(I don't own Hey Arnold)
…..
…..
"I don't even know why I bothered to rent a room," Arnold muttered, rubbing his head. He was hung over and tired. He'd also fallen asleep in Helga's room in the early hours of the morning. He was absolutely enthralled with Helga's tales of what she had been up to. She had done and seen so much!
She was also a very different person now to what she had been so many years ago.
Helga just grunted and rolled onto her side. Arnold looked over at her sleeping form. She had been starfished on the bed, not under the covers. It was a cool morning and Arnold couldn't understand why she wasn't freezing in those shorts and tank top.
The last time he had woken up in a bed with a girl, no clothes were involved, but there was a hangover, it had been just before college had ended. He swore off girls for a while, then got busy and didn't bother trying to form relationships.
He was relieved not to have gone down that track again. Helga was a lot of fun, and a real laugh, and he didn't want to ruin it or make things awkward. He got up and got himself a glass of water from the kitchenette, then realised there was no food. He'd go next door and get something for them both. He took her key and slipped out the door, gently closing the door so as not to wake her. Then he made his way over to the diner to get them food.
…
Helga heard him leave, opened an eye, then closed it again. She was supposed to be out by ten. She groaned again. It had been a long time since she had drunk like that. The last time she had done so she had sworn never to do it again. Of course, she always told herself that. She must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing she knew Arnold was declaring "Breakfast!" all loud and happy like. She wondered briefly if he would leave her to make her own way back to Hillwood if she punched him.
Sitting up she yawned and smiled when she saw breakfast. Toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, and coffee. Wow!
"This is fantastic," she said. "I'll have to marry you, if continue treating me this well. Wether you like it or not!"
Arnold laughed.
"Rhonda said something like that to me once," he told her grinning.
"Rhonda wanted to marry you?" she asked, raising a brow.
"No. Her origami said I would marry you wether I like it or not," he told her, smiling.
"Oh, yeah, I remember that thing," Helga said, scrunching up her nose.
"Who'd you get?" he asked.
"Never did it," she said with a shrug. Arnold nodded.
"Probably figured after me getting you a hundred and ten times, you didn't need to," he mused.
Helga just stared at him.
"A hundred and ten times?" she asked.
He looked embarrassed. Helga laughed.
"Don't feel bad," she told him. "I wouldn't have wanted to be married to me either. Besides, who's thinking about such things at nine?"
Arnold nodded and picked up a piece of toast. He watched Helga eat, mulling things over. He hadn't thought of her in years, and bumping into her, actually seeing her in front of him, hearing her voice (which had changed, yet somehow he could still hear the hint of the child she was), was a bit of a shock to his system. And she was such a different person. He was pulled out of his reverie by his phone ringing. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the caller id. His mom. He frowned, then hit the disconnect button, not wanting to talk to her right now.
"Girlfriend? Boss?" Helga enquired, without looking at him.
"Parent," he said grumpily, then ripped a piece of toast apart. He continued to rip it to small pieces and put them in his mouth.
"Wow, what did the toast do to you?" she asked.
Arnold shook his head. If he talked about it, it would get him in a worse mood than what he was already in. he looked to see Helga studying him, then she shrugged a shoulder and went back to eating. Arnold wondered briefly if she went through this frustration with her parents. He remembered Gerald used to moan about his all the time, but deep down he just thought Gerald was being a dramatic, ungrateful brat. Maybe there had been something in it . . .
"So you up to driving?" she asked, picking up her coffee and taking a sip.
"Not really," he admitted, head started to pound. "Painkillers will help though, I'm sure."
"We could always stay another night," Helga suggested. "I don't feel like travelling."
"We could," he said. "Your room or mine?"
"Have you even been into your room?" she asked. Arnold shook his head. "Well, if you don't mind me going all starfish on you again, we'll keep this one."
"Good idea, I'll go sort that out now."
…..
"This is cute," Helga said, pointing to a little white wrought iron cupcake and cake stand.
"I don't think so, Helga," Arnold said, glancing over, making a face then looking around. "Maybe we should look in Manchester?"
"Maybe we should wait til we have a more higher class store to look around than Walmart," she whispered.
"Helga," he growled under his breath. "Someone might hear you."
"Whatever," she said, picking up a cutlery set. "What about this?"
"I'm sure they have enough cutlery," Arnold said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, Football Head, I'm outta ideas, you give it a shot," she snapped, walking past and ahead of him. He sighed and made his way toward the manchester department. There really wasn't anything he would deem 'Wedding Gift' worthy. A few minutes later Helga came up to him with a big grin on her face. A "I'm-so-naughty" grin. What was she up to now?
"Tada!" she said, pulling from behind her back a baby bouncer.
"A baby bouncer?" he asked, half surprised, half appalled.
"Yeah, I mean, they're getting married, so they'll be getting it ooon, so who knows what special little surprise they'll be bringing home in nine to ten months!" she said, laughing. "And no one else will be thinking this far ahead."
"We're not getting them a baby bouncer, Helga," he said, then turned and walked down another aisle. Helga was left standing there slightly stunned, and weary. Was he aware of what he had just said? We. 'What we?' she thought, looking down at the box that held the bits and pieces needed to make a bouncer. 'There's no we.'
"Helga, look!" his voice called out. She was broken from her tranceand followed him over to the next aisle.
Arnold was holding a duvet set. It wasn't pretty, and was typical of something a man would pick out.
"A duvet set?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's practical and useful," he said, grinning like he had won the lottery or something.
"Well, I'm going with the baby bouncer," she said, turning around and walking off. Her sudden change of mood wasn't lost on Arnold. Where had the mischievous, playful, laughing Helga gone? He sighed and followed her towards checkout. He saw her staring at a slow cooker, then looking at the bouncer.
"A slow cooker could come in handy," he said, coming up behind her. She jumped a little, putting her hand against her chest.
"Geez, Arnold, don't sneak up on me like that," she said, looking away from him. But he saw her red rimmed eyes, holding back tears. Had he said something or done something wrong? He went through everything he had said in his head. Then he thought of it. Was it when he said "we can't get them a baby bounder?". Was it the implication of the "We"? like they were a couple?
"Helga, did I say someth-"
"No, I'm fine," she said, hastily rubbing her eyes on her sleeve. She put the bouncer down and grabbed the slow cooker instead. "Let's go."
….
Three hours later and Arnold was wishing he had kept his own room. Helga had gone into some sort of sulk. She was currently sitting on the couch watching Titanic and eating popcorn. Arnold had sent Gerald a text, telling him he wanted to talk online. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have via text or verbally. He needed a long quiet conversation. Opening his laptop he logged in and waited patiently for Gerald to come on. He got a text telling him he was on, then a message.
G-SpotMan: Hey man, what's up?
Arnold shook his head at the screen name. Some things never changed . . .
Arnold: I bumped into Helga. We're sharing a Motel room. She's coming along with me. We're staying an extra day, then will start our way back tomorrow. Should be there by the afternoon/evening.
Arnold sat and waited. There was a long silence and he asked Gerald if he was there.
G-SpotMan: Arnold, it's Phoebe, be careful with her.
Arnold: Why? Is she a psycho killer?
G-SpotMan: No shes been badly hurt. don't try anything ok?
Arnold: What happened?
G-SpotMan: it's complicated, and not my place to tell you. Just be sensitive and don't start anything if you know what I mean. its nothing against you. Shes just . . . She was really hurt and I don't know if she's coped with it since.
Arnold: What kind of hurt? Her parents?
G-SpotMan: not that simple.
Arnold thought back on when the mood had soured.
Arnold: I need to know what triggered her off Pheebs so I don't do it again.
G-SpotMan: What do you mean triggered her off?
Arnold: We were in Walmart looking for a present fro you guys and she came up with a baby bouncer and I said "we can't get them that". was that what would have changed her mood? I need to know so I don't say it again. She crying and watching titanic and eating popcorn. How do I cheer her up?
G-SpotMan: maybe. If she wants you to know shell tell you. But don't push it Arnold. You could push her over completely. Just try to keep her away from baby and small children stuff.
Arnold: Ok.
Arnold looked over at her now. She was starting to cry and it hadn't even gotten to the sad bits. Did he go over and comfort her? Arnold looked back at the screen when he heard the ping.
G-SpotMan: Walmart? Really? Walmart?
Arnold: lol sorry G-SpotMan, it's the only store we could find.
He logged off.
"Hey, Helga, phoebe is online, you wanna chat to her?"
"Nope," she sniffed, not taking her eyes away from the screen, Arnold sighed and shut down.
…..
Her mood started to pick up around dinner. They decided to use the little kitchen and cook something, rather than eat more from the diner next door. Arnold cooked while Helga went and had a bath. He wanted so much to ask her about her mood swing today, but Phoebe's words kept flashing before his eyes.
When he as done he went and knocked on the door, but go no answer. Feeling a small rise of panic he tried the door to find it was locked. Remembering how sad she looked, and Phoebe's words he really started to panic. Had she hurt herself? Was she dead?
"Helga!" he called through the door. "Helga!"
He banged on the door, then heard the lock click. It opened a bit and she stuck her head out.
"What?" she snapped. "I was having a nice good soak."
Her hair was wet, and the towel barely covered a thing. He blushed and looked away after glimpsing bare skin. Three years, that was all. Three years since he had been with a woman...
"Uh, dinners ready," he said quietly.
"And you had to attack the door to let me know?" she asked, opening the door a little wider.
"Sorry, I just thought-"
"Geez, it takes more than Titanic to get me wanting to drown myself or something," she said rolling her eyes. "I'll be out in a bit."
Arnold walked away feeling stupid. How could he think such a thing? He dished their food out and got them each a glass of water, then he sat down and started to eat. A few minutes later Helga came out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel. She said nothing to him, just wrapped her long blonde tresses in the towel, sat down, took a sip of water, and started to eat. They ate in silence for a while before Arnold could no longer stand it. They weren't married, they weren't a couple, why were they acting like this?
"So what did?" he asked.
"Did what?" she asked, pretending she didn't know.
"Made you so upset today," he said.
"Nothing," she said, then finished her food. "Absolutely nothing."
Arnold knew he would get nothing from her.
…
Arnold had spent most of the night lying in bed next to her, trying to think of what could have set her off. So when the next morning came, he slept in longer than Helga.
Helga, feeling bad for her mood swing yesterday, went and got them breakfast. She ate at the small table while Arnold slept. When he finally woke she handed him his breakfast.
"I can drive first if you like," she offered.
Arnold nodded and ate.
"We need to sign out in half an hour," she told him quietly. "I'm sorry for yesterday."
Arnold stopped and looked up at her.
"What caused it?" he asked.
"Maybe later," Helga said, looking away. She picked up his car keys and their bags and went out to his car. She felt terrible going all angst-teen on him the previous day. She opened the boot of the car and threw her bag in their bags and closed it. Then she went to sign out. It was a quick and painless process, an older woman being behind the counter that morning. 'Lover boy must be off a courting' she thought to herself with a smirk. When she got back to the car Arnold was sitting in the passenger seat, looking ready to nod off again. She hopped in and startled him when she slammed the door.
"Geez, Football Head, didn't you get any sleep at all last night?" she asked.
"No," he mumbled, and closed his eyes again.
"Why not?" she asked, starting the car, clipping her seatbelt in and adjusting the rear vision mirror.
"Because of Helga," he mumbled. Helga looked over at him, realising he had fallen asleep again. Her? She had kept him up all night? Why? Should she feel flattered or guilty?
"What did I do?" she asked, reversing out of the car park. Arnold sat up and looked over at her.
"Worried me. Why did you get so upset?" he asked.
Helga looked straight ahead, and drove and chose not to answer.