Chapter 1: Movie Time
It was nearing the end of their sixth grade year and Arnold and Helga were drawing closer to each other with each date they went on. Helga was learning to open up around Arnold, while he was learning to accept her aggressive behavior she showed every now and then.
"Well, I'm glad you came over for dinner tonight." Arnold said, as he was dropping off his girlfriend at her home.
"Thanks. Beats spending time listening to Olga brag about whatever new teaching award she won while watching Bob and Miriam worshipping her for it." Helga scoffed as Arnold held her hand, watching the annoyed look on her face. He knew how unwelcome she felt in her own home, which brought just as much pain to his heart as it did hers now that they were dating.
"Well, if you ever need to talk I'm here." he offered, rubbing her hand with his thumb.
Helga began to blush, as she listened to his offer. She didn't like the idea of accepting help from people no matter how close she was to them. All it did was make her feel weak. If people had to know her family didn't want her around, she wasn't going to let them know that it bothered her.
"Thanks, but I think I'll survive." she smirked.
"Okay, have a good night. I'll see you at school tomorrow." Arnold replied, pulling her in for a kiss. As the two held each other, Helga thought about how lost she would be if she had never had someone this wonderful to not only fantasize about, but bring her hope. Someone to prove to her that life was worth living, and that there was a light at the end of her life's dark tunnel, no matter how far away it seemed.
While the two held each other in their arms, never wanting the moment to end, they heard "Baby sister!"
Arnold immediately stepped away from his girlfriend, while she rolled her eyes at the thought of her special moment being ruined. "Crimity!"
"Would you like to come in and celebrate my award for teacher of the year, Arnold? I've baked a yummy chocolate cake!" Olga offered.
Arnold looked over at Helga's frustrated face. The last thing she wanted was to spend any unnecessary time with her family.
"That's okay Olga. I need to get home." Arnold said, rubbing his neck.
"Well okay then. Come in baby sister!" Olga exclaimed, while Helga angrily marched past her.
Arnold saw the irritated look on Helga's face as she walked inside. Had Olga not mentioned the award, Arnold wouldn't have seen what the problem was. Helga didn't appear unwanted. The fact that Olga couldn't be around without mentioning her success wasn't any better than Bob and Miriam flat out ignoring Helga's existence however.
Once Arnold had left and Olga shut the door, she looked at Helga marching up the stairs. "Baby sister, won't you join us in the kitchen? I'm getting ready to tell mommy and daddy about all the wonderful things I taught my students this year!"
Helga clenched her fists tightly as she replied "Pttss...yeah, no thanks."
After making it to her room, she fell onto her back on her bed with her arms spread across it. "Crimity! Why does she have to do that? Every time I get a special moment with Arnold, she interrupts it by filling him in on all her lame accomplishments! Have I not suffered enough?"
Helga then pulled her treasured item out of her shirt, knowing a moment with it was something she would never have to worry about losing. It would always be there for her, despite how many times she had been interrupted while pouring her heart out to it.
"Oh Arnold! Fate has brought us together only to once again be torn apart by the harsh brutalities we must face in this world. Why can't we….
"Helga!" a voice screeched, interrupting her happy thoughts.
"What!" Helga scowled, tucking her locket away.
"Do you want to watch a movie called 'Successful Siblings' with us?" Olga asked eagerly, while Helga smacked her face. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.
"When geese fly out of my nose!"
"Okay. Good night baby sister!" Olga screeched, while Helga laid there staring at the ceiling. Not all people were as patient as Arnold. Perhaps it was because he didn't know what the frustration of having siblings could be like. Either way, Helga had about reached the end of her rope.
The next morning, Helga awoke an hour earlier than she had set her alarm for. A loud knock came to her door, as she listened to "Baby sister! I've made some yummy waffles when you're ready to come downstairs for breakfast!"
Helga began to rub the sleep out of her eyes, thinking to herself Crimity! Who in the right mind is this perky this early?!
She wondered how pointless it would be to lay her head back down. Olga would just come up with another pointless reason to cause a migraine for her.
After rubbing the remainder of the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up to get dressed and ready for school. As she marched downstairs for breakfast, she saw her parents sitting at the table.
"These waffles are great Olga! I'm going to have to put another notch in my big white belt!" Bob said happily.
"I'm so glad you like them daddy! Baby sister! Come eat with us!" Olga exclaimed, while Helga angrily pulled up a chair.
As Olga placed a plate of waffles in front of her younger sister, Helga didn't care to take notice of how good they tasted. She was too concerned about getting out of the house and away from her annoying sibling as quickly as possible.
"This coffee is great honey! When did you wake up?" Miriam asked, impressed by her oldest daughter's performance.
"Oh hours ago." Olga admitted, while Helga rolled her eyes at her sister's modesty "No surprises there."
After Helga anxiously finished her meal, she didn't care how much time she had left to spare before school started. Rather than using the extra time to make herself a lunch (knowing her mother wouldn't think of doing such a thoughtful gesture), she raced out of the house.
Helga had a little over an hour left to spare before being late to school; more than enough time to walk without being late.
Normally she and Arnold would meet at the bus stop and ride together. Her annoying sibling had pushed her to the point where she could care less about the decisions she made that day however. Her family didn't care about her; why should she care what anyone else thought of her?
Not long after Helga had started her walk, Arnold was eating breakfast in the kitchen.
"Mornin' shortman! Whatcha got planned for today?" Phil asked, as Pookey placed a plate of pancakes in front of Arnold.
"I don't know? Helga seemed pretty upset when Olga interrupted us saying goodbye to each other last night. Hopefully she's in a better mood."
"Ooohhh...someone interrupting your special moment. Bet that did make her cranky! Hehe!" Phil laughed, bumping his grandson.
Arnold rolled his eyes as he replied "Everything her sister does upsets her. They don't get along too well."
"Of course not! Siblings hate each other! Your great aunt Mitzi was always stealing my toys, ripping my clothes, pushing me in the street when cars were coming! She was like a second Gerti!" Phil exclaimed.
"What about Pooter? You two seemed to get along when you had him." Arnold reminded Phil.
"Yeah, but it was the dog we liked, not each other. Hehe." Phil pointed out, while Arnold rolled his eyes, leaving the table.
"Thanks grandpa."
"See ya shortman!"
Ten minutes after leaving the house, Arnold saw Gerald and Phoebe waiting at the bus stop.
"Hey Arnold!" Gerald said, happy to see his best friend.
"Hey guys. Where's Helga?"
"I'm afraid we haven't seen her." Phoebe informed him, as a troubled look came to his face.
"I just saw her last night and she was fine?" Arnold replied worriedly as Gerald shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm sure she's fine. If not, there's plenty of other girls out there." Gerald said wittingly while a worried look remained on Arnold's face.
The bus then pulled up, as the three of them got on it. While Gerald and Phoebe anxiously headed for the back holding hands, Arnold sadly dragged his feet, wondering what could have happened to his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Helga had just made it to the school. Rather than going inside, she sat sadly on the steps, thinking about the fact that the highlight of her day would be lunch time, when she wouldn't even have a lunch to eat.
A deep sigh released from her, while she sat staring at the sidewalk with her face planted in her hands and her elbows propped on her knees. As she was about to get up, she heard "Helga!"
"Huh?" she asked, lifting her head.
There she saw her boyfriend standing in front of her, relieved to know she was okay.
"Helga, why weren't you on the bus this morning?" Arnold wanted to know.
"Because you know who woke me up at 5 am, and I wasn't going to wait around listening to her brag about her stupid accomplishments any longer than I had to." Helga scoffed, glaring at her boyfriend.
Arnold held out a hand to help her up as he replied "I'm sorry you don't get along well with her Helga. I'm always here for you though."
Helga smiled weakly while feeling her boyfriend rub her hand. It wasn't easy to admit, but having someone to comfort her in these depressing times meant the world to her.
"Thanks." she sighed.
The two walked into the school together holding hands. Arnold was happy to know she was okay, while Helga couldn't take her mind off how much longer this annoying sibling act was going to last.
As they entered the classroom, they saw their two best friends already waiting for them. "Good morning Helga. I'm glad to know everything is alright with you." Phoebe smiled, while Helga gave her friend a look that implied otherwise.
Before Phoebe could ask any further questions, the bell rang.
"Hello class, today's going to be a very special day!" Mr. Simmons assured them.
"Because it's almost summer time?" Sid guessed, interrupting the teacher.
"Because we get to eat during class?!" Harold exclaimed.
"No, because we're going to be spending this week watching documentaries on the importance of family; mainly the bond between you and your siblings!" Mr. Simmons said excitedly while Helga's eyes widened in disbelief.
Crimity! You have GOT to be kidding me!
Arnold knew the angry thoughts that must be going through Helga's mind at that moment. Although he'd never had a sibling, Helga had done more than enough to imply not all family relationships were as stable as Mr. Simmons was making them out to be.
"Our first movie this week will be 'The Kids Are All Right.' It contains a very special message, which is 'no matter how bad life gets, your siblings are always right there beside you.' Isn't that wonderful?!" Mr. Simmons explained as the class gave unamused stares.
"I feel it would all depend on how great their sense of style was. If they didn't know anything about it, I think they would be more trouble than they were worth." Rhonda replied.
"I reckon I don't know too much about how big families work. Do your parents like one more than the other?" Stinky asked, while Helga sat there sulking…
You have no idea!
"Alright, settle down class. I'm going to put the movie in. Just remember how special a sibling is and how lucky you are if you have one." Mr. Simmons reminded them, placing the tape in, while Helga clenched her pencil tightly inside her fists.
As the movie went on and Arnold saw each scene that reminded him of how tough Helga's life was, he heard her viciously tapping her pencil against the desk.
Helga sat there, picturing herself strangling Olga to pieces, when she saw Arnold slipping a note back towards her.
Are you okay?
Helga rolled her eyes at the question. They were sitting there doing the worst thing she could possibly imagine after the past couple of days she'd had. What made him think she was okay? She knew there was know point in lashing out at him however when there was nothing he could do about it. He would never understand the pain she felt when he didn't have a similar relationship to compare to hers.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Once class ended, Mr. Simmons removed the tape and asked "Wasn't that wonderful boys and girls? Life can be full of tough situations, but one of the few people you always know you can count on is your sibling."
As Helga listened to these words, she sat there and thought to herself Not unless your sibling is the CAUSE of your tough times...sheesh!
Lunch finally came around and Arnold was more than anxious to turn around and check on Helga. "Are you alright? I know that wasn't exactly how you were hoping to spend the morning."
"Pttss...you mean by watching a film that insists the one person who will always be there for me just happens to be the same person who can't go a day without finding a way to outdo me?" she scoffed, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.
"Uhh yeah. Let's get some lunch." he insisted, helping her out of her seat.
"Can't. Miriam didn't make me one and I wasn't going to stick around any longer than I had to this morning to make it myself." she explained, walking towards the cafeteria with him.
"I'll buy you something." he smiled, holding her hand into the cafeteria.
"You don't have to do that." she sighed, again not wanting anyone to feel sorry for her.
"I want to. I don't like seeing you without anything to eat. Plus, you've had a hard morning." he reminded her.
Helga smiled as the two entered the cafeteria to take a seat with their two best friends.
"Hey Arnold! What'd you think of that movie?" Gerald asked, while Arnold watched Helga roll her eyes.
"It was uhh interesting. I'm going to get Helga and I some food. Be right back." he insisted, while the three of them waited for him to return.
While Gerald dove into his sandwich, Phoebe couldn't help but notice the troubled look on her best friend's face. "Are you alright Helga? You seem a bit disconsolate."
"No, I'm okay." Helga sighed, wondering what the rest of the week would be like. She knew she would never share the special bond with Olga that Mr. Simmons seemed to believe all siblings were capable of possessing. The fact that her parents didn't appreciate her didn't exactly help encourage Olga to be more supportive of Helga's feelings.
When Arnold returned with the food, he placed the tray in front of Helga. "Here you go. I got you an extra tapioca pudding." he smiled, handing her the desserts.
"What are you, her brother?" Gerald asked wittingly, while Arnold rolled his eyes at the joke.
Helga leaned back in her seat with the pudding, trying to forget about the drama that had taken place that day.
When lunch ended, the students all went back to class and Arnold tried to think of something special he could do for Helga. Each sad step she took showed him how painful her neglecting home life was, no matter how tough of an act she was willing to put on for other people.
Once everyone had made it back into the classroom, Arnold sat down in his seat. Rather than facing forward, he glanced back to see Helga doodling in her notebook. She wasn't busy drawing pictures of her beloved this time however. There she sat stabbing pictures of drawings she had made of her sister.
Arnold shook his head, knowing this wasn't going to be an easy problem to solve.
When the bell for the last class came, Arnold turned and asked Helga "Would you like to come over to my place for awhile? It'll keep you from having to see your sister."
"Sounds good to me." Helga replied anxiously, grabbing her things from her desk.
Making it outside the school, Arnold watched the depressing look Helga carried as she stared at the sidewalk. Finally, he spoke "I know I don't know much about siblings and the relationships they share with each other, but Olga does love you Helga. Your parents do too. They just do a lousy job of showing it, which is wrong of them. Just try to remember they do care about you."
Normally Arnold's words and the touch of his hand would bring a smile to her face. This time however, an evil glare formed as she scowled "What do you know football head?! When's the last time you ever heard me mention them showing in any way that they care about me? They don't make me lunch, they don't talk to me, heck they can't even remember my name! Half the time, they call me Olga! She and I don't have a special bond! I'm just something they have to compare her to; to remind them of how great she is!"
"Helga, that's a terrible thing to say!" Arnold's eyes grew in amazement at the thought of her actually thinking her family thought that badly of her.
"Well the truth hurts football head! You can't always win in real life!" Helga scowled, marching ahead as Arnold stood still a moment. He thought back to the week he and his best friend were trying to think of a plan to save the neighborhood. As they sat in the arcade, Arnold listened to Gerald say...This is real life, and in real life, you can't always win!
Was it pointless for him to try to convince Helga her family cared about her? He could believe they did if he wanted to, but that didn't make it true. Even if they did care about her, what good did it do if they weren't willing to show it?
When the two of them made it to Arnold's house, he opened the door as Helga stood sadly with her arms crossed, watching the line of pets pour past.
As the two of them entered the house, Arnold heard Phil say "That you shortman?"
"Hey grandpa." Arnold said, walking into the kitchen with his girlfriend.
"I see your girlfriend didn't want to spend quality time with her sister." Phil winked as Helga began clenching her fists.
"Yeah, we're going to be upstairs if you need us."
"See ya shortman!"
Helga took a seat on Arnold's bed after entering the room. Laying with her arms spread across it and her feet hanging over the edge, she stared through the glass ceiling, wondering if anyone would care if she ever went home.
As she laid there sulking, Arnold came over to sit beside her. Holding her hand in his, he said "I'm sorry I'll never be able to understand what you're going through. I am always here if you need me though."
Helga sat up looking into his sad emerald eyes. He was beginning to seem more troubled than she was. Just the fact that he cared so much about her was beginning to fill the void in her heart caused by her unappreciative family.
She pulled him in tightly to kiss him, firmly pressing her lips against his. As she felt the warmth of his arms wrapped around her, she was beginning to care less about the pain caused by her family. Arnold listened to her moan as he began to wrap his tongue around hers. Falling on top of her, the idea of the little care her family showed for her her entire life made him begin to show the aggressive behavior she normally would through their intimate activities.
She laid there with him on top of her, feeling him firmly rub their parts together, as he placed his hand behind her head to pull her in closer.
I can't believe they would treat someone so amazing with such little care Arnold thought to himself, while Helga laid there thinking My life would have no meaning whatsoever if I didn't have him.
When they barely released their lips, keeping their noses together, Arnold said "I'm sorry you're going through this. No one our age should have to. My feelings for you will never change."
Her heart began to flutter as he softly kissed her again. The two laid there in each other's arms until they were awaken by a knock on the door. "Shortman, dinner's ready!" Phil exclaimed.
Helga's eyes fluttered open as Arnold sat up to stretch. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" he asked, while watching her rub the sleep out of her eyes.
Helga once again didn't like the charitable act being tossed her way. Then again, he was her boyfriend. It didn't matter what type of issues she was having with her family.
"Sure, thanks." she sighed, as he lightly kissed her.
They went downstairs together to see the family had set out spaghetti for dinner.
"Hey there shortman! Didn't want to eat with your older sister huh?" Phil winked, as he glanced over at Helga.
"Grandpa…" Arnold sighed as Helga took a seat, rolling her eyes.
"Oh lighten up shortman. Like I said, nobody likes their siblings!" Phil insisted.
Arnold's parents then entered the room carrying a plate of dinner rolls.
"Hello sweetie! We're so happy you could join us." Stella said, taking a seat beside her.
A weak smile formed on Helga's face as Phil butted in.
"She didn't want to be around her annoying sister. After all the stories shortman here has told me about her, I would think it would be the other way around." Phil said, pointing to Helga.
"Grandpa!" Arnold exclaimed as Helga laid her head in her hand, propping it against the table.
Once dinner was over, Arnold turned to Helga and said "I guess we should get you home. I'll walk you."
Helga sighed at the thought of seeing her family. If it meant going to sleep and pretending she didn't have one however, she was willing to go through with it.
The two of them walked down the street hand in hand, glancing up at the stars. When they made it to her front porch, Arnold turned to her and said "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Just remember I love you and try not to let her bother you."
Helga did her best not to cry while she felt her eyes begin to water. Arnold kissed her passionately as he held her face in his hands, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Have a good night." he whispered.
"See ya football head."