Chapter 20: Boarding House
"Oh, Helga honey, we would love for you and your mother to come stay at the boarding house for a few nights!"
Helga just rolled her eyes to herself. Stella Shortman was sitting in the passenger seat while Miles drove. Helga sat behind Stella while Arnold rode in the middle of the backseat. Phil was scrunched up on the driver's side next to Arnold.
"Thanks Stella, but that really isn't necessary. I mean, me and mom can manage at the beeper store." Helga said in the most respectful voice she could muster.
It wasn't the fact that Helga was annoyed at Stella. It was more of the fact that she was so tired she was literally about to fall asleep right where she sat. The feeling of Arnold right next to her wasn't helping that much at all.
"No no no." Stella said in a stern tone now." Now that store is no place for you two to live. Especially since it turned into a crime scene."
Helga just sighed a deep sigh as she laid her head down on Arnold's chest now." Well, we've managed this long. Plus, we couldn't afford to stay in a room right now. We don't have the money."
The car suddenly got real quiet. All that could be heard were the wheels on the pavement.
Miles and Stella looked at each other for a moment. Stella had a worried look on her face but Miles gave her a confident smile.
"It's okay Helga." Miles said softly." Me and Stella will pay the rent until you two get your feet back on the ground again."
Helga felt her eyes widen as she suddenly sat up." No, really you guys don't have to do that." Helga said in a shocked tone." You guys need that money."
"No really it's fine." Miles said through a chuckle." I have plenty of money left over from the trip to San Lorenzo. It's no big deal."
"Yeah." Phil suddenly said in a chuckle." I need some new neighbors anyway. And I know you'll keep those boarders in check."
Helga just looked back at Arnold with a half happy, half shocked look on her face. Arnold just shrugged." Welcome to the boarding house family, sweetheart."
Helga suddenly fell back onto Arnold with a dreamy expression on her face. Sure, she was being a total sap right now, but this was also an amazing thing happening right now. Her and Miriam would finally have a place they could call a stable home for the first time in years. And the best part about it was that she would be living with Arnold of all people! But, there still was one problem…
"Miriam." Helga suddenly said in an annoyed tone. Everyone looked at each with a confused look, then to Helga with the same look.
Helga realized she was thinking out loud and scowled." Miriam might be a problem."
"Well how is that honey?" Stella asked, giving her a concerned look.
Helga just sighed and rubbed her tired eyes." Umm, Miriam has an… addiction."
Stella then realized what she was saying and smiled." Helga honey, I don't know if your mother told you or not, but she's been trying to find help."
"Miriam, trying to find help?" Helga said in a sarcastic tone now." Please Stella, don't try to make me feel better by saying that."
"No no, I'm serious Helga." Stella said with a serious look on her face." I was getting coffee with Susie a few days ago and I mentioned that you and Arnold are close. After that, Susie told me that Miriam Pataki was trying to become a better mom and lose her alcohol addiction."
Helga's mouth instantly opened in shock. She still didn't even know if she believed what she had just heard. 'Miriam was trying to get help?! Since when?! Well, maybe that is why she seemed a little happier last night… but oh wait, criminy! I haven't even seen her since-'
"Helga dear." Helga was suddenly broken from her thoughts to see Stella looking at her with a concerned look." Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm just peachy." Helga said with a nervous laugh.
"So you'll ask your mother about staying in the boarding house?"
Helga sighed and looked to Arnold, who in return gave her a warm smile.
"Sure, I'll ask her."
...
"Miriam?"
Helga walked inside of the cold beeper store. She needed to get a shower and get out of the tank top and shorts. She was practically freezing in the frigid weather outside.
However, when she walked inside of the store, she noticed that there was police tape covering the living center. Suddenly, the thoughts hit her again. The loud bang of the gun, Curly grinning at her like a creep, Bob pounding Arnold's face.
"Helga?" A voice suddenly asked from behind. She suddenly jumped and turned around to see Arnold looking around with a concerned look on his face.
"Geez Hair boy!" She yelled, throwing her hands up in the air." You almost gave me a friggin heart attack!"
"Sorry." Arnold said with a small smile as he lifted his hands in front of him defensively." I just wanted to see if you were finding everything okay."
Helga sighed as she looked up at the dark ceiling." I don't know where Miriam is."
"Helga, Arnold?" A voice suddenly asked from behind the police tap. This caused both of them to jump this time as they quickly turned their heads.
"Harvey!" They both yelled out as they looked at the smiling cop.
"What's up?" He asked in a cool voice." You guys doing okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Helga said calmly as she placed her hands on her hips." Football head over here is the one I'm worried about."
"I'm fine Helga." Arnold semi lied to Helga as he turned to look at her. Truth to be told, the pain meds he was on had eventually worn off. This resulted in him feeling the full pain in his face. Every time he turned his face, he could feel the sparks of pain.
"Man Arnold." Harvey said as he looked at Arnold with interest." That cut is gonna make a cool scar on your face. You know, girls dig that kind of thing."
"Well, I'm the only girl he needs to impress!" Helga said decisively as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Mhm." Harvey said as a huge smile now came across his lips." So, my guess what right, you two are a couple!"
Helga and Arnold just looked at each other and gave each other a nervous smile.
"Although." Harvey said as he suddenly brought a free hand up to scratch his chin." Miriam didn't even know you guys hung out. So, I'm guess you guys were keeping it a secret."
Blush now started to form on the blonde couple's cheeks now. This made Harvey's smile grow even bigger.
"So I'm guessing you two are the kind of couple that kisses in alleyways and-"
"Enough Harvey!" Helga suddenly shouted at him as she scowled. Her whole face was burning red with blush now." Okay, yes you guessed right, me and Arnoldo here are in a relationship!"
Harvey just raised his hands defensively as he choked down a laugh." Okay okay, I won't say another word."
"So, where is Miriam?" Helga asked, trying to break the awkward moment.
"She's in the shower." Harvey said as a serious look came across his face." I already questioned her this morning when she finally came to her senses."
"And what did she say?"
"Well, nothing that would help us really. She wasn't here during the incident, so she really couldn't answer any of my questions."
Helga just nodded as Harvey suddenly sent her a small smile." She tried to call you, but you wouldn't pick up the phone. She was actually getting ready to go to the hospital."
"Well, I didn't get a call from her." Helga said as she scowled again.
"Probably because your phone is dead, Helga." Arnold said as he reached inside his pants of the blue jeans he had on. After deputy Thompson had left them, Stella, Phil, and Miles returned with some fresh clothes for Arnold to change into. However, Helga was still left in her tank top and shorts, which she couldn't wait to get out of.
"Oh yeah…" Helga's voice trailed off as she looked at her dead phone in Arnold's hand." Well, anyways, now that we're here, I need to talk to Miriam about something."
"And what's that?" Harvey asked with interest in his voice.
…
"Oh, Helga, I'd love to!"
Helga suddenly had the feeling that she couldn't breathe as her mother held her in the tightest hug she had ever experienced in her life.
After explaining to Miriam that she was okay for the fiftieth time and Bob hadn't hurt her too bad, she had finally got to ask her about living in the boarding house.
"Okay okay." Helga said playfully pushing her mom away." Don't be such a sap about it!"
"Oh, but Helga." Miriam said as she felt tears starting to rush to her eyes. They were sitting on the family couch in the living room. Arnold and Harvey had walked back outside to give them some space while Helga asked her mother about staying in the boarding house.
"You know I don't deserve this!" Miriam said as she looked away from Helga with tears rolling down her cheeks." I mean, I've been an alcoholic for so long and I've never been there for you. Why would someone be this nice to us?"
Helga suddenly felt terrible. Her own mother was sitting in front of her, crying her eyes out. To make matters worse, she was saying that she didn't deserve any of it and that she was terrible. No smart or witty remark was needed. Helga just needed to be nice and supportive of her mother now.
"Mom." Helga said with a sigh." You and I both know you deserve this more than anyone."
"But how?" Miriam said through a sniffle as she took her glasses off to wipe her face." I've always been a terrible mother to you!"
"That's not true." Helga said, giving her mom a serious look." Remember back when I was in fourth grade and me and you went on a road trip to South Dakota?"
Miriam sniffled as she smiled at her daughter." Of course I remember that honey. I rode a mechanical bull for like 6 minutes so we could pay for the car to get fixed!"
Helga suddenly grew a smile as she put her hand on Miriam's shoulder." Mom, you showed me that you are a great mother at heart. It was Bob who always got you down. Whenever he was gone, you always seemed more energetic and motivated. Now that he's gone for good, you can do that all the time now!"
Before Helga knew it, she was wrapped up in yet another hug where she could barely breathe. But, she didn't push her away this time. No, this time she hugged her back as tightly as she possibly could.
"Your right Helga." Miriam said calmly as she pulled away from the hug." I was never there for you for fourteen years now it's time that I step up and become a better mom!"
"Well." Helga said with a huge smile." The change of scenery and your AA meetings are really gonna help you!"
Suddenly, Miriam looked almost embarrassed. She looked away from Helga with her face starting to turn pink.
"What's wrong mom?" Helga asked, a bit concerned now.
Miriam took a huge sigh as she straightened up her glasses." I didn't want you to know that I was going to the AA meetings."
Now Helga was confused." Well, why mom. That's a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, it is." Miriam said with another sigh." But I wanted you to think I was stronger than that. I wanted you to think I was more like you."
At this statement, Helga looked at Miriam with a flabbergasted expression on her face.
"Oh Helga." Miriam said as she smiled at her daughter. Tears started to form in her eyes again." You were always the strong one in the family. You never let anyone or anything get to you. You always just let it slide. You never took anything to heart. You were always just, you."
Miriam calmly put a hand on Helga's shoulder now." You'll always be my strong and beautiful daughter, honey. And I'm sorry I wasn't around to notice it before."
Helga didn't know what else to do except to smile at her mother. Her strong and beautiful mother. The mother that had never noticed her own youngest daughter throughout her childhood. The mother that was willing to change now because she knew there was a problem that needed to be dealt with. The mother that was strong enough to want to change even when there were struggles and problems everywhere she looked.
Looking into her strong blue eyes, Helga knew that her mother wanted to change.
"Now, how's your little friend Arnold doing?" Miriam asked, breaking the silence.
Helga instantly froze in place. She hadn't thought about that. How was she going to tell Miriam that Arnold had been beaten to a pulp and that all she could do was watch?!
Noticing her daughter's silence, Miriam asked her in a calm tone." It's pretty bad isn't it?"
Helga felt eyes shoot towards the ground now as a look of regret came across her face. Instantly, the flashes started to come back. Arnold laying on the ground in pain. Curly laughing like a maniac. The gun shaking in her hands as she pulled the trigger…
"It's gonna be okay." Miriam said in a soft voice." B's gone for good now. You don't have to worry about that anymore. You know that, right?"
Helga knew her mother was right. Well, partially right. She didn't know about the fact that Curly was still on the loose and she was having to keep everything he told her a secret.
"Y-yeah." Helga said turning to her mother and giving her a nervous grin." Y-your right. Everything is o-okay now."
…
"Well, here we are." Miriam announced as she parked her car in front of the boarding house.
"Yup, this is it." Helga said in an excited voice as she quickly leaped out of her passenger side door. The Shortman family had arrived just a few moments before they had. After their talk, Miriam and Helga had happily announced they would love to stay at the boarding house. So, the Shortman family left to get their room in tip top condition for them to stay in while Helga got a shower and fresh change of clothes. She had changed back into her traditional black long sleeve and blue jeans. After that, Miriam and Helga had gone to pack up all of their things at the store.
"Now, are you sure you packed all your things?" Miriam asked as she popped the trunk of the car.
"Yup". Helga exclaimed as she walked around the trunk." All the clothes I own are in this trunk."
Miriam smiled at her daughter as she watched her open the trunk. However, just before she was about to grab the first box, a voice called out to them.
"Need any help with that?" Helga looked up to see her football headed love god headed their way." We got a room ready for you two. It's got two small beds in it and plenty of room for you two to have your own personal spa-"
But before he could finish, Miriam had wrapped him up in a bone crushing hug." Oh Arnold." She said in a somber voice." I'm so sorry this happened to you."
"It's okay." Arnold said as he awkwardly hugged her back." I feel fine, really Mrs. Pataki."
"Well, good." Miriam said, now breaking the hug. She then went down and one knee and grabbed Arnold by his shoulders." Thank you so much for letting us stay here! Me and Helga both appreciate it so much!"
Suddenly Miriam hugged him tightly again, this time around his torso. Arnold looked to Helga for help, but was instead met with her laughing uncontrollably." She's such a sap." She whispered to him.
"I'm sorry." Miriam said as she finally broke the hug." I guess I'm just so happy that something is going right for once."
"Well, it's the least we could do." Arnold said, giving her a huge smile.
Miriam just beamed a huge smile as she turned around and looked at Helga." Helga honey, make sure you hang onto this one. He sure is a gentleman."
Helga felt her cheeks instantly turn pink. This made Miriam laugh now." It's okay honey. I know you two are dating, it's pretty obvious."
Noticing the pink on her cheeks, Arnold decided to try and break the awkward moment. "Well, hey! My Dad is cooking some soup and sandwiches for dinner. So, how about I help you two get those boxes!"
"Oooh. Great idea." Miriam said clapping excitedly as she turned to pick up a box.
After Miriam grabbed a box to take inside. Arnold made his way to the trunk to pick one up himself.
"Thanks a lot, football head." Helga said in a low voice, making sure Miriam couldn't hear her.
"I don't get it." Arnold said in a low voice as well as he secured a box in his grip." Why did you get so embarrassed when Miriam said that?"
Helga sighed as she lifted a box up out of the trunk." Try having a mom that barely ever talked to you for 14 years of your life open up to you for the first time today. It ain't an easy thing to take in bucko."
"Well, she is trying to change Helga." Arnold said in a soft voice as he also lifted a box up." You just gotta give it time. You'll get more comfortable around her."
"I sure hope so." Helga muttered as she walked towards the boarding house with Arnold right on her trail.
…
"I swear, that is the best meal I have had in so long!" Miriam exclaimed as she rubbed her full belly.
"Well, get used to it." Stella said from across the table." Because Miles here is one amazing cook!"
"Yeah." Phil exclaimed from the end of the table." Just make sure you get here before that bum Kokoshka gets all the food for himself!"
"Hey grandpa!" Oskar exclaimed from Miriam's left with a sour look on his face now." That's not a very nice thing to say about one of your dearest friends!"
"You'll never be my friend you bum! And stop calling me grandpa!" Phil yelled back at the man and the next thing they knew; they were in a full-blown argument.
Helga just looked in awe at the sight around her. The feeling of a family, being together as one. Although they could be dysfunctional at times, this beat everything she had been forced to live with for the past 14 years. Great food every night, nice people to live with, an actual house to live in. These were all things that Helga had dreamed about since she was little. Now she had her mother to her right who was doing better than she had in years. She was surrounded by people who actually cared for her well being and safety. And to her left she had a boyfriend who was now waving his hand in front of her face to get her attention.
"Huh, what?" Helga asked as she snapped out of her trance.
Arnold laughed and replied." I asked you if you wanted to go up on the roof and talk for a little bit. Alone."
Helga looked over her shoulder to see her mother talking with Stella and Miles and having a great time. "Sure." She said as she stood up from the table." We really haven't had any time to talk since this morning."
Arnold just nodded as he picked up her empty bowl of soup with his.
"Hey mom." Helga said as she poked Miriam softly on the shoulder.
"Yes dear." Miriam said with a giant smile as she whipped her head around to face her daughter.
"Me and Arnold are going to um, talk for a little bit on the roof." She got out nervously.
"Well, sure honey, that's fine." Miriam said before she eyed Arnold and sent her daughter a playful wink." Just don't have too much fun."
Helga immediately felt her cheeks turn pink again as she turned around to face Arnold." Come on, let's go." She said as she grabbed him by the arm and basically drug him out of the kitchen.
…
Helga growled at her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket of her jeans to decline yet another call.
"Your phone been ringing off the hook too?" Arnold asked as he opened the sky light to the roof. He gently reached down to give Helga a hand as she climbed up the ladder.
"I'm tired of these people calling me trying to get all up in my business!" She growled as she took Arnold's hand. Gently, he hoisted her up onto the roof with him.
"I just told everyone I was fine and that we would talk Monday." Arnold said through a sigh.
Helga huffed at his comment as she dusted off her shirt black shirt and blue jeans." I haven't responded to any texts or calls. I do not wanna talk to anyone!"
Arnold chuckled at her comment." Well, you gotta respond at some point. Otherwise people are gonna keep calling you."
Helga just growled as she declined yet another call. This time from Rhonda." I think I'm better off if I just turn it off for the evening."
Arnold just rolled his eyes playfully." Whatever you say, Helga."
Helga huffed as she pushed her now turned off phone back into her pocket." So football head, what are we gonna talk about?"
Arnold just smiled as he motioned towards the small foldout chair he had perched up on the roof." Let's sit."
"You only brought one chair, paste for brains."
"No, we can sit together." Arnold said looking at her with a huge grin.
"Ohhhh." Helga said with a smile now curling onto her lips." You know me too well bucko! Even if you did bring two chairs, I would've ended up in your chair with you anyway!"
Arnold chucked." Yup. Looks like I'm not such a 'paste for brains' after all!"
"Don't push it." Helga said, giving him a playful shove.
A few moments later, the two teens were sitting together looking at the sun start to turn red as it set over the horizon of the city. The wind was calm and the heat radiating off of the two blondes was enough to warm them both. Helga was curled up around Arnold. Her warm breath tickled the skin of Arnold's neck as they watched the calm sunset together.
"We need to talk." Arnold said softly, breaking the romantic moment between them.
"Okay." Helga said in an annoyed voice." You better not take too long!"
Arnold chuckled lightly as he started to caress her long and freshly washed hair." I understand now why you wanted to keep our relationship a secret. And I just wanted you to know that I respect that. I'm not mad at all."
Helga sighed in relief as she dug her head deeper into his chest now." Well, that's a relief."
"But." Arnold said softly." Now that Bob is gone, that means we don't have to keep any secrets anymore."
"What are you saying?"
"Well, I don't want any secrets kept between us anymore. Now that this is all over I don't wanna worry about anything anymore."
Helga immediately felt her body tense up. Thankfully however, Arnold didn't notice. Of course, he would say something like this. Especially when Helga was having to keep a huge secret to herself that no one could know about. She had to keep the secret. For the sake of herself and more importantly, Arnold.
"Okay." Helga said softly in return." No more secrets."
"You promise?"
Helga immediately sat up." What is this, fourth grade?" She said as she turned around in his lip and gave him a playful shove. However, all he did was give her a serious look in return.
Helga just sighed as she looked into his emerald green eyes. They were still swollen from the night before, but they were getting better already. Most of his bruises had started to turn yellow, a sign that they were slowly starting to heal. However, despite all the bruises and cuts, she was still looking into the eyes of the man she loved the most.
"Okay." Helga said softly as she leaned down to be face level with him." No more secrets, I promise."
Before Arnold has time to open his mouth and respond, she instantly dove for his lips.
They kissed for a moment, but before Helga could deepen the kiss, Arnold gently pushed her away.
"Helga, I wasn't finished." He said with a chuckle. She just scowled in return and crossed her arms around her chest.
"Okay fine! But make it snappy!"
"Well, Arnold began, I found this picture the other night-"
"A picture of what?" Helga asked now with curiosity in her tone.
"Well, it was a picture of you. Just casually walking down the street."
Helga raised an eyebrow." What are you talking about?"
"It had a note on the back. But all it said was 'one week' written in big red letters."
"That doesn't make any sense." Helga said quietly." What does that mean?"
"I don't know." Arnold said as he looked into her beautiful ocean blue eyes.
"Well, where is it?" Helga asked, now getting a bit impatient.
In response, Arnold just scratched the back of his neck and sent her a nervous smile." I don't really know."
…
A few moments before, he sat and watched two teens make out on the roof top and scowled to himself.
"What am I doing wrong?!" He angrily growled to himself." I thought for sure that locker prank was gonna push things over the limit! But the next thing I know, Arnold comes to save her life from her asshole dad and everything is amazing once again!"
He sighed as he walked over to the chair in the empty room. The green tinted light still blinked every few seconds above him.
"It's time to bring out the big guns." He mumbled to himself as he walked over to a drawer in the far right corner of the room. He opened the top drawer, causing a creaking noise to echo throughout the building. Slowly but surely, he reached in the drawer and picked up a long, sleek, and black pistol from the drawer.
He then looked back over to the chair to see his coil of rope still lying on the ground next to it. He smiled to himself as he looked back at the gun he held in his hands." Let's just hope Arnold understood my little message I wrote on that picture." He muttered happily to himself." I'm giving him one week to break up with Helga, or it's gonna get ugly."
Author's Note: I'm back! Once again, another slower paced chapter but I felt it was necessary. Don't worry though, next chapter will get a bit faster paced. Also, if your wondering where Gertie has been during all of this, then don't worry we will hear from her next chapter!
Thanks again for all the support. I'm hoping to keep these chapters coming as quickly as I can for you guys. As always, keep the reviews coming and I'll see you guys next time!