Helga laid on the old bed for a while, content with how well her plan had come off. Olga would be gone on the 30th and she could return to her life of bare-able neglect, but there was no way she would willingly stand witness as her parents actively ignored her in favor of someone else. She paid no attention to the call to dinner, reaching for a bag of chips taken from her room at home, and the half eaten sandwich left over from her lunch, when her stomach did eventually begin to growl; Hoping to prolong her isolation a while longer.
She could tell when dinner was over, the sounds of a dozen or so feet stomping up the stairway mingled with arguments carried over from the meal landed on her ear. As the other boarders began to bicker in earnest she found her contentment subsiding. So she stood and flipped on the old black and white TV set on the dresser opposite the bed. Only managing to get public broadcasting and the news with the bent antenna. With another flip of the switch the snowy picture faded, the anchorman's voice with it. Her eyes scanned the room, finding the window her only other hope at a diversion.
With a little coaxing the stuck window slid open, giving her access to the fire escape. She stepped out into the cool early spring night, turning her gaze upward. The stairs went up one more floor then a ladder could be used to access the roof. On her way to the ladder she peered into the one remaining window between her room and the roof. Through it she saw what looked like an attic converted into a guest room, nothing special about it. There was a bed, a chair and desk with a boombox on it. As she looked closer she noticed a backpack slung over the back of the chair.
With a shrug she took to the ladder, pulling herself onto the roof, she'd see a boy her own age on the opposite end, leaning against the edge of the building looking down at the street below. He was blonde like her, hair standing up wildly on his oddly shaped head. He wore a brown button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, the bottom of it coming to the thigh of the plain jeans he wore.
"Hey, you with the head." She called out with trademark Pataki subtly, arms crossed eyebrow cocked as he turned. For whatever reason, her heart skipped beat right before he spoke, though the feeling quickly passed.
"I assume you're talking to me?" A knowing smirk crossing his lips, with that noggin he must be used to remarks like that by now.
"Yup, I didn't think any other kids were staying here, what do your parents live here or something?" She was moving closer now, there was no reason to be hostile towards him yet, and he let her close some distance before he responded, not wanting to shout.
"No, my parents and I live up by Bennington College, they teach there." By now she was leaning on the edge beside him, listening as it became clear why she didn't recognize him, he lived up near Olga's college, probably a know it all show off like her.
"So why'd they stick you here?" There was that sick little part of her that wanted there to be a depressing (But not tragic) reason for his staying at the boarding house, having already decided not to like him to some degree.
"Well they had to go down to South America this week, normally I would go with them, but I never really get to spend time with my grandparents, they own this boarding house. So I decided to come stay with them for a change, how about you?" He smiled that Genuine smile at her, and that caught her off guard, the only person who ever looked at her like that was Phoebe. A very faint flush washed over her before she was reminded of why she'd come here in the first place.
"Not too different from you actually, I spend a lot of time with my parents too and decided to take a break from them." Smiling smugly as she boasted her new level of independence.
"Woah so you just left without asking, or telling anyone, won't someone be worried about you?" He was standing away from the edge now looking eyebrows drawn together in concern.
"I sorta have permission but that's about the size of it, but I doubt anyone's gonna be too concerned they have a very busy week ahead of them. Don't you dare spill any of that to your grandparents, got it foot ball head." Finger pressed to his chest while Old Betsy was clenched into a fist.
"Fine I won't say anything, but I really think you should tell your parents where you are. The name's Arnold by the way." Shoving her finger away, defiant eyes staring right back unblinkingly into hers.
"You're okay Arnold." Backing off a little with satisfied grin. Her still clenched fist colliding with his arm playfully, but with enough force to leave him rubbing the sore spot it left.
"I'm Helga."