Therapy
Written by MarySueIsDead
Chapter 1: Company
Author's Note: I didn't write a thorough disclaimer last time I uploaded this, because honestly I didn't know at the time where I was going to take it. Now I know, so here's some disclaimers before anyone dives into this.
Stuff this fic does have: LGBT themes. Sexual content. Graphic language. Alcohol and weed. Teenage angst. Lots of love; lots of sadness; lots of confusion. Did I mention angst? Helga being the awkward dork and adorable cornball that she is. Phoebe being an intelligent punk. Rhonda being a bitchy popular girl with a heart of gold. And Arnold being an optimistic and good-hearted football head, doi.
Stuff this fic does not have: A romantic relationship between Arnold and Helga. Manipulative relationships. Non-consensual sex.
I am an author that appreciates and responds to my reviewers and supporters, but this fic will be written how I so choose. Your opinions are your own as are mine. Have an open mind, sit back and enjoy the damn thing.
XOXOX
~2003~
Warm grains of sand trickled between her fingers and toes. The ocean's breeze was balmy and the sun's rays were mild but kind. The girl propped her torso up onto her elbows and adjusted her sunglasses. A shimmer on the dark lenses reflected a sumptuous figure ascending from the ocean's blue water and foamy waves.
A red beach towel laid next to her own and between the towels resided a rainbow parasail stuck in the sand to provide shade; an exquisite beach house located about a hundred yards behind them. She attempted to brush some of the sand off cordially for her companion that approached her from the shore.
The figure became a striking young woman with jet black hair once she stood above the lying girl, her shoulders and head blocking the blinding sun. She smirked and almost literally plopped onto the red towel, leaning over to kiss the other girl on the cheek. "Thanks, Dahling." she stretched her arms back and then placed them behind her head, relaxing into the warm towel.
Helga grinned and lowered her sunglasses, "How's the water?" Her long blonde hair was up into a messy bun and her body sported a quaint pink bathing suit.
Rhonda decided on a scandalous black bikini that, when wet, hugged every curve of her body. Every little curve. And the sun's rays didn't help by glistening off of the soaked nylon. "It's pretty nice actually." She winked at the blonde. "You should quit being a pansy and hop in." she turned over onto her stomach and propped her chin onto her soft fists. "I want to see how your bathing suit fits you."
Helga scoffed, "I bet you do. You know you didn't have to get me a new suit." Granted she hadn't had a bathing suit that actually fit her since before her growth spurt at the prime age of thirteen, so it was well needed. But still, she had money. Rhonda didn't need to spoil her with everything.
"Sure I did. It was just recently Father's Day."
The blonde girl laughed. "You can't keep using holidays as excuses to get me things. They're not even good excuses."
"Sure they are. It's always a holiday somewhere. And you didn't like it when I said I wanted to get you things 'just cause', so now you have to get these lame ass excuses. Deal with it. You could just say 'oh thank you, sweet Rhonda' and then get up and show it off in front of me."
Helga rolled her eyes and stood up from her blanket, her lanky form exhibiting around ninety percent skin and legs. She pulled the hair tie from her bun, releasing a wave of golden locks around her back and shoulders. Tousling the hair around with her pale fingers she turned towards a now sitting Rhonda and posed under the appealing sunlight. Her sunglasses gleaming brightly, she questioned, "This good enough for you?"
Rhonda laughed almost too gleefully and clapped her hands. "Oh my god, it looks so marvelous. You look so marvelous, dahling!" she crossed her long tan legs, patted her lap and called mischievously to her companion. "Come sit on me so I can ravage you."
Helga chuckled as she made her way back to the set of towels, but the promiscuous gesture was interrupted when the shouting of two young men made its way to them, yards down the beach.
The guys approached the girls with a frisbee in hand, familiar faces they already knew. One with black curls and the other with unruly flaxen colored hair. His green eyes turned towards her as she lowered her sunglasses, and they met. He smiled, "Hey, Helga."
~1997~
She didn't have much to say anymore. Exhaustion burdened down her voice and most days she watched TV and slept.
It was fifth grade and she continued to wear pigtails and pink attire, however they no longer struck fear into the hearts of her classmates at first sight. Fuchsia colored overalls took place of the dress, and she didn't adorn the iconic bow atop her head everyday like she used to. Something had recently changed within her soul. A sudden realization of this emptiness that had swollen and inflamed around her heart, bruises aching with each beat.
The bottled pain had finally caught up with her; not even her daydreams of Arnold could save her this time. Not even his physical form could trance her into a joyous and passionate euphoria. The emptiness had a name this time that should could pinpoint, and it was chronic neglect. Her immature emotions crumbled when face to face with this demon.
The former ten year old terror now lived with Olga as her primary caregiver in Bob and Miriam's blue condo, deep within the city of Hillwood. Turns out Mr. Pataki had gotten himself in a bit of trouble with a loan shark commonly known as Big Gino, Senior. Bob's Beepers was going under after the whole fiasco with Future Tech Industries and he had accrued a lot of debt and interest in order to save his beeper slash cell phone business. With more competitors merging with bigger corporations and partners, it was harder to keep productivity flowing and food on the table.
Obviously faking his own death seemed like the only logical solution.
She vividly remembered the day that they got a knock at the door saying Bob's Beepers had burnt to the ground along with Bob inside it.
Young Helga first felt doubt; Bob was stupid but he wasn't that stupid, and Miriam's melodramatic breakdown and sobbing in front of the police officers led her to believe that she might have known what was going on. She never saw her mother cry, and she damn well knew Mrs Pataki wouldn't cry over her father.
A week later from the incident, in the middle of the night, she heard a shuffling going on downstairs. Miriam was well knocked out from a bottle of whiskey she chugged around nine pm, so the young girl grabbed the stem of her floor lamp and cautiously carried it with her down the stairs, expecting to pummel a robber in the face if she needed to.
A light from the fridge illuminated the kitchen and the bottom of the stairs. It was a large burly figure digging around for a midnight snack. Helga lowered her lamp-weapon cautiously, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Bob turned around quickly and grabbed his chest, his knuckles white and his face pale. "Jesus, Kid, you almost gave me another heart attack." He then sighed heavily, pulling out rye bread and mustard from the fridge. "Do I look dead? Didn't Miriam tell you to start packing?" he asked as he dumped the fridge contents onto the kitchen island counter.
Helga approached the counter opposite of him. "Packing for what?"
The grey haired brute finished making the sloppy sandwich and took a large bite, crumbs fluttering from his mouth as he spoke. "Were getting out of here! Going straight to Canada! They're supposed to be giving her the life insurance check here in the next week or so and then it's vamoose! New life! Easy street! We can get away from all the crooks of this town, eh?" He took another big bite.
"Didn't she tell you I have to speak to some investigators tomorrow?"
He froze mid bite and the chewed food fell from his mouth as panic filled his voice, "What?"
Helga indifferently crossed her arms. "Yeah, she gave them permission to meet and talk with me at school."
He quickly rounded the island and grabbed her roughly by shoulders, breathing hotly into her face, "Listen here little missy, you're the icing on this cake! Just make it believable that you miss your dear old papa, and I'll get you that pony you've been wanting." He winked at her confidently.
The next day she sat down in the principal's office with the investigators and before the professionally dressed man and woman could even ask her any questions she spoke up, "He's not dead."
The two were speechless but their expressions were not of surprise.
"He and my mom were planning to take the insurance money and run to Canada. But you can't use that confession in court, because he'll literally kill me."
And they didn't. In fact, the detectives and insurance company had several pieces of evidence showing that the death was false, and the jury found both Mr and Mrs Pataki guilty of insurance fraud. They were both sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Why did she do it? Out of spite? Out of the way they had treated her her entire life? Sick and tired of the bullshit that they caused her everyday? It was a combination of these things. Maybe prison might actually be beneficial to her parents. Well, at least her mother, she was pretty sure that Big Gino's men had probably gotten a hold of her father's name by now.
Now life was mostly simple and numbing, when she could ignore her despair for a moment at least. Olga had moved back from Alaska once she got word and was actually able to take care of her sister's physical necessities. Food, water, shelter. She also drove her lil' sis to Dr Bliss' appointments every week. Helga figured she was trying to make up for all the corruption she had to live with and was exposed to for the past couple years.
"How do you genuinely feel about what happened to your parents?"
Helga took in a shallow breath as she laid on the couch and lied, staring intently at the ceiling texture. "Not really much feelings. Just...it was a pretty stupid move." She scoffed, "I mean, he didn't even leave a body. Where the hell is his body supposed to be? He could've at least thought to dig up a corpse and throw it in there."
Dr Bliss hesitated for a moment as she jotted down notes onto her clipboard. "So...you're not upset about the situation in any way?"
Helga briskly sat up with annoyance and faced the doctor in response, "I'm upset I have to bear the Pataki name for the rest of my life. I mean it's all over the newspapers. They're morons!" She crossed her arms in a huff.
"Alright, well we'll change the subject then. How're you and Olga settling into your place?
The young girl shrugged casually. "It's fine. It's weird to actually get a full night's sleep. Not to be waken up every hour with yelling and fucking and drunkery." Yes, a ten year old just said fucking.
Dr Bliss sighed disappointingly, "Now Helga, I really appreciate your willingness to be candid with me, but I will have to request we don't use certain words in our sessions."
"Sorry, Doc."
"That's quite alright, we can change the topic again." She looked down through her notes and flipped a couple pages. "One thing we haven't spoken about since this whole thing really started is the Arnold situation. How do you feel about that as of late?"
To be honest, she truly hadn't thought much about Arnold in weeks. Kind of hard to focus on the footballheaded wonder when your parents are planning on lying and running from the law. "Haven't really thought about it…"
Another thing was, she hadn't been to school either for these past weeks. Which was pretty shitty, because it meant she might have been held back a year, but it didn't really matter. The bright side was, she would be in a group of different kids, wouldn't have to see Arnold every day, wouldn't have to exert her energy towards making his life miserable, as Doctor Bliss put it.
"Well, I won't press you too much. I know you've been through alot in these past few weeks. What would you like to talk about this session?" she asked kindly.
The girl stared out the window, her blue eyes reflecting the ordinary and regular shaped clouds. Silence consuming the words trapped in her throat.
XOXOX
During those past weeks, many of her classmates had called; checked up on her, wanted to see how she was doing. And by classmates, she meant mostly Phoebe. Turns out her best friend of many years had some disdainful news about her parents as well. Her Grandfather and Grandmother were getting older and needed some assisted living in Kentucky. Since the elderly couple refused to move to New York, the Heyerdahls planned on moving there to help the couple until they passed. The agenda was selling their condo and moving within the next month or so.
Helga rarely responded to these calls, mostly because it was too painful. And she didn't want to wear down Phoebe's mood with her own dreadful and dreary one.
One was even a call from Arnold, who probably felt it in his do goody conscious to give her a ring. Like it really mattered.
Hey Helga, I just want to say sorry about your parents...everyone here at school misses you and we can't wait to have you back...I've taken the liberty of writing down all the assignments you've missed and look forward to helping you pass the fifth grade. Oh, by the way, sorry I ruined your life and I'm a big douchebag that only thinks with my do goody unrealistic optimism and blah blah blah…
At least she remembers it being something like that.
So she eventually returned to school, and it wasn't exactly the turnout she had expected. Everyone was more torn over the fact that Phoebe was leaving than the fact that she had returned. Not like she really cared, she didn't really feel like talking to anyone about her scandalous family. And even after seeing Arnold's face again, she thought she would instantaneously feel all that bustling love and hatred intertwined into an emotional frenzy, but there was nothing there. Well, there was something; the exhaustion and twinges of pain. The void.
Young Arnold grinned at her as he passed her desk, walking to his own. "Hey Helga, glad you're back."
She just faintly glared at him as he strolled by. Was that good? Was that Helga-y? It would have to do for now.
After second period, she rushed to the girl's bathroom to catch a breather; sat in one of the stalls and forced back the oncoming tears. Everything started to flood her conscious at once. Dr Bliss always told her crying was a good thing. Holding back crying was deteriorating her relationships and future friendships or some crap. Crying was for suckers.
The door to the girl's bathroom opened and she heard the clacking of expensive shoes. There was a pause from the wearer. "Is someone in here?"
Helga sighed and responded bleakly, "No one important."
"Helga? Helga is that you?" The other girl knocked on the stall, her voice familiar and red shoes identifiable as the blonde peered under the stall door. "Let me in."
She quickly wiped her tears from her cheeks, "I'm not letting you in you creepy weirdo. What if I was naked in here?"
"Why would you be naked in a bathroom stall?"
"….you know...changing clothes or something…."
Actual compassion graced her voice. "Please?"
The blonde rolled her eyes, sighed again and reluctantly opened the stall. Rhonda rushed in and hastily closed it behind her. She smelled like something costly and looked extravagant in her scarlet blouse and black skirt.
"Oh my god, I read about everything in the papers. Are you okay? I mean, I completely understand about parents and losing money. Parents can just be so horrible sometimes! What goes through their brains?"
The side of Helga's mouth curled a bit in amusement but she let out a scoff, "I'm fine, Princess."
Rhonda reassuringly placed her palm upon the girl's chest as she energetically continued, "I'm just saying, if you need anything, I'm totally here to talk. I completely understand what you're going through."
Helga managed an awkward smile, seeing as she and Rhonda never had conversations like these, or close encounters of the such. "Well as invigorating as this discussion is, right now I think I just need some bathroom alone time so…"
The black haired girl's brown eyes lit up, "Oh! Sure thing, well, here's my number if you ever want to give me a ring." She reached into her push up bra and pulled out a fake business card.
XOXOX
The late homework weighed down her backpack as she threw it over her shoulders when school ended. Hopping onto the bus, she put the backpack on the seat next to her, making sure no one could sit by or talk to her. When she got home, she flipped the backpack upside down; all the books and papers spilling onto her desk messily and after about an hour of completing quizzes that were already too easy for her high IQ, she pulled up a book and under it was Rhonda's card. The blonde stared at the printed piece of paper and tapped her pencil on the desk for a couple minutes, pondering what to do.
Her eyes glanced over at the phone that resided on the nightstand next to her bed. Guess, a little break couldn't hurt.
After two rings, a younger girl answered. "Yes, Dahling?"
The blonde's fingers fidgeted as she absentmindedly twirled the phone cord. "Hey, it's uh, Helga." She cleared her throat. "H-Helga Pataki."
"Oh, hey! I'm happy you called!"
She gently scoffed. "Your business card was pretty compelling."
"Did you like that? I drew it out and then copied and printed out about a hundred of 'em. You never know when you might need one."
"How many cards have you given out?"
"You're actually the first one!"
"Well doesn't that make me special." Helga rolled her eyes.
Rhonda laughed pleasantly, "So, what would you like to talk about?"
The blonde girl took in a deep breath and sat onto her bed, hesitantly responding, "Well...there is something I kind of want your opinion on…"
"Sure! What is it?"
"I mean, I already have a professional opinion, like, really professional, but um…" she bit her lip.
"Yes?"
"...Since my reputation is ruined anyways...Before all this stuff happened, uh….I was pretty...madly in love with….a classmate of ours...and you know before, I thought if anyone ever found out, I'd have to kill them...but now I'm thinking, I really don't want to end up in prison at a family reunion so…"
"Hmmm, can I ask who it is?"
"You can ask, doesn't mean I'll tell."
"Well...I mean, I can get that. How do you feel about this person now?"
Helga gazed solemnly out her window at the warm yet chilly dusk. "...I don't know…"
"What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about them?"
Her throat went dry as the emptiness awoke, looking her right in the face, as if she were staring into a ghostly mirror, "….distance."
~2000~
Years passed, people forgot about her family's scandal. She was actually doing well in school and at home. Olga had gotten a promising job as a vice principal at P.S. 119 and with that income she was able to buy Helga the things she needed. New clothes, school lunches, school supplies. Even a pair of glasses. Her vision had been poor for a while, even when she lived with Bob and Miriam, but she knew they wouldn't spend a dime on a new pair of sneakers for her let alone for new glasses. It made her look nerdy, but she really didn't feel like poking her eye several times a day with contact lenses.
The adventure was a fond one. Olga gently patted her on the back as they reached Suber's Optometry and Boutique, "So little sis, you can pick out whichever pair you want."
Rhonda came too of course, now that they had become close friends. She definitely wanted an input on the glasses Helga chose, since she herself occasionally wore glasses and knew that fashion was important.
The blonde peered at the vast selection and picked out a pair of large frames, placing them over her blue eyes. She turned to Rhonda and gasped, "Oh my god, you actually have a face!" she jokingly cupped her friend's tan cheeks in her palms, "I thought you were just a blurry mess this whole time!"
The brown eyed girl anxiously grabbed her friend's wrists, removing the girl's pale hands from her face. "Are you serious!?"
Helga laughed out loud, her face scrunched in amused breathlessness. "No! I could kinda see your face before." She adjusted the glasses on her nose and then raised a brow looking at the dark haired girl. "But now looking at you it's…"
Rhonda's demeanor perked up, she then batted her eyelashes alluringly, "Mesmerizing? Breathtaking?"
"Hmm, revealing…" she responded, pulling up her fingers to her chin as she continued to stare.
"Revealing? Is that a good thing?" The girl questioned excitedly.
Helga just shrugged casually, grinning slightly as quaintly messing with Rhonda was one of her new favorite past times. "You'll never know."
XOXOX
Dr Bliss appointments were still on the regular, even though she was exiting out of her childhood phase. The doctor still took Miss Pataki in to treat her for her last year at PS 118.
"What's new?" The older woman asked as she crossed her legs and politely took a sip of the mug of coffee she usually had at these appointments.
The thirteen year old shrugged simply. Her new large frames gracing her face. "I think I had sex."
Dr Bliss spit out her coffee in response and choked for a moment on the drink. Regaining and adjusting her composure she delicately questioned, "Um...if you wouldn't mind elaborating?"
"Rhonda went down there."
"Down where?"
"You know, in the vagina area."
"I mean...were you girls just...exploring? Or...has this been a recurring thing?"
Helga calmly shrugged again. "Well it started off as exploring. She found some of her Dad's adult vhs tapes, and then wanted me to watch them with her. And then, I don't know, wanted to see what I looked like down there. Wanted to see what I tasted like."
Dr Bliss massaged the bridge of her nose with her fingers as she closed her eyes and prepared for the awkward conversation. She would expect Bob and Miriam not necessarily educating their daughter on the birds and the bees, but she assumed Olga would eventually mention something as an older sister. "Helga, you're a child. They're called adult videos for a reason."
"I'm hardly a child." The girl's disposition stiffened and her eyes darkened.
Bliss sighed desperately and placed her hands together, leading them to the edge of her lips as she processed this. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if you are going to continue exploring like this, you should know about sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, all the things that come with having sex."
She scoffed, "I'm not an idiot, I know it takes a dude's junk in there too to make a baby."
The doctor paused before she continued cautiously, "I also want to know one thing. Is this consensual? Do you want to do this? Because if you don't, you should definitely tell Rhonda about your feelings. Or if this feels wrong to you in any way, you should mention it to your sister."
Helga looked down and then her eyes eventually moved back to the window, staring back at those ordinary clouds. Her voice softened, "It fills something. Like there's a big hole...and it fills it."
XOXOX
She hadn't written anything new in the past couple years really. Maybe she was accepting the fact that Arnold was no longer the only thing that could satisfy her desires of love and affection. Not that she was in love with Rhonda or anything, the two seemed to be good friends, and with Rhonda's new blossom into womanhood, Miss Lloyd wanted to explore ventures that she had been exposed to through some of her father's hidden stash of magazines and tapes.
How did she feel about it? Well, just like she told Dr Bliss, it was filling. It was satisfying. Someone was touching her, and it honestly didn't matter how they were doing it. She was being touched, and it was in a comforting and cordial way. It also didn't matter that Rhonda wasn't the best at giving head, but you know, that's what practice was for.
There were positive responses when she went down to her friend's nether region, even though most of the time she had no idea what she was doing. It tasted kind of like pennies.
She felt a pair of hands lift her head up from her motions of tender licking and sucking. Aroused brown eyes met her glistening blues. "Can we try something?" Rhonda whispered. Not that they needed to be quiet, Buckley and Brooke were out at some fancy shmancy mixer and the two were alone in the large upper east side penthouse.
"What kind of something?"
The girl bit her lip for a moment, "Can I kiss you? You know, just to see what I taste like."
Helga's heart raced a little as they both adjusted on Rhonda's bed and sat next to each other. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Being that Arnold was the only other person that she had kissed or wanted to kiss. Thinking of Arnold made her heart race more, but not in a good way. Bad memories began to surface.
Rhonda chuckled nervously as she blushed at the thought of her request, "If you don't want to, that's totally fi-"
She was cut off by Helga's lips pressing against her mouth. The dark haired girl closed her eyes in a pleasured reaction and eagerly kissed the blonde back, it lasted for a few moments before Helga pulled away, tears sparkling on her cheeks as they ran.
Rhonda was immediately alerted and placed her hand comfortingly upon her companion's shoulder, "Are you crying?"
The blonde sobbed for a moment but choked up the tears that flooded her face, "I don't know, what does it look like, Einstein?" She snapped.
"Oh my god, was that too much? We didn't have-"
"It's not that…." Helga breathed out as she wiped her cheeks and stifled the tears. "I started my period yesterday. That's why I didn't want you to do anything tonight. It's literally a bloody mess down there."
"Oh, well...thank you...Is that all?"
Her hands fled to her face and she repressed another sob, "These feelings just get pushed down, and then they come back up and then they get pushed down again, and the emptiness is so real, and so scary...it's so real..."
Rhonda hesitated, trying to think of the right thing to say. She had her depressions sure, but she also had vices that helped with the pain; her parents alcohol, her mother's weed and painkillers, her father's magazines and vhs tapes. Smothering these emotions of inadequacy and imperfection that her parents made her feel on a constant basis was the only way she knew how to cope. She wasn't good at the whole empathy or sharing emotions thing. But she would try for Helga. "Is this because I have a boyfriend? Because, you know, Blake, he's just there for show, for my parents and-"
"What? No, I don't care about that...I'm talking about my mother, my father. Olga barely tolerates me, and Arn-..." She caught herself, more soft tears spilling from her weary blue eyes.
There was silence in the penthouse.
Rhonda took in a deep breath. "It's okay, I kind of knew you loved Arnold. You um, had some pink journals lying about in your closet one day and...I apologize, I read a page or two."
Helga roughly stood up and anger filled her voice. "Well now you know I'm a pathetic idiot."
The black haired girl shook her head fervently, "No I think it's very romantic. I wish anybody cared about me as much as you care about Arnold…" She stood up as well from the bed and awkwardly placed her hand behind her neck. "Um, when we fool around do you think about him?"
Helga's rage dissipated as her mind processed the question, she never thought of that. "No...my feelings for him aren't sexual." She slowly turned around to face her half naked friend. Rhonda's brown eyes were stressed but genuine. Caring in a way. "Dr Bliss described it as...falling in love with an idea...not necessarily the person. She said Arnold is just an idea to me. I just greatly desire to be noticed and loved."
Rhonda shuffled her feet a little uncomfortably and quietly responded. "She seems like she could be right on that."
Helga walked back to the bed and sat down on the edge, no longer crying she just sighed greatly. Her anxiety fading as her friend sat next to her.
"Do you like me?" Rhonda whispered as their eyes met again and Helga grinned slightly, shrugging her shoulders.
"Yeah, you're okay."
"You know, if you ever want to stop, we don't have to-"
She was cut off again by Helga's lips, only this time the encounter was softer, gentler. The blonde pulled away slowly and her eyes were sweet as she gazed back at her companion in the darkness, "I like the company."
~2003~
Now here she was, staring into those green pools of a familiar she used to know; that face, those lips she kissed on this very beach seven years ago.
Gerald confidently spun the frisbee around on his index finger, "What brings you fine ladies to Cape Cod on this beautiful summer day?"
Rhonda scoffed, amused, "I believe you just answered your question. It's a beautiful summer day, and we are fine ladies." She winked coyly.
"Fair enough."
Arnold chimed in, "We're just staying at the old duplex with my Grandpa, about a mile down the beach from here. You guys want to join in in a game of frisbee?"
Helga stayed silent, and turned to look at Rhonda. Anxiety crept and through her arteries, she took in a short breath through her nostrils to clear her head a little. Talking would've disturbed any small amount of control she could muster.
Rhonda sensed the sole tension her friend was going through and quickly threw on a graceful grin. "Tempting, gentlemen. Unfortunately, we made plans of our own. Pressing matters, really. However, we are heading back into the city tomorrow, and I am throwing my annual 'End of Summer Bash', you two are welcome to come if you're free."
Gerald laughed and nudged Arnold. "I think Arnold got a little too messed up from your last party."
The footballhead blushed as the group now shared a chuckle, remembering how at Rhonda's last party the blonde haired young man might have had a little bit too much to drink, took off all his clothes and ran around the girl's penthouse like he had just escaped the looney bin. He also made out with a chia pet.
"You're body is nothing to be ashamed of, Arnold." Rhonda responded rather suggestively and Helga covered her mouth to suppress a humorous scoff.
Arnold sighed and glared at Gerald for bringing up the event he hoped everyone would forget. "Guess I'll just have to live with it. Anyway, thank you for the invitation, but we're actually staying here for the summer sandcastle competition. This years prize is five hundred dollars."
Helga clenched her fists as her demons razzled and kicked her in the stomach. "Good for you, Footballhead." she quipped rather shortly and turned to Rhonda. "I have to take a piss." And stomped as politely as she could away from her classmates and back to the expensive beach house the Lloyd family had rented for the weekend.
Once she got inside she headed straight to the bathroom and turned on the faucet; setting down her sunglasses she splashed the cold water onto her face. The teenager coughed and turned off the running water, gazing into the mirror at her wet sun kissed cheeks.
Helga inhaled greatly, the restlessness in her bowels resided some. She sat down onto the lid of toilet and clasped her hands together, her deep breaths continuing as she closed her eyes tightly and tried to concentrate on Dr Bliss' voice inside her head, but her own voices were drowning out the sense and logic.
Stupid asshole. Stupid fucking asshole. Stupid sandcastles. Does he have another bimbo helping him this time? Maybe Gerald and him could be on fucking Baywatch together and suck each others faces off. Why this beach? Why this fucking weekend?
A knock at the door sent the voices fluttering back to the dark corners of her mind. "Hey, it's me."
Helga swallowed roughly and stuttered, wiping some of the water off of her cheeks. "I'm just having some bathroom alone time."
"May I come in?"
The blonde sighed with relinquish in her voice. "Fine."
The door cracked open and Rhonda slowly entered, quietly closing it behind her. Her red towel wrapped around her waist. Her shoulder length black hair was now tied into a damp bun atop of her head. "Feeling some stress?"
Helga gave a sarcastic scoff. "I thought they would never shut up and leave." Her facial features hardened as she stared down at her feet. A tender hand touched her jaw and her chin rose to meet a pair of exquisite brown eyes.
The eyes twinkled as Rhonda grinned amicably. The tall girl dropped her towel to the ground and sat onto her friend's lap, wrapping her thighs snugly around Helga's waist. "Forget about them. You just know they're totally going to jerk each other off in one of those sandcastles."
The blonde let out a genuine laugh. "I like how you assume every teenage dude just wants to jerk off another teenage dude."
"Oh my god, that's because it's so true. Every guy is a little bit bi-curious. Men are incredibly sexual creatures. How could they not think that every once in awhile?" She giggled, running her fingers through her companion's blonde hair and Helga closed her eyes in an enchanted response. "Speaking of sexual creatures…"
"You know this is like my one weakness, right?" It seemed like someone playing with your hair was one of god's special gifts to man/woman. Pizza, weed and alcohol probably came in a close second.
Helga drew in a deep breath as Rhonda continued to play with her golden locks and occasionally scratch her scalp. She let out a moan, barely audible, and then a faint chuckle. "You're just waiting for me to say it, aren't you?"
The dark haired girl raised her brow but smiled seductively as she gazed down at her friend and licked her elegant lips. "Say what?"
The blonde rolled her eyes. "You're such a Leo." She then forcibly wrapped her arms around Rhonda's waist and pressed their torsos together firmly. Her chin raised so her mouth would meet her companion's left ear and she whispered lowly, ultimately captivating Miss Lloyd's thoughts and emotions. "Fuck me."
XOXOX
The next day she debated on going to the party. Rhonda and her parents had dropped her off at the condo that morning and she had some time to relax and shower before her plans of settling into bed with a good marathon of Buffy. The anxiety from the day before was still lingering but faded and even if Arnold wouldn't be there, she still had to deal with other classmates. Gross.
A wet towel intertwined with her long blonde locks from the shower, and she flipped on Bob's large screen TV which she had moved into her room after her parents were imprisoned. She plopped her butt onto her bed as she broke into a fresh bag of pork rinds and picked the phone off of the nightstand, checking for new voicemails. She munched on the crispy treats as she listened.
"Hey, when are you going to get a cell phone? Helga, it's 2003! I don't very much enjoy censoring my voicemails because Olga could be listening. Anyway, you better be coming to my party tonight. My parents literally just left for that broadway show and they'll probably be stuck in Time Square till at least two am. Plus, I got that thing we were talking about yesterday, and it's not going to smoke itself! Please, bitch. You seriously make my parties that much better. Well, for me at least. Okay, don't forget! Bye!"
Helga placed the phone back onto the receiver and sighed, looking down into her bag of pork rinds. Guess a little bud couldn't hurt. And a little alcohol. And a little of not Arnold. She could definitely use some calming to her neurotic and unruly brain and Rhonda seemed to provide whenever she needed it. Dr Bliss' voice re-entered her head. She needed to medicate and cope in a healthy manner, like through exercise or meditation or some crap. Not through self destructive tendencies.
Helga shrugged. Weed never killed anybody.
XOXOX
All the biggest hits of 2003 were playing over Rhonda's surround sound through the lavished penthouse. Helga had already devoured a plate of finger sandwiches and Rhonda and she shared a bottle of aged whiskey as they hung out by the stereo in case anybody made a request.
The intoxication ate away the nervousness in her blood as she enjoyed the company of her longtime friend. They would brush hands here and there, whisper promiscuous things into each others ears and come face to face a little too close at times, but it's not like anyone there would ogle. Their classmates were too hammered or high to notice through all the dancing, making out and dry humping.
The blonde took a swig of the strong alcohol and winced. "I'm just like...I get so tired of being like, the bigger man all the time… sorry, 'woman'. There's like this little voice inside me saying like, 'Be responsible, Helga. Be fucking responsible.' And honestly I think it's Dr Bliss' voice." she handed over the handle to Rhonda.
The black haired girl took a gulp as well but she smiled, as alcohol had been in her blood for a couple hours now. She slurred, "Oh my god, I know exactly what you're talking about. It's like, this voice, saying, 'don't smoke so much weed, don't drink so much alcohol'. And I'm like, fuck you, voice! Alcohol and weed is amazing!"
Helga shook her dizzy head and her feet stumbled a little. "Oh my god, I just, I know so much about what you're talking about. And like, when we saw Arnold yesterday on the beach you know what I wanted to do? I just wanted to punch him in his stupid face, like, so bad. Like, just so bad."
Rhonda smiled mischievously to herself as she handed over the bottle. "Yeah, but you know, the fucking was pretty great too." She bit her bottom lip as memories from yesterday crept back into her drunken and horny conscious.
"Oh my god, yeah, like, thanks so much for that. I really needed that." Helga took another drink and coughed at the taste this time.
The hostess closed her eyes and dramatically clutched her chest. "Oh my god, it was like, my absolute fucking pleasure. Fucking you is great." She opened her eyes and paused for a moment, they widened. "Oh my god, I'm gonna go get that thing I was talking about! I'll be right back!" She rushed away through the crowd of people that were dancing in her living room and Helga chuckled to herself. Drunken thoughts bouncing around in her head.
The fucking, mmmm, the fucking. She giggled again to herself as she slowly closed her eyes. Punch him in his stupid face. Football face getting punched. Stupid sandcastles. Probably gonna suck Gerald's face off...
"Helga?"
A sweet sound echoed through the jumbled thoughts like a bowling ball to pins.
"Helga?"
The voice echoed through her mind again, this time it seemed very familiar. A pair of light hazel eyes appeared through the fog of her imagination, through the haze of intoxication. An embrace of warmth coiled itself around her heart as she slowly opened her glazed blue eyes at the figure that stood before her at the lively and heated party.
Her heart stopped. The party stopped. The music stopped. The inebriated thoughts faded and emotions rose to meet her brain in a flush of fervor and magic.
The shorter figure that stood before her had black hair with purple and blue streaks, no glasses but the face was entirely recognizable and familiar. Her eyes were a light hazel.
"Phoebe?"