Arnold was walking back to his house when a large hummer drove passed him just a foot away. The headlights were nearly blinding his eyes even with his hand up protecting them. When he walked closer, he saw that Big Bob Pataki. He seemed to be waiting for him to approach his driver side window. When Arnold did walk up to the window, Big Bob rolled down the video then looked straight into Arnold's eyes.
"So you've been working with the girl on your school project?" Big Bob asked almost uncaring.
"That girl just happens to have a name you know." Arnold replied.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, listen kid, I don't know what she's told you and all but Helga really doesn't know what she's talking about. Truth is kid, she's a nut job." He said back.
"How can you call your own daughter a nut job?" Arnold asked him.
"She's just is. The girl is always saying something stupid when alone in her room and Miriam and I walked into her wearing some stupid getup while supposedly getting ready for bed." He said.
"But she's your daughter. Shouldn't you try and I don't know, bond with her?" Arnold asked him little bit annoyed.
"Listen kid, I've tried to bond with her and that failed miserably. Let's face it kid, she's not like Olga that's for sure. Olga is the perfect daughter but Helga is a different story." Big Bob said to him.
Arnold was completely shocked at Big Bob's words about Helga. He barely respected Helga enough to only use her actual name only 2 times. The rest it was just 'the girl'. Arnold could see exactly what Helga was talking about earlier up on the roof when they took that break. Arnold clearly saw that Big Bob didn't care about Helga only Olga. Arnold started to walk away from Big Bob when he called out to him from his hummer.
"Hey kid, just remember don't listen to what Helga has to say, remember she was the only person out of your little class back in the 4th grade to see Dr. Bliss." Big Bob shouted.
Arnold continued to walk away. He didn't care what Big Bob had to say, he knew that Helga was right about how Big Bob and Miriam were treating her. What made him angry was the fact that Big Bob had the nerve to call Helga a 'nut job' and implied Helga wasn't 'perfect enough' for him. He decided that he wasn't going to talk to Big Bob again and no matter what, he would stick up for Helga.
As soon as Arnold got home, he walked a fast pace up to his room when Arnold was stopped by Phil.
"Hey what's your hurry Shortman?" Phil asked.
"It's nothing grandpa, just got annoyed with someone." Arnold replied while he sighed.
"Who was it Shortman?" Phil asked; eating an oatmeal raisin cookie.
"It was Big Bob Pataki." Arnold said.
"Why Big Bob Pataki?" Phil asked Arnold.
"Well he was just talking about Helga and it got me mad. He called Helga a nut job and compared her to Helga's older sister Olga." Arnold said to Phil.
"Why would he do that?" He asked.
"I don't know but it was irritating to me. I never knew how Helga had it. I wish there was something I could do." Arnold replied in a sad tone.
"Well Shortman, times like these are hard." Phil replied.
Suddenly, they heard something from another room break, when they went to look, they saw Pookie on the floor with a flyswatter in her hand. She got up, and lunged at what seemed to be a mosquito.
They back away hearing Pookie laugh as she was jumping all over the place trying to kill the mosquito. Arnold went to his room then laid on his bed thinking about what Big Bob said to him about Helga. He then had an idea. He took out his phone and started to text Helga hoping she'd answer.
Meanwhile, Helga was in her room writing in her journal. It was one of the few things that allowed her to express how she felt without being judged by Big Bob or Miriam. As she was writing the 3rd paragraph, she heard her pink and white phone vibrate on her bed. She thought it was Phoebe wantig to ask her if she would come over and spend time with her. When she looked at her phone however, she saw that she had gotten a text from Arnold.
When Arnold and her got along more, they decided to give each other their numbers since Helga, by that time hadn't been much of a bully - except for when people tried to push her around and soon learned that Helga G. Pataki wasn't a pushover.
She opened the message and saw that Arnold had texted her 2 times.
Arnold: Hey Helga, I just wanted to see how you were.
Arnold: You don't have to talk to me if you don't want.
Helga: No, it's okay Football Head. What did you want to talk about?
Arnold was on his computer when he saw that Helga had replied to him. He stopped what he was doing to answer her and to see if she would maybe want to stay over the next day or so.
Arnold: I just wanted to see how you were.
Helga: I'm alright. Big Bob and Miriam hasn't annoyed me in the past few hours and I actually got to eat something other than a sandwich.
Arnold: Oh um speaking of Big Bob, he did talk to me.
Helga: Oh? What he tell you Football Head?
Arnold: He told me that you were a 'nut job' and compared you to Olga.
Helga: That's nothing new. They never really got to know me as their daughter so nothing I can really do.
Arnold: Why do you put up with how they treat you?
Helga: Arnold, nothing they say or do is new to me. It's just how how I lived it out.
Arnold:Do you want to come over and spend the night at my house? I mean I don't know if you'd like my grandma's cooking but you'll be away from your parents.
Helga: I don't know what to say to that, let me think about it and I'll give you my answer in class while we work on the project and we'll talk more about it.
Arnold: Okay that sounds great.
Helga: I got to go Football Head, I got other homework to do.
Arnold: Okay, see tomorrow then.
Helga: See you tomorrow.
She couldn't believe that Arnold had invited her to go spend the night at his house. Ever since they first met Helga had always wanted Arnold to herself and get closer to him more than how they were before. She started to pack a bag becayse she knew that she would say yes. Helga also knew that Big Bob or Miriam wouldn't really care since she had snuck out before and they hadn't noticed the whole weekend that she wasn't at the house.
Arnold breathed a sigh of relief. It was the perfect chance for Helga to not worry about her parents and for her to actually be cared for and not neglected. He hoped that Helga wouldn't be too embarrassed or think that anyone was taking pity on her since Arnold knew that's not what Helga wanted. All Arnold wanted to make it known that there were people who did care about her despite that it was hardly known. He got undressed and went to bed, he wanted this day to be over and orget that Big Bob had painted Helga in a light that was uncalled for.
Helga had also went to bed after she packed up her stuff. She snuck down stairs while Big Bob and Miriam were actually sleeping n the same room and quietly but quickly made her lunch for tomorrow. She made herself asandwich, got a bag of chips, got few cookies, and a soda. She then put everything away and turned off the light as she headed back to her room. She heard what she thought was either Big Bobb or Miriam getting out of bed so she stopped. She froze for few minutes before quickly going to her room and shutting her door behind her.
Helga then got into bed after undressing into a loose fitting night shirt and just her panties. She closed her blue eyes wondering how a weekend at Arnold's would finally be like for her. She soon went off to sleep looking up at the cieling as the last thing she'd seen.
