Helga and Arnold arrived at Arnold's class, he thanked her and started to walk in when he was yanked back.
"Hold up bucko, we have history next in room 118, what ya gotta do to get there-" Helga began to explain, her hand still on Arnold's shoulder. Arnold raised his eyebrows,
"Don't worry Helga, I see Gerald in there, he'll help me out." He said, waving over to his friend already settled in the room. "Now go, I don't want you to be late." Helga folded her arms,
"And who are you to tell Helga G. Pataki what to do? I'm gonna go because I want to Football Head, don't think you got authority over me." Helga said turning away, walking off to her locker. Arnold smirked, shaking his head. He went to go take his seat next to Gerald when Arnold saw a familiar face. "Miss Felter?"
"Hey man, remember her? haha, I knew you would." Gerald said, nudging Arnold out of his flashback to 4th grade. "So Arnold tell me, what are you doing spending all your time with Pataki? I know you two had a thing in the jungle, but I thought you would've forgotten that haha. Plus I didn't think Helga would be your type." Gerald continued saying to his friend. Arnold looked over at him.
"Gerald that wasn't some "fling" I do really like her Gerald, she's done so much for me-"
"And to you, have you forgotten the spit balls? The paint she threw at you? The nicknames?" Gerald interrupted.
"Yeah but, she did save me in the jungle, she helped save the neighbourhood, Gerald I think I'm going to asked her out in history. Gerald what should I say? What if I goof up?" Arnold said, half-dazed in his own world. Gerald shook his head.
"Mm Mm Mmm Arnold you got it back, you do realized you're getting nervous over Helga, Helga G. Pataki? Just ask her. Or write her a note I don't know man." Gerald leaned back in his desk.
"Boys? Something you want to share?" Miss Felter asked, writing some equations on the black board.
"No Miss Felter." The boys replied, their voices monotone and in sync with each other.
"Gerald? Why is her last name still Miss Felter? Wasn't she engaged?" Arnold asked leaning over to Gerald.
"Yeah but the she dropped it last minute. I guess he wasn't the one." Gerald explained.
Arnold sat in his desk the rest of class writing his note to Helga. Perfecting it to the last letter.
*Meanwhile In Gym Class*
"Helga why are you so late again? This is becoming a very bad habit." Phoebe said, as Helga walked up to her in the change room. Helga rolled her eyes.
"Relax Phebes, I was walking the Football Head to his class." Helga said, kicking off her boots.
"You were walking Arnold to class? You two seem to be spending a lot of time with each other, I think he really likes you Helga. Do you think that he'll ask you out?" Phoebe asked, putting a large blue shirt on. Helga shrugged.
"Don't be crazy Phebes, Arnold could never like a girl like me." Helga said, heading to a stall with her things.
"And what kind of girl are you Helga? Why would Arnold not be interested in you?" Phoebe said, following her, waiting for Helga.
"Phebe's lay off. Now go, I'll meet you out there, alright? Get us a good ball." Helga said from the stall, taking off her jeans.
"Getting." Phoebe's small voice said, walking toward the door. Helga let out a sigh of relief, putting on some basket-ball shorts. Helga took off her sweater and shirt, revealing scars and cuts all up her arms. She sat down on the toilet and looked at them, each one sparked a memory to flash through Helga's mind. She covered her face.
"A girl like me." A few minutes later Helga shook off the bad feelings, putting on a long-sleeve shirt and short-sleeved over. Helga opened the stall door, and walked over to the sink.
"Get it together old girl." She said to herself, splashing water on her face again. Helga put her things away and left the change-room. She scanned the gym room for Phoebe but found her friend Sid instead. "Sid!" She called out. focused on something else, Sid just waved. Helga thought it was strange, Sid never ignored her like that. Sid was like a lost puppy when it came to Helga.
"Alright class, you know the drill three laps and dodge ball. Let's go people!" The gym teacher shouted, blowing his whistle. The class groaned, starting their 3 laps around the gym. Helga finally caught up with Phoebe.
"Why do we always play dodge ball? Criminy," Helga said, Phoebe focused on her steady pace, " and let me guess, girls against boys."
"Gentlemen against the ladies." The gym teacher's voice boomed over through the room. Everyone took their sides and the game began. Helga ran for a ball set on the line, bumping hands with Sid. Sid looked up her, his face still bruised and puffy from the night before.
"Sid! What happened?!" Helga said dropping the ball, lifting Sid's chin. "Does it hurt? Should you be playing? What if you get hit in the face?" Helga asked, a look of concern and sympathy crossed Helga's face. Sid looked at Helga's eyes, they were worried. Sid moved his face away from her.
"I'm fine, I uh tripped on the way up the stairs when I was heading up." Sid said, unconvincingly. Helga raised her eyebrows at him. She knew he was lying, and could already guess what happened.
"Come on," Helga said dragging Sid over to the teacher. "Hey could we get some ice here?" She said tapping the teacher on the shoulder. The teacher looked at Sid in shock,
"What happened here kid? Why didn'tchya tell me? You should be playing with a face like that." He said, grabbing Sid's head to get a better look and the bruise. "Ice is in the freezer in the storage room." He said pointing to the room behind him. Helga dragged Sid into the room.
"He was drinking again?" Helga said, sticking her head in the freezer. Sid sat down on one of the spare benches,
"Yeah." His voice was quiet. Helga sighed.
"Sid. I'm sorry." She said, grabbing a pack of ice. Helga closed the freezer door and turned to look at Sid. She sat down next to him and placed the ice on the bruise. Sid flinched. "Sid you and your mom gotta get outta there."
"You don't think I know that Helga? You don't think I've tried?" Sid was getting frustrated. He wants to get as far away from his father as possible.
"You call the police?" Helga asked. Sid shook his head.
"He cut the phone line." Sid said quietly. Sid grabbed Helga's wrist to get the ice off his face, she flinched. Helga dropped the ice and grabbed her wrist.
"Hey watch it Shrimpo." Helga said, scowling. Sid looked at her,
"Give me your wrist." He said sticking his hand out
"No"
"Helga give me your wrist." Helga rolled her eyes, releasing her grip on her wrist and putting it into Sid's hand. Sid rolled up Helga's sleeve, revealing bright red cuts on her wrist. "Helga! Why didn't you tell me? What happened this time?" Sid asked picking up the ice pack and carefully placed it on Helga's semi-swollow wrist. She flinched again.
"What's it to you Shrimpo." Helga said, getting defensive. Getting deep about herself with other people made Helga uncomfortable.
"Helga."
"Fine, Harold's been giving me a rough time again, and Bob and Miriam keep blaming me for everything wrong in their marriage, how I ruined theit lives, and finally that look Arnold gave Lila last night. I hate it. " Helga explained, her voice as fast as her mind.
"Helga if Arnold loved Lila then why is he spending so much time with you?" Sid asked, Helga was left without a response. Why was Arnold spending so much time with her? Surely he didn't really mean anything he said while they were in the jungle. Like he said before they all just got swept up in the heat of the moment."Because he likes you Helga." Helga pulled her wrist away, rolling down the sleeve. She grabbed the ice and placed it back on Sid's face. Sid wasn't wasn't exactly wrong about Arnold, but Helga couldn't make herself believe someone actually loved her.
"Can we get off this topic?! Please? Criminy all anyone ever talks about nowadays is the Football head" Helga growled. Sid rolled his eyes,
"Fine. How was first period?" Sid asked.
"My teachers a real dick. Calls me pigtails. this is the first time in years that I've worn my hair in pigtails. What about you? How was math?"
"It was alright. I still suck at it." Sid said to Helga. Suddenly Nadine poked her head in, she smiled. "Hey Nadine what are you doing here?"
"Oh uh, some of the guys were taking the game a little too seriously haha." Nadine said taking a step into the room, holding her face.
"Who was it this time?" Helga asked.
"Nadine. I want to apologize again, I am terribly terribly sorry." Peapod Kid said sticking his head in the room. Nadine reached for the freezer door.
"It's fine Peapod." Nadine stuck her head into the freezer, searching for an ice pack. Peapod Kid took a step in.
"Do you need any help with anything my sweet?"
"No Peapod, now get going." Nadine said coldly. Peapod Kid nodded and returned to the gym. "Ugh that boy."
"What's your deal with Peapod?" Helga asked.
"Nothing, just he's constantly asking if I'm okay or he can carry my books to class. It's annoying." Nadine said, sitting down on the floor.
"Ahhh the clingy type eh?" Helga said, Nadine nodded.
"Yeah, so Sid ready for Biology?" Sid looked up,
"Huh?"
"Biology? Are you ready? I'll save you a seat alright?" Sid nodded, getting to his feet.
"Uh yeah sure, I'll be right back." He said, walking out of the room.
"What's his deal?" Nadine asked. Helga shrugged. "Helga do you and Sid have a thing or something?"
"Haha what?! Nah me and the kid are just good friends, like a little brother. Why?" Helga laughed.
"I dunno, he's kinda cute is all." Nadine said sheepishly, looking down at her feet. Helga tilted her head, confused.
"Thought you had a thing for Lorenzo?" Helga asked, leaning forward
"Yeah Lorenzo was pretty cool, but him and Rhonda still got a thing going."
"Rhonda's cheating on Harold? No wonder he's so angry all the time. Seriously though, Shrimpo? I could talk to him if you want." Helga suggested. Nadine lifted her head.
"Talk to who?" Sid asked walking in. The girls turned their head surprised.
"Don't worry about it Shrimpo."
"Alright then...class ends in five. Teach says we can go get changed" He said, turning around.
"Would you really? Thanks Helga." Nadine and Helga stood up, and began heading towards the door. "Um Helga? I'm sorry for being rude to you in elementary school." Helga smirked. "Don't worry Nadine, you're nothing but a simple minded follower under Rhonda's command."
"Don't worry about it Nadine, we were children." Helga said, patting Nadine on the back. The girls headed for the change-room.
"Helga where were you?! We needed you!" Phoebe asked, grabbing on to Helga's shoulder. Helga rolled her eyes.
"Helping Sid Phoebe." She said, walking toward the locker with her stuff in it. Phoebe folded her arms.
"Helga we needed your assistance, we were demolished out there. Sid is highly capable of obtaining his own ice pack." Phoebe was crossed with Helga. Phoebe started stepping up for herself after Arnold left.
"Next time Phebes, now lay off." Helga said, heading toward the stall. Phoebe rolled her eyes and grabbed her things to change. The bell rang and the last of the girls headed out the door, leaving Helga alone in her stall. She sighed. She was getting sick of wearing long sleeves, hiding in stalls to change and she was tired of seeing her scars. Shaking her head, Helga opened the stall door. She stopped at the mirror to look at the sad girl she had become, and finally left the room. She stopped at her locker to put her gym stuff away when she saw Lila talking to Arnold. Helga growled.
"You're going to ask Helga out!? Arnold this is ever so exciting, I had a funny feeling about you two. Oh she'll be ever so happy." Lila said enthusiastically, clapping, Gerald smiled. Arnold over at her, he gave her a smile and a wave. Lila turned, "There she is! Go ask her now." Lila started to push Arnold in Helga's direction.
"Lila stop, I already wrote a note to give her in class." Arnold said opening his hand revealing the note.
"Can I read it?!" Lila asked, her hand reaching out to grab it. Arnold quickly closed his hand.
"No Lila it's personal, sorry."
"Oh, I understand Arnold. Well I better head to class, it was ever so pleasant to talk to you again." Lila smiled and waved goodbye. The small group departed ways as the bell began to ring. Helga slowly closed her locker and walked to class.