Split Decisions
THREE: No Souvenirs
Helga wanted to kick herself for what she said to Arnold. She knew how sensitive Arnold was when it came to his missing parents.
"Me and my big mouth," Helga muttered. She didn't mean to hurt Arnold's feelings. Why can't I just be a normal person around him for once?"
She couldn't help it. Arnold was asking too many questions. She had to make him stop. She didn't know how to explain everything to him.
She couldn't tell him the truth. Perish the thought. What would she say, 'I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again so I stole your car and kidnapped you?' Yeah right.
Arnold was right. She hadn't given this a lot of thought. But he didn't know the while story. She had a plan. The old plan seemed flawless, everything was all set.
And then she saw him sleeping, and she couldn't tear herself away. She couldn't leave, but she couldn't stay either, so when she saw an opportunity, she grabbed it. She dropped all her previous plans to include Arnold. Funny how all common sense seemed to go flying out the window where Arnold was concerned.
She had acted like a crazy person. Deep down, she knew it couldn't last. Arnold won't be sleeping forever, and her elopement fantasy would be over the minute he woke up. He did, and it was.
Maybe she was just buying time. She wanted to stay a little longer with Arnold.
She got her wish, and it was time to face the consequences.
"I guess I better go apologize," Helga muttered. She marched herself back to the car.
Arnold was sitting on the hood of the car. "Look Arnold, I-" she began.
Arnold turned to face her, and when Helga found his deep green eyes looking at her, it took all of her strength to keep her knees from buckling. "What I mean is, it was really dumb of me to say what I did back there. I'm really sorry I said it," she said through clenched teeth.
Arnold, never one to hold a grudge, accepted Helga's apology. "Forget it," he told her. "I just wanna know a couple of things."
Helga, glad that things were okay between her and Arnold again, was only too glad to have Arnold talking to her again. "Okay, ,Footballhead. Shoot."
"You have a car, a great car. Why'd you have to go and uh, borrow, mine?"
'The car?' thought Helga. 'He thinks the car was what I was after? Well, that's fine. We'll just let him keep thinking that.
"Well, you know," Helga began.
Think, Helga. You're good at this stuff.
"I'm not gonna take my car. If I know Big Bob, he'll probably report that car stolen and press charges against me if I get caught."
Oh, that's good. Arnold looked like he wanted to say something about that, he just asked another question instead. "Okay. But why did you have to take me along? Do you need a hostage or something?" he joked.
"Dream on, Arnoldo." Helga retorted. "Don't you even dare think this is about you. I had to take you along. What was I gonna do? Throw you out of your own car in front of your house so you can wake everyone up and I can get caught?"
"I guess, you're right. But what made you want to run away in the first place?"
"There's no main reason. Just lots of little things that bug me, but those tend to build up you know, and I can't take anymore." Helga replied.
"But surely there are lots of reasons to stay," Arnold persisted.
"Like what?"
"What about your friends? What about Phoebe? She's your best friend!"
"Phoebe and I will always be friends. She'll understand." Helga told him.
"Yeah, but." Arnold pressed. "I mean, isn't there anything or anyone back in Hillwood you're gonna miss terribly when you're gone?"
"Back in Hillwood?" Helga repeated.
"Yeah."
Helga told herself that the way Arnold phrased his question made her answer true. "No."
This is almost too easy.
"One last question, Helga." Arnold told her.
"Okay, shoot."
Give it your best shot, Footballhead. I'm ready for anything.I'm.
"How'd you get the car to start? I didn't know you knew how to hot-wire cars."
Oh crap.
"I don't," Helga replied, blushing. She averted her eyes because she couldn't look Arnold in the eye. "I uh, used your keys."
Arnold's eyes grew wide in disbelief. He looked at the driver's seat and saw that the key was in the ignition. He felt his pockets and didn't find any keys.
It was Arnold's turn to blush. "Helga!" he shouted indignantly.
"What was I supposed to do?" Helga cried defensively. "I had to start the car some way!"
"You got into my pants?!?!" Arnold demanded. He was feeling dizzy.
"Oh jeez, Footballhead, don't say it like that!" Helga told him, her face was getting hotter by the second.
Arnold calmed down. "You're right, I'm overreacting." He admitted, but he still wouldn't look at her. "Let's just go." He made his way to the driver's side of the car but Helga stopped him.
"I'm driving, footballhead," she told him.
"Fine." Arnold muttered. He didn't feel like arguing with Helga anymore that night. He walked to the other side, moved Helga's suitcase from the front seat to the back and sat on the front seat.
"Careful with that, Arnoldo, sheesh!"
Helga's suitcase was considerably light. "For someone who's running away and never coming back, you pack pretty light," Arnold observed.
"Well, I don't need too many memories of that place tying me down. No souvenirs, footballhead. It's back to square one for me." Helga turned the ignition on and started driving.
"I'll just go along for the ride, if you don't mind," Arnold told her. He wasn't so freaked out about what Helga did anymore. He was actually looking forward to traveling cross-country. With Helga for companion, it was sure to be interesting. Plus, he could stay with Helga to make sure she got settled okay wherever she was going. He'd feel better that way.
After a few minutes, Arnold noticed that Helga turned at an exit. "Uh Helga," Arnold started to say. "Where are we going?"
"To a motel," Helga replied simply.
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