The House That Built Me

Arnold

So…I'm on my way home. Back to the states. On my way to the good ol' U S of A—where the deer and the antelope play.

…Excuse me, I just woke up. Planes make me extra sleepy.

But through my weary head, I was excited. In a few more hours, my feet were gonna finally touch the concrete scarred sidewalks between Lexington and Vine. And I would be right next to my mom when doing so.

Do you wanna know what it was like leaving Hillwood? Cuz it wasn't like your tear jerking movie scene goodbye. It was probably the most selfish thing I've ever done, honestly. I knew Gerald was gonna miss me. I knew changing schools was going to be hard. I knew my grandparents would doubt my resolve. But I didn't care. I still don't. I know that leaving and meeting my mother was the smartest thing I probably will ever do. And I'm glad I did…so much.

But that doesn't mean I haven't missed anyone.

I missed the dewy-piney smell of Mrs. Vitello's flower shop on my way to school. I missed my bed, of falling asleep to the city lights down my skylight. I missed all my friends that haven't kept in touch, haha. I missed my best friend, I missed Grandma's disgusting Thanksgiving roasted peacock, I missed the crazy boarders, and—man did I really miss Abner…

But I wanted to prove to all of those people that everything I did and fought for since I was nine was worth it, that I wasn't coming back empty handed.

And by far, am I gonna prove it when they see me standing next to my mom, side by side…

And they'll finally know where I get my football-shaped head from.

Helga

I could just skip.

I could just turn around right now and catch the city bus back to my house. Bob's still out of town, it's not like I would miss anything, and I could take just one more day to hold on to the last bit of peace I have.

According to Arnold's last email he sent everyone, today should be the day he returns to Hillwood.

And I am not ready for it; not in the damn slightest.

But I cannot ignore the one person that's keeping me here in school right now, keeping me alert, and keeping my feet treading across the muddy waters of the high school hallway:

Once Phoebe came back from her summer in Kentucky, I hadn't realized how much I missed my best friend.

Dr. B told me that lifetime bonds don't normally happen in high school, that there is a new world outside the four years and the biggest catastrophes now turn into the tiniest trivialities later, but Phoebe being my best friend was always that one exception. It's not just high school BFFs with us, it's not just two people who've crossed the same path enough to just end up sharing company. It was the real deal, ever since I could remember.

Anyway, I found her sitting on the bench next to the front office door. She's kicking her feet against the ground and clicking away at her phone. She adjusts her glasses and sighs loud enough for me to hear. Poor bored little Asian girl, I laugh to myself.

"Ayo Phoebe!"

She looked up from her phone and smiled. "Hey Helga!"

Now that we've acknowledged each other's existence I take a squat next to her. "Lemme guess, waiting on Gerald?"

"Mhm, he had to meet with his coach right quick before first period."

I make a face. "Which one? Doesn't he have like 20 these days?"

"Football. He said that's what he wants to concentrate on this semester."

I can't help but a have a thought in the back of my head. Am I stupid enough to say it out loud? Yes. Yes I am. "I'm surprised he doesn't have the whole school talking about—

"Arnold coming home?"

Uuuuuugh. "How'd you know?"

"I got the email too, I just didn't know when you wanted me to bring it up. But today's the 27th, he's should be getting in sometime today, right?"

"You know, you don't need to filter yourself around me, Pheebs. Do I particularly want Arnold to be the number one topic of conversation today? No. Am I gonna stab every kid in the throat with a pencil who says his name? Also no. I'm trying to run clean this year, can't afford the detention."

She laughed. "That's the spirit. Besides, I don't think today's going to be as dramatic as you think. No one's really been talking about it. It's been kind of anti-climactic sadly."

As weird as it was, Phoebe was right. The great Arnoldo really wasn't getting the grand welcome back he probably would be hoping for. A lot of the old gang I haven't even kept in touch with lately, and I don't have the excuse of spending the last three years in another country. I'm really not one to get all one with nostalgia. The past is for suckers. There's only one element from my past I ever allow to make a reappearance in my life and that's…

…well you already know.

Arnold

"What's the story, Morning Glory?"

I jerk away from the view of the window and turn around. Looks like my mom was finally up and ready to grace me with her presence. About time. I've got ten-plus years' worth of catching up with this woman to do.

"Huh?"

She laughs. "We land in Hillwood in about an hour. You excited?"

"Oh," and I shrug, "I don't know how much more excitement I can take. A bit of it's nervousness too. I don't know how much has changed since I last left."

She takes my hand. "Looks like we're in the same boat, then. Is America even ready to handle me again? I haven't been back in so long."

I turn closer to her and prop my feet up. "So…what's something you've missed most about the city? About here in general?"

She smiles. "Besides being with the best son in the whole wide universe? Hm…" and she leaned back to look out the window herself. "It might be the boat rides to Elk Island. It's not exactly river rafting in the Rio Grande, but me and your dad would always feel like we were taking mini adventures going there. Especially with you strapped in between us."

"Are you gonna miss the adventures?"

That's when she holds my hand. "I get to be a mother again. I get my life back, sweetheart. I don't think the adventure is over for me yet."

I decide to rest my head on her shoulder, I know she would like feeling my weight on her. I really hope this new adventure is enough for her, and I really hope my dad can join us soon. There's more than enough adventure to go along.

Helga

I usually hated walking to class when Phoebe was with her beau-friend. It wasn't that often, not as much as when they first started dating, but whenever Gerald would be with Phoebe it would just give me this stupid weird feeling in my stomach that resembled diarrhea pains. Yeah, I know, gross. Ever since school started he would usually have his arm around her shoulder and would walk us to our first period class in the AP hall—and by us, I mean her, and I would just be awkwardly straggling along.

It was moments like these where I wish I made more of an effort to be Gerald's friend. I'm not gonna lie, outside of being Arnold's best friend and Phoebe's boyfriend I didn't really know much about him. Not the things that mattered, anyway. He was good at sports, he was our childhood "keeper of the tale," he knew everybody that was and wasn't anybody, and he had hair that was almost as weird as the football head's. But when it came to him coming into my orbit, I generally took a step back. We barely ever talk about Arnold. We only talk about Phoebe when he needs to know what to get her for her birthday or for Christmas. We don't have the same friends. I used to "tall hair boy" him constantly back in our P.S. 118 days, but now it was all I could do to just pretend to play on my phone whenever he was around.

So you could imagine my utter shock and awkward stare when he called to me.

"Ayo, Helga! What's up?"

"Um, huh?"

He leaned back from Phoebe to get a better look at me as we turned a corner. "What is going on?" he said in such an over exaggerated tone. "You going over to Rhonda's tonight?"

I look over at Phoebe in response, a bit confused. "And I would be going over to Rhonda's…why? We've barely said two words to each other in like a year." Which is true. I was always the Mountain Dew to her cup of tea, we never were the best of friends, but over the past few years that feeling seemed to elevate for some reason. Unspoken hatred, maybe? I'm too lazy to analyze.

Phoebe responded for me. "She's having a party tonight, her first one of the year. And she's actually inviting everyone," and she knows me. So when she said the next part, I knew she knew my answer before I even said it.

"…Just like last year."

And, ladies and gentleman, I'll spare you of why that part was so important, for now anyway, but I'll just tell you, it's not because I didn't like the musical selection.

I scrunch my nose and just return to the non-existent game I was playing on my phone. "Yeah…no thanks Gerald. Rhonda can handle one less undesirable at her party. She won't even know I'm not there."

"You sure? Her guest of honor tonight is someone you'd probably wanna catch up with."

And just like that, that one element of my life that I ever allow to make a reappearance…reappeared.

I audibly sigh. "You mean Arnold?"

Arnold

"Now, so you're telling me that once we take this picture it just all gets stored in your phone? I don't have to get them developed or anything?"

"No, mom. I mean, yeah we can get them developed but it's super easy to do it now. I can print them out from my computer. Or get prints."

"And I can take however many I want?"

"However many 50 gigs allow. Which is still a ton."

"Oh my gosh. Okay, Arnold, first thing we're doing once we get settled is getting me one of these smart phones."

This conversation was absolutely hilarious. We were now officially outside the airport, finally on the city concrete, and I was showing my mom how to take pictures on my phone. She was pretty much back to the future. All the technological advances in the past ten years would end up blowing her mind by the end of the day.

"Turn it sideways, baby girl, then we can get my beautiful face in there," Grandpa ushered in from behind us.

"Wait a second, let me get my good side in," followed Grandma, turning completely sideways. It was the first of many family photos to be taken, and living proof that I came back home with treasure.

"Alright guys," and I get them in closer. "In one, two, three, say mac n'…!"

"CHEESE!"

Helga

The thing I hate about high school is that it drags on and on and on and on and on, until that one measly crappy period where you have only one year left and then suddenly everything wants to hype up into overdrive. I already had to turn in my fourth project today and it was only the third week of school! That's what I get for taking all these damn AP classes. Damn me for wanting to reach my potential and boost up my GPA and get into a good school far, far away from here…

At least I was right across the hall from Phoebe, and the other undesirables that probably wouldn't be attending Rhonda's party, like Sheena, Eugene, Curly…

I probably sound like such a cynic. I know Gerald thinks so, at least. I barely responded to when he asked me why I wouldn't want to go to Rhonda's party.

"One of the only people you don't actually hate is coming back to town. I thought that would even make you smile."

But he didn't know my rule. He didn't know how much it was a struggle not to want to claim my territory, to even assume I had a territory. I've conditioned my brain the past three years not to get my hopes up when it came to Arnold. So seeing him shouldn't be a big deal. I haven't said a word to the boy in almost three months, after all.

But I can't lie if I said that conversation didn't have me curious about someone…

After the final bell, I end up meeting Phoebe by her locker. "So what's your plan today Pheebs?"

"Work, sadly. I picked up a shift today at the Emporium. Tucker called out, and Park doesn't want to close by himself."

"Don't feel too bad, at least Big Bob isn't back from his vacation until tomorrow night. The tech knights can rest easy now."

We both laugh, "Thanks, Helga. That does make me feel better."

Another thing about having a best friend is, is that if you pick the right one they're loyal as shit. Phoebe works part time at my dad's store as tech support, and was literally two steps away from turning in her resignation later when she heard about what happened.

About the…you know…affair.

But it took me a while to convince her that her job wasn't worth it. As much of a blow hard my dad was, the tech knight squad got paid really well, and I wasn't the only one with a plan to get out of here. Phoebe needed the money, too. Phoebe and Park were the only dudes I knew with the smarts, the balls, and the patience to work for my father. There was one other tech knight, but he…well, he had to turn in his sword for personal reasons.

She put the last of her books in her bag and we started walking to the doors. "So what are your plans tonight?" She asked, "Since you're not going to Rhonda's party?"

I hated nostalgia. I hated looking back. I hated the feeling of being caught in a time vortex where no one but me realized how finite and artificial the status quo makes them be. And going to Rhonda Wellington Lloyd's parties make me just like that. To a tee. But… I couldn't lie. There was some part of my past I wasn't ready to let go of yet.

"Actually Pheebs, there's someone I might actually need to visit today."

Arnold

My feet felt so heavy, they were probably going to crack the top step. My chest was beating so much, I wanted to play a jazz track over it. I was biting the inside of my cheek so hard, I was probably going to start tasting blood in fifteen seconds.

I was home.

I was on my stoop.

I was on that ancient city marker: the boarding house between Lexington and Vine.

And I was with my mother.

Grandma and Grandpa were the first to speed past me.

"ALAS! WE HAVE CONQUERED OUR SEIGE OF THE NORTH!" And Grandma all but knocked down the door, allowing a mass stampede of various house pets to buckle out from under our feet.

"I CLAIM THIS LAND IN THE NAME OF SPAIN!"

And Grandpa was not too far behind her. "And while you're doing that, Pookie, I'm gonna claim my bathroom on the second floor. Watch out Shortman!"

So of course my grandparents breeze through the house as if nothing was new, but I needed a bit more time to soak things in. As soon as I took my first step through the door, I smiled: that creaky floorboard still sounded like a duck's call. It still smelled like the weird combination of sunflowers and mothballs. You could still hear the faint drips of the leaky faucet in the kitchen that hadn't been fixed in five years. Almost everything was exactly the same.

"Surprisingly it's super quiet," I turned to talk to my mom. "I wonder where everybody's…"

But when I look at her, I'm the quiet one now. It's like she changed the most once she stepped through those doors. She's paler, she's cautious in her steps, and she doesn't say a word to me.

"Mom?"

She made her way through the hall first, dragging a hand down every wall panel. She stopped at the living room corridor, as if something on the doorway caught her attention. All I can do is follow her; she's in another world now.

As creaky as these floors are, they didn't make a sound when she walked across them. It's eerie; as if she's a ghost that the house proudly welcomes to float down its halls. Or like she's a very piece of the house itself. She walked further into the living room, and stopped first at the couch, hunching over it for a bit and running her fingers through the tassels on the pillows. After squeezing it one more time, she went toward the bookshelf, eyeing the various family photos with meticulous care. She stared almost to the point where her nose touched the frames. I love the smile she makes when she lands on the one of me on my first birthday: cake in my hair and I don't care. Now that she was next to the photo, for some reason I could remember that day so much better… Mom was trying to feed me, and Dad was…just making silly faces making it worse…

But there was another picture my mom stopped at, one she grabbed off the shelf, and one she held onto the tightest. I swallow hard and make my way over to her.

"Welcome home, ma…" and I hold onto her shoulder as we look at the picture together. It felt like just by touching her, some of her color started to return and she smiled at me.

"Thanks, sweetheart." She looked at the photo once more. "You know, you're about just as tall as him, now."

"Good, I know my growth spurt had to kick in eventually."

"Yeah yeah," and she combs her fingers through my hair—hair which prooobably needed a haircut. "You're still my little boy, though."

"Haha, no complaints here!"

She gave me a quick hug before placing the picture down, then gave the room a last look. "It's weird, I don't remember it ever being this quiet. Where are the rest of the boarders?"

"Good quest—"

"AW GODDANG IT! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS!? OSKAR YOU BUM! YOU SAID THEY WEREN'T COMING BACK TILL TOMORROW!"

"I SAID THEY WERE COMING ON THE THE 27TH! THAT'S WHAT THE MESSAGE SAID!"

"TODAY IS THE 27TH, YOU NUMB SKULL!"

"WELL YOU KNOW I'M NOT GOOD WITH CALENDARS!"

Aaaand there it goes. The final piece to the puzzle: our boarders.

We see the rest of them walk into the hallway: Ernie yelling at Oskar, Oskar yelling at Ernie, Suzie yelling at Oskar, and…pretty much everyone yelling at Oskar. They're carrying some bags in their hands, and Ernie's wife and little girl are the last ones to make their way through the yelling crowd.

"Hey there, Arnold! Welcome back, it's so good to see you again! I apologize for the craziness behind me."

I smile and shrug it off as we walk back toward the hall. "No problem, Lola! The craziness is welcomed." I bend down once I see the little cuteness hide away behind her mom's dress. "And is this little Lizzy I see? Remember me? I'm your friend Arnold!"

"Go ahead, Lizzy, go say hi to Arnold," Lola ushered. It takes a while but after my extended hand starts to tire, little Elizabeth finally teeters her way toward me. "Ahno?"

Holy crap, she can say my name now! I couldn't help but cheese at my mom and the other boarders before looking back at her. Her and her curly hair of cuteness. I don't know why I love kids so much. They just get me.

"Yeah, Ahno! Hi, Lizzy!"

She walks more to me and holds out her arms, and with silent permission from her parents I pick her up. She had her dad's curly brown hair but thankfully her mom's everything else. The last time I saw her was the morning I left for South America. She was only a few months old and had the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen on anything. And she still does.

"Wow, she's gotten so big!" I say to the others. But she suddenly makes a pull to my hair and starts patting my face.

"Football! Football!"

"And such…great vocabulary…"

My mom laughed while gracefully rubbing Lizzy's back. "That's right! He's got a football head doesn't he? It runs in the family! Don't worry, he's growing into it!"

Ernie laughs and makes his way closer to us. "Sorry about that Arnold, we've been teaching Lizzy shapes."

"It's no problem," which it wasn't. Thanks so some pigtail headed girl from my past, football head themed jokes no longer took a toll on me.

"Your mom is right, though, Arnold," Suzie was next to join in, "you guys do look just alike!"

Mom stopped playing with Lizzy to walk over and shake everyone's hand. "That's right, hahaha. Hi, I'm Stella, and I take responsibility for this guy right here."

My smile grew. It was finally happening. The world was finally being exposed to the awesomeness that is my mom. Take that, Parent's Day.

"Ohhhhh," Oskar approached her next. "So you're the mom that came out the coma, right? Did you stop aging or something—

"OSKAR!" And Suzie was way ahead of everyone and was the first to give him a hit over the head.

My mom just passed it off. "It's okay, it's okay! Yes, I'm the coma lady. But I'm happy to be back home now, happy to be with my boy, and happy to get to know all of you."

"Well we're happy that you're here," Ernie offered. "There's more than enough room for you. And if there's not, we'll just kick Oskar out, easy fix!"

"Hey, you tiny tiny man! I pay my rent just like everybody else!"

"BARELY!"

And as they all began the routine of their constant bickering, Suzie and Lola went to sit on the couch to get a real introduction of my mom. I smiled again, they were in for the treat of a lifetime.

"Is that Oskar I hear down there!?" Grandpa suddenly made his way down the steps to add to the plethora of noise. "Oskar did you use my private bathroom and forget to stock up my toilet paper!?"

Just as I was about to settle down on the couch for the first time in three years, the doorbell rang.

"Dang it, who could that be!" Grandpa stopped at the door before heading towards the living room.

"So Arnold," Suzie started once I sat down with Lizzy, "are you excited to see all your friends again? You know, one of your friends' mom actually lives here now."

Well, that was a shock. One of my friends? No one told me that from the emails. "Really? Who?"

But before she could say, Grandpa made his way back to the living room. "Hey Shortman! You'll never guess who came to visit you! Come and say hey to your little friend! I haven't seen this face in three years, I tell ya!"

And…I won't lie. That sinking feeling in my feet, that banging feeling in my chest, the sore in my cheek from biting down too hard, all made its way back as I stood up and saw who was around the corner.

If there was any doubt in my mind that I wasn't back home yet, it all got flushed away as soon as I heard,

"Sup, Football Head."