Chapter 3: How Do You Really Feel?
The Boarding House
Night of the Surveys
Arnold was sitting in the kitchen finishing up his survey when Phil walked into the room. "Hey! Whatcha got there shortman?"
"I'm almost finished with my survey." Arnold said, holding the piece of paper up.
"Hmm...let me see that thing." Phil said, grabbing the sheet from his grandson.
"Do you like when I help you? Yes or No?"
"So what do you think?" Arnold asked anxiously.
Setting the paper aside, Phil replied "Arnold, did I ever tell you about the time my dad helped me study for my math test?"
"I don't think so?"
"Hehe...he used to bug me nonstop when he knew I had something important coming up. Coaching me left and right about how to study. Finally I told him how he was making me feel."
"What did you say?"
"I said I don't want your help! He was so offended, he left me alone the rest of the week. Then the big day came for me to take the test."
"How'd you do?" Arnold wondered.
"My dad asked me the same thing. I marched inside right up to him and asked 'Why didn't you help me study?' He gave me a crazy look…kind of like the one on your face. Then said 'You told me you didn't want my help."
"What'd you say to that?" Arnold asked.
"I told him, just because I didn't want it, didn't mean I didn't need it!"
Arnold thought back to the night he sat alone thinking these exact thoughts to himself. When his friends told him to mind his own business, it wasn't long before they came looking for him to solve their problems again.
30 minutes later
Arnold's Room
Arnold sat in his room, watching his friends arrive one by one. He was anxious to see what everyone in the class had chosen to pick for their surveys. He felt he knew them well enough to have some sort of idea of what they would all choose. The only question was, how did he feel about what they chose?
"Is everyone here?" the blonde boy asked, shutting the door behind his friends.
"Let's get to it man!" Gerald insisted.
Arnold went to take a seat beside his girlfriend, who he could see was eager to pass out her survey for the group.
Wrapping his arm around Helga, he began to rub her shoulder as he asked "Okay, who wants to go first?"
Looking forward to learning the results of the assignment, Phoebe raised her hand and said softly "I believe I'm ready to pass out my well thought out question."
After passing out a sheet to each of her friends, Phoebe once again took her seat on the floor. Before having a chance to wonder which book would be in the class' best interest, she heard "Hey! Why do we have to read these dumb books again?"
Looking up from her paper, Rhonda rolled her eyes at the complaint and explained "Harold, we're not reading them. We're simply giving our opinion about them."
"I don't reckon I recall liking these too much. The Giver, Tuck Everlasting, A Wrinkle in Time, Number The Stars, Schooled. What in the heck does Schooled mean anyway?" Stinky wondered.
"Oh for crying out loud, just mark an answer. This is private; no one has to know it was you who chose something." Helga snapped.
After choosing what the class felt they found to be the most enjoyable book, Phoebe happily collected the results.
Feeling things weren't going too bad so far, Arnold asked "Okay, who's next?"
"I'm just ever so certain I'd love to go! I'm oh so excited about which of these adorable animals you'll choose to be your favorite." Lila squealed, passing around her survey on farm animals.
Arnold looked at the survey, having a hard time believing Helga would find any of them to be cute. Then again, she said herself all anyone had to do was mark an answer.
Once it appeared as though everyone had chosen an answer, Lila collected her papers. Before she returned to her spot with the papers, the group heard "Can I go next? I'm so excited to see what you guys think of the fish I've chosen!"
Oh brother, what an idiot! Helga thought to herself, while watching the clumsy redhead rise to pass his exciting topic around.
Stinky scratched his head while reading the list of choices given. "I'm confused, I thought Arnold killed your goldfish?"
Arnold blushed at the accusation, while the group listened to Eugene explain "Oh, I put his name down so you'd all remember what a goldfish is!"
"Seriously Eugene. What makes you think anyone could forget something like that when Harold brings goldfish crackers for a snack practically every day?" Rhonda reminded them.
"Well, I think it was just ever so thoughtful of you Eugene." Lila insisted, ready to hand the perky boy her paper.
Once they were all collected, Arnold wondered if now would be the right time to volunteer. He knew Helga planned on waiting to be the last person who passed out their survey. Before he could make up his mind, he heard…
"Alright man, my turn!"
Gerald then stood from the floor to hand out his list of Pop Daddy characters to the group. The pre-teens all took a sheet, viewing the characters their classmate had chosen for them to pick their favorite from.
"What if we've never seen the show before?" Sheena asked politely.
Gerald's eyes widened in disbelief. "Never seen Pop Daddy?!"
As she watched her friend stand in awe (speechless), Helga again snapped "Just mark an answer. Criminy! We're not graded on how great our opinions of these lame topics are."
"What did you put Eugene?" Sheena asked, ignoring Helga's advice.
Phoebe took notice of Helga rubbing her eyes in frustration and said "Although I understand your concern for having little knowledge of the show Sheena, these votes are meant to be confidential."
Once (what was considered to be half) the group finished guessing what a good character would be, Gerald collected the results.
"I'm sure you all know what these delicious food choices are. Please pick your favorite!" Sheena insisted, having decided to go next.
Nearly everyone in the room stared at the sheet in disbelief. How could there not be any sugary or fattening treats to choose from?
"What kind of good food choice list is this?!" Harold angrily demanded to know.
"Oh health food is definitely the best choice. Fruits and vegetables contain all the necessary fiber and nutrients your body needs to maintain a good lifestyle." Sheena insisted, not caring about the negative looks she was receiving from the group.
After the polite girl gathered the results from the no longer intrigued group, the gang listened to Harold say "Yeah, well I got a topic that's WAY more impressive!"
"Pttss...what is it? How we feel about seeing your uncovered stomach every day?" Helga smirked, watching the angry boy pull his shirt down.
"Hey! It's a good topic okay. It's about ice cream." Harold said proudly passing the papers around.
"Gee that is a great topic! I just love ice cream you guys! I...Ow! I'm okay." the excited yet uncoordinated boy tripped, while standing to reach for a survey.
"Boy howdy! Look at all the choices he gave us!" Sid exclaimed.
"I reckon you must have studied the Jolly Olly man's truck all day Harold." Stinky said, impressed by the list of flavors they were given to choose from.
"Oh please! I think we've all eaten there enough to have a vivid idea of what items he carries." Rhonda insisted, feeling no more impressed with the information than she was by the topic itself.
After watching the group having a much easier time choosing their favorite item on this food list, Harold collected the papers.
Arnold was happy to see things were going well, but was still nervous about what his classmates would think of him. Even if they did appreciate him, it would still be nice for them to enjoy his help.
"Who's next you guys?" the blonde boy asked, seeing they were getting through the assignment much quicker than planned.
"I'll go! I showed this list to some of the girls already at Lila's sleepover." Nadine informed the group, while passing around her insect survey.
"Ewww Nadine! That's disgusting!" Rhonda insisted, not wanting to answer the question.
"It's not disgusting. It's part of nature. Besides, this is my survey. It can be on whatever I want it to be." Nadine reminded her modish friend.
"Uhhh fine! Don't expect anyone to actually care about what they're marking." Rhonda warned her.
Although Helga wasn't one to agree with Rhonda, she felt she had a point. No one in the room was as dedicated to the insect world as Nadine was. Any answer that was marked on the survey would more than likely be one chosen at random.
"Bugs aren't so bad you guys." Sid said, while watching Nadine collect the papers. "Frogs eat flies all the time. In fact, that's what I decided to do my report on. A few of the different types of frogs there are! I spent the day at the lake searching for as many types as I could find."
Gerald shook his head, impressed by his friend's determination. "Mm, mm, mmm. The frog catching king of P.S.118!"
Sid circled the room, curious to know what his friends would choose to be their favorite frog. Much like Nadine's topic, he would have to take into consideration, half the class didn't know much about it.
Moments later, Sid began collecting the papers and Stinky looked to see there weren't too many people left who hadn't shown their topic. "I reckon I'll go next."
The country boy walked around the room, proudly handing out his carefully thought out topic to his friends.
"Well, the proof is in the pudding. Only you don't need to eat this paper to know how sad it is." Helga leered, unimpressed (yet not surprised) by her classmate's topic.
"Alright y'all. Pick your favorite pudding! If you're like me, it'll be lemon pudding."
"We know Stinky." Gerald assured him.
At last it was down to two people. While Stinky was up gathering his survey results, Gerald looked over to see his best friend still had his arm wrapped around Helga, who hadn't put down her stack of surveys.
"Well Arnold, whatcha got for us?" the laid back boy insisted on knowing.
Arnold took back his arm, to reach for his papers. As he grabbed them, he let out a deep breath and said "Well, I kind of had a hard time choosing a topic. Hopefully, you won't find this too awkward."
After passing out the papers, silence took over the room. Arnold quietly took his seat beside Helga as he listened to a voice ask "Arnold, what's this about?"
Looking over at his best friend, Arnold began to rub his neck. "Well I just thought that…"
"Yeah! Are you trying to trick us into making you mind your own business again? 'Cause that wasn't funny!" Harold warned him.
Arnold rolled his eyes at the accusation. Before given the chance to respond, he listened to "Yeah! You're not going to stop helping us again are you Arnold? Please say you're not?!" Sid panicked, grabbing hold of his hat.
"Relax Sid, I just wanted your honest opinion. That's all." Arnold assured them, having a good idea now of what their answers would be.
"Criminy. Take a chill pill you bunch of whiners." Helga insisted, while marking her answer on her boyfriend's survey.
After picking up the papers, Arnold looked at the pigtailed girl still sitting on the bed and said "Guess that just leaves you Helga."
As anxious as she was to find out the answers, she didn't know what to say about it. All she could think to do was pass out her paper and pray it wouldn't cause as big a scene as Arnold's did. That was too much to ask.
The moment she took a seat beside Arnold, Helga heard "Hey! Where's the multiple choices?"
Rolling her eyes at his density, Helga scowled "Read the question Pink boy!"
How do you feel about your parents?
Watching Harold continue to stare at the sheet, Helga smacked her face and said "This isn't one of those made easy tests genius. I want to know what you think of your parents, and why."
"Awww! A stupid essay!" Harold whined in disbelief.
While watching her friend glare at the unhappy boy, Phoebe felt the need to give her opinion. "If I may say so Helga, this is quite a delicate topic that may take some time revealing our true feelings for."
Standing from the bed, Helga placed her hands on her hips and said "Fine. Football head and I will be downstairs while the rest of you geniuses figure out how you feel about your families. Come on headboy."
Arnold's Kitchen
"So, what exactly made you decide to do this Helga?" Arnold asked, taking a seat at the table with her.
"It's no big deal. I'd just like to see if I really have it as bad as my family makes me think I do."
A frown formed on Arnold's face as he reached across the table for her hand and replied "You don't have it bad Helga. Just because you're not close with your family doesn't mean they don't care about you."
Arnold's Room
30 minutes later
The group sat quietly, each one thinking about how their family made them feel.
Sid…
Let's see. Well, my dad made me mad today. I mean I can't even go out and enjoy myself without him finding a way to complain about it. It's like he tries to ruin my fun.
Harold…
Hmm...parents...parents...well I wish my mom would stop pinching my stupid cheeks all the time. They argue about everything I do. It's like they think I'm some kind of baby.
Gerald…
Man, my parents are never going to look at things from my point of view. They don't care that I'm not treated equally.
Stinky…
My Pa sure didn't seem to like my paper topic. Of course he's smarter than I am. One day I hope to be as smart as he is.
Eugene…
I'm so glad I got to go to the aquarium with my dad today. Maybe next time he'll get to SEE Angel. I love spending time with him. He's the greatest dad ever!
Sheena…
My parents are so sweet and caring. Always making sure to provide me with the healthiest foods, and sending me to such a lovely school. I couldn't ask for anything better.
Nadine…
I guess it is pretty cool my parents don't mind I'm always bringing insects into the house. They don't seem too interested in them, but at least they don't nag me about anything like some parents do.
Rhonda…
What kind of question is this? No one has better parents than I do. No one's family can provide them with whatever they want, whenever they want, the way mine can for me. Why she would want to embarrass herself like this is beyond me.
Phoebe…
I love the support and recognition I receive from my parents for my knowledge and talents. The faith they continue to have in me is quite encouraging as well as motivating.
Lila…
My daddy's just ever so sweet. Always allowing me to have friends over, making sure I stay in school, doing whatever he can to make me happy. He's oh too perfect!
One Hour Later
Arnold's Kitchen
Arnold continued to hold Helga's hand, watching the sad expression that had formed on her face. "Your dad just gets distracted with his work. It's not always easy being a parent when you're in charge of a business."
"Pttss...yeah? How do you explain Miriam? Her biggest obstacle is not having what she needs to make her special smoothies." Helga scoffed.
"Look, I know things aren't always easy for you, but I promise you're not the only one who doesn't have an easy home life." Arnold insisted, scooting his chair closer to the troubled teen.
Running his fingers through her hair, he looked into her sad blue eyes and said "Even if you are, that just proves how strong you are."
Helga let out a substantial swoon, not concerned about who may have heard it. With her dreamy eyes that called out to her beloved's, she leaned in closer to meet his lips. Arnold placed a hand behind her head, stroking her hair gently with his thumb.
The two sat enjoying the feel of each other's company until they heard…
"Was that paper just supposed to be your excuse for some alone time Pataki?"
Arnold and Helga quickly pulled away from each other to see their friends standing in the doorway, ready to hand in their surveys.
Arnold blushed heavily as he said "Oh uhh...you guys done already?"
"Already? It's been at least an hour?" Gerald pointed out, lifting an eyebrow at the question.
"Oh right. Well, I guess I'll see you all tomorrow then." Arnold said, waving goodbye to his friends.
"Later man." Gerald replied, giving Arnold their secret handshake.
After watching them head out the door, Arnold turned to Helga and said "I had a lot of fun tonight. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of their parents. All that matters is what I think of you." he winked.
Feeling her heart flutter once again at his sweet words, Helga shared a short but sweet kiss with her beloved before saying goodbye for the night.
"See you tomorrow."
"Night football head."
Arnold's Kitchen
As late as it was, Arnold knew he had one thing left to do to prepare for school...give HIS opinion of his parents.
After grabbing a sheet, the blonde boy began thinking about what he had learned about them since the trip.
Well, before I met them, I had a hard time believing anyone could just leave their baby like that. Then after I heard their story, I tried to be empathetic. If Gerald or any of my lifelong friends had been in trouble, I probably would have felt the need to go on a mission to save them, as long as I knew my kid was in good hands. Now they're back, and I see how happy they are to have me.
I've told them stories about school, my friends, my interests. Because they missed so much, it's like I have a new story to tell them about myself every day. Families can get on each other's nerves just because of how often they see one another doing something. My parents and I still have a lot of catching up to do. It wouldn't even be possible if it wasn't for Helga.
