Helga laughed as she gave her good friend Dr. Bliss one last hug as she left the office. She grinned to herself as another successful session came to a close. It was nice to have someone to talk to who already knew her secret. She felt fresh and clean again. Dr. Bliss had been Helga's physiatrist now for 6 years and they had grown very close. While Helga was now Dr. bliss's oldest client, they both insisted upon her graduating elementary school to her parents that she needed to continue going at their expense. And so Big Bob had laid down the money so he could get back to the football game. After that first time she had asked him for it, she never brought it up again. Both he and Miriam had most likely forgotten she spent and hour there after school twice a week long ago. They had never been that involved before, so why start now?
While it was nice to have someone devote two hours to her own care and needs that her parents never had, (a small replacement for their emotional abandonment,) Helga still enjoyed spending time on her own. On the steps to the brick building waiting outside with a book that was much too big for the reader, was her best friend. Her wispy black hair and blue sweater clashed with the cloudy weather outside.
"Hey Pheebs."
"Hello Helga. How did it go today?" Her tiny half Japanese sidekick thumped the book closed and stood to walk with her taller blond comrade. Anyone who knew either of them understood the strong relationship they had- filled with strict rules but devoted and loyal like sheep to one another.
"It went O.K. We talked about Thanksgiving. I wish she could come instead of my relatives. Tuh!" Helga kicked at a discarded can. "Yeah, that'd be a laugh. You know, if she came home with me she'd get a real taste of what it's like. That way I wouldn't have to talk the whole time." Phoebe knew that Helga liked to talk though, so she calmly listened as Helga went on about their session, skirting some subjects and elaborating on other while intermittently she reminded her of things they needed to get or to do. They both shivered as the wind picked up and blew a discarded puddle's spray at them. This forced Helga to close her mouth for a moment until they had past and then she finished telling Phoebe that they needed to remember to pick up her coat from the dry cleaners before next week.
"Remembering!" Phoebe chirped. Helga fell silent as they walked. The blond dug her hands deeper into her pockets and watched the ground as they went thinking very hard about something.
Her friend at her side, while not yet used to this behavior, had been getting acquainted with her new routine. Dr. Bliss had been giving Helga life advice recently and it seemed at least a little had been about how Helga treated her. So Phoebe waited until it came. She reflected before Helga said anything that it was getting easier and easier to accept.
"Thanks…so how…have you been? Uh, what book is that?"
'Ah', thought Phoebe. 'The Doctor must have told her to notice something particular to ask about.' She was glad. It was hard to talk about her life in general when other people's lives seemed so much more interesting.
She started a brief explanation of the thesis of the book (which happened to be an ancient novel about a sailor's trip to Japan and learns the art of another world,) and Helga looked genuinely interested until two classmates interrupted their walk.
The gentlemanly boy with a cool and tender demeanor turned the corner first stopping Helga in her tracks. His jazzy confident friend was right next him. He made Phoebe blush and grip her book closer to her chest.