One Last Breath-Chapter 4
Lance swore loudly as the rock knocked him square in the forehead, forcing him to stop in his molestation of the blonde girl he'd so nicely cornered. He glared at the scrawny blonde boy who'd thrown the rock. Helga gasped quite audibly as she realized who her rescuer was, her sky blue eyes went from full of rage to full of fear—fear of what would happen to Arnold.
"What the hell do you think you're doing you shrimp?" Lance turned to stare down the boy half his size, still holding Helga tightly. Arnold blanched but took a step forwards. Helga shook her head at him but he paid her no mind.
"I said let her go." His voice was harder than she'd ever head it, and it made her tremble slightly.
"Make me you little shit."
Helga screamed as Lance threw her to the floor, giving a severe kick to her stomach that made her cough and sputter. He lunged forwards only to be thrown back with surprising force as Arnold jumped and landed a powerful kick to his gut, courtesy of his grandma's karate training. Arnold reached to help the blonde girl up, but Lance took barely any time to recover, and grabbed Arnolds shirt collar, punching him right in the eye. He popped him across his other cheek and tossed him to the ground against the gym wall.
That did it. With a growl of rage Helga jumped on his back, tearing at his long greasy hair. He scrambled to throw her off and she clobbered him in the face, bloodying his nose. He staggered. She wasted no time, jumping off and landing a detrimental kick to his lower regions. Lance squealed rather comically and slumped to the floor while Helga hefted Arnold to his feet.
"You fucking asshole! Stupid, worthless piece of crap!" she screamed and Old Betsy delivered another greeting to the side of his head.
"Helga—"
"How dare you hit him! You don't even deserve to touch him! Piece of trash!"
"Helga stop!! Stop it!" Arnold grabbed her fist before she could hit Lance again, and the strength of his hold surprised her. She stared at him stupidly for a few seconds, her eyes trapped in his calm but warning green gaze.
She pulled away quite forcefully, then grabbed his wrist and took off sprinting with him around the corner.
Helga ran her hands through her hair as the hot water coursed down her back, rinsing away the cold, the grime, and the wonderful smelling apple conditioner. She couldn't believe that she was actually in his shower. True she had been once before, but that had been under strong influence of disadvantageous Pork Rhine ingestion. She still didn't know how exactly she'd ended up in there.
She sighed heavily, not really wanting to leave the warm comfort of the steam and water. What exactly did she think she was doing? Why on earth had she allowed herself to go with him? How long did she possibly think she could avoid the inevitable, hide and play her game of charades?
She wasn't planning on leaving that shower for a while, but then she heard the voice. An angry, thickly accented voice belonging to a Korean man with glasses and a knack for the guitar.
"How long are you going to be in there?! Oscar if that's you I'm going to kill you! It's my turn for the resteroom! Come out here now!!" Mr. Hyunn banged angrily on the door to his only escape from the raspberries he had been instructed not to eat in the first place. He allowed himself some choice words in Korean as his stomach tossed and turned. "I said get out now Oscar!! You little---oh! "
Mr. Hyunn had to stop himself from stumbling as the WC door quickly swung open to reveal a dripping wet blonde wearing only a towel. Two towels to be exact, one around her torso and the other around her hips, covering her legs quite pointedly.
"Oh my I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to yell at you!"
"Its okay Jackie Chan, just get in here before you explode." Helga quipped and moved out of his way.
"Jackie Chan? No my name is---Aghh!" Mr. Hyunn called after the girl ascending the stairs before fleeing into the bathroom in a hurry.
Arnold sat on his bed still smirking at his memory. Of course he had played the hero, he always had as a kid, for whatever reason. Furious as he had been that some creep had done that to her, he hadn't let Helga beat the shit out of him. He'd been a little scared of her at the moment, never having seen her in such a ferocious rage. 'The weirdest part…was that she wasn't even mad at him for what he'd done to her. She was mad because he'd hurt me…'
A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come in!" He sort of jumped to his feet when Helga pushed open the door.
"Oh here, I found you some clothes. I uh, I hope they fit," he gestured to the shirt and pants on his bed before reaching out and taking the sopping bundle she held in her arms. "I'll go throw these in the laundry."
"No really Arnold you don't have to—"
"It's no big deal. I have some stuff I have to wash anyway."
"But—"
"Its nothing Helga. Get changed." He was gone and the door shut behind him before she could protest further.
"Damn!" Helga swore loudly, looking at the shirt and pants laid out on his bed. His room had changed slightly since she'd last been there. The shelves along one wall now housed an even more impressive collection of music and books. His stereo system bordered on ridiculous in its excellence. There was a new computer on his desk, and a TV on top of a dresser. There were a few pictures and awards on the odd sky-blue walls, from school and sports, including martial arts. She noted quite a few swim trophies and ribbons. Peering at the shelves next to his bed she saw the same fated picture of his parents, one of his grandparents, the borders, neighbors and friends at a huge party on the roof, and one of him and Lila. She scowled.
'So little miss perfect is still around is that it? Perfect, pretty, sweet, oh-so-feminine Liiiila,' she snorted mentally. The photograph infuriated her, Arnold looking dashing in a black suit and light cyan shirt and tie to match the long, slim gown Lila wore. Her auburn hair was twisted neatly at the top of her head; a few perfect little curls framing her blushing, freckled cheeks. They both looked deliriously happy, Arnold's arms around her waist in a perfect little school dance picture pose.
"She moved on in like a nasty little leech as soon as I was gone, that it Arnold? Of course you went to homecoming with her, perfect fucking little princess," Helga grumbled low enough that no one near the door would have heard.
She felt the familiar pulling inside her, the dueling sensations of anger and contentment at the fact that Arnold was with someone he deserved. Someone who was sweet and innocent, who could never possibly do the things that she had, a girl with nothing on her conscience. The familiar feeling of self-loathing returned to her as she dropped her towels and dressed quickly. She needed to leave. She had absolutely no right to kindness from anyone, much less Arnold, her ever-benevolent, kind, warm, true hearts delight. And yet, there she sat on his bed, wearing his clothes, his warm red plaid shirt that radiated reminiscence. She buried her face in the fabric, inhaling his oh so comforting scent.
"Helga?" his voice at the door brought her out of her deluded daydream. She jumped off his bed like it was a hot stove and began to nervously dry her hair.
"Hey...Arnold…"
"Those look like they fit," he gave a small smile. His green eyes traveled along her petite form, her wet hair pooling against her neck and shoulders, much longer than it had been in eighth grade. Her chest, full and rising rapidly under his scrutiny, her long slender legs hidden in the folds of his baggy sweat pants, all the way to her dainty bare toes and tiny feet. Such tiny feet.
"I, uh, I ordered the Chinese. Should be here in about 30 minutes," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously and his gaze settled on his toes.
"Um…good. Thanks Arnold but you don't have to do all this…I should probably get go—"
"Hey Shortman what's this I hear about you havin' a little friend in the shower?" Grandpa Phil burst through the door, cutting Helga off and making the two teens jump. Grandma Gertie trailed close behind, a pair of maracas in her hands and a sombrero on her head.
"Oh why hello Eleanor! Wonderful to see you again! You're holiday has done you good, you look marvelous, and you've come back just in time for Cinco de Mayo! We're just about to play Parcheesi!" Gertie shoved the maracas into Arnold's hands and stepped forward to embrace Helga in a warm hug.
"Ohhh Pookie you know its still only March! And her names Helen for lands sakes! Course ya went and got rid a that one eyebrow!" Grandpa Phil winked at Helga whose face was a brilliant flustered red. "So what have you been up to Helen? What brings you here after all this time, eh?"
"It's Helga Grandpa. And uh…her parents are…at school we…um…" Arnold rubbed his neck nervously and eyed the blonde girl, at a loss for how to explain the circumstances of her presence.
"Eleanor is always welcome Arnold!" Grandma smiled warmly, "I've made chili but I believe you ordered Chinese. When it gets here I'll bring it up for you Kimba. Both of you come on down later if you want to play on my Pictionary team!" She grinned so knowingly it made the two teens blush furiously and quickly ushered her husband out the door.
Authors note: Finally here is chapter four!!! :)
I hope you've enjoyed reading so far!! I have soo many plans! I hope to get chapter 5 up this week, I SWEAR! I've been really inspired by great HA fanfiction that I have read lately and it's made me want to write like a madwoman! 3
Thanks to all my reviewers and readers!!!!!!
Hey Arnold (C) Craig Bartlett and Nick