Split Decisions
SIX: Touch and Go
Yes, Arnold could leave.
It was so easy. All he had to do was get in the car, turn the ignition on and drive away. With any luck, he'd be back in Hillwood before anybody even he realized he had left.
And besides, Helga only saw him as one giant burden anyway. She said so herself.
Wasn't that why he got mad?
He wasn't sure why exactly, but Helga's words had stung even though one would think he'd be used to Helga's ways by now. Maybe he just wasn't used to being regarded as anything but helpful.
He was Arnold, after all.
He had no idea what sort of help he could give Helga. He knew it was a bad idea to just let her leave, but he also knew he could never force her to go home, or for that matter, do anything she didn't want to do.
He was getting frustrated. He didn't think making that kind of decision should have to be so difficult. It probably didn't take Helga more than a couple of seconds to decide what she did. Helga was a doer.
That was one of the things he admired about her.
She probably didn't even plan to steal his car. She said she didn't know how hot-wire cars. How could she have known he would be there with the keys? He didn't even plan to sleep in the car, it just happened.
If she planned to take the bus, she could've just hailed a cab to take her to the station, but she could've done that at her house. What did she have to pass by Sunset Arms for?
Lots of things didn't make any sense where Helga was concerned.
She was spontaneous, and often irrational, but she certainly made life interesting.
Hillwood wouldn't be the same without her.
She saw an opportunity, and she took it. And now one has presented itself to him. Should he take it?
Did he really want to?
For one thing, Arnold knew that if he left, he would probably never see Helga again, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he had deserted her.
For another, Helga probably just needed some time to cool down. She would probably be more rational in the morning and realize how crazy what she did was and both of them could go home.
And lastly, he just didn't trust that Ed guy.
He knew he was being silly. 'So the guy found Helga attractive, who didn't?'
He stopped to consider the last thought that crossed his mind. It was true. A lot of the guys back home did think Helga was pretty cute, but Helga didn't seem to realize that. She didn't seem to spend a lot of time fixing herself up, but whatever she did, it worked. She cut her hair in the 6th Grade, and kept it short since then. Arnold thought it made her look like a pixie. She didn't even seem to care about what she wore. All he ever saw her wear lately were jeans and T-shirts, which were mostly gray or some other color that was just as dull.. It wasn't that she didn't look good in them, but still, she could do with some color.
Like pink. He liked her in pink.
She wasn't the kind of girl you just hit on, though, unless you had absolutely no self-respect, or just plain insane, like Curly. And Arnold had had enough of striking out.
But he knew he wasn't going anywhere that night.
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