Let's Be 'Friends'
Chapter Ten: Go Back to Move On
The sound of a plastic tray hitting metal made Helga grit her teeth. She tapped her pen against the lunch table, never lifting her eyes from her pink notebook. "If you want to keep your testicles, kid, I highly suggest you remove your tray and walk away."
"You know I could take you in a fight."
Helga's head shot up, her feet stepping on the bench before jumping into Brainy's arms, laughing. He lifted her into the air for a minute, smiling as she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Half-day Thursdays in private school are wonderful things. Besides, I have the next ten days off from school for Thanksgiving."
"You've never visited before."
He gave her a glare, "You haven't spoken to me in a year. I never knew if you were my friend or not. The last time we really spoke face-to-face before yesterday ended up in disaster."
Helga pursed her lips, "You were going to leave me!"
"So your first reaction is to punch me in the face."
"Not like I haven't done it before," Helga replied, returning to her seat. Brainy sat down across from her and seconds later Sid was at his side. They shared a quick fist bump before Sid smiled at Helga. "You lost, Gifaldi?"
"It's only once in a blue moon I run into Brainy and I figured, 'Why not grace him with my wonderful company?'"
Helga laughed, "Your girlfriend has gotten to your head."
Brainy smirked, "Don't tell me."
A manicured hand appeared on Sid's shoulder, a designer red coat covering her slender and fake-tanned arm. "Why are you over-Ohmygod, Brian!"
Rhonda was one of the few P.S. 118 alumni who accepted his name change.
Brian rose to his feet and wrapped Rhonda in a hug, who pulled back to compliment his uniform. Male Anderson Academy for Exceptional Students students were required to dress in the highest standards. Black dress pants, penny loafers, white Oxford button downs and ties in the school colors: gold and navy blue. Brainy always tested the limits of ridiculousness with his ties and belts. He owned two metallic ties in gold and navy, which he wore on alternating Fridays, and he also had a blue tie with sequins sewn on it.
Rhonda had planned on attending A.A.E.S. until she discovered their uniforms for girls. Floor length skirts and white blouses. "It's so not chic," she's complained to Brainy. "It'll be a miracle if you ever get a date." He'd laughed at that one.
"Hello, everyone!" Phoebe waved cheerfully as she sat down next to Helga. Shortly after, Gerald and Arnold arrived, taking their seats besides their respective girlfriends.
"Whoa, Brian Andrews as I live and breathe," Nadine waved at him and took a seat beside Rhonda.
Helga bit her lip. She knew she'd regret picking one of the biggest tables in the cafeteria.
Lila appeared a few seconds later, taking the seat on the edge of the bench besides Brainy. She hugged his shoulder with one arm, asking him all about school and his life.
The reunion's almost complete, Helga thought sarcastically. Suddenly Sid jumped to his feet, hollering towards the entrance of the caf on the other side of the building, "Stinky! Harold!" Damn it.
Harold Berman was a linebacker on the football team, and a very big guy. He was still beefed up, only now it was muscle instead of fat. Stinky Peterson was still tall and lean, only now he kept his hair buzzed short. Stinky was also the kicker for the football team, giving him something to do in the afternoons.
Both boys slapped Brian on the back before sitting down beside Gerald, filling up the last spots on Helga's side of the table. There was only one spot left on the opposite side and Helga knew immediately who'd fill it.
Red hair and pale, lanky arms filled the gap on the edge of the table. A chorus of 'Eugene!'s met the boy as he sat down. He leaned across the table to wave at Brainy. He was currently sporting a broken left wrist after an incident with the water fountain.
It was like they all had microchips in their brain or something, just telling them when there was even the slightest chance for a full middle school reunion.
The old gang of Hillwood High would pass each other in the halls and smile, with the exception of Helga and Rhonda, and exchanged pleasantries if they were in the same class. The gang had been together from fourth grade (maybe even as far back as the Urban Tots days) until eighth grade and it was hard to ignore someone who you'd known since you were young.
Sheena, Lorenzo and Brian switched schools. Lorenzo joined Brainy at Anderson, while Sheena moved to Florida. No one had been more upset than Eugene, in the same way that Helga was upset with Brainy (minus the violence).
Rhonda leaned over and tapped Brian's shoulder, "Where's Lo today?"
"You know him. Violin lessons, Italian class, ski shopping. It's amazing that his parents are even giving him tomorrow off. He'll be over at my place if you want to drop by."
Rhonda nodded, smiling at Brainy's invite. Although she and Lorenzo lived fairly close to each other, it was hard to see him because he was kept so busy.
"So what brings you to our fine establishment of education, Brian?" Gerald asked.
"Am I not allowed to miss my old classmates?"
Everyone shrugged and acted disinterested, laughing at his mock offended face.
"Now that the Brainy Love has died down," Sid lifted his can of soda, gesturing towards Arnold, "can we discuss Arnold's face?"
"No, no, no, first things first. Fuzzy Slippers tells me you two are officially a couple now." Rhonda pointed to Arnold, then to Helga.
The table broke out into laughter.
"I reckon' that's how he got the black eye," Stinky joked. He still had his country twang, despite the many speech lessons the school forced him to take.
"No, Vince gave it to him," Lila said.
Nadine gasped. "What happened?"
The table turned to Arnold, who laughed nervously at the sudden attention. "I walked Lila home after school and he got jealous."
"Did you at least punch him back?" Harold asked.
Arnold nodded, "I'm not proud of what I did, but yes." Helga rolled her eyes.
Eugene leaned forwards again, his t-shirt almost dipping into the soup of the day, "Wait, back up, did you say Arnold and Helga are a couple?"
Once again all eyes set on Arnold, then looked at Helga, then back to Arnold.
"Yeah," they both replied.
Harold looked up from his tray, "So it's true?"
"Yeah," they said again.
Sid shrugged, "Alright."
The other end of the table let out a few snickers, but stopped when Helga glared at them.
"So that's it?" Helga asked.
"Yeah," Sid laughed and readjusted his signature green baseball cap, pushing his black hair out of his eyes. He no longer let it fall down his back, but instead kept it down over his forehead and short in the back.
Nadine couldn't help but laugh at Helga's reaction, "Why?"
"I mean, we'll still talk about you and Arnold behind your back," Rhonda smiled, "But, you know, until something happens between you two we're just gonna let it go."
"What makes you think something's gonna happen with us?"
Rhonda shrugged and gestured between her and Sid, "Something always happens."
"Trouble during your honeymoon?" Gerald joked.
Sid crossed his arms over his chest, "Can we not discuss our relationship problems with the group?"
Helga smirked behind her sandwich. Rhonda pouted but relented, picking up her sushi with chopsticks.
"So, another reason I came here," Brainy's voice made everyone shut up, "is cause I'm home alone for the next ten days. I expect to see you all at my apartment at least once."
The bell rang and everyone dispersed, cheering and clapping Brian on the back as they walked towards class. Gerald, Arnold, Phoebe and Helga stayed behind. "Who has the best class next?"
"I've got bio," Helga made a gagging motion. Everyone laughed, nodding in agreement. Even though Phoebe loved the class, their teacher did manage to speak in a monotone voice.
"Español," Gerald replied.
"I have calculus," Phoebe added.
Brainy's face twisted into one of disgust. "I gotta hand it to you, Phoebe, math is a hard thing."
"I need to know it in order to advance in engineering."
"Oh, my God," Helga laughed.
Arnold picked up his backback, his tray, and Helga's, "I have a study hall. You and I can go hang out in the courtyard." Brainy grinned at the idea, winking at Helga before following him.
Helga rose to her feet, taking her notebook and pen with her. "I'll see you guys later."
Phoebe suddenly nudged Gerald in the side. "I'll give you a ride home later," he called out as Helga exited the cafeteria.
Gerald pulled up outside Helga's place shortly after school let out. When Phoebe and Arnold both got out of the car with her, Gerald groaned and followed behind.
Big Bob was at work and Miriam was baking in the kitchen with Olga. Helga could smell the alcohol on her mother's breath when she was forced to hug her - Olga's demand.
Helga dismissed her friends to the living room, glaring at Olga as she rolled dough for cookies. "I'm gonna be staying at Phoebe's for Thanksgiving Break."
Olga's eyes went wide, head shaking back and forth very fast. "No, Helga, I'm making Thanksgiving dinner here."
"Too bad."
"It's okay, Olga," Miriam replied, finishing off whatever was in her mug. Helga knew it wasn't coffee. "It'll be the three of us, like it used to be."
Helga started laughing - the only thing her mind could think to do to blow off the comment. "Thanks, Mom. I'll see you guys sometime next week." Maybe. Helga walked through the living room and pointed upstairs, "I'm gonna go pack."
"You know you can stay as long as you want to, Helga. We just re-did our guest room," Phoebe smiled.
"Thanks, Phoebe. You're the best."
Helga picked up her backpack, throwing in her laptop, notebooks and cell phone charger. Her big pink suitcase, that was used once on a three-month trip to Alaska to see Olga when she was ten, was stuffed full of winter clothes and a few random t-shirts and nicer outfits. She grabbed her toiletries and stuffed them in as well.
Phoebe took her backpack and guitar while Gerald and Arnold grabbed the suitcase. Helga waited until she heard the front door close before tearing into the back of her closet.
The beautiful bubblegum shrine she'd dedicated so much time to was long gone, replaced with a bookshelf full of her volumes of poetry and a smaller shrine dedicated to her bow and locket.
Helga looked down at her clothes, then back at the locket. It felt surreal to know that she was in his clothes. The most recent picture she had was from eighth grade. She never realized how much he'd grown since she saw him almost every day. His football shaped head didn't seem so ridiculously big anymore.
She picked up a duffle bag and tied her bow around the locket before shoving every notebook into her bag. She knew Olga would go snooping around and this was the last thing she could ever see. With one last sigh, Helga turned off her lights, picked up her pillow, and left.
Once she got in Gerald's car, the conversation stopped. "Don't stop talking about me just cause I'm here," she mumbled.
"We're just worried," Phoebe replied. Gerald shrugged while Arnold nodded his head in agreement.
"Whatever. Let's just go, Hair Boy."
The ride was spent in silence, despite Phoebe's attempt at conversation. She talked about Brainy, Thanksgiving Break, the weather. Gerald and Arnold would reply, but Helga remained silent.
Everyone helped her unload her baggage. Gerald said goodbye to his girlfriend and waited by the car for his best friend.
"Are you okay?" Arnold asked as she stood on Phoebe's stoop.
Helga held the door closed, only letting the upper half of her body peek out. "Yeah. I mean, I shouldn't be that sad 'cause they don't even care. I never belonged there anyway, it was never my home."
"I'm sorry-"
Helga scowled, "Don't start with that, Arnold."
"You know you're always welcome at the Sunset Arms." Arnold leaned forwards and kissed her cheek. "I'll call you after dinner."
Gerald honked the horn, rolling his eyes.
Helga kissed Arnold quickly on the lips before shutting the door.