Phantom: Wow! I am overwhelmed at how well the reception of this story went! I'm really glad you like it and that I've already had some great reviews. I had no idea that the HA! fanfiction community was so big; I guess it really is still quite popular! Anyway, I won't prattle on, here we are with the second episode, enjoy!
Chapter 2
o0o
To say Helga was shocked to see her childhood crush – now in adulthood – had to be the understatement of the century. If it hadn't been for his uniquely shaped head, she probably wouldn't have recognised him. The Arnold Helga now saw wasn't like the Arnold she remembered from a few years ago in high school, though. He was looking unkempt – unshaven, circles under his eyes and not a scrap of emotion to be seen. It was like the life had left his eyes. Helga didn't think she'd ever seen someone looking so forlorn in all her life.
He was still rather scrawny – as he had always been – but now in a more muscular kind of way, and Helga remembered that, in high school, everyone had been surprised when the kid known as "short man" had had a growth spurt at about age 14 – even Arnold himself. He no longer lived up to that name and stood at about the same height as Helga now did – a limber 5'10".
Helga immediately regained her composure on the outside whilst mentally having a breakdown on the inside. The boy of her childhood dreams had become a man and had materialised right before her eyes, after going some three or so years having last seen him. The unexpected encounter dredged up a whole boatload of muddled emotions that caught Helga off guard.
"That's right, football-head," she glared her trademark glare at him. "and you of all people should know better than to cross the road at a red light! I damn-near mowed you down flat!"
"I really shouldn't be so surprised that it was you who got me all wet on purpose, either." Arnold deadpanned, ignoring the fact that he very nearly did get run over.
Suddenly Helga felt embarrassed, and almost pitied him for being out in the rain with a busted umbrella – almost. "Err – well – get in, then. I'll give you a ride home." she shrugged.
"Thanks, but–"
"I said, get in!"
Arnold rolled his eyes an opened the car door. "Thanks, then, I guess."
There was momentary silence that could have been cut with a knife as Helga rolled off again. Arnold stared glumly out the windscreen, his hair dripping wet, saturated just like the rest of him. Helga's heart was now pounding like a gorilla in mating season as she thought of how to act next.
This has been the worst day of my life, Arnold thought. What more could go wrong today?
"So, how's life, Arnaldo? Been a while, huh." Helga chortled.
"Not much changes around here, Helga."
"You got that right. Sheesh, I'm glad I'm only going to be here for a couple of weeks; I don't think I could stand it any longer than that." She glanced sideways at him. upon receiving only silence, she continued. "Why so glum?"
Arnold turned to her and Helga could have sworn the despondent young man was about to burst into tears at any moment.
Geeze, what has happened to him?…
"I was contacted by the Argentinean government today," he mumbled. "They called to say that my parents died two years ago…and it's taken them this long to find out who their next of kin was…which was me."
Helga felt her blood turn to ice and her heart to stone. The topic of Arnold's parents had been something so rarely brought up in conversation that it was almost taboo. All the kids had known, when they were younger, is that Arnold's parents were off being missionaries somewhere in South America.
"I'm…I'm really sorry to hear that, Arnold." She replied quietly.
"They never came to see me, Helga, not once." Arnold replied, turning to her. Helga nearly felt her heart break in seeing how dejected he looked. "Their work in the jungle was more important than seeing their own son…I lost hope in ever seeing them again a long time ago, but I didn't think they would be dead."
Helga hadn't had to deal with death on many occasions and felt rather awkward. "Do you know how they passed?"
"The government official said something about being held hostage by a rival tribe, but didn't say much more than that. I'd heard enough by then, anyway."
"That's rough, Arnold…I'm sorry."
"Thanks, Helga. They've been buried in a cemetery in San Lorenzo, so…I guess maybe one day I'll visit."
Helga now understood why Arnold was looking and feeling the way he was. It was an utter shame that the boy who had so long been the benefactor of his friends and family now had no support of his own – and Helga thought it was appalling that his parents had never been to see him, not even once. Sure, Bob and Miriam weren't perfect, but at least they'd always been there. All Arnold had ever had was his sharp-as-a-tack grandfather and his loopy grandmother to look up to.
They drove in silence a while until Helga realised she was heading toward the old red boarding house – it was unlikely Arnold still lived there – so she slowed down.
"Where am I dropping you?"
"At the boarding house."
Helga looked at him askance. "Are you telling me you're still living with your grandparents? Doi! You're 20 years old, for crying out loud!"
"Helga, my grandparents both died earlier this year." Arnold replied flatly.
Nice one, Helga, she chastised to herself, putting her foot in it. Now Arnold really doesn't have anyone left…
"Sorry."
"They were both 91, so I guess you can't complain too much if you get to that age."
"So you must be spending Christmas with the other boarders then, right?" Helga asked, desperately searching for a silver lining.
Arnold shook his head. "Nope, it's just me now, Helga. The boarders that were living there when I was younger all moved on years ago…except for Mr. Hyunh, and he's going to be at Mai's this year."
Criminy. This really is going from bad to worse. Think, Helga old girl, think!
"Well you can't spend Christmas Day by yourself, Arnold." Helga stated as if it were preposterous to even speak of such an idea. "What about Gerald? I know Phoebe is going to be there with him and his family tomorrow."
"Christmas Day is meant to be about family, Helga. I wouldn't want to intrude."
The twosome finally made it up to Arnold's stoop, and Helga had to think quick and hard about what she was going to say next.
I can't believe the stupid football head is still living here! After all these years, so much has changed and people have moved away…yet he's still here. My childhood crush, all alone on Christmas Day…
Then came the unbidden thought.
Should I invite him to Bob and Miriam's? I don't know what he would find worse – being here by himself or being there with them – and me…and my crazy Hungarian grandparents. Doi.
Then schoolgirl-crush-Helga decided to make a cameo appearance.
Oh, Arnold! My darling, how could I leave you on the most festive and merriest of days of the year? The day that is meant to be about giving and sharing with loved ones. How I have longed for you to be by my side at Christmas for so many, many torturous years…I remember that Christmas that I gave up my Nancy Spumoni snow boots for you so you could find Mr. Hyunh's daughter for him…and that Thanksgiving Day we spent together, how wonderful it was…she sighed girlishly at the memory. What if we could have that day again but now? As adults? Is this a sign? Is this my chance to finally confess my most intimate desires from my girlhood? Would you even understand…?
"Do you wanna come to my place tomorrow, then?"
Arnold looked surprised – so surprised Helga nearly cringed. "Really, Helga, you don't have to –"
"I mean, not that Christmas Day at the Patakis' is anything to rave about but hey, Miriam puts on a good show with the food when she doesn't burn the stuffing, so it's gotta be better than spending Christmas Day by yourself, eating Pringles and watching lame Christmas movies, Arnaldo. So whatd'ya say?"
The verbal diarrhoea was something Helga seemed unable to prevent coming forth whenever she was around Arnold, even at this age, and she wished sometimes that she was able to stuff the words right back down her throat. Neither one said anything for a moment. They simply sat there eyeballing each other for what felt to Helga like a lifetime of agonizing torture.
"Um…okay, Helga. If you insist."
"Damn right I insist, bucko. So, see you about noon. Don't be late."
"What do I bring?" Arnold asked through the window after he'd hopped out of the car.
Helga shrugged. "Don't worry about that – I got it covered. Bye!"
"Okay…bye."
As soon as Arnold was safely inside, Helga took off, near hyperventilation and trembling in both anxiety and anticipation. The tables and turned and now what she had expected to be yet another dull annual family affair was sure to be a now very interesting Christmas indeed.
o0o
It was some time just before noon when Arnold had shown up at the Pataki residence. Helga had been painstakingly trying to pick an outfit all morning – all thoughts of it being Christmas and opening presents pushed to the side.
I have more important matters to attend to than opening Christmas presents right now – Arnold is coming over, and thus I need my outfit to really smash it out of the park. This is my one chance to redeem myself and impress Arnold if I ever want him to realise my feelings for him. If I let him go home today without him knowing how I feel, I will deem myself a complete failure. But I'm stronger than that! Is it completely tragic that I still feel this way? Wait, don't answer that!
Overnight – whilst lying in her single bed back in her girly pink room that hadn't changed much since she was a pre-teen – Helga had been pondering in-depth about her relationship with the boy, which had always been complicated, to say the least. Her crush on him had been a relentless, raging torrent of love-hate push-pull since she was the age of three (which can't have been normal) right up until about age 17. Once they had both finished high school and – after 14 years of seeing each other on an all but daily basis – parted ways, it became easier to deal with, and Helga had chosen to immerse herself in her college studies.
After not seeing Arnold for so long, Helga had come to the conclusion that all it had been was a crush in her youth that had taken some time to subside. But, having seen Arnold now again, three years after high school had ended, it had all regurgitated itself back up again, stronger than ever.
Helga had concluded that her feelings for Arnold had not in fact died and withered away, but in truth had remained the same as they always had. Now that she was home for the holidays, and just so happened to run into him and realised these things, she took it as a sign to finally own up and tell him exactly how she felt, and all she could do was hope for the best outcome – whatever that might be.
Geeze, Helga…anyone'd think you're completely nuts if they knew you were still in love with the same guy you had been since you were at preschool…That is so messed up!
Helga realised, with a start, that she had almost been "holding out" for Arnold all this time. If ever a boy had approached her at a bar or some other suchlike social occasion, Helga would promptly reject them, even if there wasn't anything specifically "rejectable" about them – even if they were in fact passably good-looking, Helga wasn't interested. Secretly, deep down inside, she still held a torch for Arnold. In Helga's mind, he would forever remain on an unreachable pedestal.
Helga was popular with the boys, but none of them would ever match up to the standard that Arnold was. About the closest Helga had ever become with anyone – intimately – was a couple of drunken one night stands at college parties or after particularly boozy nights out on the town in Wellington. On one such occasion she'd become blind drunk and had unceremoniously lost her virginity, barely remembering a thing. It was one of her biggest regrets to date; something that was supposed to be special she had given away without so much as a "wham, bam, thank you ma'am". Thank the nine Hells she hadn't fallen pregnant from it.
After a brief consultation with Phoebe on the phone to discuss this latest turn of events, it was decided (with Phoebe's expert advice) that it was time to man up and stop being such a wimp.
The worst that could happen is that Arnold reacts with complete and utter rejection and revulsion…but I can live with that. What I can't live with is carrying on living like this, not telling, tormenting myself, and forever thinking "what if?". It's absurd, I tell ya! Absurd!
After not finding a single thing in her wardrobe that she found even remotely appealing, Helga decided to enlist Olga for help (something she would rarely have done otherwise). Olga, living up to her fashionista reputation, had nonetheless picked a few mix'n'match pieces that Helga wouldn't have dreamed of putting together, but ended up making it the perfect outfit. She had curled the ends of Helga's hair, hair-sprayed it to perfection, applied a little makeup – and voila. Flawlessness had been achieved. Helga should have known Olga was a pro at this.
Helga felt electrified the moment the doorbell rang and, having been sitting in the lounge for some time that morning drinking boozy eggnog to try and take the edge off, sprung up and went to the door.
Alright, Helga old girl, you can do this. Just. Don't. Blow it!
She took a deep breath, let it out calmly, and assumed her more usual nonchalant demeanour as she opened the door. "About time, Arnold! What took you?"
"Uh…it's not even noon yet, Helga," Arnold answered, frowning a little.
Helga immediately checked herself. "Oh, right. Well, then, come in."
Arnold walked into the foyer and took off his scarf and coat. Helga was pleasantly surprised to see that he was looking in much better shape than he was yesterday – his hair was done, he was clean shaven and he smelt really nice – not to mention his outfit was tasteful. His green eyes were clear and sparkling again after a good nights' rest and he appeared overall in better spirits than he did yesterday – more like the Arnold Helga remembered. It was almost more than she could bear.
"Um…Merry Christmas, Helga. This is for you, for letting me spend Christmas Day with you and your family." Arnold awkwardly handed her an envelope.
Helga took it and at once thought it would just be some lame Christmas card. But, upon opening it, she found two tickets inside. "Tickets to the Extreme Rage Pro-wrestling Extravaganza Event of the Year!? Arnold…these must have cost you a fortune!"
Arnold shrugged. "It was the least I could do, Helga."
Helga could just about have cried with joy. She knew how much Big Bob had wanted to go to the show and she was excited about going, herself, but knew that being on such a pitiful student allowance, and working part-time at the ice cream parlour in Wellington, she wouldn't have been able to afford it. How did Arnold know? Bob would be over the moon, but now she had to think of a way to repay Arnold…and knowing that Arnold wasn't particularly one for material things, she would have to put some thought into it. For now, though, the best way to calm her nerves was obvious: eggnog, and a lot of boozy Christmas pudding.
o0o
Phantom: Sooo I just thought I'd say that since I work full time, I don't get a heck of a lot of time to write, except for on weekends (like now). Thus, I will aim to post a chapter a week, but if it becomes two weeks without a post, fear not! I am not going to give up on this one, since ya'll seem to like it so much ;-) thank ya and see ya at Chapter 3!
