Geraldine

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Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! I'm just borrowing the characters for entertainment purposes.

I just wondered and twisted out facts of what will happen if Helga's the one moving away instead of Arnold.

I hope you review of what you think may it be good or constructive criticism either way I would be really happy of getting reviews.

By the way you could listen to Mary Jane by the Click Five. It's one of my favorite songs and the song is super awesome and it's the reason why I came up with this storyline.

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I'm very excited because finally we're all going to graduate and will be heading for high school. Granpa told me that high school is the climax if your life. Well I'm really excited about it actually I think all of us is really excited about it. I take my time looking at my classmate's faces before resuming to my so called day dreaming. We are all practicing for the graduation but it looks like we all have our own businesses to even comprehend that we stayed up to practice. Then I saw Helga staring at me. Earphones in her ears, I awkwardly smiled at her but she looked away.

Somehow I was waiting for her to throw something at me or her insulting remarks at me but it didn't come.

Oh I forgot we are not nine years old anymore. I laugh at the thought that we became a couple in a short while. Being overwhelmed by our child heart but we soon broke up because we are just kids. I smiled, every now and then we got teases but it never got out of hand. Gerald and the others is asking if there is a chance of us coming back together. I shrugged I honestly didn't know. Future is unreadable.

I was contemplating myself if I should go to her or not. I saw her took out her heart shaped locket necklace which I didn't even know that she was wearing because of the fact that it was hidden on her dress; and walked away. Maybe she's excited I thought to myself.

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The graduation came! Our teacher is practically pulling her hair out because of stress. Picture that picture there.
"Hey Arnold take a picture with me"

Rhonda pulled me close to her; flashed her model like smile and her hired personal photographer snapped us a picture. The bright flash made me dizzy. I silently thanked God that my parents and my grandparent's camera aren't as flashy as Rhonda's.

We marched on the aisle. Most of us are really nervous walking and seeing Stinky fell flat on his face add to our pounding hearts. When the graduation is over I walked up to my parents and grandparents only to be crushed by their hugs and kisses. After that ceremonious thing with the parents they asked me to go to my friends for a while and say goodbye. I am finding Gerald and everyone but I somehow bumped in to Helga.

Again I'm preparing myself for the outburst but nothing came. I blinked a several times.

"Congratulations… Football head" she said quietly to me.
I certainly didn't expect that but I could only smile. It's been a while since she talked to me since our so called break up. They said that Helga is bitter about it. But she didn't show signs of being hurt so I think maturity kicked in.

"Thanks and congratulations to you too Helga" I replied.

"I…" she started. I didn't leave because I figure out that she has something to say but the next thing that she did is certainly not what I expected.

She hugged me. I couldn't even breath because of the sudden contact. Helga is hugging me. The Helga who always bully me, the Helga who shouted mean things because of a single contact with others, the same Helga who doesn't let herself be comfortable with every breathing human being the Helga that I once kissed. Wait! Where did that come from? I certainly don't hate her but I just don't think I am close to her.

"Gg Good… Goodnight Arnold" she whispered quietly in my ear.

Before I could react or anything. She broke the hug and flee using the big crowd as her shields but I could still identify her from the rest because of her hair. Blonde and pigtails with a pink ribbon is pretty hard to miss. And that night ended just like that I never saw her again…

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It turned out that her parents got divorced. Bob and her mother Miriam got in a big fight. No one knows why but Miriam decided to move out and go to her parents in Germany and stay there for good. Helga's older sister was married so I figured that it must be hard for Helga to go through this. I suddenly remembered the graduation incident between the two of us and grew worried for her.

"And the girl that bullies you all the time Arnold. The girl with the one eyebrow what's her name again?" my grandmother asked me.

I chewed my stake and answered her "Helga"

"Oh yes Helga she's coming with her mother"

I dropped the glass. "Huh?" I looked questioningly at my grandmother who is spreading the news.

"Didn't you know Arnold?" she asked. I looked down and shook my head.

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After I ate my breakfast I hurried to Gerald's to ask him about Helga. Apparently none of us knew she left without even saying goodbye to us all. Even Phoebe who is considered her best friend; I starred at Gerald who is comforting Phoebe. I didn't cry I just went home and slept early without eating dinner. I don't know what to feel. I felt dry and numb inside. I just don't know what I'm feeling right now. If it's anger, because she didn't even say goodbye to me or rather to all of us.

She just left just like that without saying anything or giving us any chance to say anything to her…. Maybe it's sadness because she's gone, I have always considered her as my friend. We have been through a lot not just simple things. She's been my partner… Sure we didn't get along most of the time but we made awesome things.

Maybe it's just … I stopped thinking about Helga and just drifted to sleep everything will be alright. I said to myself it always has. Helga Pataki is tough and she's alright.

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10 years later…

I have been travelling a lot. I became a veterinarian. Since I was a child I have always loved animals. Everyone is complimenting my skills as an animal doctor but I still think that I still have a lot to learn. A lot has changed but for the good. The city became modern and what can I say? Rich?

I am walking around the city where I practically lived all my life. I have my own pad now in the new city but I still visited my parents and grandparents as often as possible. My mind drifting to other things here I go again with my habit. It's been getting late and I am feeling hungry. I saw the restaurant which was built in the lot where we used to play baseball with the whole gang four years ago.

All of us have a different lives now, Rhonda became a model I am not surprised after all she has what it takes I am not sure if she is successful or not because from what Gerald has been feeding my mind her projects came from her own pocket, Lila she became a loving home maker, she married with a businessman she met at college. Gerald became a professional basketball player married to Phoebe who is a psychiatrist. I smiled remembering when I was the best man on their wedding.

After I finished thinking about what happened to the others I saw the old neighborhood. My eyes grew nostalgic as I reminisce some of my memories with Helga as I passed her house; I stopped on my tracks when I saw a woman with a blonde locks talking to a man in the staircase I couldn't care less with the man. I observed the woman. Her hair is passed her shoulders and it has soft curls. I couldn't believe it! Is it Helga?! Is she back for good?! I walked closer.

"Please Geraldine come back to me! I didn't know what I did wrong! Let's go home to New York! And what about your photo shoots?" the man with a black hair in a ponytail begged. Even though the name is different I just know it's her. Maybe she changed her name

"God! Daryl! I am not with you! Stop your delusions! I practically came back to my dad's shitty house just to run from you!" Helga shouted. I frowned at her choice of words.

"But I love you and I would do everything just to have you"

"No Daryl! You just want to get on my pants again! Don't think that I didn't know that you got me drunk in the playboy party just to get what you want! Now piss off!"My eyes widened and my mouth went dry. I didn't help it but my feet are coming closer to them, to her.

"B but!"

"I won't suck your cock! Besides if you want to fuck me that much get a whore and stare at my magazine covers, I am practically naked there!" Helga gave the man a cruel smirk.

The man grunted angrily "We are not finished yet Geraldine!" and with that he walked away.

I walked closer to Helga memorizing every detail. She is wearing a long blood backless red dress with a low neckline, the dress that stopped just above her ankle. I wondered if she's not cold. A silver high heel is adoring her feet; she's about to walk away when I called her name

"Helga…" I called her faintly but she turned her head; Her eyes widened, I couldn't read her expression.

"Helga" I repeated but this time a little louder as I walk closer to her. To have a better view of her then Helga pursed her lips together having her name called. She blinked a few times as if she's making sure it's me.

She then grabbed her heart shaped locket that is in between her breasts and gave me a smile. Somehow I could tell that it's fake

"No one ever calls me Helga anymore. It's Geraldine" she corrected me I could feel the coldness on her voice more cold than the weather.

"You changed names?" I asked observing her.

"Not exactly… Well maybe" her voice lacked passion… If anything its cold and dull not like when we were kids it's so passionate, full of fire.

Oh I get it that's what her G. stands for Geraldine but I don't want to call her that.

"So how is it going? We've missed you Helga! What are you doing now?" I asked making a conversation with her. I walked closer to her and put my jacket on to her. She tried to dodge but I still managed to put it around her then I settled beside her sitting on the staircase of the entrance of her house.

"Breathing and its Geraldine" she replied. I tried to erase the conversation that I heard earlier I refused to acknowledge the presence of that stranger that was her that I saw earlier.

"Who's that man earlier is he bothering you? We could report him if you want so that he will never gets close to you anymore" I said starting a conversation with her without calling her anything.

"No need he will eventually stop when he get what he wants and besides this kind of things is pretty normal to me" she replied. I could feel that something is just so wrong.

She let go of her heart shaped locket and continue to stare at the city lights. I recognized the locket it was the one I discovered her wearing on our school days, without knowing that I was staring at it. Everything about Helga is a stranger to me now. Nothing ever feels familiar anymore. Not even her eyes or her eye brow as it was plucked thinly not like in the past.

The only thing that feels familiar is the locket she's wearing. I snapped on my thoughts when she spoke.

"Like what you see?" she asked then I realized that she might have thought that I am staring at her breast.

"I remember the locket" I said slowly her smirk disappeared and was changed with the expressionless face.

"Oh really… I think that you are just staring at it" she pushed

"Honestly no, I am just looking at your locket. I saw you wearing it on our school days I-" she didn't let me finish.

"You can touch my breast if you like" she said seductively coming closer to me. I jerked away.

"What are you saying Helga?" I hissed standing up

"Oh you wanted more than that?"she said standing up too.

"Helga what is happening to you?! Snap out of it!" I shouted at her. This is not true I hope this is a nightmare my chest is heavy and I wanted tear my hair out. I wanted to shake her then maybe she'll wake up and realize what she's saying.

She looked down before answering me. "…it's Geraldine"

Before walking away "You're right you're not Helga. Helga has pride on herself; she's passionate and beautiful on her own way without doing anything. She may not be nice but deep down she's kind and caring and trustworthy"

"YOU ARE WRONG! I'm a slut! I pose on men's magazine every now and then!" she shouted in rage.

I came back to her and stared at her. "Helga's not like that…" I paused fighting not to cry. "…You're not like that. I'll come back to talk to Helga" I walked away.

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I didn't cry that day she moved away. I didn't think that I would ever feel this pain. I just brush that off thinking that we would eventually see each other again, thinking that no one would bully me anymore until I saw the stranger that was her today.

What the fuck happened to her? Yes I am using the f word for these. What happened to her innocence? What happened to the Helga? Could someone tell me how to ease this pain in my heart? Why does this hurt so much!?

As I went home to my parents' and grandparents' house I apologized for being late and went straight to my old room. I thought that if I sleep this off I'm gonna be okay but I can't sleep my mind is filled with a certain blonde woman.

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The next day

I decided to browse the internet and focus on my work but the next thing that I know is that I am searching Helga or rather Geraldine on the internet. She's quite popular in New York one of the bests on men's magazines models. She's not completely naked I tried to comfort myself not like the others but she's still quite exposed.

"Hey man what's up! Uncle Miles called me and said you are in a bad mood" Gerald said barging on my room.

"Whoa man! I didn't know you know how to browse porn let me tell you a wonderful site!" I didn't speak or protest.

"It's Helga" I said quietly.

"What?" he asked.

"It's Helga on the pictures" I repeated.

"Holy cow! It's really her! What happened?" then Gerald started saying all things so fast that I don't have the energy to comprehend

"…She's back in town, on her dad's house" I said without taking my off on the computer screen. Making sure if it's really her but the more I stare the more I could see that it's her and the more it hurts.

"Gerald can you please leave me alone for now I want to sleep" I said and went to bed covered myself with a blanket.

"Are you okay man?" he asked but I didn't answer hearing no answer for me he left my room quietly.

I need to wake, this situation is a staying kind. Deep inside me I know. I wanted to remove her memories out of my head. I wonder if "she" would still catch me if I ever fall like before when we were kids. Didn't she see how much she changed and how much "Helga" is much better?

Helga where are you…? I asked myself and forced myself to drift to sleep.

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