"Lila!"
Lila suddenly lifted her head off the desk, dumbstruck. She looked around, the class was already empty.
"Oh gosh Helga, I think I must have dozed off at my desk." She rubbed her eyes. "Why are you still here?" she wondered.
"I got detention!" she put down the bucket and stared mopping the floor carelessly, her mouth couldn't stop grumbling. "Why on earth phoebe was absent today so no one helps me to do this dirty job!" She mopped the floor roughly. "I hate Principal Wartz!" She kicked the bucket. The water was spilled all over the floor. "Criminy! I can't do it!" She then looked at Lila and smiled evilly.
"Lila you're not in a rush or anything, right? "
"I am certain I am not, in fact, I wanna stay here for a while."
"Perfect! Instead of sitting and doing nothing, why don't you help me clean this room?" Helga offered a mop.
"Sure Helga, I am ever so glad I can help you." She rose from her chair and took a mop on Helga's hand.
Helga grinned. "What a sap!"
xxXxx
It was 04.11 Pm but the sky was so dark covered by black clouds which were almost ready to pour the rains. Helga and Lila walked together out of the building.
"Hurry up Lila! It's going to rain."
"I think I wanna stay here for a while. You may go first Helga." Lila sat on the stoop.
"Huh?" Helga stared at Lila with a puzzled expression. "Alright then, see you tomorrow." She moved forward. "What a dork!" Just few steps she walked, she heard the thunder roared. She stopped and looked up at the sky. She felt few spots of rain on her face. She turned around and saw Lila still sat there motionless. The girl held her bag close to her chest so tightly as if that was the only thing she had in this world. She didn't seem to feel the rain soaked her body.
That scene somehow reminded Helga of a little girl who sat alone in front of pre-school, hoping nervously her parents to come and take her home.
"Lila!" Helga clapped Lila's shoulder and sat next to her.
Lila had been disconnected from the world surrounded her. A clap given by Helga on her shoulder felt like an electric shock which reconnected her to the world.
"Oh Gosh Helga you made me shocked." She tapped her chest. "You're back…something left behind?"
"Nah! I just wanna ask... are-you-okay?"
Lila look startled. "Well… I am ever so sure I am okay Helga," she said with a smile.
"Oh Come on Lila! What happened?" Helga said with piercing stare.
"Well...Nothing… it's just that I am worried now." she sighed deeply.
"Worried? Why?"
"My dad worked as a driver in his Company so he carried things from one place to another."
"So, what's the problem?"
Lila took a deep breath. "Two days ago, there was something wrong with the car and—"
"Your dad had a car accident is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yeah, he's in hospital and hasn't awaked ever since."
"Oh Gosh that's so horrible!"
"Maybe it is, but I don't think I have to worry too much because…" she sighed "...Because everything will be alright, just like supposed to be, right Helga?"
Helga was struck dumb by what she had just heard.
"Right, Helga?" Lila still waited for the response.
Helga sighed. "Right Lila everything will be alright."
Lila sighed. "Thanks Helga."
"So have you seen him in hospital?"
"I have, but they didn't let me stay there. They'll call me when my dad is awake."
A lightning flashed and a loud clap of thunder suddenly interrupted them. The rain was getting heavier. They looked around and realized they both were only people left around.
"I think we should go home now." Helga covered her head with her bag.
"Yeah," She said as she rose from the stoop.
"Are you alone at home Lila?"
"It seems so." She smiled faintly.
"How about I sleep over your house tonight?"
Lila's eyes shone. "Really Helga?"
"Of course! Get real. You can't be alone in this situation."
"Oh that's ever so nice Helga." She hugged Helga so hard.
"Alright…Alright…let's get going, we don't wanna get soaked huh!"
xxXxx
Helga was sitting at the grungy dining table, doing nothing meanwhile Lila was busy making a cheese omellete. It was still raining outside.
"So, you always cook by yourself?" Helga said.
" Yeah, I do lots of things by myself since daddy always works overtime and I am always alone at home, " Lila said as she flipped the eggs.
"It sucks right, I do lots thing by myself too since I am always alone at home." She rolled her eyes. "I mean figuratively speaking."
Lila walked towards the table and put two plates of cheese omellete on it. "I am sorry Helga this is the only thing we have for dinner."
"Believe me it's better than what Miriam ever made." She started eating. "Man this is good!"
"Gosh Helga, thank you ever so much, I am so glad you like it." Lila smiled and continued, "my dad said I was as good as my mom." She sighed deeply. She put down a spoon and a fork on her plate. She seemed to lose appetite all of sudden.
"You okay?"
"I am sure I am okay Helga."
"Why are you always doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Saying okay all the time when you're not. I mean what's wrong to feel not okay?" Helga said as she drank a glass of water.
"Nothing's wrong, maybe I just try to be strong."
"By pretending to be okay?"
Lila was startled.
" Sometimes you have to be honest with your feeling Lila, If you're not okay, say you're not and that doesn't mean you're weak, it means you brave enough to accept the reality." Helga continued.
Lila rested her cheeks on both of her palms and sighed.
"Come on Lila just spit it out. How do you feel now? "
Lila took a breath heavily. "I feel so horrible." she mumbled.
"I am sorry Lila I can't hear you."
Lila raised her voice to the maximum volume. "I feel so horrible… I really hate this, I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" She said as she banged both of her fists on the table. She looked straight at Helga with her piercing gaze. "Why this happened to me? Why Helga? Why me?"
"Hemh not bad!" Helga said coolly.
Lila sighed deeply and reclined her seat. "It's so frustrating."
Helga placed her hands on her shoulder. "Don't worry Lila; everything will be alright just like it supposed to be, right?" She smiled.
Lila smiled. "Thank you Helga, you make me feel that I am not all alone. Thanks for being here."
"Hey that's what a friend for."
"I think I owe you so much."
"Don't mention it Lila, I owed you a lot too. You once coached me to be nicer though it didn't work out and you also once gave up the role for Juliet in school plays—"
"Oh that School plays! Yeah, I thought it was so sweet you made all of us drooped out of the play so you could play Juliet and kissed Arnold."
"I always thought it was pathetic." She smirked.
"Not at all, speaking of Arnold, have you told him that you actually love him?" she said curiously.
"I have but I haven't!"
"I am afraid I don't get it Helga."
"I don't know Lila, I guess he doesn't love me back." She said with a dismal expression and hopeless intonation. "Everyone knows he likes you likes you Lila." She pointed her finger straight at Lila.
Lila looked startled. "No Helga, I am afraid you get everything all wrong. He used to like me like me but we're not more than just good friends, beside just like everyone knows, I am madly in love with his oh so lovable cousin, Arnie, but he dumped me because he loves you Helga." Lila looked at Helga straight in the eyes.
They both looked eyes to eyes. They couldn't help but laughing.
"The whole thing is so silly. Why we should be crazy over two stupid football heads. And the silliest part we're just ten."
"It's so silly but I think it will be so sweet If someday you marry Arnold and I marry Arnie , and we'll become sisters. " she said with a dreamy look.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." She laughed.
They both laughed again but stopped all of sudden as they heard something ringing ringing in their ears. They both looked straight at the telephone on the table beside a red old grungy couch.
"Maybe it's from the Hospital Lila."
"Maybe it is." Lila walked over to the telephone. She swallowed hard and paused for a moment before she her shaking hand picked up the phone. She took a heavy breath. "Hello?"
Helga clasped her hands together, hoping there was good news from the other side of the phone.
"What happened? Who's calling?" Helga was curious.
Lila hugged Helga so hard and burst into tear. "He's awake!"
xxXxx
It was such a quite night. The rain had stopped pouring. And In a dark quiet room, the girl with a red hair stared at a frame where there was a picture of beautiful woman in it. She smiled and said, "Everything will be alright." She put it back on her bedside and fell asleep.
xxXxx
Helga walked into classroom. She frowned and clenched her fists as she saw Arnold and Lila talking playfully. She walked to the back of the class and took her seat. She covered her face with a book, pretending to read. Her ears were widely open, ready to grasp what Arnold and Lila talking about.
"I am glad your dad is fine Lila."
"Thank you ever so much Arnold."
"And may I say that you're a very strong girl, it must be difficult to go through those moments all alone."
"It was difficult indeed but thank God I am not all alone, there was Helga with me."
"Helga's with you?"
"Well yes Arnold. Helga maybe always gets in to so many fights and confrontations but deep down she's a very nice and good friend and well… I think I just love her." She smiled.
Arnold looked at Helga whose face was covered by a book. He smiled. "I know Lila…me too."
-THE END-
Review Responses
Isabelle : Thank you so much :) yeah I love their friendship too, I think they both have a lot in common xD
Yali Page : Awwww xD
