Chapter 2: Don't Be So Aggressive
"Bulls Eye!" Helga shouted, as she and her best friend stood in an alley throwing rocks at a dumpster to kill the remaining time in the afternoon.
"Lovely shot Helga." Phoebe complimented her.
"Pttss...thanks." Helga scoffed, while continuing to throw the pebbles.
Although Phoebe didn't mind spending time with her best friend, she had no desire to participate in the activity. "If I may ask, how are things proceeding with you and Arnold, Helga?"
Hesitating to throw her next rock, Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes at the question. It was overwhelming enough that the class had now found out about their relationship. She wasn't looking for a second therapist.
"Pttss...I don't know Pheebs. First he pushes me to open up to everyone about our feelings. Now here HE is not willing to share his feelings with me in front of everyone else. Stupid football head!" Helga scoffed, with her hands on her hips.
"Although you've done a lovely job of opening up, perhaps he feels hesitant to reveal anything he feels may make you seem a bit hostile towards him." her friend couldn't help but point out.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Helga asked while cocking her brow.
"I'm merely saying while you've become more open, you've yet to let go of your hostile behavior. This can make it difficult for someone as sensitive as Arnold to reveal information he may find hurtful. Especially to someone he cares about." Phoebe explained, while Helga rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it. Crimity! He could handle nearly starving to death in a wretched jungle he'd never visited, but not a little screaming from his girlfriend? Sheesh." Helga sighed, dropping the rest of her rocks.
While Helga was pondering her thoughts, Arnold was walking into the boarding house. After passing the swarm of pets he knew he'd be seeing once the door opened, he headed for the kitchen. There Phil was reading his paper while Pookey was making a raspberry cobbler.
"Hey grandpa. Hey grandma." Arnold greeted them, as Phil turned to look at him.
"Hey shortman! How'd practice go?"
"Uhhh pretty good. I'm still wondering how to tell Helga that Arnie's coming to town?" Arnold sighed, sitting at the table with his arms crossed.
"My advice, don't tell her. It's bad enough WE have to know about it." Phil insisted.
"Grandpa, I can't keep a secret from her like that." Arnold replied, while leaning his head against his hand.
"Why the heck not? You don't like knowing when he's coming do you?" Phil asked anxiously.
"She and I are supposed to hang out this weekend. I can't let Arnie come along. She hates him!" Arnold exclaimed, while watching Phil's eyes light up.
"Well you're not leaving the little weirdo here with me! When's he supposed to be here anyway?"
"Tomorrow. His bus should arrive at four, so I'll be home from school by then." Arnold explained, making sure not to worry his grandpa.
""Hmmm...alright then. Maybe the kid's learned some table manners by now." Phil hoped before looking over at Pookey to see her cooking in her cowgirl outfit.
"Then again, he may not be the weirdest one in the family."
Arnold stood up from the table as he said, "Uhh right grandpa. See you later."
"See ya shortman!"
While Arnold was leaving the kitchen, Helga was making her way to her house. "So, I guess I'll see ya at school tomorrow Pheebs."
"I'm looking forward to it Helga." Phoebe replied, while waving goodbye to her friend.
Helga then sighed as she turned to open her door, as she already knew what to expect. She was just going to walk in to see a drunk Miriam passed out at the counter who cared more about making herself a smoothie that morning than she had about making her daughter a lunch that day.
She would see Bob in front of the tv waiting for his new cell phone commercial to come on and quite possibly Olga waiting to welcome her with screaming open arms. Would turning around and going to calmly listen to what Arnold had to say really be any worse than dealing with the neglecting family she put up with every day?
As she was turning around to sit on the porch to think for a moment, she saw someone had made the decision for her… "ARNOLD!"
"Hey Helga." he said softly, hoping their conversation would go well.
"I mean, what are you doing here football head?" she scoffed with her arms crossed.
"I wanted to talk about what happened at practice. That is, if you're not busy." he said, not sure if she would be willing to invite him in or not.
"Pttss... Let's sit out here. Ya never know if Olga may be waiting at the front door to grab you with one of her suffocating hugs." she insisted.
The two of them sat down beside one another, not saying anything for a moment; both of them wondering how well Helga would take the news.
"So...are you going to tell me what happened, or did you just come to reenact it?" Helga asked wittingly, finally deciding to break the silence.
"There's no easy way to say this…" he began before being interrupted.
"Pttss...obviously not, or you would have said it back on the field." Helga scoffed.
"Arnie is coming to town." Arnold gulped, as he watched Helga's eyes widen.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry. I know you don't like him." Arnold replied, watching Helga roll her eyes.
"Gee...where in the world would you get an idea like that? DOI!" she said wittingly.
The two sat in silence a moment. Helga looked over at Arnold's sorry facial expression, while thinking about Phoebe's suggestion to cut back on the aggressiveness.
After twiddling her thumbs a moment, she continued on the conversation as calmly as she could. "So...when's he coming?"
"Tomorrow." Arnold frowned.
"Perfect." she sighed, rolling her eyes at the thought of seeing him again.
Before Arnold could say anything, she added "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to seeing the dweeb once in awhile if we're going to be together."
Arnold's face lit up at the sound of this. Not only did she take the news better than expected, but she was willing to get used to the idea of it. Not to mention becoming more comfortable with admitting they were together.
Taking her hand in his, he replied "Don't worry. I'll make sure we get to spend time together without him."
Helga swooned at the touch of his hand. By that point in their relationship, Arnold knew how sensitive she really was. He knew the tough girl attitude was an act. If only he could get her to see there was no need for it anymore.
Helga's lovesick daze was then interrupted by a set of soft lips pressed against hers. Just the touch of him sent chills throughout her body, and brought out a side of her the rest of the world was rarely ever lucky enough to see.
Arnold wrapped his hands around his girlfriend's head, hoping the passion of his kiss would show the gratitude he felt at that moment. Helga sat there feeling her vulnerable side being brought out by him once again, as she held his arms tight.
The two then fell against the door, hard enough for someone to hear, yet not hard enough to ruin their moment.
A minute later, Helga's predictions about her sister were proven to be correct when the door opened. Hers and Arnold's kiss was interrupted when they heard "BABY SISTER!"
The two of them immediately let go of one another. While Arnold stood up scratching his head, Helga sat there throwing her head in her hands.
"Oh umm hey Olga." Arnold said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Arnold! Would you like to come in?" she asked eagerly.
Arnold looked over to see Helga rolling her eyes at the thought of having to spend any unnecessary time with her sister. It was bad enough their moment had been interrupted.
"Actually Olga, I think I better be going. I need to go home and get ready for my cousin coming into town tomorrow." Arnold insisted while Helga once again rolled her eyes at the lovely topics being discussed.
"Oh goody! You must be so excited!" Olga exclaimed, while seeing Arnold rub his neck at the idea.
"Uhh sort of. I'll see you at school tomorrow Helga." he replied, heading for home.
"Later football head." Helga waved, as she continued sitting on the steps, frustrated with her sister for ruining their moment.
"Baby sister, I've baked a lemon souffle! Come inside and eat with us!" Olga exclaimed.
Helga stood up from the steps, but it wasn't to eat with her family. "Pttss...yeah, no thanks." Instead, she stormed past her giddy sister and headed upstairs for her bedroom.
Once she made it to her bedroom, she slammed the door behind her and scowled "Crimity! I get to share an intimate moment with Arnold and she has to go and ruin it! It's bad enough I have to deal with her annoying, do-gooder performances! Why does she have to go butting into my personal life?! Sheesh!"
After taking a deep breath, she laid down on the bed with her arms spread out. Pulling her locket out of her shirt to stare at her beloved's picture, she ran her finger across his loving face.
Oh Arnold! Why is it so difficult for me to abandon my harsh ways? I've spoken the truth to you. I've shown you my sweet side. Why must my rough side remain? Why can't your sensitive actions rub off on my attitude the way your sensitive soul has on my heart? Oh Arnold I…
"Helga!" Olga called out, interrupting another one of Helga's sensitive moments.
"What?!" she scowled.
"Do you want to watch daddy's new commercial with us?"
"I'd rather have a root canal." Helga scoffed, not caring about her sister's reaction.