HEY GUYS! WELCOME TO ANOTHER CHAPTER OF "THE INCIDENT!" YAYYYY! OKAY SO A QUICK RUN THROUGH ABOUT SOME THINGS. FOR ONE THING, I DECIDED THAT ALL THE CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ITALICIZED SECTION AND A REGULAR SECTION. THE ITALICIZED SECTION IS GOING TO BE FLASHBACKS FROM TWO WEEKS AGO (SO BASICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE INCIDENT). THE REGULAR SECTION IS PRESENT DAY. SO YEAH...
DISCLAIMER: ALL HEY ARNOLD CHARACTERS AND LOCATIONS BELONG TO CRAIG BARTLETT AND NICKELODEON... AMELIA EARHART AND JOHN NASH ARE ACTUAL HISTORICAL FIGURES.
"Hey Pheebs, can you believe that Mr. Weirz assigned a five page essay due by the end of the week? I'm telling you, these teachers just love to torture us."
"Yeah, but Helga at least we get to choose the historical figure the essay is to be written about. It's not like he had to assign the person also."
"True that Pheebs, true that."
Helga Pataki and Phoebe Heyerdahl were in Phoebe's bedroom working on their homework assignments together. Having been there for two hours now, they had just completed both their advanced calculus assignment and their foreign language worksheet. They were presently moving to their history report. Both Phoebe and Helga were sprawled out across the floor using their laptops for research.
Helga and Phoebe were both juniors in H.S. 118, and they both definitely matured physically and mentally since being nine years old. Helga grew to be 5'10 and her personality mellowed over the years. She is still the 'big-mouthed, tough, tomboyish' girl that her classmates refer to her as, but her bullying days were definitely more in the past. She still even participates in the football and baseball games with the guys. Along with a change in her personality, she physically matured, even surpassing her sister Olga. She still wears her hair in pig-tails and her pink bow, though she wears it more around her wrist as a bracelet instead of on her head. Instead of her usual pink dresses that she wore as a kid, she wears a standard pink t-shirt with blue jeans.
Phoebe changed just as much. Phoebe grew to become 5'2, still much shorter than Helga. Her personality hadn't changed as much as Helga's did. She was still the smartest girl in the class on her way, obviously, to become valedictorian next year. Physically, Phoebe matured a bit, but not so much as Helga had. Phoebe's sense of style hadn't changed much since being nine years old, although occasionally she switches out her casual blue dress for a blue blouse and jeans.
"So, Phoebe, who are you doing your essay on?"
"Oh! I'm doing my essay on the mathematician John Nash! You know he really is a wonderful role model. Even though he suffers from schizophrenia, which is a mental illness in which paranoia and even delusions could result, he is a highly intelligent individual who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in 1994 while working in Princeton University, and..."
Helga lifted up her hand slowly and closed her eyes. She then put them down again and looked up at Phoebe. "Pheebs... I just wanted the guys name not his whole life story and your whole report orally recited to me."
"Oh! Sorry Helga. I guess I just got really excited. His story really is amazing though!" Phoebe smiled, nay beamed at Helga, which elicited a small chuckle from Helga.
"It's no problem Pheebs. I just had to stop you though. I mean criminy Phoebe you just got so into it I was afraid if I didn't stop you, you would continue talking about this John Nash guy for hours." Phoebe chuckled a bit at her friend's explanation.
"I'm sorry Helga. So, who are you doing your essay on?"
"Amelia Earhart."
"The first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic?"
"Well doi Phoebe do you know any other Amelia Earharts?" Helga smirked at her friend and Phoebe chuckled in reply.
"Well, no Helga I just assumed maybe you would do one of those wrestlers from Wrestle Mania."
"I was thinking about it, but then I decided to do someone who is kinda inspirational. Don't get me wrong those Wrestle Mania guys really showed me some awesome moves, but Amelia Earhart fought all odds and proved everybody wrong by being an aviator AND a female."
"Well, I think that's a great choice Helga!"
Helga smiled and went back to her computer for her research, as well as Phoebe. For a moment things went quiet, and the only thing to be heard was the sound of Helga's iTunes playing 'It's my Life' by Bon Jovi. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk to each other, but they had decided before the homework session began to keep the talking to a minimum to at least get some work done. Well, actually it was more Phoebe's decision, but Helga wanted to respect it none-the-less.
Suddenly, Helga's phone went off as she received a text. Taking her phone, she looked at her phone to see who texted her. The phone read 'Football-Head.'
"Who is it Helga?"
"Oh it's just Arnold. He wants to know if I can come over to the Boarding House. Apparently, he accidentally took one of my books home from school and he wanted to know if I can come and pick it up."
The phone beeped again...
"And he just wants me to hang out also."
Phoebe giggled a bit at her friend. Arnold and Helga had been dating for almost six years, since fifth grade really. It all began during the San Lorenzo field trip the class went on with Mr. Simmons. Both Helga and Arnold wandered off, well more like snuck off to find Arnold's parents. They had been very successful in doing so also! Being alone with each other and even getting to know each other a bit more, Helga had told Arnold she loved him again, though not as passionately as on the FTi. She was very worried about Arnold's reaction though Arnold accepted his feelings for Helga and told her how he felt also. They've been together ever since.
Many people say it's because Helga was dating Arnold that she mellowed out over the years. Phoebe knew she mellowed out in more ways than one. Helga still writes her poetry, but the stalking and the shrine building has definitely stopped.
"Sorry Pheebs. Is it okay if I go?"
"Of course Helga! Say 'hi' to Arnold for me."
"Can do Pheebs."
Helga left Phoebe's house drove to the Boarding House. The Boarding House looked exactly as it always had. Helga walked up to the Boarding House and knocked on the door, careful to stand out of the way for when all the animals ran out. Even after all these years, she still found it a little bizarre.
The door opened and, as if on cue, the animals barged out. In the doorway was Stella, Arnold's mother.
"Well, hello Helga dear. How are you?"
"I'm great Stella! I just came by to see Arnold."
"Oh, he's up in his room. Just go on up, you know the way."
"Thanks."
Helga went towards the stairs and began climbing. She stopped for a moment when she heard Stella call for her.
"Oh! Helga?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you be staying for dinner? I'm making chicken pot pies."
"Is it okay if I do?" Stella smiled at Helga. This was usually normal for Helga to ask. Helga loved being a part of the family... ARNOLD'S family. It was the only place where she felt loved. Well, there and at Miriam's apartment now that Miriam was actually sober and spent a lot of time with Helga. Sometimes, however, Helga felt like she was interrupting something and didn't want to become a bother.
"Helga it is ALWAYS okay for you to stay for dinner or for any other reason." Helga smiled. Yup, definitely felt loved.
"Thanks Stella."
"Anytime sweety."
Helga continued to walk up the stairs. Now in the hallway, she was greeted by Mr. Hyunh and Ernie.
"Hey Helga!" Ernie said in his usual way. "Yes, hello Helga!" said Mr. Hyunh.
"Hey Ernie. Hey Mr. Hyunh."
Helga continued to walk down the hallway to Arnold's bedroom when she heard something very familiar since the last time she was there.
"But Susie!"
"No Oskar. I am done."
"But Susie! Who's going to make my sandwiches for me?"
"Oh Oskar!" Susie reprimanded.
Susie Kokoshka had finally decided to leave Oskar. Susie had never really thought of a divorce before, but after talking to Helga about Big Bob and Miriam's divorce, Susie decided that it was finally time to move on and actually be happy for herself.
Coming out of the room with some more things, Susie saw Helga.
"Oh! Hello Helga! How are you?"
''I'm doing fine Susie. Do you need some help?"
"Oh no dear I am fine thank you." Susie walked out to the stairs and out of the hallway. Helga smiled, proud of Susie for finally doing something for herself and not just for Oskar.
Helga kept walking up to Arnold's room. Finally getting outside his room, she knocks briefly. There was no sound. She figured maybe he went to the bathroom and would be back a little later. Helga shrugged and decided to open the door for herself and just wait for Arnold to come back to his room. She put her hand on the door knob and opened the door...
Helga is now dressed for school. Since the incident two weeks ago, she stopped dressing the same way. She no longer wore the pink bow anymore and started to completely dress in black. She didn't wear her hair in pigtails anymore, but had actually cut it extremely short and wore it in a pixie style. She even dyed it black! Many people felt that the incident had caused Helga to snap.
Being dressed, Helga grabbed her school books and backpack and went downstairs to the kitchen. She tried to be as quiet as possible. If Big Bob were to awaken, all hell would break loose. After grabbing an apple for breakfast, Helga left the house and began walking to school.
Helga didn't have her car anymore and was subjected to walk to the high school. There was a shortcut, but she tried to avoid it at all costs. The shortcut went through Arnold's street, and she honestly has been avoiding the Boarding House for the past two weeks.
Helga looked down as she kept walking to the school. Tears threatened her eyes, but she always tried to hold them back. As she kept walking, her mind was on re-run as the same thoughts came into her head: 'It's all my fault. Why!? Why did this have to happen? If... If I... Oh my God! It's all my fault! I never should have... I...'
Helga was now at the school, early as usual. It's not that Helga just loved getting to school earlier than everyone else, she just tried to avoid a certain person. Going up to the school and going to her locker, Helga couldn't focus on anything school related. She was beginning to fail all her classes from not turning in any assignments. She had even stopped writing her poetry! She had lost her inspiration.
Helga closed her locker and went to the classroom, sitting down in her desk. She sat there waiting for the day the begin for at least 45 minutes. When the bell rang for class to start, Helga wasn't all there. The same thoughts were in her mind as always. The day pretty much passed by like all the other days before in the last two weeks. Teachers would ask for the homework assignments to be handed in, in which she wouldn't have it, then they would lecture her about doing her homework. Afterwards, the teachers would begin their lesson plans and Helga would zone out. The bell would ring for class to end, and the cycle would begin all over again in the next class.
During the day, Phoebe always tried to talk to Helga, although not sharing a single class with her made it extremely difficult. Plus, Helga always tried to avoid her, knowing very well what Phoebe would say. Not only that, the other classmates talked about Helga and the way she changed.
"I think this is absolutely horrid! I mean seriously still? She needs to get over it already." Rhonda had said snidely.
Helga could hear everything that Rhonda said, but never made any motion to do anything about it. Instead she just continued walking in her zombie like manner, always holding back the tears in her eyes.
"Oh Rhonda..." Lila began, "I'm ever so certain the Helga should take as much time as she needs... This has been hard on her."
"Yeah baby cakes. How would you feel if..." Curly was about to finish his sentence when Rhonda bursted in.
"Oh please Curly, when will you get over me already!"
"Never! -Purr-"
Helga just kept walking down the hallway. She didn't care anymore what everyone else thought about her, because she knew who she was.. or at least thought who she was. 'I'm nothing but... but...' Helga inwardly sighed.
The day had gone by just as any other day. Helga went to her classes, lost her focus, avoided lunch, and avoided Phoebe.
Being the end of the day, Helga went to her locker, having skipped her last class. She just wanted to go home before anybody else came out of the classes. At her locker Helga looked at her school materials, again losing focus on what her homework was.
'It doesn't matter anyway.'
"So, Helga. Are we going to talk or what?"
Helga froze at the words. The familiar voice, the voice she wanted to avoid.
"No, Phoebe I don't want to talk."
Phoebe continued to stare down her best friend, not budging. She wasn't about to give up, and she most certainly wasn't about to let Helga continue to avoid a conversation she needed.
Helga closed her locker and began to walk away.
'Oh no! I don't think so Helga!'
Phoebe ran past Helga and stood her ground. She wasn't about to let her get away. It had taken Phoebe forever to find Helga to try to talk to her and Phoebe wasn't about to let Helga pass by. Phoebe looked at Helga, obviously very angry.
"Helga, you misunderstand. You don't actually have a choice."
Helga continued to stare down Phoebe, an expression of shock on her face at Phoebe's bold suddenness.
"Helga... We need to talk."
OKAY SO WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? COME ON... BE HONEST :) I LOVE POSITIVE CRITICISM! IT MAKES ME A BETTER WRITER! :D ANYWAY... REVIEW? :O