You Never Know...
Part 1
By Serena
Disclaimer:
Helga sighed. It was
almost dismissal time and Simmons was ranting on and on about polygons. She couldn't
wait to get out of that stuffy classroom and into some fresh airand then maybe
behind a trashcan to spy on her beloved. She looked over at the kid with the cornflower
hair and football-shaped head, and sighed again.
It had been a rotten
day. She'd been late to school, as usual
"Miriam! Where
in the world did you put my pink dress?!"
Miriam, who had
been sitting in front of the TV with a smoothie, replied, "What pink dress,
honey?"
"Oh, I don't
know Miriam, maybe the pink dress I wear to SCHOOL everyday?!"
"Oh! Oh!
You're going to be late to school honey!What are you still doing here?"
"MIRIAM!"
"Oh, right! The
dressI put it"
"MIRIAM!", a
voice from upstairs shouted. "What is this pink dress doing in my closet? Do you
expect me to run a beeper empire while I'm wearing women's clothing?!"
"OH! Now I
remember!"
Helga slapped her
forehead and stomped upstairs to retrieve her dress.
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, in the morning on the way to her locker
She was walking
down the hallway, going to get her books before class started when she saw him. Arnold was
walking down the hallway from the opposite direction with Gerald. She saw him laugh and do
that dumb thumb-wiggling thing with Gerald.
"Okay, steady
Helga, here's your chance. Don't be a jerk", she told herself.
As they neared each
other Arnold's eyes met Helga's. She forced herself to smile, and then all of a
sudden she was sent sprawling.
As she picked herself
up from the floor she heard the laughing of the students around her. She saw Harold, who
still had his foot stuck out, and prepared to give pink boy the beating of his life.
"Why I oughta"
"What's the
matter Helll-gaaa?" he taunted. "Did you forget how to walk, like a little witty
baby? Ha Ha Haaa!"
She was about to grab
pink boy's collar when her eyes met Arnold's again, and she saw him hiding a
smile. She heard a snicker, then watched as he and Gerald walked away.
'I can't
believe that football head had the nerve to laugh at ME. He's just asking for a
pounding,' Helga thought to herself as she ripped a strip of paper out of her notebook to
make a spitball. 'That little twerp. How I hate him. And yet'
"RIIINGGG!"
The bell rang and all the students leaped from their seats and out the door. Helga
gathered her things and walked outside. Now that she thought about it, her parents
ignoring her didn't really bother her that often. It was when Arnold disapproved of
her that it got her upset. He gave her something to hope for, something to look forward
to. Without Arnold, Helga didn't know what she would do.
"Oh, Arnold, ray
of sunshine in the darkened depths in which I dwellHey! That's pretty
good." Helga pulled out her pink book and began to write in it as she walked down the
steps of the school.
"Darn KIDS!
I've had it with their whining! I want this! I want that! I can't TAKE IT
ANYMORE!!!", the Jolly Olly Man yelled as he ran through a red light driving 70 miles
per hour, heading towards P.S. 118.
"Hey Arnold!
Catch!" Gerald yelled as he hurled the football into the air.
"I got it!"
Arnold said as he backed into the empty street and caught the ball. Helga watched him from
behind a trashcan and heard the sound of squealing tires. She peeked out into the street
and saw the Jolly Olly Man's truck, which had just turned a corner and was now
heading straight in Arnold's direction. Arnold however, remained completely
oblivious, and he backed up a few steps with his back now facing the truck as he prepared
to throw the ball back. He heard kids yelling, "Watch Out!" and saw the oncoming
truck, which was now braking, but it was too late.
Then, all of a sudden,
he was pushed violently to the side of the road.
"What
the?!" Arnold ignored the scrapes he'd gotten from the pavement and
climbed quickly to his feet. He saw a group of kids huddled around someone who was lying
on the ground, but because they were blocking, he couldn't see who it was. He began
to panic. Was it Gerald? What if it was Lila?
"Oh no, please
no," he prayed as he ran up to the crowd and wedged his way through. "Out of the
way!"
His classmates looked
at him with shocked expressions and the crowd parted. On the ground laid Helga, bleeding
and barely conscious.
Arnold knelt down next
to her and began to panic. "Helga! Oh man, don't move, we're getting
help!" He heard Sid yell, "Somebody call an ambulance!" and then kids
running inside to find Mr. Simmons.
Helga looked at Arnold
weakly and whispered, "Arnoldhave totell you something"
"Don't worry
Helga! Everything's gonna be okay, you're gonna be fine", Arnold said,
sounding like he was reassuring himself rather than Helga.
"Arnold"
"Don't speak.
Help is on the way." Arnold interrupted. Inside though, he felt completely useless.
Thinking he had to do something, Arnold ripped a piece of his shirt and placed it
on a gash.
Helga looked at Arnold.
She wanted to tell him everything now, but her strength gave out. "At least he
finally cares about me", she thought as blackness began to take over.
~ How is it? Too long? Too dramatic? Do you feel like you're watching a soap opera?
Lemme know! Reviews would be very appreciated J And be
honest...