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 61: The Next Day...AGAIN!
Arnold Shortman was on his way to the boarding house, with his best friend in toe.
"So, Arnold...hopefully none of this will affect anyone's focus during baseball practice..."Gerald said, trying to talk about something normal and practical, to him anyway.
However, Arnold wasn't listening
He is not having a good day, at all.
Helga was still on Drake's side and refuses to dump him...it...it was just inconceivable!
"I still don't understand why Helga is still with him...it's like she's doing this just to worry me...."Arnold thought in frustration.
"Arnold! Hey Arnold!..."Gerald called, snapping his friend out of him.
"Huh? What?..."He asked and Gerald looked annoyed.
"You weren't listening to me at all, were you?..."Gerald accused.
"I...I'm sorry Gerald...I just have a lot on my mind..."Arnold said.
"About what?..."Gerald asked.
"I am just...worried about Helga still being with Drake..."Arnold said.
"Why? He's changed..."Gerald said.
"How can you be so sure?..."Arnold muttered and Gerald was surprised.
"Geez Arnold...I know Drake's secret was bad but why are you still giving him the evil eye?..."Gerald asked and Arnold looked surprise.
"I saw the look you sent him...what's your problem with him, anyway? I know what he did was bad but you forgave lots of other people for worse stuff in the past..."Gerald asked.
"I...I am just worried about Helga, that's all...'Arnold said.
"Arnold, Helga has shown that she is more than capable of taking care of herself...if anything, it's Drake who'd probably need protection from her..."Gerald said.
"Gerald, that's not funny!...'Arnold said.
"I am not being funny, I am being real...sheesh, why do you hate Drake so much, anyway?..."Gerald asked.
Arnold was going to speak...but he said nothing. Other than Drake's delinquent past, he had no answer.
Gerald sighed. He then got a text from Phoebe, telling him that their date is back on.
"I gotta go Arnold...Phoebe is calling...look, I'll see ya later...call me if you need to talk to me about anything..."Gerald said as he soon left.
Leaving his friend alone on his stoop.
Arnold just remain there, still deep in thought.
His mind went back to his argument with Helga and what she said to him.
"Why are you so against Drake? What'd he ever do to you?! Heck, you've even forgiven everyone who ever wronged you, even me! If anything, I am the one who probably deserves this attitude the most yet you forgave me...Why can't you just forgive Drake? What makes him so different?..."Her angry voice echoed through his mind.
"Why can't I accept Drake?..." He asked himself in a whisper.
This had never happened to him before. If Arnold was angry at someone, he had a legitimate reason in the past. But now, he realized there was none with Drake.
Sure, his past as a delinquent is bad but as Helga pointed out, he has never done anything to him personally and Helga seems to believe in Drake's sincerity.
But at the same time, whenever Arnold thinks about Drake, he feels a strange bitterness and contempt.
And whenever he thinks about him with Helga, he feels a searing heat at the pit of his stomach and just wants that jerk to be as far away from her as possible.
He has never felt this type of contempt for anyone before...except maybe La Sombra and Sheck but that is different.
Drake isn't some derange CEO or a greedy river pirate...he's just a guy.
A guy that everyone, especially Helga, seems to like, in spite of his bad past...
So why does Arnold dislike him more than he dislikes even Wolfgang?
It was mind-boggling.
Voz told him that Drake is trouble, but there is still a part of him who wondered about his own sincerity...
Just who is the bad guy and who is truly honest here?
"This is so confusing..."Arnold thought with a sigh, getting a headache.
He had to get advice from the only person he could think of.
"I just hope Grandpa is available..."Arnold whispered as he went inside, hoping that his grandfather will say something useful.
He's truly lost here.
The Next Day
"Do I really have to do this? Maybe I can pretend to be sick..."Drake suggested to Helga.
"No way, one, your mom is a nurse so she'd know that you are faking it and two, she already left for work so she can't call Wartz and three, we are trying to improve your image, not make it worse..."Helga said as she grabbed his hand and all but dragged him to school.
"Drake, look...I know that school is going to be rough today but at least our friends are on your side...and I am too..."Helga said, making him send her a look.
"I know...but I am still nervous...just promise me that you won't leave me alone...'Drake said, admitting weakness right now.
Helga felt more sympathy for him.
"I promise that with the exception of bathroom breaks, I won't leave you alone..."Helga promised.
She knew that Drake needs as much support as she can give him. He seemed to relax a little more, she could tell by his body language.
They soon arrive to the entrance of PS 118 and Drake gulped, definitely not looking forward to this.
"You ready?..."Helga asked.
"Not really but I don't have a choice here..."He muttered as he squeezed her hand a little more.
Helga and Drake soon walked into PS 118, still hand in hand.
Once inside, most of the hallway saw them and remained silent. Drake didn't like this.
"Just ignore them..."Helga whispered to him as they kept walking in the halls, going to their lockers to get their belongings.
"They are looking at me..."Drake muttered.
"Like I said, ignore them...you aren't doing anything wrong and you know it..."Helga said to her boyfriend.
"What exactly do you want me to do?...'Drake said, referring to how he was going to deal with this.
"Until I think of something better...just go on like it is any other day...you are still the same guy who was here every day since sixth grade started..."Helga said to her still unsure boyfriend.
He did listen to her though.
The two of them soon went to homeroom, feeling a little more relaxed since most of their classmates had listen to their explanation yesterday.
If anything, the only exceptions who still thought lowly of Drake was Arnold and Iggy, who was still afraid of him after accidentally being hit.
Mr. Simmons soon arrived and began with roll call and Drake sighed.
"This is going to be a really long day...'He thought to himself.
Later
The next two periods were agonizingly slow and soon it was time free period.
Drake hated feeling so exposed. He felt like everyone was looking at him, judging his every single move.
"Just ignore them..." Helga said.
Drake tried to bury himself in studying, but the gazes of the students burned through any defense he put up. He felt like a deer in headlights.
"I need some air..." Drake said.
With that, he excused himself to the restroom. (or lied and said he needed to). Helga followed shortly after, she kept her promise to be around him all day.
"Drake, hold it together..." Helga grabbed the boy by the shoulders.
"We made it through two periods and so far nothing. No one has picked a fight or rejected you or anything else. You can do this..."She said.
The boy wiped his forehead of sweat.
Helga sighed. She never really thought she'd ever be the one who give pep talks or go out of her way to help someone like this. That's Arnold's thing. It really was an ironic twist here but she knows that Drake really needs someone who is 100% on his side right now.
And that person has to be her, apparently.
It's very, VERY ironic, indeed.
"Come on..." Helga gripped Drake's hand.
"Let's see if we can't find somewhere quiet..."She said as she lead her boyfriend in another direction.
Unfortunately, they ended up crossing paths with Iggy.
"D-Drake? Helga?.."Iggy said in a nervous tone.
Drake sighed.
"Hey Iggy...look, about what happened the other day? I'm really sorry...I didn't mean to hit you and knock your glasses off..."Drake apologized.
"Uh...yeah...anyway, I got to go..."Iggy said looking away.
Helga got mad. Iggy was one of the kids who she summoned to talk but he didn't show up. He apparently was still afraid of Drake or something...or afraid what he'd do to his image, that is.
"Oh criminy, Iggy! The newspaper was wrong, Drake isn't a delinquent...anymore...if anything, you should be more afraid of me than him...'Helga said to him but Iggy gulped.
"Sid and Stinky told me but..."Iggy started.
"But what? What he did was an accident and he apologized? What more do you want?..."Helga said.
When Iggy didn't answer, Drake felt worse and Helga got angrier. She dragged Drake away from Iggy, but not before sending him one last look of disgust.
"He's still afraid of me..."He said.
"Don't feel too bad, Iggy was always a jerk anyway and the worse part is, I think the reason he is avoiding you is for his own rep than actual fear..."Helga muttered, knowing that Iggy was pretty shallow and protective of his image.
Not to mention a real jerk to those that he and everyone else didn't like or did something he resented. Just ask Arnold about it.
Speaking of which, Helga wanted to leave before either of them ran into him and he got all self righteous and "protective" again.
A few moments later
The two didn't go far as Helga caught sight of the latest paper. She gazed at in slight rage, but when she got a better look, she quickly grabbed a copy. Drake, in confusion, looked over her shoulder, but Helga suddenly jolted.
She tried to say something, but no words came out of her mouth.
Helga was stunned. She grabbed the school paper and saw something unbelievable.
"No way..."Helga said.
"W-What is it?...'Drake asked, feeling paranoid.
"I never thought Miss Rhondaloid would do it..."Helga said.
"What? What did she do?..."Drake asked, getting anxious.
Helga then smiled and handed him the paper.
It's an editorial retraction by Miss Rhonda Wellington Lloyd, explaining that she shouldn't have done this and claiming that Drake is not a delinquent here.
"What?..."Drake said, astounded.
Drake grabbed the paper and examined it closely like it was a long lost treasure map. Helga patted the ex-delinquent on the back. Drake looked to her and felt a sense of calm. Which grew even more as Rhonda came.
"Rhonda...did you really do this?..."Drake asked, still surprised.
The dark haired girl nodded.
"Yes, I did..."Rhonda said, looking down.
"Why?..."Helga asked in a wary tone and Rhonda sighed.
"Because...you were right...'Rhonda said and Helga was surprised.
"What?.."Helga asked in a stun tone.
"I said that you were right...about what you said before..."The dark haired girl sighed as she looked towards Drake.
"Look, I...I am sorry...I realize now that I shouldn't have put your secret in the paper, especially given that...even though you were rude to me, you never tried to bully me or anyone else and...my actions were not warranted..."Rhonda said formerly.
Drake and Helga never said a word but were listening closely.
"Anyway, next time I write an article like this, I'll make sure to put in real research. Sorry, Drake..."She apologized.
Rhonda soon left the couple alone, who still looked surprised by this gesture.
Sure, they were still resentful since she STARTED this entire fiasco but they were still amazed that Rhonda was willing to admit that she was wrong and fix things.
"Wow...I never knew that princess had it in her..."Helga thought, still amazed as she watched more and more people reading the paper and it's retraction.
"I guess I might have misjudged her...a little..."Drake thought to himself before he smiled when he saw that Rhonda's action was getting results.
It's a miracle!
Once Rhonda left, Helga was relieved.
These last few days have been unbearably tense and hard to deal with but hopefully now, things will ease up.
"Well, I am glad that's over..."Helga said, pleased.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.
It's Drake...she saw that he had a strange look on his face.
"Drake, what is it?..."Helga asked.
"Helga...can I talk to you in private?..."Drake said.
"Uh...Okay..."Helga said, wondering what is up with him.
Even more when he seemed to be leading her someplace.
Meanwhile
Drake soon brought Helga to the janitor's closet, much to her confusion.
"Drake, what is it?.."Helga said.
She was silenced when the tall boy placed a kiss on her right cheek.
"Thank you..."He said.
"What?..."She said.
"I said thank you...for everything...I thought my life here was going to be over but you helped fix everything..."Drake said as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.,
Helga didn't push him away or reject his hug or kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, I already told you that I am on your side...I ain't ditching ya just because you had a bad time..."Helga said.
"You are really special, you know that right..."Drake said, his arms still wrapped around her.
"Yeah...I guess...but the only thing I did was tell Rhonda off and your friends too...I didn't-
She was silenced by another kiss on the cheek.
"Don't do that...don't sell yourself short...everything that has happened to me is because of you and I can never thank you enough..."Drake said in a way that actually made Helga feel something warm and fuzzy.
She smiled.
"Aw, come here ya big lug..."Helga said as she returned his hug.
He hugged her tighter.
Helga smiled as she and Drake shared a kiss in the privacy of the closet.
Unknown to them, the door was slightly ajar and one student, who had been alerted by the noise, heard their conversation and saw, through the crack, the kiss.
It made him frown deeply before he marched away in anger.
Anger...and jealousy.
Oh boy.
-To be continued-
Next time on A Broken Heart
I am NOT jealous!
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my friends, my family and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks to BeConfuzzled Writer for helping here. You rule :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
DanteVirgil09:That would be pretty funny, I guess but a little extreme...
Invader Johnny: You got that right :)
Yami Dragoness: Thank you :)
Starfiction123: Well, we shall see how things turn out here...
Kimagure Bijin: Happy Valentine's day to you too ;)
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)
