Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
A Broken Heart
Chapter 89: Bliss?
Helga and Drake had enjoyed the rest of their date, which was met with relative peace. They had dinner, dessert, a romantic walk and other fun date activities, all leading up to a blissful kiss.
It was the story book definition of the perfect date, or at least they saw it as that way.
"This is nice..."Helga thought, trying to enjoy the moment and NOT think about the many unpleasant things in her life.
No Bob, No Miriam, No Olga and definitely no him!
She tried not to think about them, at least for tonight. She just tried to focus on tonight and enjoy Drake's company.
Just them. Alone.
Without no one around to SPY on them, if a certain person, whom Helga will not mention, knew what was good for him.
"For his sake, he'd BETTER not keep spying..."Helga thought in anger, before shaking it off.
No, she will not think about him. She was with HER boyfriend now and that's all that mattered to Helga. That's all that should matter from now on.
"Everything alright, Helga?..."Drake asked.
"Everything couldn't be better..."Helga said with a forced smile
She knew the boy was just to help and show her that he cares.
Drake was a gentleman like that. A contrast from someone she used to know.
They continued their date and Helga felt happy to be with him. However, like all good times, it had to come to an end, due to a little thing called a curfew, so they had to wrap it up, but not before Drake walked her to Phoebe's house, which she is still staying in until tomorrow.
Despite still being mad at her parents, Helga knew she can't stay in that place forever. Even if sometimes, she wished that she could. However, she tried not to think about that. She just tried to enjoy the remaining moment, holding hands with her boyfriend as they walked.
"So, I take it this is only just the beginning of how you'll try to spoil me in this relationship..."The blonde girl said.
"Of course, milady. Anything for you..."Her boyfriend said, he gave a suave face.
The blonde girl giggled and gave a playful push but something was nagging at the back of her mind about her problem.
She tried to ignore it but the problem was still there. . She would say something but she didn't want the date being ruined, especially after all Drake's hard work getting this table and paying for tonight. She still couldn't believe he got a table at Chez Pierre.
Sure, they ate there because of his cousin help get them a reservation but that was more then Arnold ever did for her and unlike Arnold, Drake never once tried to juggle two dates at the same time.
She still couldn't believe that she still was obsessed with him after that stunt. Sure, she technically tricked him to be there and impersonated his French pen pal but that doesn't make what he did right either.
Oh, no. She's doing it again.
"No, stop that. Don't think about him!..."Helga mentally told herself.
She shouldn't be thinking about Arnold when she was out here with Drake. He has already taken up too much of her time today, what with their argument in the closet.
No, she will not think about you-know-who. She will think about Drake and how sweet he is to go through all this trouble, just to show how much he cares about her.
"I gotta stop this. Drake worked really hard to do this for me..."She thought as she purged the unnamed boy from her mind.
Tonight was something she needed. The restaurant was nice, the food smelled good which clouded that part of her mind and they even had a violin player to add to the nice atmosphere. It was very romantic and Helga could enjoy their time together.
As they kept walking, she could to look at Drake and nothing else.
Drake Sanchez, the only decent thing in her life since San Lorenzo, maybe even before that.
The blonde girl mentally sighed as she thought about her life. With the exception of her friendship with Phoebe, Helga knew that she hardly had anything good in her life. Her parents barely paid any attention to her, unless it benefited them somehow or they were guilt into doing it or some way to make her act more like Olga.
They didn't care, unlike Drake, who had walked into her life and made things better.
She knew that Drake Sanchez was one of the best things to come into her life. Sure, he was a corny goof and he had a temper but to be fair, he had a pretty good reason for his temper going off recently.
A reason named Arnold Shortman.
Ugh, not again!
"No, stop it! Stop thinking about that football headed jerk. Just think about Drake and how awesome he has been tonight..."She reminded herself
Arnold has taken up enough of her life but not anymore. She was not going to let him have the satisfaction of ruining your night without even being here. He doesn't get to occupy more of her thoughts tonight.
No, tonight is about her and Drake and nothing else.
The two continued walking and talking, happy to be together with no interruptions. Helga still thought about the incident in the closet and her former love and his new little "hobby" with his new "friend". Someone who she wished would meet so that she could remove his teeth.
Helga just hoped that he'd listen to her threat and back off, if he kept it up she'd deflate that football head of his.
Helga mentally sighed at that. She just didn't get get why Arnold couldn't take a hint and take a hike. She also didn't get why he is so clingy and paying attention to her NOW, when she was trying to move on.
It's not fair!
She has finally found a nice guy who likes her. Couldn't she be happy and have some peace for once in her darn life?
Sure, Drake wasn't who she expected to be with but they like each other and she knew that Drake didn't have to be like Arn—the other boy who's name will not be said. He was better.
He was amazing and he treated her like an actual girlfriend, including the fact he got a reservation at a fancy restaurant and save up his allowance for it.
How many guy could do that? How many would do that?
Helga didn't know but it shows that Drake cared about her and wanted her to be happy.
"He really is a great guy..."She thought to herself.
They continued their romantic, moonlit walk together, as they held hands. The boy, none the wiser, looked at her with warm eyes as he held her hand. Helga smiled and felt a rare moment of peace right now.
This is all she need right now. No drama or parents for once in her darn life. She just focused on him and how lucky she feels to have made it this far in her post-Arnold lifestyle.
"So, I forgot to ask, how are things with your family?..."Drake asked, still holding her hand.
"About the same..."Helga said flatly.
"Sorry about that..."Drake said sympathetically.
"Eh, nothing we can do about it. On the plus side, my dad can't sink much lower..."Helga said.
"There is that cheery, optimistic side of you..."Drake snarked, before giving her a more sincere look.
"You know that if you ever truly need my help or another place to stay, you just have to ask..."Drake said.
"I know..."Helga said.
Unlike with Arnold, Drake hasn't broken any promise to her or tried to run her life. He accepted that while things are bad, Helga wanted to solve this problem on her own, and while he will offer his help, he won't try to cram it down her throat.
She won't accept charity. He understood that, which she appreciated. Helga was full of pride but that was fine as she could take care of herself.
She always has, even if people, besides Arnold, would say otherwise.
"Okay but know I'm always there for you..."Drake said sincerely.
Helga smiled again.
"I know..."She said.
She knew that Drake was just trying to help because he cares, not because of some misguided altruism or idiotic debt that he felt he owed her.
Arnold would never take a hint, even when it was right in front of him but not Drake. Helga knew that now...
That's what made this relationship better. There were no plots, no double dealings, no manipulations done from the shadows. Just her and Drake.
She knew that it was a healthier relationship, without all the sneaky stuff she did to Arnold. She knew that it was the kind she wanted as it was with someone who wanted her around.
This is better, it's healthier and an aspect of paradise she wanted in her life. and unlike what Arnold told her in the closet, she does NOT want to go back to how things were.
No more...No more closet shrines, no more fantasies, and no more pining from afar.
No more Arnold.
A few moments later
They soon arrived to the Heyerdahl residence and Drake walked her up the stoop.
"Here we are..."Drake said.
"Yeah, here we are..." Helga said sadly, not wanting the date to be over yet.
Why was it all the good things in her life had to come to an end?
"I had fun tonight..."Helga said.
"Me too..."Drake said.
The couple of sixth graders smiled at each other as they looked into each other's eyes. They were still holding hands. The two looked at each other for a while, Drake's hand holding hers a little tighter before he, very reluctantly, let go of her hand.
However, the dark haired boy said this to her soon after.
"Happy one month anniversary, Helga..."Drake said and she smiled.
"Happy one month anniversary..."Helga said.
Drake smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Once he pulled away, they smiled again before Drake had to leave, not wanting to be late for his curfew.
He did wave at her one last time and she waved back.
Once he was out of sight, the blonde girl sighed.
"Oh, Drake..." Helga thought, smiling as she walked into her best friend's house and closed the door.
Phoebe and her parents were already there and asked how her night was.
This was her response.
"It was nice..."She said, smiling.
Later
That same night
It was late and everyone in the Heyerdahl house was fast asleep.
Everyone but Helga that is.
She just laid in the guest bed that had been provided for her, staring at the ceiling.
Tonight had been wonderful with Drake. It was romantic, intimate and special. Sure, they had fun just watching movies and sports together but tonight was something special, like when they went to the Cheese Festival together but better.
Drake shed his bravado nature and showed her how sweet and romantic he can be, when given the chance. And Helga made sure he had plenty of chances tonight and he didn't disappoint once.
He really is a great boyfriend, isn't he?.
"Oh, Drake..." Helga said as she thought about tonight.
Dinner, hand holding, gift giving, a romantic walk and she finally, FINALLY had been able to recite a poem again from the heart.
Her muse had come back, becoming something new and something better and even then, she felt no need to built any elaborate shrine or fill journal after journal with love poems in his honor.
No, she actually felt...normal.
Like a normal girl, with a normal love life. No lies, no stalking, no misery. No, just a healthy, normal date with a great guy who sincerely likes her.
It was really nice...more than nice, actually.
Tonight had been blissful...but the bliss has come to an end.
The unpleasantness of today was replaying in her mind. Her argument with Arnold and well as the unpleasant discovery she made this afternoon was keeping her up.
She can't ignore them or pretend that it never happened anymore, like she had been doing all night just to enjoy her time with Drake.
Now she was going to have to deal with this
Even if she was still having trouble accepting that it is real and not some twisted nightmare.
"I still can't believe Arnoldo and some creep tried to spy on us..."Helga thought as she tossed in the guest bed.
It disturbed her that he and his "partner", or most likely, someone telling lies about Drake to Arnold to make him go nuts.
Either way, Helga did not like the situation.
It was creepy and not natural. Like something out of the one of those shows about alternate worlds, where she is the normal one and Arnold is the basket case.
She just couldn't believe that he of ALL people would spy on her. If she wasn't so ticked off, she'd think about the irony that he was spying on her now. All those times she'd spied on Arnold over the years, she knew that it was karma coming back to bite her in the butt. Had it bee just her and just Arnold, she'd accept it as karma and just cut him out of her life even more, but the fact that there seems to be another creep involve and Arnold seems obsessed with convicting Drake made that impossible now.
For someone who could see the bright side in everything, Arnold could really hold a grudge.
It was kind of scary and Helga knew scary.
She wanted to talk about it with Drake but she did not want to spoil their date tonight. But now, it is over. She knows that she has to talk to him about what Arnold did and who spied on them.
For all she knows, it's the same creep who tattled on them to Bob a while back. Helga did not know who it is, but he or she had gotten on her nerves and as soon as she finds out, she will personally introduce them to Old Betsy and the Five avengers.
She also knew that she can't keep this to herself either.
"I'm going to have to talk to him, aren't I?..." Helga groaned to herself.
She knew that she had to talk to Drake about this, but she did not want to spoil their big day, especially since he went through so much trouble to make tonight special for the two of them but she can't keep this a secret from him.
She knew that it had to be done but wanted to wait. She didn't want Drake to be upset during their date.
She didn't want to be the one who ruined things.
"Criminy!..."Helga thought to herself in exasperation.
She had thought their only problems would have come from her family but it seems Arnold was going to be a problem too. Him, his stupid "protectiveness" and whoever told him to spy on Drake.
You'd think he would have learned to stop after La Sombra to trust someone blindly but no. Looks, like Football head hasn't learned anything, which only makes things harder for her.
"That was always his biggest problem, at least one of them..."She mused, refusing to let his poor choice affect her as she kept her thoughts on Drake.
Arnold...that was a bane for her right now. No better than a curse, a bad memory. Unlike a certain boyfriend in her life right now.
Drake was everything Arnold wasn't. Not that he was genuinely awful but Arnold was helping just because he felt he owed her
Helga didn't want that kind of concern. She didn't want Arnold's attention that way...or at all, since he is only doing it because he feels in-debt to her.
She scoffed at that.
If he knew half the things she'd done for him over the years, he'd be in her debt forever but no. She did not want him in her debt. She wanted nothing to do with him anymore. She just wanted to move on with her life. A life without him and constantly being reminded of her heart breaking that night in the temple in the San Lorenzo.
Was that too much to ask?!
"Criminy...what do I do?..."She muttered under her breath as she tossed and turned in bed.
She sighed as she found herself coming to an answer.
Tomorrow, she will talk with Drake and tell him what happened.
She was going to have to.
"Criminy..."She muttered under her breath before she eventually managed to fall asleep.
She was gonna need as much sleep as possible in order to be ready for what tomorrow has in store for her and her very sweet and doting boyfriend.
She just hoped he wouldn't get TOO mad tomorrow...at her or at Arnold.
Meanwhile
At The Sanchez Residence
Drake had a blissful look after he returned home from his date. He ignored his mother's teasing and went to his room, looking happy as he got ready for bed.
His angel was on his mind, his beautiful and fiery girlfriend.
Helga G. Pataki.
"Helga..."He whispered as he got comfortable on his bed as she made his heart beat like a song.
He kept thinking about her...about her golden blonde hair, her pretty blue eyes, her loving smile and her mean right hook.
Drake sighed.
Despite knowing her for a short while, he knew that girl was the greatest person he'd ever met in his life. The most important person aside from his mother.
He knew that he liked her a lot...maybe since they first met and he just didn't realize at the time. All he knows is that she is his now and he hoped it stayed that way.
He turned over and saw a framed picture on his nightstand. It was one about their date at the cheese festival a while back. He smiled as his eyes landed on her.
"Helga...Buenas noches, mi amor..."He thought, feeling bliss.
He eventually managed to fall asleep with that smile on his face, dreaming of his blonde angel.
His Helga and the blissful relationship they have.
To be continued-
Next time on A Broken Heart
Hard Conversations
A/N(1): Special thanks to BeConfuzzled Writer, 61394 and NeoMark for their help. You guys are the best ;)
A/N(2): I would like to dedicate this chapter to my loved ones :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
Invader Johnny: Oh boy, indeed.
Kryten: So, it seems.
The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i: I see.
Madi94: The stalker will be revealed later, but for now, no spoilers.
Human Dictionary: :)
Anonymous Latino: :)
DanteVirgil09, Chicwa88 and The Pink Jirachi: Thank you :)
Giovy: The stalker will be revealed later, but for now, no spoilers.
Rosali Leon Huamani: De nada :)
EugeArg: How is this?
Ezza: How is this?
Pohla: I am sorry if it feels like it is pacing so long, I can't reveal any spoilers but I can say to stay tune for the next upcoming chapters.
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)