood in fact, had always been aware. She never wanted their pity and she fought it tooth and nail every time she encountered it. And it wasn't that her mother even did anything particularly bad or embarrassing at the ceremony tonight. It was just that she'd been so obviously under the influence and that was mortifying enough on its own. Helga had been holding out hope that she wouldn't come.
Fortunately, Arnold didn't speak further about it. Nor did he try to assure her that no one was pitying her; he knew he couldn't. He'd been witness to how much Helga, Olga and Big Bob had for several years been urging Miriam to get help and dry out. He always made sure she understood, really understood, that she and her family had done all they could. The rest was up to Miriam, and if she wouldn't help herself there was nothing anyone else could do. Anyway Helga was tired of cleaning up the messes Miriam made of her life. She would be leaving Hillwood in August to go to school on the other side of the country and wouldn't be here, dealing with that anymore.
"You should've spread your gown out," he said instead. "That way you wouldn't get grass on your dress."
"I don't care about the dress," she retorted.
"It's nice though. You look really pretty tonight."
He fumbled for a moment in his pocket then placed something in her palm. A flower, its stem wound around and attaching to a decorative hair comb.
"I wanted to give it to you at the end of the ceremony but you ran off. It's lavender like your dress."
Helga stared at the flower in her hand and shifted her head so her hair would fall into her face. She didn't want him to see her tearing up. Of course he knew anyway, because he was Arnold. He placed a comforting hand on her back.
"I don't want to sit here anymore." She abruptly moved to put her shoes back on, grabbed her purse, cap and gown in one hand and stood up. "Let's walk."
"Hold on."
Arnold took the flower comb from her, tenderly swept one side of her hair back and slipped the comb in to pin it. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips that sent a tremble through her down to her toes. She smiled and brushed her hand across her damp eyes. He took her free hand and they descended the hill until they got onto the park path.
"Before we leave for school we should drive out to Hawk Mountain one more time so we can really see the stars," he remarked as they strolled along the path. "You can't see anything here."
"If you want to go to the party, Arnold, you don't have to stay with me."
"I want to go with you."
The image of Miriam at the civic center still hovered over her like a dark cloud. She couldn't face anyone besides Arnold tonight; and maybe Phoebe.
"Your friends care about you, Helga. We're all leaving to go to school in different parts of the country. Everyone wants to celebrate together one last time and they want you to be part of it."
She had to admit he had a point. Things were going to be very different with everyone scattered all over the country. Phoebe was going to M.I.T., a three hour drive away from where she'd be going to school; they'd make plans to meet, but they wouldn't see each other as much now. That thought saddened her tonight too. Gerald was staying on the west coast, in California. Rhonda was attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Nadine, Sheena, Lila, Brainy, Stinky and Sid were all going to universities in different parts of the Midwest, and Harold was staying in Hillwood to work and earn a business degree in City College's management program.
At least she and Arnold would be in the same place. Though not intentional, not consciously anyway, they both happened to choose schools in Vermont and the two colleges were located in adjacent towns. They wouldn't need to deal with a long-distance relationship like some of their classmates. In early August they were planning to drive cross country to school together, in the old Packard that Arnold's grandfather had given him. That was something to look forward to.
He was right. No matter how low she was feeling it would still be nice to have one last bash with the whole gang before everyone went their separate ways.
"We can always leave if you're too uncomfortable," he coaxed gently.
Helga nodded okay and squeezed his hand. He smiled and squeezed back.
"I'm going to have to dance in my bare feet though. These shoes are killing me."
"I like your bare feet. Anyway, you won't be the only one. Except for Rhonda maybe, I don't think any of the girls are wearing shoes anymore tonight."