Hey everybody. :D Here is a little companion fanfic that ties-in to "Love So True", and in this puppy we're going to be looking in on Arnold's perspective, that ALSO includes his serious talk with Ruth about getting a divorce. I'm not going to reveal TOO MUCH, since a lot of what "Love So True" has to offer is that you NEVER know what the other characters are thinking, it's just Brainy, you have to fill in the blanks yourself.
So I'll give you guys a treat. X3 Yay! Have a cookie. *Holds out a plate*
This story takes place after chapter 10 (is technically chapter nine since the first posted chapter is a prologue)
Also this is dedicated to One Fine Wire, who is the biggest fan of "Love So True" XD
I own nothing. Characters belong to Craig Bartlett.
Eileen Galvin, and the mention of Henry Townshend (back in the last chapter of "Love So True") are both from Silent Hill 4: The Room, and belong to Konami.
Because shameless cameos are cool. :D And I do have a liking for the HenryxEileen pairing. X3
XXX
"And even though Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet play was written as satire to romance and young love, it still remains a classic to this very day. You just have to read it with an open mind and not take it seriously."
A young girl's hand was raised.
"Yes, Rachel?"
"Did you ever read it, Mr. S?" Queried the young student named Rachel.
Arnold smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I've read the full unabridged version of the play. In fact, back when I was in fourth grade, my class was putting on the play. But the script for that was an abridged version, since the original play is...about three hours long, I believe, and so it was cut down to an hour and a half to make it more appropriate for younger actors. They cut down some of the speeches, and all but the final kiss at the end when Juliet kisses Romeo. Back then, none of the boys in my class wanted to be Romeo because they would have to kiss the girl playing Juliet. My teacher at the time, Mr. Simmons, finally had to ask ME, since I hadn't auditioned, to be Romeo. And well, I accepted it even though I wasn't all that sure I could do it. Especially since I never kissed a girl at the time, and I was nervous because my classmate at the time, her name was Helga Pataki was to be Juliet." A strange jolt came to his heart as he mentioned her name, her maiden name rather, and he wondered why that seemed to happen whenever her name came up.
Shaking it off, he continued with his story. "And I didn't really know her that well at the time, either, I wasn't too big on kissing a girl for the most part. Especially a girl I didn't even really know. But then I was transferred to fifth grade, and I couldn't go through with it anymore. Luckily, one of my other classmates, his name was Brian Williams, was sick for a week with the flu, and when he came back for the play, he offered to be Romeo, since Helga...who is actually his wife today, was playing Juliet and because they couldn't get anyone else."
"Awwwwww..." A few of the girls chorused, and a few boys gagged or laughed in response.
The bell then rang, signaling that it was now lunchtime. All of the students gathered their books and other belongings, and began to pile out of the classroom, talking amongst themselves, even while a couple of the boys shoved the other kids out of the way, earning a warning stare from their teacher.
Kids... Arnold thought to himself, once more feeling a wash of sadness overcome him as he yet again thought about the loss of his and Ruth's stillborn daughter. How she would never be among a crowd of those fifth graders if he would have had her in his class when the time came... The teacher shook his head and stood up, gathering his papers, folders, placing them into his bag, and headed out of the classroom to the teacher's lounge.
As he was passing a tall blonde woman, wearing pink...his gaze snapped to her so quick he was sure his neck would've snapped. But as he focused on her, he came to realize that it was only Patricia Danvers, one of the school board's administrators. Arnold managed to look away, continuing toward his destination, wondering just what the heck that was about. It happened way too often. Anytime he saw a flash of pink, or blonde, he would immediately look in that direction. There was something weird going on with that.
And somehow, it all related to one person. One woman, to be exact.
The wife of Dr. Brian Williams, Helga. Helga Geraldine Williams (nee Pataki). She had the strangest effect on him. It spawned right when he met her, or rather, saw her again after several years. And it especially intensified when he and Ruth lost their daughter. When she had hugged him and assured that everything was going to be okay, and when she said it all, he truly believed it. It wasn't like the usual kind of feeling he'd get when someone was being sympathetic and sincere with their comfort, when he'd feel touched and thankful. No, this was so much different. She touched him in a way he hadn't expected to feel, in a way he couldn't comprehend. Her sincere, touching words, had sent so much feeling to his heart that he swore it would burst. He really felt that everything was going to be okay. It was ironic, he'd always been known among his friends, family, boarders and now coworkers, as the one to give this kind of feeling. And now he was the receiver. Big time.
What was it about her? What was it that just made her stick permanently into his mind? Arnold had no comprehension for that, either. It almost seemed obvious, and yet, it also wasn't that simple. For one thing, she was a beautiful woman, with soft golden blonde hair he could remember running his fingers through which he found oddly comforting as well, her stunning blue eyes that just seemed to pierce anyone's soul, her sweet smile when it emerged, her infectious laughter, her warm and sweet scent of vanilla, and a really nice body, flattered in almost any kind of attire, from business to casual to formal. But it wasn't just her looks that caught his attention, it was everything about her. Sassy and sarcastic humour, but genuinely witty and funny, her fearlessness, aggression, analytical way of going about things, passion, and not taking lip from anyone. Beyond her tough-as-nails exterior, there was such a soft and sweet woman beneath it all, with a golden heart and a gentle, caring side that would make anyone smile. She was the kind of woman who was tough and aggressive and not afraid to stand up for herself or the people she cared about, but was, deep down, a huge softie.
She was so...not Ruth. While Ruth had matured more over the years and was lot less of a shallow, hair-obsessed spoiled brat, she still just didn't have the air of a strong personality orientation nor passion that Helga possessed. Ruth and Helga were at opposite ends of the spectrum, apples and oranges, barely anything alike.
So what was going on? Arnold liked Helga a lot; he enjoyed her company, her humour, the stories she had to tell, her input on various topics, her feedback to his ways of teaching, and he found her very attractive. She was an interesting woman and he liked calling her a friend. They'd hit it off so well every time they'd met, especially so during dinner with his wife, parents, she and her husband, and the time she had offered comfort in his time of need. It seemed to be nothing more, nothing less.
But as said, it just didn't feel to be that simple.
Arnold shook his head to devoid himself of such thoughts, and entered the teacher's lounge, which was fairly empty, with only a few of the teachers around this time. He went over to his cubby space, taking the lunch Ruth had made. She didn't cook often, but she was pretty good at it and always made a lunch for herself and him every evening before they went to bed so that they would be ready for the next morning. It was usually something different every day, be it a different kind of sandwich, or sometimes leftovers from that night's dinner, soup in a thermos, whatever she chose to put together. Today it was a thermos of tomato soup, a turkey sandwich, and some cookies.
"Hey, Arnold. Have a good morning?" Came the voice of Eileen Galvin, the second-grade teacher, as she went over to her cubby space next to his to get her lunch as well, smiling at him pleasantly. Eileen had short brown hair, green eyes that mirrored his own and was a kind, pleasant, albeit somewhat clumsy, young woman in her early twenties. She had transferred from South Ashfield just a year or so ago, and had made it through just fine in P.S. 118, despite the troubles they'd faced with the former teacher Velma Rubinstein.
"Yeah, it was pretty productive, and not much fuss or trouble." Arnold replied with a nod. "How are things at your end, Eileen?"
"Oh, can't complain." The brunette replied, taking her lunch and going to pour herself a cup of coffee. "I gave my students a test this morning, and then I taught them basic multiplication. Some of the poor things didn't understand it, so I helped them out while the other kids did their work sheets I handed out. Of course I didn't mean to scare them, since you don't normally learn that until third grade, but I wanted to give them an idea of it so they'll be ready for when they're in third grade."
"I remember learning multiplication, when I was a kid. At first I didn't know what I was doing, but eventually I got the hang of it, I guess you're fine as long as you don't make them multiply higher than eleven!" Arnold quipped, grinning at her.
Eileen gave a warm laugh, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, what were you guys up to? You said the other day that you wanted to introduce them to Romeo and Juliet, right? How'd that go?"
"Pretty good. My goal was to be able to tell them the story without complicating it or downplaying it, since part of teaching children is having respect for their intelligence. But I think it really worked and it got through to them. It sure brought me back, to before I transferred to fifth grade and was nearly in the play, but had to back out because of the transfer."
"Oh yeah, the infamous fourth grade play, like you said." Eileen recalled, nodding her head and sipped her coffee. "Did you see it?"
"Yeah, I wanted to see how it turned out." Arnold nodded. "It went very well, actually. Even for an abridged version meant for younger actors, it was pretty nicely done for the time."
"That's great! My boyfriend Henry actually saw a theatrical performance of the play when he vacationed in Silent Hill years and years ago, said it was pretty good, even for a simple community theater performance. He also said the audience cheered and whooped when the couple playing Romeo and Juliet kissed. You know, like they did on sitcoms when characters kissed? It was so much like that."
That made them both laugh, and they headed to the cafeteria to go eat their lunches together, chatting along the way.
"I bet that must've been silly."
"No kidding, I wish I'd been there to see it. Did the Romeo and Juliet of your play end up kissing? I think you said that the boys of your class at the time weren't crazy about kissing."
"They weren't, not in the least. My classmates at the time, who are actually married today, were Romeo and Juliet, and although they didn't have much chemistry at the time, they did a great job and it still went pretty well, the audience enjoyed it. Sure they may not have been brought to tears like Mr. Simmons hoped for, but it was still a success."
The two teachers came into the cafeteria, saying hello to some of their students as they passed by them, and sat at the teacher's table. Eileen unwrapped her salad, turning back to her colleague with a curious gaze in her green eyes.
"Really, huh? Do you regret missing out on it?"
"Looking back, it's no big deal that I did, but at the same time it would have been an interesting experience. I didn't have much faith in myself since I never really acted before, but Mr. Simmons was pretty encouraging. My classmate at the time who was playing Juliet, you know, Helga, I didn't really know her so well since we never actually truly spoke much beyond a hello to each other. So I was kind of nervous about that, too. Mr. Simmons also said we had a strangely good chemistry between each other and made for a good stage presence."
Eileen giggled. "I guess director knows best."
"Maybe so." Arnold chuckled, shaking his head. "So like I said, it wasn't a big deal, but it might've been pretty fun. Did you ever act in a play, Eileen?"
"Yeah, back when I was in high school in South Ashfield, we performed often before the Christmas Holidays and put on some plays of classic Christmas stories. That year we did A Christmas Carol, and I was cast as the Ghost of Christmas Past." The brown-haired woman nodded as she ate her salad thoughtfully, recalling the memory, and swallowed her bite before continuing. "It was pretty fun, and I did as best as I could, even if some of the kids said I was too soft and flat."
"I'm sure you were pretty good, and hey, you gave it your best shot and really tried, that's definitely what counts." Arnold assured her. "Maybe I can't give a true opinion since I didn't see you perform, but you know what I mean."
Eileen smiled at him, patting his hand in a friendly manner. "Thanks, Arnold. So... if you don't mind my asking, how you and Ruth doing? I mean, it's been a few months since...well, the tragedy." She looked sympathetic and forlorn. "Have you two decided what you might do?"
"Well, I don't know, to be honest." The blonde man murmured, looking unsure. "We've mostly been going on with our lives, and not sure where to start in trying to get things going. But we did have some counseling at the hospital my mom works at, and it's helped a lot. Ruth and I have talked, and so far we've said we'll see what happens and do our best to get through everything. As for conceiving, I'm not so sure about that. I don't think Ruth is keen on getting pregnant again, and even I'm just not ready yet. I can't explain it, but it's as if something is pulling me back from it. I love children, I want to be a father. I'm not getting any younger, and I don't want my life to slip by and never attempt to have children again. It's not that, and it's not because of Francesca's passing. It's something else. Like I said, I don't know what's holding me back, but I feel that if we try again, it's only going to get worse."
"Oh." Eileen looked a little surprised, and thought of what he said for a few minutes, finishing the last of her salad as she did so. After a few moments, she wiped the ranch dressing from her mouth and looked back at him. "I think I might get what you mean. Your gut, your subconscious is somehow telling you that it's not the best idea, but isn't saying why, either."
"...Yeah, I think that's it." That was pretty much the best explanation for this strange thing he couldn't comprehend properly. It had to be something of his subconscious holding him back for whatever reason. There was a reason, a reason that only deep down he knew, but his subconscious wasn't letting him know it because he did know it, but had to figure it out. Arnold knew it, but he had to figure out what it could possibly be. The answer would probably not end up very obvious, either.
Whatever it may be.
"Well Arnold, you should go with your gut instinct for now, continue to get some counseling, and I guess just see how things turn out." Said Eileen, taking out a yoghurt and an apple from her lunch.
Arnold smiled, and went back to eating his own lunch too, pouring the tomato soup into the cup that was the cover of the thermos. "You're right, Eileen, I should do that. Thanks for the advice."
The second-grade teacher giggled a bit. "No problem. You're always giving me and everyone else advice, it's about time you got a little something back for it. I just hope you and Ruth manage to work things out, whatever happens, and get through it all."
"We'll do our best. I guess that's all we can do for now."
"Exactly." Eileen smiled, and then lit up as if remembering something. "Oh! Arnold, I'm so sorry to ask this of you, but could I ask you to do me a giant favour?"
"What is it?" Arnold was curious, and a little concerned.
"Henry has a photographers exhibition to go to in Seattle, and I have to go with him because of the teacher's conference happening there that I was asked to attend. It's a also a workshop for younger teachers just starting out within their first or second years of teaching, and we're leaving tonight to be ready for tomorrow, and at the last minute, Carmen," Carmen Price was the school's Principal. "asked me to be the representative of our school to the lawyer who's attending our board meeting tonight, to help us in presenting our case to get better funding for our schools. Are you going to to the meeting?"
Arnold nodded. "Yeah, I promised Carmen I'd be there."
"Oh, good. Arnold, would you mind taking my place? I did want to be there for the meeting, but the conference is tomorrow morning at nine, and we have to leave for Seattle tonight since it will be impossible to get there with all the usual hectic traffic tomorrow, or we'd have to get up REALLY early to beat the traffic. At least at quarter to five in the morning, which won't work because the meeting will last until eleven tonight and then I won't be able to function at the conference tomorrow if I'm half asleep the entire time. So, would you help out the lawyer who's taking in our case? Please?"
Eileen's green eyes looked into his own green ones pleadingly, and like always, he just couldn't say no. Especially not to something this important. Business and being supportive of her boyfriend often clashed, especially in this. No, there was no reason he couldn't help her with this. All he had to do was take her place. Since he was attending the meeting anyway, it was perfect.
"Sure, Eileen. I'll do it. You and Henry go on off to Seattle with no problems tonight, I'll take care of the meeting tonight."
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Arnold. I really appreciate it." Eileen smiled at him in gratitude. "I'll make it up to you when I get back, I promise."
"No need, Eileen, I couldn't make you do that." Arnold waved it off and smiled kindly. "I'm always happy to help out a colleague when they need it, especially when it comes to unavoidable circumstances like this."
"Arnold...you're too much." The younger teacher shook her head. "But really, thank you so much. It helps a lot, and I'll be able to do well in the conference tomorrow if Henry and I can leave early tonight, get there at a good hour and get enough sleep."
"No problem at all, anytime. So, do you know who the the lawyer representing our case is? I know Carmen's had a hard time getting one."
"Oh...I have the information file right here. I saw the lawyer's name and Carmen mentioned it once, but it slipped my mind. Hold on..." Eileen bent down to the floor to reach for something in her bag. She rifled through it, and then pulled out a file folder labeled Confidential-Teachers Only. "Okay, here goes..." She opened it up and spread it on the table, placing her food items aside, looking over the documents, her lips moving slightly as she read them over. "Here it is, there we go. The lawyer taking our case is Helga Williams. ...Well! Coincidence, isn't it?"
Arnold's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat.
Tonight's meeting was going to be long, wasn't it?
XXX
The meeting was being held at the school board building, teachers from schools all across Hillwood City were attending, serving as representatives to their respective schools, as well as meeting with the lawyer, in this case Helga Williams. She was to represent their case to receive better funding for the teachers and the school itself, so all the students and faculty will have a far better teaching and learning environment.
From what was heard, it was her second time taking on a school-related case, and she was ready for it.
Arnold had gone to Carmen before lunch hour was over to tell her that he would be taking Eileen's place for the meeting that evening, which she was thrilled with. She'd explained what was needed to be done through the protocols, and of course answered any questions he had about the process. Now all he had to do was do his best to get their lawyer going with the case.
He just hoped it would work out.
So now he stood in the lobby of the school board building, waiting for Helga to arrive, who said she would meet him there. The meeting was at 7:45 (in actuality it was at eight, the first fifteen minutes were meant for briefing), it was now 7:19, she'd promised to come as early as she could. He had arrived approximately five minutes ago, and waited patiently. Despite that he felt nervous.
But then again, why did he feel nervous? He had nothing to be nervous about! Well aside from the usual obvious matters, but anyone would be anxious about those factors. He felt nervous for something he couldn't explain, and it wasn't that simple, either. So what was going on? Why did he feel this way? It was so odd. Was it because of her?
No answers could be found about that. No matter how hard he-
"Well hey there, Arnold." Came Helga's voice from near him. "Been waiting long?" She smiled brightly at him, toting her bag and purse, wearing a dark pink business suit, her hair up in a ponytail, and some light makeup. She looked very modest and professional, but still feminine. Such a lovely combination. And she looked so beautiful in her own kind of way.
Upon seeing her, his heart unwittingly sped up and the blood rushed to his head. Arnold composed himself and cleared his throat. "Oh, no. Not at all. I only got here about five minutes ago, anyway."
"Good, didn't want to make a bad first impression! I sure appreciate the board sending a teacher from P.S. 118 to help show me around and brief me on everything I need to know for this case. You have all the files?"
"Yes I do." Arnold nodded, indicating to his bag. "My colleague Eileen had to decline this due to the fact she and her boyfriend have to leave for Seattle tonight since she has a teacher's conference there tomorrow morning, and well, you know the traffic out there, and she asked me to take her place, and I accepted, since I was planning to attend the meeting tonight anyway."
"Do I ever! I've had to go to court in Seattle, and have to leave earlier just to get through the damn traffic. It's hell!" Helga agreed. "Anyway, well, great! You seem to be popping up everywhere, aren't you?" She smirked playfully. "Have you been stalking me or something?"
Arnold blushed and snickered. "Very funny, Helga. Coincidences, I guess."
"That's all I can think of, too." Helga said, and followed him into the main hallway of the building. "So how are you and Ruth doing? Everything okay? No worry, I'm keeping tonight strictly business-related, I'm only curious and I won't ask anything personal anymore."
"It's okay Helga, I don't mind. But I guess for the sake of everyone else we'll keep this between us and try to talk about business. For the most part, everything is fine. It's been hard moving on since Francesca passed on, but the counseling we've had and our support system has been a lot of help and really made it easier for us to cope and move on. We're not sure where things will go from here, but, we'll see what comes our way and work through it any way we can."
"That's good, at least you guys made it this far." The blonde woman came up beside him and smiled sincerely. "I really have to admire you for your strength, it's really a good example for others who have gone through the same thing. So good for you."
A soft blush came to his cheeks, but he kept his cool, and wondered why the heck he was reacting like this. Sure, it was sweet and flattering, but why did it seem to affect him like this? "Thank you, that really means a lot. You and Brian have also been a part in helping us out, since you two were pretty much there through a good part of it."
"Hey, it's what he does, and it's what I wanted to do. No problem. We're glad to have been there for you guys." Helga patted his back lightly.
The two of them smiled at each other warmly, lingering their gazes for a few more moments before facing straight ahead, continuing on their destination to the meeting room. Aside from the strange, nervous feelings, Arnold couldn't help but feel a lot better, very elated, with her around.
XXX
The meeting had been a success! Helga not only was eager to take the case, but she presented an interesting plan to go about presenting the case to the judge and the head of the education department of the state, which made all of the teachers feel as if they were in good hands. Her determination and ferocity were enough to drive them to place their trust in her and do what they could to help the case as well. Arnold knew Helga was a great lawyer, but after seeing her tonight, the way she listened to everyone's sides of the story, asked questions, answered questions, came in as prepared as can be with her documents and plans, he was beyond impressed. She really knew how to get things going and present a great case.
With all of this in place, he and he was sure the other teachers did too, had a great feeling about all of this. That they had a fair chance and deserved to have their voices heard, ready to make a difference and make learning and teaching so much better in their schools, to raise awareness, to help others. This was exactly what needed to happen. Now they just had to go through with it all and see what would come of it.
"That was great, Helga, it really was! I was so blown away, I think I may have even been speechless."
"Hey, it's nothing. I do this kind of thing all the time for my clients, to make sure they know I'm not going to back down and will do my best to get everything out on the table and see how to go about everything. You know, all that good stuff."
It was after the meeting, and Arnold had offered to walk Helga to her car, since they were actually parked close to each other, and she'd accepted his offer. Both of them were tired, but pretty happy about the way the meeting turned out, and were very pumped to get the case going. All through the meeting, despite that his attention was focused on her, he just strangely could not stop looking at her. It seemed to happen every time they were in each other's presence. Something about her just made him keep looking, and he would try to look away, finding it rude to stare at another woman. Especially since he had no idea why he did. Sure, she was attractive, but it wasn't even just that.
Still, it was a great meeting and he was thoroughly impressed with her, and that was what mattered.
"Well, you did great. You really did. I think everyone is excited about the case and have their faith in you."
Helga blushed a bit. "D'awww...stop, you're making me blush."
"I'm only telling the truth." Arnold smiled.
"I know." She smiled at him brightly. Gosh her eyes were so beautiful when she was so-
Arnold shook his head to rid himself of that thought. "But really though, I think we definitely have a chance at this, and you've really helped put all of our minds at ease."
"It's part of what I do." Helga shrugged as if it were nothing. "I'm just glad I did good with you guys, it's my second school-related case, and it's WAY bigger than my previous one. But, I love a challenge."
"Me too." Arnold winked at her.
"Oh, you."
"Oh, me, indeed."
The two laughed, and came out to the parking lot, heading to the section where they had parked their cars. It was a fairly cool evening, cool enough to enjoy and yet not cold enough to need a down jacket. They went over to Helga's Nissan, and she took out the keys to it, unlocking the doors and turning its lights on.
"Well, here's my ride. I'll see you around, Arnold." Helga said, and turned to look up at him. "Thanks for helping me out."
"No problem, Helga. And thank you too, for taking our case and doing what you did, it was amazing. And well, I really admire you for it." Arnold smiled down at her fondly, unable to keep it from his eyes and face.
"You're welcome." Once more she blushed, and then placed her bag down, bringing her arms around him in a hug. "Let's hope we win this, Arnold."
His cheeks heated up, trying to keep his cool. The first time she'd hugged him, despite the immense feelings, he had been thinking more about the loss than the feel of her. But now, with not much in the way, he found himself enjoying her embrace in a strange way he'd never felt before. What was up with this?
Still, he hugged her back, trying not to inhale as the scent of her tangy yet sweet perfume intermixed with her vanilla scent wafted to his nostrils, sending his senses on a tailspin. Her body fit so perfectly up against his, and she was so warm, so...
Their embrace lingered, it seemed neither of them noticed or seemed to care. For all they knew, they were growing buddies who happened to enjoy hugs. When they pulled back a little, now staring at each other, still embracing, their eyes locked, and for a moment Arnold wasn't sure what was happening or why they were doing this, and what all these strange feelings were trying to tell him as they surfaced. All he knew was that he...liked this.
But why?
And suddenly he felt the urge to touch her face, her soft cheeks, and run his fingers through her hair, something about her just now seemed so appealing.
A strange fantasy entered his mind, which nearly shocked him. He imagined her hands coming to the nape of his neck, Helga leaning up and meeting his lips, with his arms tightening around her, kissing her, absorbing the passionate feeling...
Arnold quickly forced that thought out of his mind. What was that? He didn't fantasize about other women! Especially not married women. What was he thinking? He was married, despite the rocks they were facing, and he loved Ruth. How could he THINK such a thing!
He felt so dirty, so ashamed.
"Arnold?"
"H-Huh?" Arnold blinked, and shook his head. "Sorry, Helga. I was just thinking." He managed to smile. "Have a good night, and take care, okay?"
Helga smiled back, looking nervous, but sincere. "You too, Arnold."
She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, and he returned the gesture, much to even his own surprise. The two let go of each other, both blushing, and then then said a final goodbye before he walked off to his own car, wondering just what the hell had happened.
XXX
"So, have you been thinking of her often?"
"Well...I actually think about her a lot more than I ever thought I could have. This woman has an effect on me that I never knew I could feel. I feel so wrong and ashamed about it, Dr. Bartlett. She's married, and so am I. I don't know why I'm thinking about her like this."
Dr. Bartlett tapped his chin with his pen, nodding thoughtfully. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Arnold. A lot of men go through thinking about another woman who isn't their wife or girlfriend."
"I have fantasies, Dr. Bartlett. That's never happened before."
"Never?"
"Well, okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, since men and women always have little fantasies here and there." Arnold waved that off, and then looked at the ceiling, biting his lip. "But with her, I think about her a lot, and I even dream about her."
"What kind of dreams?"
"They're often innocent and normal, some of them are...romantic, and some are even..." His voice trailed off.
"Sexual?"
"Yes."
"Go on."
"Well, like I said, I feel really weird and ashamed about it. To have these thoughts and dreams about her."
"Well, do you feel any loss of control around her?"
"Not really, no. I do feel strange, like I'd never really felt before, when I'm around her, but I don't have those urges or moments of losing control. Not that the thoughts haven't crossed my mind. But Dr. Bartlett, we're both married, and if this goes on and somehow we...I don't know what to think."
"It's one thing to have fantasies about another woman, Arnold, and no one can condemn you for it. However, if you were to act upon them, all things considered, then that would be where you should feel ashamed. Have you spoken of this to Ruth?"
"No. I wouldn't do that to her, admitting that I think of another woman in an inappropriate fashion would hurt her, and I don't want to do that."
Dr. Bartlett nodded, jotting something down on his notepad. "You feel insecure about this, and if your wife found out, you feel she would feel insecure and like she's not satisfying you."
"It's not that." Arnold sat up, his hands clasped on his lap. "I don't know what's going on, not at all. It's not that I don't love Ruth, because I do. But this other woman, she's...not her."
"It's likely you're attracted to this woman because you enjoy her company, and you find her attractive...do you?"
"She's a beautiful woman. I remember her a bit from when we were classmates, and I mean, I recognized her face and knew it was her, but she had changed so much since we were children. And yeah, I really enjoy her company. She's so fun to be around and has such an interesting way of going about things, she can be so tough and aggressive, but deep down she's a real sweetheart. I like her a lot, she's great to have around. Plus, she really helped us out at the board meeting by agreeing to take our case, and really put everyone's mind at ease with her professionalism, preparation and presentations, the way she asked them questions and answered their questions... She really blew me away and I was absolutely impressed by her work. So..." A smile came onto his face as he was talking about her. "Yes, she's a beautiful woman, but it's nothing compared to her personality and her excellent work ethic."
"I see." Dr. Bartlett nodded, writing something down on his notepad yet again. "Does she get along with your wife?"
"They don't talk very often, but they always make pleasant conversation when we're all in the same room together. Recently we went out to dinner with her and her husband and my parents, and we all had a great time. So yes, they do make conversation when they can, and maybe they're not the whole 'BFF' kind of thing, but they're...friendly acquaintances, I'd say."
"How does she seem to feel around you?"
"I can't speak for her, so I couldn't say for sure, but she's always seemed comfortable and enjoys my company. I hope so, anyway!" A light laugh escaped him. "But yeah, she seems fine. Unless she's a good actress and hiding it. So like I said, I can't say for sure. We have a good time around each other, and have really hit it off since that time we saw each other after so many years."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"A few nights ago, when she was meeting with me and other teachers from schools across Hillwood, I had to take my colleague's place and help her around and brief her on what was going on. As I said, it all went really well and we were all very impressed with her work. But then..." The teacher looked off out the window, a faraway gaze in his eyes. "When I walked her to her car in the parking lot, we had this...moment."
"What kind of moment? What happened?"
"Like I said, I walked her to her car, we were talking, and then she gave me a hug, and I hugged her back. We hugged for quite a bit, I don't even know how long, but we lingered. I don't get it. Anyway, then we kind of looked at each other, and then I had this fantasy. I imagined us kissing, the fact that she was so close to me, holding each other, it would have been so easy to. Then we said our goodbyes and she kissed me on the cheek, and I...well, kissed her on the cheek too. I figured she meant it as a friendly gesture, and so I did the same. After that I went to my car and went home in a mild daze."
Dr. Bartlett nodded once again, studying Arnold for a moment. "So you had a little bit of a fantasy around her, during a moment you couldn't quite comprehend."
"That's the best way to put it, I guess. I don't know what to do, to be honest. I mean, I know I shouldn't do anything, but if these strange feelings escalate every time I'm around her, I don't know what I'll do. And I really like Helga a lot, she's a good friend, so I'd hate to have to drive her away."
"That's understandable, Arnold. No one likes to drive away a good friend. The best you can do is to calm down, just be yourself, and if you have to keep yourself at a distance and try not to let yourself fall into temptation. You just have to control yourself and think about the things you have, what's worth it, and how one wrong move can ruin it."
"Believe me, I've thought of that. And I would never do anything like that to her, or to my wife or my parents, or anyone. I just wish I understood why I'm feeling this way."
Dr. Bartlett had a knowing look in his eyes as Arnold looked out the window again. He said, "Well Arnold, you'll figure it out if there is something to be found. You just have to go with the flow and do the right thing."
"I guess that's all I can do, isn't it?"
"For the moment, yes. Now, tell me about you and Ruth. How are things going with you two?"
"Well..." Arnold considered his answer for a few moments before continuing. "I wouldn't say we're doing awesomely, but we're not doing terribly, either. The heartbreak from losing Francesca still looms over us like a dark storm cloud, but, we're doing all right in that. All the help we've had from our friends, my family, and yourself have been tremendously wonderful in our recovery. It still hurts, of course. And like I said before, I don't even know if we'll try again. I was actually telling this to a colleague of mine at school, I do want kids and I love them, you know I do, but I have this strange feeling in my gut that is somehow holding me back from it. And I feel that if I go against it, I'll pay for it in the end. Ruth's first pregnancy was unexpected, but we worked through it. And now, we would likely plan it out, but at the moment it might not happen."
Dr. Bartlett nodded and waited patiently for Arnold to gather himself before he continued.
I don't think Ruth is very keen about getting pregnant, she certainly wasn't the first time around. If anything, it wasn't until she found out Francesca died that she truly appreciated the miracle of life. Ruth isn't a bad person, she never was, but she was so...well, passive about the entire pregnancy while I just couldn't wait to be a father. Yes, I knew it would be hard and especially with our financial standings, but of course I was willing to go through with it and be the best parent I could be. Ruth wasn't interested. She just went along with it like it was routine, the 'next best thing to do', and she's 29, three years older than I am, so she wasn't keen on getting pregnant after she was 30, anyway. It almost feels like a one-shot deal, and if we screw it up, it'll never happen again. Ruth and I haven't talked much about it, but I have a feeling we'll need to eventually. I don't know where we stand with it."
"How about your marriage?"
"Dr. Bartlett, I won't lie, I think it's heading downhill. It has been before, but Francesca's passing was pretty much one of the big signs. I think...we might separate, or get a divorce. It's not that Ruth and I don't care about each other, because we do. I'll always care about Ruth, and we'll always have a special bond together because of Francesca, she'll always be our child. But all things considered, things just aren't working. I do want to try hard to maintain things, I always have, and to work things out and see it through. But I can't hide it anymore, and I know Ruth can't either. We'll have to talk to each other, get everything out on the table, and then start coming in for a few sessions, to see what we can do."
Dr. Bartlett nodded in agreement. "That's the best you can do of that for now, Arnold. I and your entire support system will be there to help you both every step of the way with whatever you choose to do."
Arnold managed a grateful smile. "Thanks a lot. I just hope things will be okay, whatever happens."
"They should, Arnold. I see no reason why it wouldn't."
XXX
Two days later, Arnold was in the teacher's lounge early one morning before classes were to start, and was having a coffee chat with Eileen, since they were the only teachers who had arrived early, or were at least present in the teacher's lounge. She was now recounting a confrontation she and Henry had faced while they were in Seattle.
"And I...just never saw him act that way before! It was astonishing to say the least. I never knew he had it in him." Eileen poured herself another cup of coffee as she went on with her story. "Henry just shoved the guy and told him sternly, albeit in his usual quiet way, that if he ever spoke to me like that again, he would not be so nice next time. The surprise I had when that guy said those things to me just melted away when I saw Henry standing up for me like that."
"They say love can make someone do crazy things." Arnold agreed, pouring some coffee into his travel mug. "I'd met Henry a few times, he really doesn't come off as the violent type at all."
"I know! But that was the interesting part, it really was." Eileen said thoughtfully, and giggled. "So other than that interesting confrontation, the conference went very well and I have to say that I really learned a lot! And we were right to leave the night before, because we got there at a very good time with little to no traffic, and sure we did have to leave early yesterday morning in order to beat most of the traffic to get back here, but we made it and I slept a couple of hours in the afternoon to make up for it. But thanks to all of this, I was awake and ready for the conference, and because of that it went just as I hoped. Again, Arnold, thank you for helping me with that. Thanks to you, everything went as it should have and I can't thank you enough for it."
"You're welcome, Eileen. You really needed to go to this conference and with everything considered, wouldn't have gone well if you and Henry had left early in the morning long before dawn. So really, no problem." Arnold smiled warmly, sipping his coffee. "And besides, the meeting at the board with Helga went so well."
"Did it? That's great!" Eileen looked at her watch. "We still have time, so why don't you sit and tell me all about it? I'll talk to Carmen about it later when I go see her for the details, but really tell me. How was it? I guess Helga is taking the case?"
"She did agree to it, in fact, she was really eager to do it, especially since she wanted to improve her skill on handling school-related cases. Helga blew us all away, she was well prepared with her documents and presentations, her plans to approach the case to the other parties involved and to the legal end of things. She asked us questions, she answered our questions, listened to us, looked over our documentations, she was amazing. Perfectly professional prepared, as I said. Really, I don't think Carmen could have chosen a better lawyer."
Eileen lit up visibly, and sipped her coffee before answering. "That's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear it. If it went that well, you think we have a shot at getting our case heard?" She gave a grin, her green eyes brimming with curiosity.
"I'm pretty sure we do, Eileen. Helga really put our minds at ease and showed us that she will not give up, and that neither should we. It really pumped us and I think we're definitely ready for it." Arnold went on, feeling a grin of his own come to his face.
"All right, so here's the teacher's lounge, I just need to discuss something with Eileen Galvin, she's our second-grade teacher." Came the voice of Carmen Price, the principal, as she entered the teacher's lounge, speaking to an unseen person.
"Sure thing, Mrs. Price, I'll just wait over here."
Arnold's heart jumped. He knew that voice.
"Great! I'll just be over there, please, help yourself to some coffee if you'd like. I'll just be a minute." Carmen came over to where Arnold and Eileen were sitting. "Morning, you two." She smiled. "Eileen, could I speak with you for a minute?"
"Sure, Carmen. I'll be right back, Arnold." Eileen said, getting up and following the principal over to the table at the far end of the room.
"Well well, hey there, Arnold." Helga suddenly said, coming up beside him. She beamed up at him, her azure eyes gleaming. "How are you this morning?"
"Pretty good, and yourself?" Arnold beamed at her too. Something about her presence just made him feel...well, elated today.
"I'm good too, just came to have a discussion with Carmen about the meeting back the other day." Helga went and poured herself some coffee into a mug, adding a little cream to it. "How's Ruth?"
"She's all right, but pretty down about having to work a double shift at the hairdresser today, since her colleague had to take a sick day."
"Awww, no fun. Poor girl."
"No kidding, but, she's really good at what she does, so it'll be no problem for her, I guess that's a good thing. How's Brian doing, with his pretty much still new position as a doctor at the hospital?"
"He's been doing great! He works with your mom a lot, she's kinda taken him along quite a bit." Helga said, drinking some of her coffee and then sitting down on one of the couches. "But yeah, he's been getting into his job pretty well, and his pay's gotten better, so that's a plus."
"I'm glad to hear that, Helga, he's definitely great at it." Arnold sat down on the couch across from hers, with the coffee table separating them. "Has he dealt with any hard nuts to crack?"
"Not yet." Helga giggled. "But he's getting to know all the ins and outs of the job a lot more. How's about you, you Football Head you? How's the life of academic teaching?"
Arnold chuckled at the silly nickname, and found that he strangely liked it. Sure, she said it with affection, obviously meant as a silly term of endearment, but he liked it none the less. "It has its ups and downs, but I really love my students a lot, it's been wonderful to teach them. If the case wins out, it'll be a whole lot better for them, too."
"Of course! So don't you worry, you've got little ol' me to take care of all of you. And Helga G. Pataki doesn't go down without a fight!" She caught herself for a moment and laughed. "Whoops! Williams, I mean. Force of habit, I guess, since I've only been saying Williams for a few years. Sometimes I slip and say Pataki instead, since I have said ever since I was a kid. Yeesh, I'm forgetful."
"Quick Helga, you might want to lie down before you hurt yourself!" Arnold quipped, and laughed along with her.
"Arnold, really..." She gave him a meaningful look, still grinning with mirth. "Where have you been my whole life?"
Arnold felt his breath catch in his throat. The innocent question struck a chord, and frankly, he found himself wondering the same thing. In a strange way. But, he decided to answer as jokingly, even though lamely, as he could. "Narnia. I've been in Narnia all this time."
Helga snickered, shaking her head. "You're so lame. But you're too funny."
"That's okay, kids sometimes called me Sir Lame-A-Lot, so I'm used to it." He gave a crooked smile and chuckled.
"Meanies, but that's tame. When I was younger kids sometimes called me transvestite, or cross-dresser, whatever they could speculate me as a boy who tried to look feminine. Can I help it if I was always a bit of a tomboy?"
"Of course not. It was just who you were. I don't see anything wrong with that, you were just being yourself. That's a lot more than what most people do, for sure."
Helga beamed at him yet again, and it made his heart flutter. "Thanks, Arnold. I appreciate it. I mean, I'm over all of that now, but still, I just want to be me, plain ol' Helga Geraldine Williams as I am."
He smiled. "I wouldn't have you any other way."
"And neither would I." She smiled back.
"All right!" Carmen suddenly came over to them. "You ready to go, Helga? We can talk in my office."
"Absolutely, Mrs. Price." Helga nodded, getting up. She smiled at Eileen. "Hey Miss Galvin, how are you?"
"I'm fine, Mrs. Williams, and yourself?"
"Peachy! I sure hope you're ready for the case too, we're going to need all of you to stand by us."
"You can count on me, Mrs. Williams. I'll drop off the other documents I have on my way to class, all right?"
"Sounds good, thanks! And tell Henry I said hello, I sure miss seeing that ol' slugger around."
Eileen giggled. "I'll do that, Mrs. Williams. Have a good day."
"Same to you." Helga then turned to Arnold, her arm reaching out slightly. But she opted for patting his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Arnold. Keep on truckin'."
Arnold grinned and nodded. "Whatever you say, Helga."
"Damn right, whatever I say." Helga winked at him and then followed Carmen out of the teacher's lounge.
Eileen blinked, turning to Arnold in surprise. "Arnold...what was that?"
"Huh? What was what?" Arnold looked at her in genuine confusion.
"You and Mrs. Williams. I just...ever since you guys started talking, sometimes I'd glance over at you two, and right up to now, you two had this..." Eileen raised her hands, gathering her thoughts. "There was this spark between you both. And the way you guys looked at each other sometimes, the way she smiled at you... Arnold, I could swear you two were about to make out or something. I could be wrong, but I just felt and saw all these sparks and chemistry between you two."
Arnold's eyes widened, and he blushed heavily, unsure of how to respond to that. Eileen of course wasn't a practical joker, she would never say such things unless she was fairly certain of it and never with the intention of lying. It was possible she was simply just mistaken, but...
What if she was right?
"Arnold...is something going on between you two? I mean, if you two weren't married, I would've thought you two were a couple." Eileen went on, looking a little concerned.
"...Eileen, I don't even know anymore. Some weird things have happened, and I'm trying to make sense of them." Arnold sighed, leaning against the wall slightly.
XXX
Wow! That came out WAY longer than I thought. XD But I think this will be a good place to stop. And hell, it was supposed to be a one-shot! Oh well.
Stay tuned for part two, when Arnold and Ruth finally get things going properly. See you then. :D