Okay, so this idea pertains somewhat to one that came from Madfantic. He suggested extending the episode 'Weird Cousin.'
I switched it around a bit, but thanks to him, I was able to come up with a new story idea. I hope you all like it. Please review!
Thank you Madfantic for the advice :)
Chapter 1: An Invitation
P.S. 118
The students were thrilled, not just because it was Friday, but because an exciting event would be taking place the next day. Exciting to some that is…
Arnold turned in his desk when the last bell rang to see his girlfriend putting away her things. "So, you ready to get the tickets?"
Helga stood with a pessimistic expression, knowing how slim the chances of any remaining tickets to her favorite event would be the day before it took place.
"Pttss...you mean, ready to waist twenty minutes of our lives standing in line, only to hear the words 'We're Sold Out." the hopeless pre-teen scoffed.
Arnold took her hand to lead her out the classroom door as he encouragingly added "There's still a chance Helga. Besides, it was a busy week for us. Studying for the math test, putting together the history project, writing our poems for the English assignment. We didn't have time to wait in line for anything."
"No arguments there." Gerald agreed, following behind his friends.
Phoebe took notice of the somber expression her friend was carrying. Not many positive things took place in Helga's life. Disappointment was a factor she had trained herself to get used to. It was still nice every now and then to be treated to something.
"Arnold's correct Helga. Not to mention, if you are unable to acquire tickets to the event, you still have the option of sharing a lovely evening at home together, watching the event."
Gerald lifted an eyebrow at his girlfriend's explanation and said "Lovely evening watching wrestling? Talk about an oxymoron."
As the kids were making their way down the hall, Helga was knocked over by a careless classmate.
"Alright! I got it! Yes!"
Arnold watched to see his girlfriend hit her head against the locker after being shoved aside by Harold. While he and the rest of the group stood watching the husky boy gloat over catching the football in the hallway, Helga stood to scowl "Hey! What do you think you're doing Pinkboy?!"
Returning the scowl, Harold glared at the finger being pointed at him and snapped "I was catching the ball? What was I supposed to do, let it pass me?"
Glaring at the density (yet not surprised) by their classmate, Gerald added "Or just wait until you're in an outside area where activities such as that are meant to take place."
Knowing they weren't going to shake hands and easily disregard the situation, Arnold placed a hand on Helga's shoulder and said "Come on. Let's go get the tickets while we still can."
After watching Harold take off in the opposite direction of their friends, Gerald turned to Phoebe and said "Imagine a wrestling match between those two."
Stadium
Arnold held Helga's hand down the sidewalk, anxious to get the tickets. While he saw the scowl from the school's incident hadn't left her face, he was sure the sight of the tickets would take care of that problem.
As they approached the booth, Arnold smiled and eagerly said "Look, no line! This should be easy."
Helga rolled her eyes at his optimism, refraining from saying what that obviously meant.
The two approached the both as Arnold said to the stand leader "Hi. We'd like two tickets for Wrestlemania tomorrow."
The cashier burst into laughter at the thought of anyone being brave enough to assume there would still be tickets for the event, one day before it took place.
Shrugging his shoulders at the reaction, Arnold said "I don't get it? What's so funny?"
After shaking her head, the cashier replied "Kid. This is the event of the year! Haystack Calhoun is battling The Avenger! You seriously believe there are still tickets available?!"
While Arnold stood shrugging his shoulders, not knowing how she could blame them for trying, Helga turned and smirked "Let's beat it. If we're lucky, she'll be Calhoun's next victim."
The Boarding House
"HE-YAW!"
"Pookie, enough with the karate. It's bad enough you make dinners with stomach disturbing fruit every other night. We don't need a crazy act to go along with it." Phil informed her.
Taking no consideration of what her husband said, Pookie continued to chop the watermelon until she felt there was enough to make a full meal for the family.
"Okay then. Bye."
Phil turned his head to see Stella set down the phone after a long conversation. The sweet lady approached the table to say "My brother is anxious to see us again!"
Phil's eyes widened, as he sat still, not caring about the watermelon his wife had just splattered him with.
Miles, who had heard the end of the conversation from the hallway, approached the kitchen and said "That's uhhh nice sweetie. They're not coming to town are they?"
"If so, I'm leaving." Phil muttered, not wanting to be anywhere near Stella's eccentric relatives.
The caring lady took a seat at the table and explained "Well, we're all invited to spend the weekend at their farm. I told my brother it was too short notice for us all to head over there."
"Smart thinking!" the elderly man praised his daughter in law.
Listening in on the conversation, Pookie then turned away from the meal to suggest "We could ask lady Eleanor to run the White House while we visit the troubled area."
"Any area is troubled as long as you're in it." Phil glared, not appreciating his wife's enthusiasm towards the idea of visiting the farm.
"Mom, I don't think leaving Helga and Arnold to run things here would be any more fair than it would responsible." Miles shook his head, wondering how long she had stayed normal after he and Stella left for the jungle.
"Actually, Arnold is who they're really anxious to see. My brother said Arnie's been anxious to see Arnold and Helga since his last trip here." Stella explained.
Miles gave a perplexed look asking "When did he meet Helga?"
"The little weirdo stole shortman's last crush when he was here. The cranky girl with the big pink bow and the one eyebrow took that as her chance to get Arnold's attention. Ho boy did her plan backfire! The freak followed Arnold home that night rambling nonstop about wanting to go out with her." Phil explained.
Getting her facts straight, Stella said "So, Arnie has feelings for Helga?"
"That or he was just sick of reading the ingredients on all Pookie's food packages out loud to himself."Phil assumed.
After a moment of silence, the group heard the front door opening, and the parade of pets pouring out the door.
Arnold and Helga entered the kitchen to find his family gathered together. "Hey everyone."
"Hey there shortman! How goes it?" Phil asked, not wanting to reveal the news about his creepy cousin.
"Not bad."
Stella looked at the somber expression Helga was wearing and asked "Is everything alright sweetie?"
Crossing her arms, looking away from the group, Helga sighed "Just peachy."
Arnold filled the family in on the details Helga didn't care to explain. "Tickets to Wrestlemania tomorrow are sold out. We would have gone earlier this week to buy the tickets, but we had so many things to do for school."
"That was very responsible son." Miles smiled, hoping to make Helga feel better as well.
"If she thinks not going to a sport event is bad, wait 'til she hears the news we just got!" Phil exclaimed, not caring to help ease the anxiety of the situation.
"What is it?" Arnold wondered.
Miles looked at his worried son and explained "Your uncle Jason just called son. He and Arnie want you and Helga to come visit them at the farm this weekend."
Helga uncrossed her arms and slowly turned to meet the innocent man's eyes as she said "Excuse me?"
"Arnie was sad he didn't get to spend more time with the two of you during his last visit." Stella explained, after the conversation with her brother.
Arnold turned to see the disgruntled look his girlfriend was wearing. While no one enjoyed being around Arnie, Helga was the easiest one to irritate.
The blonde boy began to rub the back of his neck as his eyes wandered from his dissatisfied girlfriend to his hopeful family. "Ummm maybe I could visit him another time."
"Sure shortman. Then you can spend the weekend listening to your weirdo cousin snort 'Where's your cranky friend with the big pink bow and one eyebrow?' hehe."
Everyone turned to glare at the chuckling old man as Miles sighed "Dad…"
"I'll think about it. Let's go upstairs Helga." Arnold insisted, leading her upstairs towards the attic.
Arnold's Room
The two discouraged pre-teens took a seat together on Arnold's bed. First Helga was faced with the disappointing news of missing out on her favorite sporting event. Now Arnold was given the dilemma of who to let down; Helga by leaving her that weekend with nothing to do, or Arnie by turning down the invitation. While he had the option of inviting Helga on the trip, he wasn't looking to make her weekend worse.
"Well, I'm sorry about the tickets." the sweet boy said, placing a hand on his troubled friend's.
Helga rolled her eyes at his guilty conscience and smirked "Pttss...I think you're the one who got screwed over. A weekend spent with Mr. Snorts-A-Lot. Talk about a rough match!"
Arnold began to rub his girlfriend's hand, wishing there was something he could do to make it up to her. Even if he turned down the idea of visiting Arnie, there wasn't anything fun to do around there.
"I know you'll think I'm crazy for this, but would you want to come on the trip with me? It'll be something new to do."
Helga cocked her brow, not knowing what he could find to be exciting about the idea of visiting a farm. "Arnold, he lives on a farm. Why not just kill the day taking a trip to the zoo?"
Feeling guilty for what he was about to do, the anxious boy replied "I know it doesn't sound like fun, but it would be nice to have someone normal there with me."
As if his guilt was becoming contagious, Helga stood from the bed and said "Fine, but if he lays a finger on me, your exciting event for the weekend will be a boxing match."
"Whatever you say Helga."
Arnold stood from the bed to kiss his girlfriend good night. Holding her sweet face in his hands, his mind went back to the last time Arnie visited them. All those flirting techniques Helga suggested seemed like torture at the time. Now the idea of spending too much time away from her, deprived of the chance to do anything like that, was a torturous thought itself.
After slowly releasing her lips to look at the dazed expression his presence always brought to her, the blonde boy added "I'll meet you at your place tomorrow. We can take the afternoon bus, that way half the weekend will be over by the time we make it to his place."
"Sound good to me football head."