Saturday, February 10th 12:30 PM
"Pheobes, pass me that skirt," Helga asked holding her hand out. Phoebe grabbed the blood-red skirt from Helga's bed and rose to hand it to Helga. Helga took off the pants she was wearing and tried on the skirt. Helga stood in front of her mirror inspecting the outfit. The red skirt was shorter than most but loose. She was able to walk without feeling like she was toothpaste stuffed into a tube.
"Helga, could I possibly borrow this shirt?" Phoebe asked. Helga turned to see Phoebe holding up her loose low cuff blue shirt.
"That'll look good. The whole loose shirt thing. Yeah, I like it. Make it happen, gorgeous," Helga said changing into another shirt to contrast with the skirt.
"I had the same thought," Phoebe said, smiling. Phoebe threw the shirt on and joined Helga in the mirror.
"Did Rhonda have a dress code for the party?" Phoebe asked.
"Like I care if she does. I'm being dragged against my will. I'll wear what I want," Helga said.
"You seem to be trying on a lot of outfits, for someone being dragged against their will," Phoebe rebutted.
"I'm not there to impress Miss Moneybags or her legions of followers," Helga said.
"I get the feeling you do want to impress a certain yellow-haired boy," Phoebe said with a wide smile.
Helga turned a light shade of pink and smiled. "Well I like to blow his mind, you know?" Helga said winking at Phoebe.
"I do know. Gerald enjoys the occasional forays I take into wearing going out clothes," Phoebe said.
"Plain sweater and jeans not exactly filling his dick with blood?" Helga asked with a cavalier look.
Phoebe glared for a moment before cracking a smile. "He loves me for me," she said with a satisfied grin.
"Good for you Phoebes," Helga said as she took put on the three additional earing loops she liked wearing on her ears. "You know, I never thought I'd really open myself up to someone; But you called it, Phoebe. I like having someone who likes me for me," Helga said smiling down at her friend.
"Did you get to speak about what was upsetting him?" Phoebe asked.
"I did," Helga said. "We had a nice little fight about it. Then he finally told me what was up," Helga said.
"Was it his father?" Phoebe asked. To the surprise of Helga.
"How did you know?" Helga asked.
"Gerald talks often about Arnold. He gets really upset when Arnold's upset," Phoebe said.
"Who would have thought? I was under the impression Gerald was so chill because he didn't have a thought in his head," Helga said.
Phoebe smiled. "Everyone is usually more complicated than they seem," Phoebe said.
"No kidding. I tell the Football Head to go and have a conversation. Tell his dad how he feels about the whole college thing and talk it out. He'd rather just pretend everything is fine and nothing is wrong," Helga said.
"Sounds familiar," Phoebe said with a smirk.
Helga narrowed her eye at Phoebe. "Sometimes, I can do that. I guess," Helga said.
"Do what? Close yourself off and not talk to anyone?" Phoebe asked.
"Maybe…" Helga said. Phoebe's smirk only grew.
"Did it go well when he finally did speak to him?" Phoebe asked.
"I think so. He's been quiet the last day or so. He texted me at like three in the morning saying he needed to talk. Then the next day I can't get one word of it out of him about it. He wasn't angry or anything, he seemed pretty normal. You know, normal for him anyway. Every time I ask he says he's completely fine so, I don't know. I hope he's alright," Helga said she stripped the shirt off her back and tried on another longer shirt to see if the skirt looked better with it. "I know something happened though. He just doesn't want to talk about it. Which drives me freakin crazy!" Helga said.
"In my experience, Gerald pouts for days until I say something. So I understand your frustration," Phoebe said. She finished looking at herself in the mirror and walked over to the bed, where Helga's laptop was resting on the bed. Phoebe looked at her screen for a few moments. She tabbed away from the article Helga was working on (careful to save before minimizing) to her social media. "My word, everyone is talking about tonight," Phoebe said.
"Yeah, she's a vapid moron but she can throw a party," Helga said.
"We probably shouldn't speak so poorly of her when she's not here to defend herself," Phoebe said.
"Why not? I've said that exact thing to her face many times," Helga said smiling. Helga stood in front of the mirror a little longer. She squinted, concentrating her view to her eye. The bruises on her face had almost all faded. With the exception of a small mark, indiscernible unless you knew of its existence. Helga scrunched her face in annoyance. "Perfect face, right until you look at my eye," She said stretching the skin and seeing the discoloration.
Phoebe stood up and walked over to Helga. Helga turned to Phoebe to show her eye. Phoebe looked up, focusing on the eye. "It's unnoticeable, Helga," Phoebe said. Phoebe looked around and reached for what little amount of makeup Helga kept on her mantle. She pulled a small tub of concealer. Phoebe put an infinitesimal amount on her finger and applied it near Helga's eye. Phoebe grabbed a small sponge and blended the concealer around the area.
Phoebe finished blending and held a mirror in front of Helga. "There. Like it was never there," Phoebe said, smiling.
Helga took a deep breath and let out a grateful "thanks, Phoebes."
Phoebe looked on as Helga turned back towards the mirror and started trying different looks with her hair. A long, delicate, moment passed as neither said a word. Phoebe finally broke the silence. "…have you given any thought to what Arnold said?"
"I forget. What did he say?" Helga stalled. Phoebe raised her eyebrow. Helga seeing it from her mirror, rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean Helga," Phoebe said. "Have you decided about to file a police report for what happened?" Phoebe said.
She exhaled loudly and sucked her teeth. "I don't know," Helga said dismissively.
"Have you thought about it?" Phoebe asked. To which Helga rolled her eyes wordlessly. "So you haven't thought about it?" Phoebe asked after a moment of Helga's nonverbal responses.
"I have… I guess," Helga said nervously.
"Helga, is everything alright?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah…" Helga said, with no follow-up.
"You can tell me, Helga," Phoebe said. Helga looked over to Phoebe. She had an earnest smile.
"I thought about it. I don't see the point," Helga said.
"Why not?" Phoebe asked.
"Because he's been gone since it happened. He hasn't so much as called the house or picked up any clothes. Miriam's doing better, and I don't want to screw that up. I don't know, I just don't see the point," Helga said. She crossed her arms and could not look at Phoebe.
"Seems like you're not sure," Phoebe said.
"You think?" Helga sneered. Phoebe smiled at her friend.
"There's nothing wrong with getting some help. He may be gone, but he'll probably come back. If this happens again, who knows what might happen." Phoebe said.
"I know…," Helga said. She finally met Phoebe's eyes. "He's my dad though. I know he's an asshole, who never bothered with me my entire life. I just, can't bring myself to do that," Helga said. "I just… I just get confused, when I think about it," Helga finished.
"It can be confusing," Phoebe said.
"Mom is just doing so much better. She's been sober for weeks, she's looking for a job. I just don't want to drag her through that process. It's not fair to her," Helga said.
"What's not fair is your father abusing the two of you like that. Going to the police takes a step towards correcting that," Phoebe said.
"I know," Helga said. She became quiet as she looked in the mirror a little longer.
Phoebe got up and walked behind Helga. She wrapped her arms around Helga and Helga turned to hug her back. Phoebe looked up at Helga. "Helga, you have beautiful skin," Phoebe said smiling.
Helga looked to the side and smiled. "You getting a Melissa Etheridge Come to My Window vibe here?" Helga said as she started to cackle.
Phoebe rolled her eyes and started to laugh as she walked back over to the bed.
Helga laughed a little more and looked back into the mirror. Helga looked at her friend from across the room pensively. "Thanks, Phoebes," Helga said. Phoebe looked up and smiled. "I'll keep thinking about it," Helga said.
"Good," Phoebe said.