(A/N: Thank you for the continued support and lovely messages and reviews :) I always look forward to them)
"Nope."
"Not uh.."
"Sorry, Arnold."
Those were most of the answers Arnold had gotten from his classmates that day. The moment he had arrived in his classroom, Arnold had made it a point to ask each of them if they knew anything about Brainy. When it got towards lunchtime, he felt absolutely defeated.
"Why are you so interested in Brainy all of a sudden?" Gerald asked after swallowing a mouth full of food.
Arnold sat with his elbow propped up on top of the table, with his large head resting on the palm of his hand. He hadn't so much as touched his taco salad and had no real appetite to. "Don't you think it's strange?" He started, moving the food around with the tip of his fork. "We've all grown up with him, Gerald. He's been in every single one of our classes. He's played with us since we were little. He's been at all of our birthday parties and even some of the sleepovers and… what do we know?"
"The kid's a mystery, so?" Gerald replied before taking another full sized bite. "Everybody has to have their secrets and it's not like any of us have felt the need to ask him about his life. The kid barely says a word!"
At this point, Arnold had already made up his mind. He knew the only way to know more about Brainy was to just talk to him directly. It would be strange to just go up to a kid who didn't talk and try to strike up a meaningful conversation but if he could do it with strangers on the street such as Stoop Kid and Vincent the pigeon man, why not Brainy? After all, Brainy wasn't a stranger at all.
"I'm gonna do it." Arnold said at least, pushing his food tray away. He stood up and looked around the cafeteria for the spiky haired boy.
Gerald began to cough at the sudden statement. "What?" He managed to say before swallowing his food and washing it down with a gulp of chocolate milk.
"I'm gonna just go talk to him. How could it be?" Arnold replied, turning back to his friend. "He's one of us, after all."
"One of us?" Gerald copied, definitely confused. "Arnold, do you hear yourself? How can someone be one of us if you know absolutely nothing about them? Sure he's always been around but that's like throwing a… a…" Gerald looked around for something to explain his thoughts. He peered at his taco salad and got an idea. "It's like throwing a banana into a taco salad and calling it a fruit salad. You can't do it! It makes no sense and besides," He grimaced, "It would be nasty."
Arnold ignored his friend's comparison and continued to look around. There were so many faces and so many of the students had grown taller over summer vacation that it wasn't easy to look around them, even with them sitting. "Well I gotta do something."
"No, you don't." Gerald replied, "You just feel like you gotta do something. You always feel like you gotta do something even when no one asked you to." The boy could feel himself growing a little annoyed but he pushed the feelings away. This is always how his best friend had been, and there was no changing that. It was one of those situations where he knew he either had to be in or out and now was the time to make that decision. Gerald let out a loud groan and pushed his empty plate of food to the side. "Fine… what's the plan?"
Arnold smiled. "I was going to just sit with him for the rest of lunch and maybe spark up some conversation or invite him to hang out but… I can't seem to find him anywhere." He admitted, feeling defeated.
Gerald gave a helpless shrug, "That's, that then, huh?"
"I'll just ask him after school if he wants to hang out with us." Arnold decided as he turned to his friend with a smile.
"Of course you will." Gerald sighed heavily, knowing it was too good to be true. Truthfully, Gerald really had no real interest in the boy in question but a good mystery was always fun to solve.
Down the hall, to the right and up the stairs stood the doorway to the computer room. Few kids sat there with headphones on, engrossed in whatever music they were listening to while browsing the web, others talked amongst themselves about a project they had been working on, while one lone 6th grader sat in silence. The moment the bell rang for gym class, he knew where he was headed. He had been given permission to be excused from the class if whatever they were currently doing was too strenuous. It was a bit disappointing, as Brainy liked to participate with the other kids; however he also knew he wasn't missing out on anything big. Times like this he had no problem relying on his asthma and severe allergies. There were more important things to tend to. The only thing important to him at this very moment was being able to see if he had gotten a response from his Goddess.
Quickly, Brainy logged into the computer using his student ID and password. On the desktop, he saw the icon for the student message board and he clicked it. He waited patiently as the old computer struggled to open it up as there we others currently connected to the network, however he had plenty of time for it. As soon as it fully loaded, he proceeded to log into his account and held his breath in hopes to see the little symbol he opened for. One second passed… two seconds… three seconds… Brainy could hear his heart pound within his boney body and it echoed into his ears. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity had passed, everything was fully loaded and the small icon appeared before him.
She responded! He thought, taking in a deep breath to calm himself while his right hand searched his pocket for his inhaler. He brought it up to his face in anticipation of using it, but instead sat it down next to the mouse and proceeded to click the message.
Helga's message was short and straight to the point, just as she normally was. It was clear she hadn't suspected a thing and that his plans were going just fine. Unfortunately, the one thing he hoped she would have included inside her message was left out. But how are you doing? He wondered. There was only so much he could see from the outside looking in and now that she was staying within Arnold's boarding house, it was a little harder for him to check up on her.
Brainy sat in silence as he considered what he would write back. If he continued to be cryptic, it would only annoy her further and possibly ruin everything… at the same time, if he told her outright, things could be even worse. The thoughts made the boy uneasy and a quick puff of his inhaler helped a little. Simplicity would be the best route.
To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: Inquires
Purest Maiden,
I apologize for any irritation I may have caused you in both our last exchange in person and online. I do not mean disrupt your life with my presence. My love for you is both true and unyielding. My only wish is for your happiness. True, you may wish for our exchanges to cease and I promise in time they will, if you wish it but please allow me to take a few more moments of your time.
How are you doing? Did you ever hear back from your sister regarding your parents? Is your family any closer to becoming whole again? I do pray your response is positive. I am your servant and only wish the best for you.
Forever yours,
GoldenHero
The boy chewed on his lower lip for a moment before rereading his message a few more times and hitting send. He would have to pass her another note in hopes of her finding this message and he knew that it would aggravate her. She currently didn't use her locker as there was much she had to put inside it, and handing it to her would only cause her to yell at him and probably toss it out immediately. Even he knew how unreasonable he was becoming. Brainy looked at the clock in the lower right corner of the computer monitor. There was still a while left of lunch for him to relax and think about it. He grabbed a pair of headphones near the computer and placed them on; adjusting them a bit to fit the shape of his head. He reached in his backpack for a candy bar, unwrapped it and took a small bite.
The day was particularly cool outside as the students walked from their school over to the high school. Fall was finally here and it was rather evident in the weather now. It was cloudy out, with not much breeze and somewhere around 75 degrees. Cool enough to break a sweat and not mind it too much, or at least that feel like the sun wasn't sapping all of your strength.
"I just don't know how you can stand it!" Shouted Rhonda as she walked with her gaggle of girls down the track. "If she ever came at me like that, I would have half a mind to put her in her place!"
"Really…" Lila said nervously, looking from the loud her to the others around her, "It wasn't such a big deal. I am ever so certain that if I just talk to Helga about the situation will clear itself up." She finished with a smile.
Rhonda sneered at the comment and looked ahead of them towards the girl in question walking with her best friend. "I'll never understand what anyone sees in that girl… if you can even call her that."
"It's true." Spoke up Nadine, "She does act way more like the boys then the rest of us."
Lila thought back to the few times that she and Helga had, had decent conversation. She knew full well that the girls around her didn't understand her secretive side, which was fine, however she also wasn't very comfortable with them saying such negative things about her either. Lila hated all negativity and preferred to always look on the bright side, very similar to Arnold, which is why they got along ever so well. "Well, that is just what makes Helga her ever so special self, Rhonda." Lila finally replied after she let some time pass in thought. "You are wonderful with fashion, and you're way with bugs is ever so unique, Nadine." Lila looked up at the silhouette of the sun that hid behind the looming white clouds. "Phoebe is quiet but full of knowledge; Sheena is always lends a hand to help… Helga is just ever so…"
"Vulgar." Rhonda stated.
"And loud." Nadine added.
"And has absolutely no taste!" The rich girl sighed. "You remember all those times I tried to be patient with her, don't you Nadine?" She looked to her best friend and once she saw her nod in acknowledgment, she turned back to Lila. "This was way before you moved here, Lila. We once had a 'girls only' party since the boys were having a 'boys only' game. I helped give fashion ideas, we painted nails and even tried to give her a facial, but do you want to know what she did? She threw it all back in our faces and said all of these things were stupid!"
Nadine recalled the day in question, but also couldn't help but state the rest of it as well. "You're not wrong Rhonda, but she did make a good point in the end. 9 year olds don't really need to wear heels or put on rejuvenating face masks."
The correction made Rhonda grit her teeth and turn her head away from them both. "That's not the point. The point is she'll never understand what it means to be a girl." The seething young lady watched as Helga made small talk with Phoebe as the rounded the corner of the track. "Why, she's basically a man wearing a dress!"
Hearing Rhonda say such things made Lila frown. "I don't know… I'm ever so certain that she has some feminine charm about her…" She said, wanting to fully disclose what she knew but held it back for Helga's privacy. "And besides, my uncle Louis likes dresses and they look ever so fabulous on him."
"She has about as much feminine charm as a swine rolling in mud." Rhonda spat out in disgust, ignoring Lila's last comment. "I doubt she'll ever bloom into womanhood." She finished, her voice tone changing from harsh to light and feathery as she emphasized how she herself had been transforming. "A crude person like Helga Pataki could never be compared to something as delicate and refine like a flower. More like a prickly cactus!"
"Some cacti have flowers." Lila replied softly. "Although I do have to say, that was an ever so good comparison." She agreed, although not for the same reasons. "Some flowers are tall, some stay short. Some have pretty colors where others have dull colors…" She continued, feeling sure of herself that this would finally help the opinionated girl change her mind, "Some are smooth and some have thorns. I suppose Helga is could be compared well to a cactus since she is ever so rough on the outside but even she can blossom flowers when the time is right."
"Then throw her in the desert and keep her out of my sight." Rhonda groaned, missing the point completely.
"Maybe Lila has a point though." Nadine said thoughtfully, "Maybe all Helga needs is to be in the right climate to fully show what sort of girl she can be."
"Oh God, not you too, Nadine…" Rhonda whined as she placed her index finger and thumb upon the bridge of her nose as if the conversation had given her a headache.
"I mean, I've been telling you for a long time that not all bugs are gross and many have changed how they look and act because of their surrounding environment." She continued, much to her best friends' dismay. "For example, the cockroach is one of the oldest species of insect around and if you compare the American cockroach to that of a Yamato cockroach or even a Madagascar hissing cockroach… they're all vastly different in size, color and shape! I personally think that the Panchlora Nivea is beautiful and maybe you could too if you could just get over the fact it's a bug."
After Nadine gave her speech, Rhonda looked from one girl to the next and could see that they had found mutual agreement. "So what, you think we should try giving her another makeover? I would have better time spent dressing up Harold as a girl again."
"No, Rhonda." Lila giggled. "I'm just ever so certain that Helga will blossom right before our eyes if we just give her sometime…" Lila finished with a quiet smile.
"Whatever." Rhonda continued, "She still had absolutely no reason to scream at you in front of everyone like you were doing something wrong by just getting tutored by Arnold in the library. Why, it almost seems to me like she was saying that he was her property or something!" The two listening girls looked at one another again in a mutual understanding, and let out a small giggle. "Just because he's her number one victim doesn't mean she actually owns his time, and it's beyond me why he lets her bully him so much!" Rhonda noticed the other girl's reaction and scowled in confusion. "What? What am I missing?!"
"Rhonda… don't you remember that fight that happened the day of our project presentations?" Nadine asked with humor hanging in her voice. "You know… the whole between Sid, Stinky and Helga?"
The slender girl twirled her straight black hair in thought for a second. "Oh yeah, I do recall you telling me something about it happening but then all that stuff happened with me and it slipped my mind."
Nadine waited a few more moments to both allow the anticipation to well up in her best friend but also to see if she seriously hadn't heard the full story. "You seriously don't know?" She asked, eyeing Rhonda with amusement.
Lila looked at them both with a curious smile but said nothing to allow the girls to continue.
"My God, Nadine! Spit it out!" Rhonda shouted as her patience was wearing thin after every second that passed.
The next few moments consisted of some of the juiciest details that ever graced the ears of Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd. Nadine laid down all of the facts and speculation that she had both heard from Sid and Stinky themselves and from what she had gathered from other talk amongst peers. Rhonda had stopped dead in her tracks as she continued to listen on to Nadine's information, her jaw dropping. "WHAT?!" was heard by all within a couple miles distance as the girl screamed the only word that came to mind, causing all of her classmates to stop what they were doing for a moment and look towards her.
It took a moment for Rhonda to compose herself and use her normal inside voice. "How have you kept this information all to yourself this WHOLE TIME?!" She demanded, stomping her foot.
"I'm sorry, Rhonda." Nadine apologized with a shrug, "I honestly figured you knew. I'm just as surprised as you are really."
"Don't give me that!" Rhonda shouted, the pain of betrayal now deep within her heart. "You know damn well that if I knew, you would have known that! This is a disaster! How am I, Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd the last to know about something like this?! I am the epitome of the grape vine of P.S 118 and something like this has been kept from me this whole time?!"
"It hasn't been exactly kept from you, Rhonda." Nadine said with a dull face expression. Despite knowing how dramatic her best friend could be, sometimes even she became surprised at how Rhonda could make something about her that had nothing to do with her. "It's not as if they're telling people about it and besides, how have you not noticed anything between them since school started back up?"
"I have to agree…" Lila said meekly, "I thought it was ever so obvious by the way Helga acted towards Arnold helping me."
"But I thought we were in agreement that it was just Helga being her usual self, Nadine!" She shrilled at her calm friend. "Knowing this but not telling me sooner is strictly against the Best Girl Friend code!" Rhonda crossed her arms.
"Right… and it's not as if I was hiding it from you." Nadine explained, cocking an eyebrow at just how much this was not only upsetting Rhonda, but how she was tossing the blame. "I agreed with you that she was acting her usual self because… well, she was. That's all there is to that. I didn't agree with you to let you think something else or to confuse you, and especially not to hide anything from you." She could see that her words weren't reaching Rhonda and rolled her eyes with annoyance. "Look, Rhonda. You're acting a little ridiculous right now."
"Ridiculous? Well fine then! I'll act ridiculous all I want and you two can become best friends instead since you both seem to AGREE so much!" Rhonda huffed, completely ignoring how she was making herself look in front of her friends. She stood there for a moment, hoping Nadine would take her words back but once she realized that she wasn't, Rhonda stomped off the track to grab her water bottle of pure glacier water she had placed on the benches.
Nadine and Lila stood there a little dumbfounded at her actions but eventually moved towards continuing to walk the track.
"I do hope you two will be okay after all of this…" Lila managed to say, feeling ever so guilty that she no doubt had a hand in making Rhonda feel uncomfortable.
"If it's not over this, it will be over something else in a few days." Nadine shrugged with a sigh, "Rhonda lives and breathes drama. I've gotten used to it…" she continued, her voice full of exhaustion. She could clearly see that Lila was concerned. "She'll always be my best friend, even if she acts all entitled. Don't worry about it." She said with a smile. "By tonight she'll be calling me after dinner about the latest thing she read over the internet and pretending none of this even happened."
The tanned girl's words assured her, even if only a little. Lila absolutely hated conflict and did her best to avoid it at all costs. Still, despite wanting nothing to do with it, she did know that it was partially up to her to confront Helga about her accusation the day prior. It would be no easy task but she had faith that so long as she got Helga on a good note, the talk would no doubt run smoothly… or rather she hoped.
The moment Rhonda's scream had echoed around the court, Helga and Phoebe's mild jog had skidded to a stop. They had looked back to see that it had only been some stupid argument between her and Nadine and immediately decided it was no big deal and continued on their exercise.
"I'm beginning to think that Coach Wittenberg might be sexist…" Phoebe said, way too casually for her statement. Since her own women-hood had announced itself in its not so discreet fashion, so had Phoebe's opinions and this wasn't something that Helga minded.
"What makes you think that?" Helga had to ask, fully aware of the possibilities of why she would say that. "Because he calls the guys 'girls' when they don't do the things he wants and how he wants them? Or is it because he sends us to jog on the track while the guys actually practice running against one another, timing their speeds and making it an actual sport as opposed to just throwing the cows out to roam?."
The girls turned their attention to the very sport in question and watched as the boys were pitted up against each other to run, as the Coach shouted at them with a small watch in hand. They watched as Gerald was up against Stinky's time and how the other boys sat on the grass, completely out of breath and clearly needing some water.
"Don't be wussy girls!" They could hear him shout just as someone begged for some of the water. "Don't you know that back when man was most primal, he would be out day and night tracking and hunting animals far faster and smarter than him! All I'm asking if for you men to beat this one pencil necked kid's time! If he can make time like this, so can the rest of you ladies!"
The girls could hear Stinky whine in self defense at the clearly uncalled for comment, but continued their jog together.
"That and definitely some other things, but I was mainly focused on the latter of the two choices." Phoebe replied with a small smile.
Helga shrugged it off. Everyone knew how the Coach was and it was no sweat off her back what he told the boys. She knew full well that she could take on most of them in an arm wrestling match and beat them without so much as blinking. "He just tries to act overly manly to compensate for the fact his wife beats him in practically everything." She explained. "So he takes it out on the boys? Less work for me."
"Right." Phoebe said, remembering a bit about the Coach's wife Trish. The woman was a prime example of feminism. She stood up and opposed any man who said a woman couldn't do something. She ended up being the Coach for the girls' basketball team over at a high school a few districts away. "Still, it's discouraging when we could be doing something better suited for us."
"I bet we could out run most of the boys." Helga said a matter-of-factly. "But as it stands, I find a nice jog can be a little refreshing when you have things on your mind."
"Oh? Is there something on your mind, Helga?" Phoebe inquired, "Other than your family and living situation, of course."
Helga had been contemplating bringing up the subject of the emails to Phoebe all day, but knew the moment she did, it would only cause her best friend to worry. Arnold was absolutely no help as far as information, and there was no reason why Phoebe would know anymore than any other student. The bottom line was, no one knew anything and if anyone did, it was probably herself. At the same time though, being alone with the nagging concern was also very lonely.
"Let's just say that someone strange has been reaching out to me lately, for reasons known but unknown at the same time, and it's just starting to bug me." She explained, her eyebrow furrowing as she finally said it out loud and her jog fell to a slow walk.
"How… odd." Phoebe responded, matching her speed. "And has this unknown person reached out to you before?"
Helga thought for a moment. It was true that this wasn't the first time he had suddenly started talking to her, but the first time was a time she would rather not remember. He had tried to woo her through their private messages on the school board. Her girlish heart trembled at the thought that this very person reaching out with longing arms could be her Arnold, but much to her embarrassment, it was in fact not. She had promptly stopped responding to him after that and even he had grown a little distant as far as interrupting her secret moments of expressions of love towards Arnold. Of course, things didn't stay that way and before long, he had grown bold enough to continue to annoy her with his loud breathing.
"Yeah but it's not the same." Helga replied. "The first time was more innocent than this time." She thought about all his messages and still couldn't get the sick taste out of her mouth. "This time… just feels weird, like there is more to the messages that I'm not seeing… Like if they're a disguise for something more. Something bigger…."
Phoebe studied her best friends face and could see how troubled it was becoming. "Something… menacing?" She said in a hushed voice.
Helga looked down at her friend and absorbed the words. "Menacing?" She repeated back. Turning back to the track, she contemplated on just what those words really meant. Generally, they were associated with something nefarious but at the same time, the word could be used to mean something meddlesome as well. The word seemed to fit but at the same time, felt too harsh for how she felt. She studied his messages in her mind. He asked how she was, which was normal and offered to listen to her woes. There wasn't anything menacing about that… but then there was the unorthodox question he had asked. Just what did he mean by I'll know in due time? What could he possibly do to make sure I'm happy? Helga thought.
"Helga?" Phoebe called out to her, breaking her train of thought.
"Huh?" Stumbled out of Helga's mouth, bringing her back to the present. "No, I wouldn't go so far as to say menacing. He is definitely not a threat to me, that's for sure."
"He?" Phoebe had just gotten her first clue about this enigmatic stranger that Helga was talking about. "So it's a boy who's messaging you?"
Crap! Helga cussed at herself inside. Great job, Helga. Really, just great. Now Phoebe is going to dig further into this than I want. Mentally, Helga was kicking herself but did her best to go back to her friend who was still patiently waiting for her answer.
"I guess…" Helga groaned out, making it seem like it was no big deal. "Not like it matters."
Phoebe shifted her eyes to the boys who were being fussed at by the coach, and then back to her companion. "It might matter, depending on who it is. In fact, if this mystery boy has ill intentions for you, you could be in danger Helga."
"Look, Phoebe you're looking far too deep into this, Okay?" Helga pressed with a sharp tone. "It doesn't matter, so let's just drop it."
"Absolutely not!" Phoebe replied as she let her stress ooze out. She gave her best friend a concerned look. "I fear you're being too nonchalant about this. Clearly it's bothering you for a reason and that says multitudes of something to its subject or the person in question."
"You know, I can take care of myself, Phoebe." Helga replied, trying to calm her friend down a little with a smug smile. "It's not a big deal."
She looked at Phoebe and could see that there was no way it could be dropped. "Do you find any boy we know particularly threatening? Look at them, Pheebs, they're all dolts! I could beat the crap out of them with two hands behind my back and crippled for cripes sake!"
"That maybe so but…" Phoebe started, losing her words.
"But nothing." Helga finished for her. "The thing that's really bugging me about these emails isn't who is sending them, but how he's wording them. Like, he's telling me that he's doing something to ensure my happiness or something corny like that. He's in love with me, Phoebe, not threatening my safety."
Phoebe eyes went wide in realization. "Then it's…"
"Yes." Helga replied with a sigh.
The girls let the conversation remain quiet for a while as they walked their designated path around the large paved oval. Phoebe knew about Brainy's affections for Helga since the fourth grade and had done well to not remind Helga about it, on account of how eerily similar he acted towards her as she did with Arnold, save for the bullying. She knew that he seemed to always be around Helga, even if she herself was unaware of it. Brainy was almost like a phantom lurking in the background and it gave Phoebe the creeps. She didn't dislike him, per say, just felt very uncomfortable around the quiet boy.
Helga knew now that the cat was out of the bag, the best thing she could do to ease her best friend was to let her read the emails and analyze them further. If anything, Helga felt a little relieved from this burden and found comfort in possibly getting answers from what Phoebe thought of them.
"I'll let you read them after school, if you want." Helga said quietly as they were reaching the end of the track towards the bleachers.
"I would like that." Phoebe smiled, feeling encouraged.
"And remember, this conversation never happened." Helga stated, with a familiar look.
"Forgetting." Phoebe replied, gleefully.
Gym class ended and the girls walked back to their school along with their peers. The quickly went to the girls locker room and changed back into their regular clothes, grabbed their backpacks and walked towards the exit but the moment they reached the hallway, Phoebe was tapped on the shoulder. She looked to her right and saw Brainy there with an awkward smile.
"Y-yes?" She asked him, quickly looking from Helga back to him.
Brainy handed her a piece of paper, then slowly left the school without saying a word.
Phoebe and Helga stood paralyzed for a moment in disbelief at what had just happened, and the irony of the situation before snapping out of it.
"Well open it up!" Helga shouted impatiently, "What does it say?"
Phoebe unfolded the piece of paper and read its contents:
Hello Phoebe,
I know we've never spoken but I hope this message finds you well. We have someone mutual in common and it would please me to great measure if you would direct that said person to the computer lab before leaving. I'm aware how unorthodox this may seem, however I fear that if I was to ask her myself, she would only protest, punch me in the fact, then leave. Just know that everything I say, I mean well even if she thinks otherwise. Do me this one favor, please and I will never ask anything of you ever again.
"Things just got a lot more interesting…" She folded the paper back up and placed it in her skirt pocket. "It says for us to go to the computer lab before going home." Phoebe explained, as she could see Helga was growing hostile while impatient. Her demeanor seemed calm, but inside, Phoebe was full of anticipation. "You said you would let me read those emails, correct?"
Helga let out a loud groan of annoyance. "Why is he being such a pest?!" She asked out loud to no one in particular. "Yeah yeah, sure sure. Let's GO to the computer lab so I can read his new pointless message." She said with a wave of her hand.
Phoebe grabbed Helga's arm and speedily pulled them both towards the computer lab.
Arnold waited patiently on the stoop of the school, Gerald by his side. They knew Brainy wasn't at gym so it was much more likely from him to exit the school through the main entrance and not the gyms. 5 minute passed… then 10… then 15. The more the minutes ticked away, Gerald became frustrated.
"Come on man, he's not coming." Gerald said as he tapped his foot on the cement.
"He will, Gerald." Arnold said hopefully. "Let's just keep waiting."
Gerald checked the time on his watch and groaned, but continued to stay by his friend. Students continued to pour out of the doors cheerfully and ran in various directions, none being the student they hoped for. After 10 more minutes of waiting, and the wave of students had turned from a river, to a stream to a small trickle, Gerald had his fill of waiting and stretched. "He had to have left out the Gym, Arnold. I'm sorry but he's gone home."
Arnold frowned but knew his friend was right. "But that doesn't make sense. He would have had to go through the entire school just to exit that way."
"Maybe he lives in that direction and uses that exit often?" Gerald suggested, lugging his backpack over his shoulder and preparing himself for his walk home.
No one knew where Brainy lived, so Arnold couldn't suggest otherwise. Discouragement was written all over the poor boys face, but he knew there was nothing more he could do. "Maybe."
Feeling sorry for his friend, Gerald patted Arnold on the back with a smile. "How about we go get some ice cream? I could really go for that cold creamy goodness right about now. Coach worked us to the bone trying to pass Stinky's time!"
The suggestion made Arnold smile. "Okay."
The two talked and laughed about the day as they headed for their favorite ice cream shop. Once they approached, they were glad to see that it was mostly empty and had a new feature flavor to boot! "Hawaiian temptation" they called it. Intrigued, Arnold got two scoops in a bowl and sat down. He waited for Gerald before taking a bite.
"How is it, Arnold?" Gerald asked as he took a bite of his Loca Mocha ice cream.
Arnold took a bite and swirled it around in his mouth, tasting as many flavors as possible. "It's pretty good!" He replied after swallowing. "Its banana flavored ice cream with pineapples, coconut, cherries and something else I can't quite make out, but it's good."
"Speaking of temptations," Gerald started after another few bites of his ice cream, "How's it been with Helga at your place? Get sick of her yet?"
Despite knowing that Gerald was merely joking, Arnold gave him a disapproving look. "Actually, we had a talk about what happened with Lila and I feel like I made some progress."
"Progress, huh?" Gerald said, skeptical. "I'll believe it when I see it." After hearing his own words, he began to think about other options. "I mean, unless it's another sort of progress but that you can keep to yourself."
"Gerald!" Arnold shouted, his face turning red. He noticed he got the attention of the cashier and shyed his face away.
"Calm down, lover boy." The boy laughed at his friend's embarrassment. "You know I'm just messing with you."
Wanting nothing more than to now bury his red face in his ice cream, Arnold shoveled a few more bites in his mouth. He knew Gerald was curious but why did he always have to bring things like this up? Did he get a kick out of Arnold's reactions? If so, he wasn't any less cruel than Helga in that aspect.
Gerald could see that his question really stuck something in his best friend, and decided to ease up a bit. "It's nice to hear that you guys talked it out though."
"The talk went better than I expected, actually." Arnold said, his face turning back its usual cream color.
"What did you say?" Gerald asked curiously, as he knew Arnold wasn't good with confrontation and she was probably the worst person to confront.
Arnold stirred his ice cream around with the long plastic spoon, making swirls of different colors that eventually blended with the banana flavored ice cream and turned a weird shade. "I just told her how I felt, really."
The answer was rather bland for Gerald's taste so took another bite of his ice cream to at least excite his mouth as his ears weren't getting anything. "Oookay? And?"
"And that was that." Arnold stated, looking up at his friend. "How are you and Phoebe?"
The subject change caused Gerald to choke a bit on his frozen treat but managed to swallow it nonetheless. "We're good, we're good." He assured him. "Not much change with us. She's cute and sweet and I'm tall, dark and handsome!" He said with a wink and they both chuckled.
"That's good to hear." Arnold smiled. He had wanted to ask about their 'progress' to possibly fluster him back but knew it was none of his business and he honestly wasn't the type to ask. Still, he also knew that his relationship with Helga was far different than Gerald's was with Phoebe. Phoebe was quiet and refined. He couldn't see her doing anything that was beyond innocent.
"Truth be told though, I honestly don't get to spend a lot of time with her." Gerald admitted, sadness lingering behind his smile. "She likes to make sure school work is out of the way before doing anything fun with me, so doing anything after school sorta hard. On weekends, I'll invite her to my place but you know my sister has to bug us every second she gets. Her place is just… well…"
"Awkward?" Arnold guessed.
Gerald grimaced. "Her mom likes to frequently bring up refreshments and we have to keep her bedroom door open so there's no privacy. Then moment her dad gets home, things just feel tense to I generally leave before that."
"Why not plan a day to go out then?" suggested Arnold; wanting to help his friend. "You know, like a date. I took Helga to the park and it was pretty…" His mind flashed back to them under the trees and before he knew it, a small pink hue graced his cheeks at the fond memory. They were open and honest with each other, and it felt nice. "Nice." He finished.
The suggestion wasn't a bad one, and Gerald had found himself thinking about it from time to time as he lay in bed at night, waiting for sleep to take him. "I don't know where I would take her though, not that the park is a bad idea it's just too basic. I want to take her out some place nice. Not some super flashy expensive restaurant type of nice, just something in the middle. Something she'd really like that wouldn't cost me a fortune."
"Why not take her to a museum?" Arnold asked, thinking it was a place that checked all his boxes. "Or even the aquarium?"
"Yeah Arnold, let me take my girl on a date to places we've been a million times for school field trips." Gerald said bluntly with a dull expression on his face. "This is part of the reason I'm having such a tough time figuring this out."
His friend made a valid point; they had gone to the few museums and the aquarium on school field trips so it wouldn't exactly be special. "Why not take her someplace out of town? I'm sure there are pretty cool educational attractions outside of Hillwood."
Gerald rolled his eyes and groaned. "Yeah let me just ask my dad if he'll take my girl and I out of town on a date. He would do nothing but ask us questions the whole way there, chaperone us during the date and then probably ask more questions on the way home!" The boy explained loudly, " I'll definitely pass."
"Could always ask your brother?" Arnold was grasping at straws.
Gerald thought on that possibility a moment before shaking his head. "Jamie-O would probably just tease and make fun of me the whole time. You know how much he loves to embarrass me every chance he gets."
There was one more suggestion that Arnold wanted to make, but he knew Gerald would probably shoot that down too. "…Public transportation?"
Gerald started hard into his friends face. "You serious? And have us get stuck on the train again?"
"It didn't end up so bad though." Arnold smiled, trying to lighten the boy's mood a bit. "We even all held hands and sang!"
Gerald let out a gagging noise. "I'll pass Arnold, thanks."
Both boys finished their ice cream, threw out their trash and made their way out of the ice cream shop and towards their houses. As much as Arnold wanted to help Gerald with his plight, he was out of suggestions to make and he could only see his friend was growing more and more tired of the conversation.
"Wanna come over to my place? My dad has a board game he's been wanting me to play with him that could be fun." Arnold asked, changing the subject to one Gerald might actually like.
Gerald laughed softly. "Is he as much as a poor sport as your Grandpa? Cuz if so, I'm in."
The computer lab was mostly empty, with only one kid still at his computer, struggling to close his backpack as he had way too many contents stuffed inside of it. Phoebe led Helga to the furthest computer possible, but still waited for the student to leave before logging in. She had gotten to the student message board then passed the keyboard to Helga. With a roll of her eyes, Helga proceeded to enter in her information, and then pass the keyboard back to Phoebe to navigate.
"I don't know why you're so excited about this." Helga said as she slumped up against the computer desk. "I know I'm not. If anything, this is just getting further and further annoying."
Phoebe chose not to answer her, and continued towards the message notification. She issued a small click to the mouse, and allowed the computer time to load the page. There she saw of series of back and forth emails between the two, more than she expected. She began from the first exchange, and all the way down to the current new unread message. The two read it together, and then looked at one another.
"His emails seem innocent enough…" Phoebe started, a little doubt in her eyes. "But I do see what you mean. "
"He's just meddling in my life!" Helga yelled while pulling on her hair. "What does he want from me?!"
"From the looks of it, just thoughtful conversation but…" Phoebe read his messages to her one more time. "Why would he ask you to install a file onto your dad's business computer?" she asked queerly.
"I don't know!" Helga yelled again, her voice whining with frustration. "I figured he was just trying to spy on me at home, or something. It wouldn't surprise me since he's such a little creep."
Phoebe's stomach churned a little bit at the thought of him using her family's computer to spy on Helga in her most vulnerable moments. "Well… even if that was the case it would have done him little good since the computer was in the basement."
"I thought the same thing," Helga replied, taking in a deep breath and steadying her emotions. "It's why I just did what he wanted." She snorted with amusement, "I just figured it would only bum him out to see nothing but pitch black."
Phoebe turned her head quickly to girl. "You did WHAT?" She asked loudly. "Helga! That's incredibly reckless of you! Who knows what was on that file!"
"Don't know, don't care!" Helga yelled back, "It doesn't matter now anyway since everything burned in the fire!" Helga grabbed the nearest chair and sat down. She placed her elbows on her knees and held her face in her palms. She could feel a headache coming on as she thought of everything precious to her becoming engulfed in flames. Everything she had collected of Arnold, every poem book she wrote, all of her journals… Everything was gone now.
Phoebe could see that she was only stressing Helga further and quelled her anger at the situation. "Helga, I'm not trying to upset you but we don't know what his intentions were with that file and what frightens me even more if the fact he asked you to not ask questions about it. It's incredibly suspicious…"
"Yeah well I didn't think much of it at the time." Helga replied, her voice muffled by her hands.
The small Asian girl frowned. She knew Helga was smarter than this and decided to blame it on a moment of poor judgment. She turned back to the computer and continued to analyze the emails out loud. "He seems to care about how you're doing and wants to help, that much is apparent." She started, as she scrolled up and down on the screen. "It seems innocent enough but then asks you to download a file, tells you not to ask questions…" Phoebe adjusted her glasses and looked at Helga with a questioning look. "Not only that but the next message he says The sun will shine over you, to that I ensure…?" She turned back to the computer for a second to relook then turned back. "I'm sorry, then corrects it to insure? He wrote it very specifically and it has to be for a reason."
"Yeah, because he's a cryptic weirdo who thinks his puns are funny." Helga waved off the suggestion, not seeing any sort of connection.
"Insure… ensure…" Phoebe pondered to herself out loud, "You will know in due time… Helga does any of these things sound familiar?"
Suddenly something clicked in Helga's brain and she turned the computer screen to face her. She reread the message Phoebe was stuck on and her eyes widened. "Insure, like insurance?" She spoke to herself, letting her friend hear as well.
"What is it, Helga?" She asked, anticipation welling up inside her at a possible explanation. "Did you think of something?"
"No… it can't be…" Helga whispered, turning the computer screen back to its original position and sitting down. "That doesn't make any sense. How would he know about that?"
Phoebe placed her hands on Helga's shoulder and resisted the urge to shake her silly. "Helga, please share with the rest of the class before I shake the idea out of you…" She threatened in a silly way, but still meant every word.
"Yesterday my parents came to visit me." Helga started; her words slow and steady. "They came to tell me that the bank seemed to have figured out where their insurance went that was on the Beeper Emporium and that I would be leaving Arnold's soon." Helga looked at Phoebe dead in the face. "Insure? Insurance? That's the only thing that makes sense but how would Brainy know about my parent's insurance going missing and possibly reappearing? No one knew about that except me and my parents. In fact, I questioned Bob if he had insurance on the place out right and he insisted he did, but it disappeared into thin air. The whole this was weird but I just chalked it up to him lying through his teeth since he didn't want to pay the extra money."
"I'm pretty sure every business is required to have some insurance on their building, just like people do with their cars. It might be illegal otherwise, however I'm not well versed in such matters so feel free to disregard." Phoebe replied as she scratched the back of her hand. "But the timing does feel too perfect to be coincidental and that would explain his pun. Helga, you don't think he really had something to do behind it, do you? I mean, that would be rather impossible for him unless-"
But before Phoebe could finish her sentence, Helga caught on. "-unless he had my father's business and personal information." She finished.
They both eyed each other in silence for a moment while the information hung in the air. The environment felt heavy with stress and Helga's stomach began to twist and turn with every thought. Was it really possible for a 12 year old boy to be able to do such a thing? The thought seemed impossible but both girls knew that sometimes, with a little willpower, many things were possible. Helga had proved that herself with infiltrating a business and saving the city, finding a man's lost daughter, finding Arnold's parents and more.
Helga put herself in Brainy's position for a second. "If I had found out that Arnold's living situation was bad, and there was a possibility of him moving away… you bet your butt I would do everything in my power to keep him here." She said sternly. "I wouldn't give it even a second thought."
"You don't think he had anything to do with the fire… do you?" Phoebe asked cautiously.
Helga shook her head. "No because there was a possibility of me being inside when it started, and he wouldn't have risked that. I mean, if I wouldn't if it was Arnold's boarding house. Besides, why would he start a fire then make our insurance disappear?"
"Right." Phoebe agreed, "At that point, why start the fire at all even if he knew you weren't home if it risked you having to move or creating a more chaotic environment for you if he cares for you so deeply."
"Exactly…" said Helga quietly as she looked down at the floor. The room felt like it was spinning and she closed her eyes. "Also I'm pretty sure I heard something about faulty wiring that caused the fire. Probably Bob trying to rig things to make electricity cheaper or get free cable." She finished and took a gulp of her own saliva, trying to calm the bit of nausea that was trying to overtake her. Her insides protested angrily as anxiety rampaged through her body.
Phoebe could see that Helga wasn't feeling well and decided it was time to leave. She logged out of the computer and stood up, reaching out to her ill friend with her hand. "Come on, let's get some fresh air."
Helga nodded and took her friends hand, picking herself back up without a word. The feeling of wanting to vomit just made every step she took worse and worse. She wondered if Arnold would feel this terrible if he had found out how much she had really stalked him and unknowingly assisted him with things. Some more personal than the others. What made things worse, was if Brainy was actually responsible for her parents information suddenly disappearing, even if for her sake, he would no doubt face dire consequences if found out. Would he be tried as a child or as an adult? Would he face jail time or be sent to juvenile hall? It was all for her, she knew. She would have done the same for her beloved and wouldn't regret anything. Did he feel the same way? Did he really not care what would happen to him if he was caught?
The girls walked out of the school in silence, neither knowing what to say on the matter but they both knew they were thinking the same things. The fresh air felt good to breathe in but didn't soften the heavy burden of information they were carrying.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Pheebs." Helga finally spoke, her voice sore with regret.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Helga." The small girl replied without an ounce of hesitation. "You're my best friend and I've always told you to come to me if you need help." Phoebe smiled a large warm smile.
The tall blonde girl groaned loudly. "Why must everything be so complicated?!" She yelled up at the sky. "If it's not one thing, it's another! When will it end, Phoebe? When?! When can I just wake up one morning and life be a normal, everyday sort of life? Without useless parents to mess things up, or stupid kids to interfere with my life?!"
Passerbyers began to look at them as they continued down the street.
Phoebe didn't know how to respond but just looked at the loud girl sympathetically. She knew Helga's life had never been simple and didn't imagine it getting any better anytime soon, either. "Look on the bright side, Helga." She finally managed to say, "You get to spend a lot more time with Arnold than you've ever been able to before."
"But how long will that even last?" Helga retorted. "As far as I know, Bob is trying to mess that up as well! Good news, he says." Helga spat on the ground, nearly hitting a poor man's shoe. "More like let's take away the only good thing I have going for me."
Phoebe frowned as they reached the intersection which they would have to part. "Try not to think about it so much and just enjoy the time you have to spend together. For all you know, you'll be getting your house back and everything will go back to the way it was before." She grimaced at the thought of Helga's life prior. "Maybe your parents will get jobs and you won't have to see them as much?" she added, hoping it brought a little hope into her sour friend.
"Yeah and maybe gold trees will sprout up and hand us a million dollars." Helga replied, knowing full well the chances of that happening being none. "But you're right. I should use the time I have left to spend with Arnold while my parents are monkeying about." She gave her friend a small smile, "Thanks Phoebe."
"You're welcome, Helga." Phoebe replied before waving and taking off towards her house.
Helga stood there for a moment as she watched her found turn the corner and was out of sight. She gave a large and heavy sigh and continued down the street.
The moment Helga opened the boarding house door; she heard erupting laughter coming from the living room. She peered inside and saw Arnold and Gerald playing some sort of game with Arnold's parents and couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Not wanting to disturb them, she continued upstairs toward her room, doing her best to be as quiet as possible as to not gain anyone's attention. The last thing she needed right now was unwanted attention.
She gradually made her way to her room undetected, kicked off her shoes and fell on her bed. It made a loud squeaking noise as her body forced contact on it, and almost bounce so high she thought it was attempting to throw her off. "Criminy!" She shouted at it, throwing both her arms down to keep the weight evenly distributed enough to halt its motion. "Just where did they get this mattress? A trampoline park?"
She could hear everyone talking and laughing below her and decided her next investment would be a stereo for sure. Anything to keep the house's noise to a minimum from reaching her new private sanctum. "I hope I never have to leave here…" She said to herself softly. She could feel sadness begin to sprout as she considered the possibility of moving soon. The place wasn't in best shape and the boarders were odd at best, but it wasn't a lonely place. The place had laughter and love within its walls and it was she never really got to experience while growing up. Even amongst all the chaos of boarders shouting at one another, Arnold's weird grandma and grandpa, the place felt more like a loving home than she had ever experienced.
Helga closed her eyes and took in all the sounds and smells. She soaked up the environment as if tasting her last supper and soon found herself drifting to sleep.
Knock, Knock, Knock…
Helga heard it but rolled over, continuing her slumber.
Knock, Knock, Knock….
"Helga?" Called a sweet voice from the distance.
"Yes, my love?" She called back to it, still dreaming as she held her pillow tight.
From the other side of the door, Arnold heard her speak but the words were far too quiet to make out. He didn't want to assume they were an invitation, but dinner was ready and he had barely seen her all day besides looking at her from time to time in class.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
Arnold waited a moment and heard Helga say something else but it didn't sound like a no, so he slowly turned her doorknob and let himself in. He saw her curled up in the fetal position, hugging her dingy white pillow closely.
She's asleep? Arnold thought as he kept forward. He watched as her body rose and fell with every deep breath she made. He hoped silently that whatever dream she was having was nice. He noticed how peaceful she looked and found his body pulling him closer to the bed. What am I doing? He questioned himself, standing next to the bed. I should just go downstairs and tell them to save her a plate and let her sleep. He continued to watch as she smiled in her sleep, mumbling something he couldn't quite here. Arnold felt compelled to stand there and watch her for little longer, before finally bringing himself to turn around and leave.
Creeeeeek
The floorboard beneath him yelled to him. Arnold winced, afraid it would wake her. He turned his head and saw she made no move. He took in a sharp breath and continued towards her door.
"Don't… go…" He heard her mumble, causing him to freeze in place. He turned his head again and saw her roll over to her other side and abandoning her pillow. "Don't…"
"Everything okay up there, Shortman?" Arnold heard his Grandpa calling from the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to desperately respond to him, but he knew if did that she would spring to life and probably hate him forever for being in her room without permission. At the same time, he was also very curious about her sleep talking.
"I have to go…" Arnold whispered to her, hoping it would reach her dreams and allow him less guilt upon leaving. He watched as her face turned into one of sadness but she didn't respond. "I'll be back later, I promise."
The sadness she displayed faded into something else. It was an expression he couldn't make out exactly, but it didn't look bad. He crept closer to her door and managed to open it without making a sound. He slowly closed the door behind him and backed away quietly.
"Whatcha doing there, Arnold?" Phil asked loudly, causing the boy to jump up in freight.
Arnold stood with his back against her door and breathed heavily. "Nothing!" He replied in a panic.
"Mmmm… doesn't look like nothing." The elder questioned with a finger on his boney chin. "You look spooked! Did I spook ya?"
Arnold nodded quickly, still catching his breath as his heart attempted to break through his ribs and out of his body.
Phil looked the boy up and down before giving a shrug. "Well is she coming down to dinner or not?"
Arnold shook his head. "No, she said she'll sleep later." He said. Realizing his mouths choice of words, he panicked again and quickly corrected them "I mean, she'll eat later."
"I see…" Phil replied, still intrigued in his grandson's actions. "Okay well you be better come down quickly or I can't guarantee either of you a plate. You know how they are down there! Savages!"
Arnold nodded again, finally forcing his body to move forward and urging his Grandpa to do the same. "Yeah, let's go."
The pair walked down the hallway and to the stairs before Phil stopped abruptly. He turned around and looked is grandson up and down before giving himself a chuckle and walking down ahead of him. Arnold gave him a questioning look but chose to not indulge in his grandfather bait that he was clearly giving to explain himself.
They reached the dining room where the hungry boarders were giving him a displeased look.
"It's about time, Arnold!" Ernie said from his chair.
"Yeah, I thought I was going to starve waiting…" Oskar whined, looking at him sadly.
"Starve if you have to!" Mr. Hyunh told Oskar as he pointed a fork in the man's face. "It is polite to wait for everyone to eat! You are not polite!"
"Sorry everyone…" Arnold apologized as he found his seat and sat down.
Stella came in with a pitcher of ice water and set it down on the table for everyone to grab. She noticed someone was still missing. "Arnold, Where is Helga?"She asked softly.
"The boy noticed her sleeping and felt it was best to save her a plate" Phil responded as he gave his grandson a quirky smile. "Isn't that right, Arnold?"
Arnold's face turned pale as he knew his grandpa was up to something, but chose not to question it. "Yeah."
Miles shook his head. "Poor girl. She's been having such a rough time."
"Oh Eleanor is a strong woman." Gerty added as she poured Phil and herself glass of cold water. "She'll be fine. Just give her some time."
Arnold's parents exchanged odd looks but decided it was best to not question the old woman on the girls name and let it go.
"So Arnold," Miles started as he warmly looked to his son. "How was school? Learn anything new today?"
"Yeah, what are the schools teaching you young minds these days?" Ernie asked, waving his fork around causing a bit to fly onto the table. "A buddy at work says his son has a new class about drugs? What's that about?"
Mr. Hyunh gasped. "Drugs? Drugs are bad, Arnold! Very bad!"
"Arnold, don't do drugs!" Oskar cried out. "They will ruin your life and you'll never get it back. Be a good boy and stay in school."
"It's a class teaching us about drugs and how they negatively affect us all." Arnold corrected, causing his older peers to settle down. "They're not telling us to do them."
The adults exchanged banter about the subject, going from why not to do them to personal experiences with them, making Arnold silent but continue to eat. He wasn't fond of the subject and honestly hadn't even attended the class yet to chime in with anything worthwhile. He had spent his class time tutoring Lila and even that ended up bad. Arnold thought of Lila for a moment and made a note in his head to talk to her tomorrow. He hadn't spoken to her since Helga's accusations and wanted to make sure she was doing okay. It must have really made her sad to come back to school after being away from so long, just to be yelled at for doing nothing wrong… He thought sadly. I'd call her if I knew her number. Arnold made a mental to get that as well, even if he knew it would cause Helga to give him grief over it. He had been making a small phone book for his classmates since the third grade, that way he could always call one of them if he needed to. He had just about everyone's by now, except hers and Brainy's. This sparked the thought to continue on that note. It was a shame he was unable to talk to him, but would definitely do his best to do it tomorrow. I'll make sure to talk to him tomorrow, even if it means I have to follow him all day. Arnold thought, insistent.
After diner, Arnold helped his parents clear the table before giving each of them a kiss on the cheek and heading upstairs to get ready for bed. He could see that the boarders weren't blocking the bathroom yet and quickly gathered up his shower supplies and a change of clothes to be able to use it first, before anyone could stop him.
Arnold set his clothes on the bathroom sink and distributed his toiletries around the bathrooms tub for easy use. He turned on the shower, letting the hiss of the water relax his body. He was anxious to get in, but knew it normally took a moment for the water heater to kick in and give him the warm shower he wanted. Slowly he undressed, placing his used clothes in a pile by the sink and tested the water with his hand. It's Perfect! He thought happily before jumping in. He let the warm water wash away the day worries while he slicked back his thick blonde hair to get soaked. He wondered if anywhere in the world, it rained warm like this and if so, contemplated moving there as soon as he was able. There was just something about a nice hot shower to make everything seem good again.
The moment he was done, Arnold turned off the shower and dried off with a fresh fluffy white towel, brushed his teeth, got clean bed clothes on and dried his hair off one more time before placing the used towel in a hamper to be washed. He collected all of his belongings and opened the bathroom door, letting all the steam out into the hallway. With a serene smile, he headed towards his bedroom. He passed Helga's bedroom door and wondered if she had woken up yet and knew there was food waiting for her in the refrigerator. Standing there silently for a moment, hoping to hear any movement coming from her room, Arnold proceeded to his room and looked at the time. Its 8:48pm and she still hasn't woken up yet? At this rate, she wake up hungry in the middle of the night… He thought, placing his shower items back where they belonged and throwing his dirty clothes in a clothes basket. Should I wake her? I don't want her to be hungry and I doubt she'll get herself food if no one is around. The boarding house is still a new place for her, and if I was her, I wouldn't feel comfortable enough to just go to the kitchen and make something… He continued to ponder before making up his mind. I'm sure if I wake her up nicely, she won't be too mad, right? He asked himself mentally, heading back down his ladder and to her door.
He listened to the silence once more before calling out to her. "Helga, are you awake?"
No response. Not even a peep from the fire alarm needing a new battery.
Arnold gulped before squeezing her door knob and giving it a small turn, praying it would be enough to wake her and he wouldn't have to himself.
Her room was dark and the only light that shown came from a street light from outside her window. He let his eyes become adjusted to its darkness before looking for her on the bed. She was still exactly how he had left her early; curled up and hugging nothing as the pillow still remained at her back. He wondered for a moment how exactly she found comfort in no pillow behind her head, but dismissed the thought and inched towards her. He was a little scared at how she would react to him, but knew it was in her best interest to wake up and eat.
The moment he reached her bed, he placed a warm hand on her shoulder, causing her to stir a little at his touch. "Helga?" He called out to her softly, hoping she wouldn't be too mad. "Helga, you gotta wake up and eat…"
"Mmmmm…" She replied, her face going from peaceful to annoyed.
He caressed her shoulder lightly, hoping it was enough to wake her before calling out to her again. "Helga… I know you're tired but you need to eat…"
"You're not my real dad…" She mumbled in frustration, turning over again and finding her pillow.
Arnold sighed and sat down in the now empty spot on her bed. He looked to her lamp and wondered if turning it on might help. No… I would be pretty mad if I woke up to a blinding light… He reminded himself. He looked towards her windows and wondered if maybe opening one might cause enough ambient noise to wake her. No… if everyone yelling downstairs didn't wake her, a few crickets won't do the trick and she's probably used to the street noise. Arnold felt defeated and knew the only way to awake his sleeping girlfriend was to continue as he was. He placed his hand back on her shoulder.
"I came back like I promised…" He said quietly, hoping she would at least respond to that.
"Mmmmm…" She noised, but in a happier tune. "Don't… go…"
"I won't…" He replied softly, a small smile gracing his lips unexpectedly. Was she always this way when she slept? He wondered if it was possible to have a conversation with her while she slept, completely ignoring his main quest in the first place.
"I… don't wanna go…" Helga moaned in her sleep sadly.
Arnold's ears picked up at her words and frowned. Where is she going in her sleep and why didn't she wanna go there? He wondered. "You don't have to if you don't want to…"
Helga groaned softly and kicked her legs a little, causing Arnold to stifle a giggle. It felt as if time had stopped and he had almost forgotten his purpose there in the first place. I still have to wake her up… but how? He softly rubbed her shoulder hoping she would either wake up or say something else. What would she do if she woke up to him sitting there? Would she be mad? Would she try to accuse him of something heinous? Arnold shuttered the thoughts out. Maybe I should just go… He thought as he looked to the door. She can't be that hungry if she still hasn't woken up yet, and the longer I sit here and try to wake her, the more worried I am that someone might find me in here and think the worst…
Arnold looked at the sleeping girl with longing, affectionate eyes. He wanted nothing more than to brush away the stands of her hair that had fallen in her face and kiss her on the forehead, but he wasn't so bold. Feeling a little wistful, he stood up and prepared himself mentally to leave, allowing one last look at the rare sight of a peaceful Helga.
"Stay with me forever, my love…" He heard her swoon, causing his heart to stir.
Now more than ever, he fought back the urges to stay by her side for the rest of the night, and solidified the idea of needing to go. The words she said, though undoubtedly for him, were not meant to be heard by him while she slept. He knew that and yet he wanted to respond to her.
"Only if you let me…" He replied, voice no longer a whisper.
He watched as she rolled over towards him once more. She had a smile on her face. Did she hear me? He wondered, hoping the smile was for him. I'll just leave a note about the plate waiting for her under her door and hope she gets it. He decided as he finally walked away from her bedside and to the door. He wanted to say good night but shook his head and left. He had indulged far too much, even for his own liking and it wasn't like him to take pleasure in invading other people's privacies.
Arnold walked back to his room, closed the door and pressed his back up against its smooth surface. Although he thought it silly, these events between them were not something he would ever let himself forget; priceless moments of innocence and unadulterated bliss.
Little did the young man know, things were going to change far too soon…