Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
A Broken Heart
Chapter 7: The Assignment
A few days later
It has been exactly one week since sixth grade started and Helga still felt as lousy as ever. She tried to avoid Arnold as much as possible all week, only seeing him during class time and she even skipped out baseball practice and missing out of the first game of the school year, telling Phoebe to tell everyone that she was under the weather or whatever...she didn't care, she just didn't want to see that stupid heartbreaking yet painfully gorgeous and wonderful football head anymore.
Even after he crushed her heart, she can't bring herself to hate him...Oh, if only...maybe then it wouldn't have been so hard...
"Arnold..."Helga thought sadly as she placed her pink bow in her hair after getting dressed for school.
With nothing but a few dollars on her she swiped from her cheep father's "safe" for lunch money, she was heading out the door, seeing her mother snoring on the store's sofa and her dad in his robe, obsessively displaying his obsolete beepers in a new way.
"Where do you think you are going?..."He barked at her as she was heading to the door.
"I already told you...I have school...You know school, so I can learn and one day get a job so I don't have to be stuck here anymore!..."Helga said angrily at him.
"Watch that tone little Missy! Just come back here when your done, we got a business to run here..."Big Bob said to his younger child who rolled her eyes.
"Oh joy, I can't wait to pretend to cell beeper to make believe customers..."She said sarcastically as she walked out and marched her way to school since she couldn't afford the bus now.
The angry, grumbling blonde girl tried to cling to her annoyance at her father since if she didn't, she'd just think about Arnold and get all sad again. However it didn't work as she thought about her love and how she knows now she and he will never be, that her love for him is nothing more than just a mere dream and said thought made her heart clench once more.
Why oh why was she cursed with the painfulness of an unrequited love?!
"Oh Arnold...I can't stand this...why...how can I possibly forget about you?!...'Helga thought sadly as she tried to ignore the pain in her heart as she kept getting thoughts of her one and only beloved Arnold and how he shall never be hers.
OOF!
OUCH!
As she turned the corner, she was too busy being gloomy to notice that she ran into somebody until she hit the ground.
Helga came too and for the first time since she could recall, she didn't run into Arnold but rather the new kid Drake Sanchez, who looked stunned as he came to. Helga, not being in a good mood and because of that, she tends to lash out at people and Drake is no exception.
"WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING, GEEKBAIT!..."Helga shouted at him as she got up and dusted herself off.
"Who are you calling "Geekbait"?..."... 'Drake said as he got up and crossed his arms in annoyance.
"You, or did the fall rattled your brain and your ear drums too?...'Helga said nastily.
"Excuse me, you are the one who ran into me and knocked me down..and I haven't heard an "I'm sorry"..."Drake said in an annoyed tone.
"You are the one who knocked me down!..."Helga yelled.
"Even if I did, that's no reason to start showing me disrespect, blondie..." Drake shouted.
"The name is Helga G. Pataki, bucko, and don't you forget it..." Helga said to him in an irritated way.
"Well Pataki, my name is Drake P. Sanchez and I expect you to remember that...'Drake said in the same kind of tone.
Helga glared at him talking back to her. Usually whenever she knocks Arnold down, he would give a light apology and take what she says in stride, Drake however, is mouthing her off and she didn't tolerate it! However, she had no energy to deck him and she didn't want to be late to school and get detention, so instead of using her typical violent reaction, she settled for an irritated scoff, eye roll and then marched away from him without saying a word, to make it over.
However, it wasn't over for him, it seems...
"HEY! Where are you going?!..."Drake demanded.
"To school Einstein... so I don't get detention..." Helga shouted.
"You aren't leaving until I get my apology!...'Drake shouted.
"Go jump in a river!..." Helga shouted at him.
'What did you just say to me-
"AH!
Helga and Drake's bickering continued until they arrived to school and the sound of the warning bell snapped them out of it. They managed to make it to class before being announced tardy but their feud was far from over as they kept giving each other dirty looks and silent insults while Mr. Simmons took attendance.
"Arnold..."Mr. Simmons called...
"Here...'Arnold said as he raised his hand.
"Curly.."Mr. Simmons called...
"I'm back and better than ever!...'Curly shouted as he jumped on top of his desk only for Mr. Simmons to order him to settle down
"Drake.."Mr. Simmons called after Curly calmed down.
'Here...'Drake said, though his eyes were still on Helga who wouldn't stop glaring daggers at him.
"Eugene...'Mr. Simmons called.
"Present..'" Eugene said as he raised his left hand since his right was in a sling, no doubt from some accident during the weekend.
"Gerald..."Mr. Simmons called...
"Right here...'Gerald announced.
"Harold..."Mr. Simmons called...
"Here...'Harold said.
"Helga..."Mr. Simmons called...
"Here...'Helga said with absolutely no enthusiasm as the teacher continued to call students names.
As he did so, Helga kept sending glares at Drake, who had the audacity to send them back. Helga was having a bad day and he is just making it worse.
"Just who does he think he is?...'Helga thought in annoyance as she kept giving him her signature scowl. Unknown to her, he was thinking this...
"Just who does she think she is?...'Drake thought in the same kind of way.
Eventually, the glaring stopped as Helga settled for just ignoring him as she pretended to look at her notebook while Mr. Simmons gave the lessons, however she noticed all through out homeroom, math and history, she could still feel Drake sending her looks during class time, now it was English class and honestly, it was bugging her to say the least, before she could tell him off again... the teacher got their attention.
"Alright students, I have exciting news, we are all finally going to start our first English assignment.
The students all groaned in annoyance, which the teacher chose to ignore and just get on with his enthusiasm.
"Anyway, for this assignment, you all will be paired in groups of two and select an author of a classic book, you will do research on who they were, where and when they were born, what they accomplished and several other special details of their lives and give some information on the book they wrote...Also just to let you all know, graphic novels and comic book authors will not be accepted...'Mr. Simmons said to the whole class those his eyes were directed at Sid, Harold and Stinky.
"OH GEEZ!...'Harold shouted in a complaining way.
Suddenly Arnold raised his hand to the teacher.
"Yes, Arnold..."Mr. Simmons asked.
"So Mr. Simmons, we can pick our own partners, right?...'Arnold asked.
"Actually Arnold, for this assignment we will be picking our partners through the hat...'Mr. Simmons said as he pulled out a hat that had little bits of paper which had all of the students names.
All the while, Helga was getting sinking feeling, she had been planning on having Phoebe as her partner for ALL assignments this year but what if she ends up getting paired up with Arnold...it's bad enough she has to see him at school but after school to do the assignment, just the sight of him alone messes her up so much.
"Oh man, I can't be paired with the football head, I just can't..." Helga thought in dread as students started getting paired.
The first one to reach into the hat and pull out a name was Geraldo.
"I got Phoebe..."Gerald announced happily and Phoebe giggled.
"No!...'Helga thought in dismay as she chosen partner got paired off with Gerald, who looked too happy about it.
The next one to pull out a name was Rhonda and she shouted in dismay.
"I got Curly?!..."Rhonda shouted in disgust and Curly looked excited.
"It's fate, baby...'Curly said as he got closer to her and started sniffing her hair again.
"EW! Get away from me, you freak!...'Rhonda shouted in disgust.
Sheena and Eugene were soon paired together, as were Nadine and Peapod Kid, Harold and Sid, Stinky and Lorenzo and soon enough, it was Helga's turned to pick a partner and all the while, she was visibly nervous.
"I don't care who that I get, just don't let it be Arnold..."Helga thought as she slowly pulled out a piece of paper, opened it up and to her relief and dismay, she saw that she didn't get Arnold but the partner she DID get, she wasn't exactly very pleased with.
'I got Sanchez?!...' Helga said in dismay.
"What?..." Drake said in annoyance.
"Hey Helga, even if Drake is a little rude, if you don't want him, I am willing to trade partners with you...'Rhonda suddenly piped up, clearly desperate to have anyone other than crazy Curly as her partner, even the guy whom she claims ruined her shoes last week.
"Rhonda, there will be no trading of partners..."Mr. Simmons reminded them, causing the rich girl to look upset.
Mr. Simmons soon continued and ended up pairing Arnold with Lila, Helga saw this and sighed sadly. It hurt that she can't be with Arnold and it hurt even more to see him be paired with another. It hurt to be near him and it hurt more being away from him, why was her life so messed up?!
"So, it looks like we will be partners, Pataki?...'Drake said in a surly tone, still obviously ticked from earlier and expecting another argument to form.
Helga however, still had her eyes on Arnold and didn't have the will to be nasty right now and just gave a nod.
"Yep..."Helga said, not looking at him, surprising Drake in the process...
'Now remember class, the project is due on Friday and I would like to know by tomorrow whom you have chosen to make your report about so there will be no repeats..."Mr. Simmons announced to his class.
Soon the bell rang, signalling the time to change periods.
At the lockers
Helga soon arrived to her locker, still depressed over Arnold getting paired up with his dream girl little Ms. Perfect. Before, she would have made plans to spy on them and try and ruin any attempts that Arnold would have to flirt with her but she knew it would all be pointless.
What's the point of anything anymore, since she knows now Arnold still won't be here?
"My life stinks..." Helga thought as she took her books out of her locker, however when she closed the locker door shut, she saw Drake standing right next to her.
"So, it looks like we are stuck together for this report?..'Drake said with his arms crossed, still looking irked about the incident from this morning.
"Whatever..."Helga said flatly.
"Look Pataki, I don't like this anymore than you do, but I just joined the soccer team and I need a good average to stay on it, so let's just go to the library together after school and get it over with...'Drake said in a bored tone.
"Fine, whatever...I don't care...'Helga said in a bored tone which irritated Drake.
Drake sent her another glare, which Helga send back. The two were now openly glaring at each other and after what felt like a long time, Drake merely scoffed, rolled his eyes and walked away, a move which clearly irritated Helga.
"I can't believe I got stuck with that loser..."Helga muttered out loud as she took her books and soon went to the next period.
However, she soon saw up ahead a sight that made her angry scowl turn into a sad frown on her face. She saw Arnold and Lila talking together, and Lila giggled at something he said. Helga couldn't take it and all but ran fast to the next class since she couldn't stand the sight of it. She took her desk and tried not to think of the following things that were wrong with her life...
She didn't have Arnold and she is now stuck doing an assignment with some loud mouth jerk who wasn't afraid to talk back to her!
"How can this get any worse?..." Helga thought as Mr. Simmons continue to give the rest of their lessons.
-To be continued-
Next time on A Broken Heart
I don't like this guy!
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
Invader Johnny: Yeah, it seems that way...
61394: Yes, it was...
Ezza: How's this?...
CoolGirl-Pataki: Thank you...
Thatamosgirl: Thank you...
DeepVoice'06: Thank you...
Dannei: Yeah, I didn't like that episode either :( Also, I guess you will have to wait and see where this whole thing will go...
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)
