A/N: Yay an update! There will more than likely be another one rather soon, as I'm still switching back and forth between characters and really trying to make sure they all get their stories told. And of course, for those asking, the Arnold/Helga relationship is going to be a big part (duh).
The forest-greeen colored front door of the Sunset Arms loomed before him. Arnold felt almost permanently attached to the stoop. He glanced backwards at Gerald, standing a few steps below him.
"What's wrong, man?"
Arnold turned to face the door again. He felt as though he were trespassing on private property. He had been looking forward to seeing the building again, yet here he is stood, frozen. Incapable of taking hold of the door handle. He felt unwelcome.
"It's just weird." Arnold responded, his voice drifting away.
The snow had begun to fall on the street. The air, though chilled, did not whip across his face. The coldness seemed to embrace him.
"Are you gonna be alright?" Gerald asked.
Arnold licked his lips hastily, feeling the irritants of the cold air already beginning to strike.
"Yeah, I just… I can't stop thinking about my grandma. She's not in there." His voice sounded so angry in his own ears. Of course I'm angry.
There was no response from Gerald. There was nothing more to say. His expression was distant and defeated.
"Don't worry about me, Gerald. I can take care of myself." Arnold offered a weak smile to his best friend. Gerald responded with one only slightly more enthusiastic, and retreated back to his car. He hesitated in the driver's seat. Arnold turned to the door, and summoning up the little bit of energy he possessed for the day, he pushed it open.
As the door swung open, a rambunctious squeal rose up from the ground. Arnold looked down, and his worried expression melted into one of complete and utter devotion.
"Abner!" he called out, his voice rising. Arnold fell to his knees, embracing the pig. The animal had grown old and lethargic, although he still possessed the playful characteristics he'd always had. Abner continued to squeal with delight at the return of his owner, and the commotion ushered other people into the entryway.
"Hey what's going on, it's freezing out…"
Arnold stood back up, and found himself holding eye contact with Ernie Potts.
"Son of a…"
Almost immediately, Arnold felt a rather large mass hit him square in the stomach. Ernie had thrown himself at the boy, who towered over him.
"Arnold! I can't believe you're really here!"
Arnold returned the embrace and laughed weakly. "Yeah, it's me." He stared down at Ernie's head- was he shorter than he remembered him to be? Arnold laughed a bit internally.
Upon entering the building, Arnold was hit by a familiar scent-it was nothing he could necessarily pinpoint, but it reminded him of his youth. His eyes scanned the room-the building had not quite changed. The color scheme was still the same, and the layout as he had remembered it being since his youth. His eyes flitted on the walls. There were a few new frames hung on the wall. He caught a glimpse of his face in one. In another, there was a picture of his grandparents. Arnold's stomach lurched as his eyes focused on the image; they were in the hospital, and his grandmother was dressed in a hospital gown.
Knowing this was surely the final picture that his grandparents had taken together, he immediately removed his gaze. He wasn't ready to break down just yet. He'd ask more about her later. He was too exhausted.
"Hey, guys! Come downstairs!" Ernie shouted upwards. Arnold glanced behind him at the still open door and found that Gerald was still waiting in the car. He gave a thumbs up, which Gerald then reciprocated. A moment later, he was gone. Arnold closed the door behind him and turned to see several familiar figures hustling down the staircase.
Suzie gave a soft cry of disbelief, covering her mouth with her hands. She flung herself at Arnold, tears flowing more openly.
"Oh my God" she repeated multiple times, feeling around his face. It was almost as if she was still unsure as to whether or not he was truly there with them. "I am so happy to see you, Arnold! Welcome back! Oscar, can you believe it?"
Oscar Kokoshka laughed his peculiar laugh, welcoming the boy into his arms. "Oh Arnold, this is the most incredible news. How can you still be alive after all this time-ow!" His wife had elbowed him in the gut, her tear-filled eyes practically attacking him with venom.
Phil had appeared in the doorway, watching his residents welcome the prodigal son back into the home. Mr. Hyunh had had a similar reaction to Suzie's, to which Oscar mimicked, and to which Suzy had scolded. The hustle and bustle of the reunion resulted in many different questions being asked. The differing voices coming at Arnold were beginning overwhelm him, and he was grateful when Phil had interrupted.
"Why don't we let Arnold head up to his room? Maybe he wants to take a nap before dinner?"
Arnold smiled. A nap had never sounded lovelier.
The room was pristine. Not a book was out of place. Arnold could not remember what state it had been in before he had...left. He sat on his bed, glancing around the room. His computer, which was probably somewhat outdated by this point, sat on the wooden desk. The sound system-probably untouched- had a volume dial set to 8. The light on the desk had been angled slightly- all remnants of a shell of a life. There had been activity. Someone had thrived here.
And someone would thrive again.
Strangely enough, Arnold had forgotten about the glass ceiling above him, and had reveled in it for quite some time. He lay down on his bed, folding his hands behind the peculiar shaped head of his. The sky above him was a pale gray, and he could see small bits of snow flurrying around the window. He closed his eyes and let his fatigue conquer him.
Rhonda lay on her stomach, her long legs bent, letting her feet hang in the air. Her head rested in her palm, propped up on her satin sheets by her delicate elbow. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, starkly contrasting her pale skin.
"What are you even doing in there?" she groaned. From inside her private bathroom, Harold mimicked her whining playfully.
She scowled at him and rolled over. She crossed her legs and sat upright, attempting to appear a little more enticing. He glanced at her and grinned. He quickly ran a towel over his face and tossed it on the sink, and ran towards her bed and hopping on it. He leaned over her.
"You're so impatient!" He said. Rhonda didn't care.
"Of course. I've only been waiting, like, all day! I'm meeting Nadine again later and I just want to...make the most of our time together." There was a twinkle in her eye.
Harold lowered his head and met her lips with his.
The relationship between Harold and Rhonda had been, quite honestly, mostly physical. Sure, she enjoyed him all the same, but the sexual nature of it was new to her. The frenzied nature of it, the urgency of it all was so...so exciting to her. She'd never been in a relationship before where the sexual elements were so...well, enjoyable.
They spent a few minutes becoming more and more intimate, but Rhonda paused the interaction.
"We should have a party."
Harold looked bewildered. "To...celebrate what great sex we have?"
Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Absolutely not. No, for Arnold!" A frown tugged at Harold's lips.
"Have you...been thinking about Arnold the whole time?"
"NO! It just came to me right now!" Rhonda objected, blushing profusely. She immediately recalled the crush she'd had on Arnold in the 8th grade that lasted for about two days, and her blush deepened a little bit. "Nadine and I were talking about it earlier. We could host it here at the apartment.."
"Yeah, the old gang!" Harold offered.
Rhonda nodded. "Exactly."
Harold scooted a bit closer to her, draping an arm over here. "It's a good idea. But I'll let you and Nadine plan it together. There's still a lot of time before she comes over…"
With a toss of her head and laugh, Rhonda leapt up and kissed her boyfriend once more.
"This is the final boarding call for US Airlines flight number 247. Final call for 247 to Chicago."
Eugene handed his boarding pass to the attendant, tugging his large navy blue suitcase along.
"Thank you," the attendant murmured, quickly moving on to check the next passenger. Lila smiled as she held out her boarding pass. She hurried along to catch up with Eugene, several steps ahead of her. The air from outside had begun to seep through the thinly veiled walls of the tunnel that fed into the aircraft's doors, and Lila shivered once again.
Both Lila and Eugene had spent the past summer in New York, saving up money to pay for the next year's rent and taking on small roles in community theatre productions. Neither had seen in Hillwood in almost a year.
"I can't wait to see my parents," Eugene said softly as the airplane's door came into the view. The mass of people came to a slow as each took their turn entering.
Lila shivered as bits of cold air grazed her cheek. "It'll be so nice to see everyone. I'm sure my dad can't wait to have me home for a bit." She smiled as thoughts of her father's beaming face appeared in her mind. How proud he had been when she'd gotten her acceptance letter to college, and how much more pride he felt when she'd received her scholarship offer. He missed her terribly-this she knew-but his desire for her happiness surpassed those feelings. He was, quite simply, the most perfect father.
A few minutes of silence passed between the pair of friends as they boarded the aircraft. Eugene found himself staring out the windows, the runway a frozen landscape.
"Oh gosh," Lila exclaimed, her eyes fixated on the scene. "I'm sure we will be delayed…"
"I'll let my parents know!" Eugene exclaimed. Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly dialed a number.
Lila found herself watching the people passing her take their seats. She heard Eugene's voice from beside her, speaking to his mother: "Yeah, just to let you know…"
Truth be told, as excited as Lila was about seeing her father, barely a moment had passed where she had not been thinking about Arnold. Alive and alert. His almost unbelievable recovery had shaken her to core. She had sent him a text message, only half believing that he would receive it, but he had responded, although the response very short. She figured he was resting and regaining strength and had no qualms about it.
"...Yeah, I'll check in at Chicago. Ok, love you. Bye!" Eugene hung up the phone and placed the it back in his carry on. His gaze focused on Lila, whose glossy expression remained fixated on nothing in particular.
"So Lila," he said in attempt to ground her. "How's Chris?"
The sound of her boyfriend's name snapped her out of her trance. "Oh, he's good. Visiting family for Christmas."
Chris was a musician at the Steinhardt school. They'd met at a party and started dating shortly after. She had realized that she had fallen in love with Chris a few short months later, and they'd been together ever since. In short, Chris was perfect. Kind, intelligent, polite, and devoted as hell.
Gosh, I've never thought about how similar Chris is to Arnold…
The thought caused something inside of her to jolt, and she immediately regretted it. She felt almost overcome with guilt. She had been so preoccupied with Arnold's recover that she was slighting her own boyfriend for it.
"What's Armin doing for Christmas, Eugene?" she asked, referring to the red-headed boy's boyfriend. Although they had not been together for very long, they were a good match, and Lila approved whole-heartedly.
"Oh, same as Chris. Family in Boston. You know how it is." Lila smiled.
As expected, the flight was delayed. Lila pulled out a pair of headphones. She started her 'Sleep' playlist and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to silence her mind for a few hours. She was fast asleep rather quickly, and had barely even noticed the plane taking off into the sky.
