Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold
A/N: This is my first fic so any comments or suggestions are appreciated! :-) Hope you like it!
"I'm going out! I'll be back after dinner!" I yelled at my parents.
"Yea, Yea, Ok, Olga!" Big Bob replied.
"It's Helga!" I corrected to deaf ears.
I sighed and walked out the door, feeling as if any attempts to improve
myself were pretty much worthless. My own parents didn't even know my name! I
shrugged it off. After 16 years of the same treatment, I guess I got used to it. I was
supposed to meet Phoebe at the Express, a pizza parlor, but I decided to take a
little detour first. I walked towards the park looking up at the setting sun, when
suddenly, WHAM! I was on the ground- my hands scraped up while trying to break
my fall.
On pure instinct, I yelled outraged, "HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE
GOING FREAK!"
An ice cold voice replied, "You watch it, next time it won't be just you're hands
that are scraped."
My head snapped up. That voice! I knew that voice! I looked up at the retreating,
mysterious figure. There was no mistaking that football shaped head- it was Arnold! My
jaw dropped. I knew the kind; wonderful Arnold that I had loved from afar was gone,
but this new Arnold- this brooding, scowling Arnold completely shocked me. He reminded me- in
a way- of well me. Or at least the way I used to be.
I picked myself up and dusted myself off. I felt horrible as if my heart had been broken.
Shattered, and stepped on. My hands were stinging like a thousand bees, but I refused to feel sorry
for myself. That kind of pain was good. I could deal with it. What I couldn't deal with was the pain
in my heart.
"Helga! What happened to you?" cried out Phoebe as I stepped into the well-lit pizza parlor.
I glanced into a nearby mirror. I looked a lot worse that I'd thought I had. My hair was flying
around everywhere, full of static. I grimaced as I picked out a dry leaf that had been mashed into my hair.
I sighed, wondering whether I should tell Phoebe the truth or not. I walked over to the table she was saving.
"Nothing happened, I just tripped is all. You know me!" I laughed weakly, hoping Phoebe
wouldn't see through my lie.
"Ok," she replied shortly.
I should have known better than to lie to her- she did know me. She knew me too well.
"But you're okay? You need a band-aide or something?"
I wondered how big a band-aide I'd need to cover the wound inside me. But I shook my
head and told her everything was fine.
"Helga-" Phoebe started.
I cut her off, "I'm starving! Let's eat!"
She seemed to understand that I didn't want to talk about it. She looked concerned but
she dropped it.
"I already ordered. Our pizza should be here soon." came her reply.
"Great," I said with faked enthusiasm.
The silence between us was thick and uncomfortable. I twisted a straw wrapper around my
finger wondering what I could say. Finally,
"So... how's Gerald?" I said as a last resort.
Phoebe brightened visibly.
"He's great! Yesterday I had dinner with his family again- they're so wonderful!"
"You really like him, don't you?" I said wistfully.
"Yea, I do. And," she paused. "I think he likes me too!"
"That's... that's wonderful!" I said, stifling the flash of jealousy that sparked up
inside me.
I knew any chance of romance was over for me, at least in this neighborhood. I spaced out
while Phoebe chattered happily about Gerald and how great he was. I let my thoughts drift towards
Arnold. I smiled faintly, remembering how I used to torment him calling him 'football head' and
pushing him around. All the while hiding my true feelings. I wondered where my locket was-
probably in the back of my closet along with all the other items that reminded me of Arnold.
I sighed. While I was changing, Arnold had been changing too. For the worse. Perhaps I had
been too preoccupied with myself to notice how drastic the change was. Then again, many people had
been shocked by the new Arnold. Including, Gerald, Arnolds ex-best friend. But still, I wonder if
I could have helped him somehow. Now, I assumed, it was too late to help him. What could I do?
I suppose Arnold had his reasons for becoming the person he had become. He had been
through a lot in the past two years. Too much, maybe. It would have changed anyone, but somehow
I'd always thought Arnold was immune to that sort of thing. But... Arnold was human too after all.
A sharp jab in my arm interrupted my line of thought.
"Ow!" I cried, looking at Phoebe who held a plastic fork.
"Finally," she said exasperated. "I've been trying to get you're attention for the last past
five minutes! When you space out Helga, you REALLY space out!"
I laughed apologetically.
"Sorry, I was just thinking."
"A penny for your thoughts?" Phoebe asked.
"I was just thinking about-"
The bell above the doorway jingled, signaling someone's entrance. I sucked in my breath.
"Arnold," I half whispered-half hissed.
Phoebe looked up at the doorway. I saw her expression turn from one of surprise to one
of disgust. Arnold was not alone, and he was clearly drunk.
Arnold and his friends swaggered (or stumbled rather) into the Express and plopped down
into an empty booth.
"Yo waiter!" Arnold called in a slurred voice. "Can I get a menu here?"
The waitress eyed him warily but gave him a menu.
"Thanks," he burped at the waitress.
His friends laughed, loudly and hoarsely. Phoebe looked at them in ill concealed disgust.
"Disgusting pigs!" she muttered angrily.
Arnold's head snapped up. He looked over at our booth and grinned. For a second he almost
looked like the old Arnold I used to know. He staggered up from his booth and walked unsteadily
towards us. For the first time in my life, I was truly afraid of what Arnold had become. I no longer
knew his limits or what crossing the line was for him, but nonetheless I waited patiently to see what
he was going to do.
"Did you say something to me?" he leaned towards me. He was so close I could smell
the beer on his breath. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I tried to remember my vow to keep a lid
on my temper. I really did. But seeing what Arnold had done to himself made something inside
me snap. I stood up. I pushed him against the wall. He was strong, but I had anger on my side.
Sometimes that's a good thing.
"So what if I did Arnaldo?" I sneered.
He looked undecided and a bit surprised at my reaction. Like he'd thought I'd whimper
and beg him not to hurt me. Well Arnold, I thought to myself, I've changed- but I haven't changed
that much. I stared at him while confusion swept into his eyes. Eyes that looked so wise and
deep and bright. Eyes that looked so out of place in his dark and sneering face. Eyes that would
have made me melt at any other time. The confusion left Arnolds face and he grinned.
"Maybe I'll just take you're purse then Hel-ga!" he said.
Now it was my turn to be confused. Why would I care if he took my purse? All there
was in it was $5 and a pack of gum. And that was pretty obvious to anyone since my purse was
one of the clear, see-through, kinds. I rolled my eyes. Either Arnold had gotten really dense, or it
was the beer talking. I shrugged and said,
"Take it then football head," I said nonchalantly.
Arnold's reaction to my comment surprised me. He looked so- lost. Like he had pretty
much forgotten what he was doing and where he was.
"What did you say," he said pushing back a strand of his hair.
"I said you could have it!" I replied.
"Ok," he whispered.
He walked back to his group of friends who all had confused looks upon their faces but
didn't comment. And as suddenly as Arnold had gone into his daze, he snapped out of it. He
turned back to me, angry.
"I'm warning you Helga. You better watch yourself."
Turning to his friends he said,
"Lets go guys."
He walked out the Express, still clutching my purse. I wasn't even sure he was
aware of it. Well. That was weird, I thought.
"Helga?"
I jerked in surprise. Phoebe! I'd almost forgotten about her.
"Yea Pheebs?"
"I can't believe Arnolds changed so much! I'm sorry he took your purse."
"Oh that's ok. There was nothing much in it." I shrugged. "I think I should
get going now though."
"But you haven't eaten yet!" she cried.
"I've sort of lost my appetite-sorry. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Sure," she replied.
I was halfway out of the booth when she stopped me.
"Helga," she said looking concerned. "Don't let him get to you."
I shook my head.
"Too late."
I walked out the door, into the cold night air.