Rhonda pulled up in front of Helga's house not long after Arnold left. In her own car, not the limo she was driven around in before. Helga gave herself another look in the mirror, then her one eye darted over noticing Levi was standing in her doorway.
"You look nice."
"Thanks…" She peeked at him. "How did your recital go?"
"Good, I suppose."
Helga's face broke out into a grin. "You're being modest. I know you were better than good..." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to the next one ... I don't care what you say." She released a breathy laugh and then gave him another quick look. "Was that, Arnold?"
Levi nodded. "Yes... he showed up and told me the senior guys were after me, but we exited before they could put any plans into fruition."
Helga sighed out of relief. "Wolf right?"
"Yep, the ring leader, he told me to tell you, hello."
Helga made a face of disgust and brushed past him into the hallway. "How did they even know you were gonna be there? I was sure that would be a safe place...it's a college...the very last place you'd think those blockheads would haunt."
He shrugged. "I have no clue... and neither did Arnold." He thought about Arnold more. "Hey Helga, can I ask you something?" She rushed to the bathroom to get the hand mirror and went back into her room. She peeked at him and did a shoulder shrug. "What is it between you and Arnold?"
Helga held the mirror up to look at the back of her head and brushed her hair; although she quite preferred the natural look. She dropped her brush heavily on her dresser because she's exhausted with this topic and felt herself getting peeved. "Have you been sniffing glue? There's no me and Arnold. He's a football headed kid, I grew up with, that's it. What motivates you even ask me that anyway?"
Levi shrugged and looked at her as if he was completely unconvinced by her little statement. "I don't know it's just that…" He looked like he was holding in a grin or a laugh.
Helga's eyes bugged out. "What dude, spit it out!"
She could hear Rhonda honk her horn she dashed to her window sticking her head out. "Aye pipe down Rhonda, I'll be down in a minute!" She walked back over to Levi. "Sheesh, that girl can sure work a nerve." Her eyes darted on him. She hears the roaring voice of her father, Big Bob barking something, which she couldn't comprehend and didn't have a desire to. "See that's why I have to stay out. Lucky you, you get to go back to your folks soon, but of course Bob's nice to you." With a deadpan stare, she shrugs. "Anyway, what were you saying?"
"I suspect that he likes you." He watched as her eyes practically rolled to the back of the head. He chuckled. "I have a feeling that he really, really likes you, he got this look whenever he said your name...but it was as if his whole face lite up. I could have sworn I saw his jaw clench when I mentioned you dating Wolfgang in the past... and I think I saw him staring up at your window before he drove off."
"Aye! Shut up, I'm sick of everyone feeding me this garbage today!" She calmed down. "Criminy. Uh. Sorry, Lev..." She sighed. "But if Arnold had feelings for me, he would have told me ages ago…"
Her mind went back to her failed FTi confession and another moment that happened between them freshman year, where she assumed he was leaning in to kiss her, while they were studying in his room. After that turned out to be a bust, she let it go of all her pinning, even though her love for him never vanished.
"Besides, he has his perfect girlfriend Lila…" She collected her things and jogged down the stairs with her little cousin on her heels.
Levi smiled cunningly. "Aha!" He pointed at her when she sharply turned her head. "I see you didn't deny that you like him!" He was practically beaming with excitement. He knew Helga was good at words and winning arguments, he delighted when he felt he potentially got the one up.
Helga frowned resting one hair on the railing. "What?" She blinked a few times in disbelief and laughed. "First of all, when did you get so damn observant and gossipy? You and Rhonda should hang." She snorted. "And second, I never said I liked him, so don't go flapping your gums or you'll get a knuckle sandwich." Opening the front down she looked back at him with concern in her eyes. "It's best that you stay indoors for tonight, Wolf and his crew of misfits are out on the prowl...but you're a homebody anyway, so it's all good... right?"
He nodded with a lopsided smile. "You bet Helga, have fun." He waved at her.
"Oh, I will. Peeeace." She laughed as she closed the door behind and ran to the car.
Running up to the car she saw Phoebe in the front. "Shotgun!"
"You can't call shotgun like that, that's not how it works," Rhonda shouted.
Phoebe grinned. "I'll switch because I know how Helga likes to have control over the radio."
"Thanks, Phoebe." Once she gets inside on the passenger seat she looked her friend over. "Princess... it wasn't exactly classy to blast your horn, didn't you attend finishing school?"
Rhonda snarled. "It's your fault for being a slow poke." She looked her over Helga's outfit, it was hot, so she was actually wearing black shorts and a pink tank top. "It's not like you can use the fashionable late line as an excuse."
Her mouth twitched, but she ignored her comment.
Phoebe sat up and looked Helga over again. "Helga you're wearing short, shorts!"
"Yeah, because it's freakin hot out here! You wanna make something of it?!"
Phoebe's unaffected by Helga's booming voice and giggled. "Quite the contrary, I happen to think you look absolutely adorable."
Helga's mouth curved into a smile. "Oh. Well. Thanks, Pheebs."
She was grinning, semi sneakily. "You're welcome Helga and I'm sure a certain someone will be highly delighted to see you in such attire."
Her neck snapped around to give Phoebe a dry look. "Don't you start, I've heard about enough of that today." She slouched into her seat.
"Well, Phoebe might have a point, those shorts beats those ripped up jeans you normally wear."
Rhonda swerved as she turned a corner and Helga shot upright. "Shit Lloyd, focus less on my clothes and more on the road. I wanna live through the night, alright."
"Hey, you try driving in these heels...besides, I'm used to being driven not driving myself."
Helga sucked her teeth, raising one brow up. "Well, you just give me the word and we can trade places...No one told you to wear heels, it's not like we're going somewhere fancy." Helga read the street signs. "And don't forget we're picking up Clarita.
"Shh, I know, I know, I'm trying to concentrate on the directions." Rhonda peeked at her with a smirk. "I'm wearing these heels for a reason...don't plan on being a spinster by the end of the night." She peeled her eyes off the road for a second to give her a wink.
Now driving to the Pataki's home, he parked his car and watched as Levi ran out with the biggest grin on his face initially, but he slowed down his stride and tried to play it cool.
Arnold noticed and snickered. "Hey Levi, excitedly?"
He bubbled with excitement mixed with anxiety, but hid it well, kind of. "Hey...yeah."
He started driving off. "So you ever been in the coco hut?"
Levi shook his head mildly. "No, isn't it just for upperclassmen?"
"There's no rule...oh, by the way, you were a big hit at your recital, good job. How long have you been playing?"
"Thank you, about ten years."
"That's impressive."
A group of rowdy older teens noisily fly by in a car. Levi sinks lower in the seat. "Do you think it's a good idea that I'm out here with you tonight? What if we run into Wolfgang?"
Arnold looked at him once he stopped at a red light. "The worse thing you can do is let some loser scare you to the point where you can't leave your house and have a good time. I made the mistake of spending the first three days of my summer vacation freshmen year...locked up in my room like I was some prisoner."
He nodded. "And what happened when you finally went out?"
Arnold laughed. "The senior guys chased me and eventually caught me...it was worse back then, it literally hurt to sit down for a few days."
Levi hissed with a pained expression. "I've heard about some guys using belts and stuff."
"Yeah, it's not the best memory, that's for sure...certainly doesn't make me pine for old times." He glanced at him after the light changed and he took off. "Is your cousin coming out tonight?"
"Yes, she left out already, with Rhonda and Phoebe... why?"
Arnold shrugged. "She didn't respond to my text when I asked, I was just curious."
"Didn't Helga use to bully you?"
He chuckled, releasing a soft sighing noise. "Mmmhmm, but she stopped after 5th grade."
Levi smiled brightly. "And you two became friends at that point?"
"We definitely got along better. The start of high school...we started a friendship."
"So you like her." He said as more of a statement.
His eyes roamed over to his for a split second. "Sure, I like her, she's...uh." He frowned briefly. "Helga and I, always had a complicated relationship but I do care about her, a lot...in spite of the past bullying."
He studied Arnold and tried to decide if he should keep asking questions. He decided to go ahead and try. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Arnold's look switched to a bit sullen. "Um...I did... but I'm single now." His eyes wandered to peek at him, while still focusing on his driving. "When it comes to girls...relationships...I suck, big time. So if you want advice ...don't come to me, that is unless you want to learn what not to do." He replied in a gruff sounding voice.
Levi couldn't help but notice the difference in Arnold's demeanor. "Do you mind me asking..." Arnold gave him a nonverbal okay to ask whatever he wanted. "Did you recently break up with your girlfriend?"
"You're pretty perceptive...or maybe I'm just transparent..." A crease formed on his forehead. "Yeah ...it happened just after I dropped you off..." He released a breath as he came to a stop sign. "But you know what...it was for the best. As much as I hoped it would work out perfectly when we started dating because of how many similarities I thought we shared, the fact is..." He paused and blinked a few times." It just didn't and that's how things go sometimes." He chewed his lip as he pulled into a parking space. "Anyway, we're here."
Levi sat up and saw Helga and the other girls standing out in front.
"Uh-oh... looks like you're in trouble, with your big cousin."
He looked Arnold up and down. "No, it looks like you are." He pointed to Helga now approaching the driver's side.
Arnold opened his door still sitting down, his eyes could resist wondering to her long, toned, shapely legs which were exposed. "Damn Helga..." He mumbled, squeezed his eyes closed, laughing.
His cheeks lightly flushed once she was right in front of her. "Oh hey Helga..."
She rolled her eyes. "Football head..." She said flatly. "Explain yourself." She leaned on his opened door and subtly pointed with her thumb to her cousin; who had gone over to start talking with the girls after they called him over.
He gulped at the cheeky look on her face, along with her body angle, leaning against his car door. He rested his head back. "Uh...I thought it would be good for him to come out... and experience high school life..." He looked over at Levi and smiled at Helga. "He's a really nice kid..."
Helga blinked a few times and nods. "Yeah, he is and I'd like him to stay that way. The little sneaky twerp..." She glanced at Levi and back to Arnold. "So you and your heathen friends better not corrupt him." One brow went up as she mildly glared at him. She tapped his car and spun around to go over to the others.
Arnold got out and locked his car. He twirled his keys in his hands as he went over to Levi while. He peeked at eye at Helga and smirked. "Hey, Levi...Helga and I were just talking about you and it prompted me to ask...are you sure you aren't from Mrs. Pataki's side of the family?" Levi looked mildly amused, while Helga was impassive."You seem too nice and wholesome to be a..." He motions his head towards Helga smiling mischievously. "A true Pataki, like your big cousin here."
Helga's mouth opened and she grinned widely for a second, then scowled. "You know football head...I haven't retired my fists yet..." She held them up, "So you better watch your mouth bucko..." She huffed and kicked off the wall. "I need a slushy..." She froze in her movements, turned to him slowly, putting on a very sweet, warm smile and folded her hands in front of her. "You want something, Arnold? My treat, you know for saving my little cousin from being pulverized." She must have been convincing because he tilted his head to the side and smiled, his genuine one and was about to reply. Her face lit up into a huge grin. "Sike!" She blew a raspberry. "You're so gullible football head!" She rushed inside cackling loudly. Arnold frowned and laughed at the same time because he couldn't believe he fell for that.
They saw some teenage guy pulling up. "That's Gerald, my best friend, you remember him, right?"
Gerald took a few minutes to actually get out the car and he strolled over to them. "Hey, what's up?" He looked around, frowning. "Where is everyone?"
"Well, Phoebe and Helga and the rest just went inside..." He glanced at the young Pataki. "Gerald you remember Levi...Pataki?"
He looked him over. "Yep, hey Levi how's it hangin kid?" He lifted a hand.
Levi awkwardly shook his hand back, failing at the handshake Gerald was attempting.
Gerald glanced at Arnold and softly chuckled. While Helga exited with a slushy in hand, Gerald looked to Levi with a half-smile. "Are you sure you're related to Helga G. Pataki?"
Helga halted in her step. "What's that suppose to mean?" The two were just laughing, she gave a mocking smile. "You chuckleheads got jokes, it's all laughs until someone gets decked." She walked over and put an arm around her cousin. "Aye, do you really want to hang with these lame brains all night...? C'mon let me introduce you to some cool folks," She pulled him with her towards the entrance.
Arnold's eyes lowered subtly to her legs and the rest of her tall frame as she was walking away. Gerald peeked over at him with his head resting against the brick wall.
"Enjoying the view?"
"What?"
Gerald shook his head again with a breathy laugh. "Never mind...anyway..." He squinted one of his eyes. "Where's ya, girl?"
Arnold's demeanor changed, he sobered greatly there were other guys standing nearby Arnold noticed. "Oh, yea... can we take a walk? I'll tell you everything." He and Gerald walked and rounded the corner to talk privately.
Gerald looked sympathetically at his friend, once he'd been told everything, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Shit, so Lila expected you to fight for her after she kissed another dude...the last thing you need, is to spend your time burying your head over a girl we... uh... both know you weren't too happy with anyway."
His gaze went down. "But...maybe she's right, I wasn't perfect, I could have done-"
"Arnold man, I'm not gonna let you blame yourself for what she did, there's no excuse. Besides, you need to put your mind back on more pressing matters." He elbowed him in the arm, with a knowing look.
Arnold took out the neatly folded up letter out of his pocket and held it up, then put it right back up. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, I haven't forgotten." He rolled his eyes. "I'm still more upset at myself for letting a relationship that was...dead...go on for so long."
Gerald looked down at this shoes and cocked his head to the side. "I hate to say it, but-"
Arnold lifted his eyes. "Then don't."
A speeding car comes flying and stops suddenly causing the tires to screech loudly. Gerald, Arnold peeked around the corner to see it was Wolfgang; who was hanging halfway out of his car.
"Yo wide load, get outta my car! Go be with your geeky little friend's football face and bark head." He looked over at them after Harold hopped out and treading near. "I see you two scary cats..." He shouted to Arnold and Gerald then sped off.
At that moment, Sid pulled up with Curly in the back seat who was laughing obnoxiously in his manically fashion; that could be heard a mile away. Instead of getting out they just sat in the car, Helga and the other girls came outside due to all the noise, along with Levi.
Sid stuck his head out his window. "Aye, you guys want to go for a cruise?" He squinted a little at Levi.
Arnold shrugged and turned the guys. Gerald shook his head and pulled Phoebe tighter by the waist. "Nah I'll stay here."
Curly spotted Rhonda as she went inside. "And the chase it on..." Sid's girlfriend Natalie followed him inside.
"Wait...Levi..." She sighs when he gave her big pleading eyes. "Alright, you can go...but Sid...Harold, you butt heads don't fucking smoke your grass or offer my cousin your shit either.
"Right and you swearing-in front of him is such a better example." Harold blurted out, earning a major eye roll from Helga.
Arnold put his hands on Levi's shoulder with his gaze on Helga. "He's in good hands, don't worry. We'll be back in a flash." He grinned and gave her the slightest wink.
Sid was practically drag racing except he was alone on the road. As Sid kept speeding up Levi's mouth stretch open wider and wider and Arnold tapped his shoulder. "Don't worry Sid's been driving since what age twelve?" Sid indicated that was true. "See he's an expert."
Levi gulped and held on to the seat as Sid turned a sharp corner. "I'm not worried."
"Okay..." Sid suddenly pulled over and popped the trunk and Harold went around to the back. Arnold curiously got to see what he was doing. He looked in his trunk and liquor and other illegal substances by the tons and other party items.
Arnold shook his head in amusing disbelief. "Sid aren't you afraid of getting robbed or pulled over, with all these party toys and stereo equipment in your car?"
"Nope... I don't always keep stuff in there, but I try to always be ready for anything to happen. Shortman, in life my friend, sometimes you have to take risks to have good times."
Arnold shook his head thinking about how paranoid Sid normally is. "That must be the weed talking." He chuckled. "Well, I'm not trying to get in trouble." But then while staring in his trunk an idea came to him, however, his thoughts got interrupted by Sid asking who wants to take over driving.
"I do!" Harold shouted and Sid's eyes went to Arnold almost as if he was begging him to step up.
Arnold got the message. "Harold I think it's best that I drive.." He pointed to the can in his hand. "You've been sipping a little..."
Harold growled. "It's not like I'm drunk!"
"It's a safety precaution... let's get back before people start leaving," Arnold said while they switched positions.
Sid slumped in the back seat and started rolling up. He looked over at Levi mischievously. "Wanna try?"
Arnold shifted to face him. "Sid can you...uh...wait until we're outside or something for that?" He glanced at Levi. "You remember what Helga said..."
Sid looked at the freshmen next to him and reluctantly put his stash back up. "I'm trying to give junior here a good time, that was the point of us going for a cruise, duh..." He huffed. "Golly Arnold do you always do what women...Helga...tells you to do?" He asks mockingly.
"Yes!" Harold answered for him.
Arnold rolled his eyes and shifted the car into gear and sped off. Getting out, he beelines with Levi along straight to Helga.
He smirked at her after motioning to her cousin. "See." He pointed to Levi. "Told ya he was in good hands."
Helga rolled her eyes with her arms folded. "Okay...you got him back unscratched...you wanna cookie?"
Arnold gave her a once-over. "Mmmm...I bet yours are delicious." He covered his mouth, knowing what he was implying. The air got more than a little awkward.
But thankfully, a minute later they were back to their usual bantering, Levi looks them grinning from ear to ear and then goes to talk to the only girl his age, Clarita.
A laughing Arnold looked ahead to see a certain girl approaching with a special guest, their eyes locked on him. "Hi, Arnold..."
Both their smiles faltered slowly. Helga is confused about why Lila is holding hands with another guy. Lila's eyes narrowed at Helga faintly before she disappeared inside.
Her gaze aimless, mouth slightly parted, she turned to Arnold. "Um...what's that dip doin with Sawyer?" Helga hit him kind of hard in the chest when he was just quiet. "Are you gonna just stand there and let that guy steal your girl?"
He shrugged at her, void of much emotion. "She's not my girl anymore..."
Helga's eyes wandered around frantically. "Since when? Just this morning you two were locking lip and now she's casually strolling in with some guy? What the hell is going on?"
He leaned into the wall and crossed his arms. "She sprung this on me...after I dropped Levi off...I was in front of your house and she called me...saying ...uh...James...is the first guy that's had that oh so special something she been looking for since... Arnie." He seemed embarrassed revealing this to her, not fully certain of Helga's reaction.
"Your cousin... Arnie..."
He nods.
James as in your teammate..."
He nods once more.
"So what, she's here to show off?" Arnold shrugs. Helga's face transformed from awe into a scowl. "That little..." She closed her hands up into a tight fist at her sides. "Be right back football head, gonna have a little word with her..." She attempts to storm off, but Arnold swiftly grabbed pulled her back.
She tried to pull away, but Arnold has a firm grip. "What? I'm going to have a little chat with her..."
With her arm still in his grasp, his gaze trickled from her fists and back up to her eyes. "A chat? I'm not stupid." He breathed out heavily. "Look...I know...well...I think you're trying to stand up for me..." His lip curled up for a second. "Thanks..." His voice softened, his face flushed with color. She felt his slender fingers slide down her arm, his eyes following his own motions and wrapped his hand around hers. "I'm okay... I'm not happy about her actions, I am disappointed." He shook his head. "But...I'm trying not to give her what I know she wants. It wasn't enough that she told me over the phone that she's dating someone else...she's here to rub it in my face...she knew I would be here." He frowned. "I'm not going to let you end up in a fight ...that's probably what she's hoping you'll do." He quieted for a second. "You think you know someone, then you realize you don't know the first thing about them." His eyes drifted over to her. "But I know you're too good of a person to engage in that, Helga." He squeezed her hand and let go of her with a deep sigh, and bit his lip to stop himself from babbling on.
Her eyes were like saucers, just the simplest touch and the sound of his low voice, calmed her down. All she could do was watch him as he leaned his head against the wall, peering up introspectively for a moment.
Arnold blinked several times to bring himself out of his own head. "But anyway...um...we need to keep this upbeat, I refuse to go sulk in a corner or something..." He looked through his phone, seeing he had gotten a text from Lorenzo about the party and replied. He faced her, he smiled; his features a bit timid due to her widened eyes. "Hey...I think I know where we can take Sid's party."
As always thanks for the reviews;)
