(A/N: Here is the second half of Arnold's birthday! See why this couldn't have been one whole chapter? Far too long! Enjoy!)
(Oh also... Found out that I can't insert pictures on this platform :/ I can on AO3 though, so I'll be putting em in there! Check em out if you want! They're currently only in chapter 18, though.)
Arnold watched out of the bus window impatiently as he noticed the bus going back into the heart of town. The anticipation was killing him, but he knew that if he asked where they were going, he would only be shot down again, and since this bus sadly had no working air conditioner, he knew it would be a more hostile shot than normal.
He could hear Gerald and Phoebe softly talking in the seat in front of him, and giggling about something, but was unable to make out any words. He looked over at Helga, who looked as annoyed as she possibly could be as, and decided not to bother her with idle conversation. Instead, he focused his attention back out the window and enjoyed what he could of the ride.
The bus would stop periodically and passengers got on and off. He listened to the money clink inside the collection next to the driver. He could hear a baby whining somewhere behind him, and a mother calmly shushing it. Gingerly, Arnold rested his head up against the window and was finding the motions of the bus were lulling him into a daze.
Ding!
Phoebe stood up and grabbed the bus string that hung draped across the edge of the ceiling and wall, causing Arnold to suddenly jolt up and back into focus.
"Are we there yet?!" He asked excitedly to the friends around him.
"When the bus comes to a stop, yeah Football head." Helga replied, dully. "Keep your pants on."
Arnold smiled and chuckled at her response, even if it didn't sound very nice. "Sorry, Helga. I'm just really excited."
The bus let out a loud screech, then hissing sound as it came to a complete stop, and the four eagerly left the hot vehicle.
Once the bus had finally left, Arnold waited for the large amount of smoke from the exhaust to clear before he looked around to acknowledge his surroundings. There wasn't anything particular of note around him, but he was sure of one thing, they were close to the movie theater.
The crew began to walk ahead of him and he quickly jogged to catch up.
"The movies?" He asked Gerald, causing the boy to smile back. "I knew it!"
"Well, saying the next place would cool us off, was a dead giveaway." Helga growled in frustration, as this was the one place that she had planned for them to go.
"What movie are we seeing?" The odd headed boy asked impatiently, with clutched fists full of anticipation.
Helga shrugged. "Don't know yet, all depends on what's playing."
The answer was both confusing, and intriguing and Arnold decided it was good enough. "Okay."
Once the movie theater was in sight, he noticed that instead of going to the front counter, they were going into the alleyway next to it.
"We're… sneaking in?" He asked, a bit concerned.
The four stopped in front of the emergency exit to one of the showing rooms.
"Well… We wanted you to be able to have the full experience with snacks and stuff." Gerald shrugged as he pulled out the remainder of the money. "And you wouldn't have been able to with what we have left."
Phoebe frowned. "I don't recall this being part of the plan."
"Relax, Phoebe." Helga said as she removed the small cardboard wedge that held the door propped open. "I've been sneaking into the movies since I was five." She opened the door enough to slip through. "No one will even notice us."
Gerald gave his frustrated girlfriend an apologetic look before shrugging and following Helga. With a shake of her head, she followed and so did Arnold.
The room they walked into, currently had nothing showing but commercials.
"Perfect!" Helga whispered as she crouched along the wall and towards the back of the room. "Phoebe! Gerald! Grab us some decent seats before all the clods come rushing in. The Football head and I will grab the snacks."
"Finding!" Phoebe replied as she grabbed Gerald's hand and led him away.
Arnold watched curiously as the two separated from them, but followed Helga willingly. Once they reached the door, he grabbed her hand and caused her to stop.
"What?" She asked impatiently. She looked at him until her eyes fully adjusted to the dim lighting and saw that he was giving her a half lidded smile, causing her to blush.
"Thanks for planning today, Helga..." He replied before placing his hand on her cheek and quickly giving her a peck on the lips. "It means a lot to me."
All the blood in the girl's body rushed to her head, and she felt like she was nearly gonna faint. Quickly, she grabbed onto the door handle to steady herself. "Y-yeah…W-well…" She stuttered; her brain not really cooperating to make words.
He watched as she became flustered and chuckled to himself. Placing his hand on top of hers, he pulled open the door. "Let's go get some snacks."
Meanwhile, Phoebe and Gerald had picked some seats fairly close up to the screen, but not so close that they would have to strain their necks to see the show.
"It's not every day you get to pick your seat like this." Gerald mentioned as he sat down comfortably and reclined. "This is the life!"
"Indeed…" Phoebe replied as she sat down next to him.
Sensing her displeasure, Gerald groaned and placed his arm over her shoulders and held her close. "Don't be like that, babe!" He pleaded. "I know you don't like to break the rules but this is for Arnold, remember?" He felt her deeply sigh and frowned. "You were the one who suggested we end in a private place so they could have some time to work things out. What better place than the movies?"
"What are we going to do if an usher catches us?" She asked, sternly. "Do you think they would accept your reasoning as a valid one to steal?"
Gerald snorted. "We're not stealing… we're just simply filling some empty seats…"
"Gerald…"
Rolling his eyes, he knew this wasn't a fight he was going to win. "Arnold and I have snuck into the movies a few times, Phoebe. The ushers only ever clean at the last showing and they only opened up…" He quickly checked his watch. "Like an hour or two ago! Relax!"
Despite still feeling very uneasy about the situation, Phoebe placed her convictions aside and leaned into his warm embrace. "Alright…"
Rubbing her arm gently, Gerald rested his head up against hers. "Thanks, Babe."
With arms full of popcorn and soda, Arnold and Helga walked back into the show room and noticed that the room wasn't as empty anymore, as a handful of people sat quietly and waited in various seats.
It wasn't hard to spot their friends, as Gerald's hair stood out so the two made their way over to them and plopped a bag of popcorn and a large soda in their laps.
"Thanks!" Gerald replied, with a thumbs up.
Arnold placed his thumb up against his friends and proceeded to do their handshake but before he could sit down, Helga grabbed Arnold's hand and jerked him away.
"What?" He asked her, a little surprised.
With her own thumb, she motioned to the couple who were cutely nestled against each other.
"Do they look like they want company?" She asked flatly.
Arnold looked back at them and realized what she meant. "Oh…"
With another tug on his arm, Helga brought him away. "Enjoy the movie, lovebirds." She said loudly, before dragging her boyfriend along awkwardly.
The two giggled and waited for the birthday boy and hostile girl to be of long enough distance.
"I told you things would work out." Phoebe smiled to her boyfriend.
Gerald brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a quick kiss, before wiggling his eyebrows at her, causing her to giggle again.
"I'm beginning to understand just how clueless Arnold can be…" She mentioned softly, as she turned to watch Helga pick a seat and sit them down.
"You don't know the half of it…" Gerald replied in a long, drawn out and exhausted voice.
"I wonder what movie we're gonna watch." Arnold whispered excitedly to Helga as he sat down.
She handed the popcorn bag over to him and placed their large soda in between them. "I don't know but it better be good." He smiled at her remark and offered her some popcorn. "No thanks. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty full."
Arnold blinked. "Helga, that was nearly four hours ago…"
She raised her eyebrow at him and took a sip of their soda. "And? Do I look like I'm starving?"
Sadly, he looked down at the large bag and wondered if he could really eat it all by himself. He thought back to the eating contest he was once a part of and swore he would never eat like that ever again, and although this wasn't nearly that much food, the towering bag did look very intimidating.
The commercials finally concluded and the lights dimmed darker, to indicate that the feature film was about to start.
"Finally…" Helga sighed as she slouched in her seat.
Arnold watched her silently and smiled at how unladylike she could be whenever she was relaxed. He popped a few kernels in his mouth then turned to the screen.
The movie started off with a bunch of high school students gathering and talking about some big event that was happening soon. A circus was coming to town and everyone was excited to go as this was going to be the last time it would ever perform.
The day of the circus finally came and the friends gathered in front of the large and flashy sign. Loud carnival music played around them and very odd attractions were shown. Each character had their hand at playing a few games, flirting, and showing off some of their personalities, before the main event was finally at hand. They all entered into the large tent and sat down in the front row. The ringmaster came out, introduced himself and explained that everyone inside that tent would experience something they would never forget.
Clowns came out with trained animals and the fantastical event began. The friends laughed and cheered as everything unfolded until the final event was upon them. The ringmaster made his way to the middle of the stage and threw his hands up in the air. Suddenly, small white flakes began to rain down inside the tent, almost like it was snowing.
The onlookers oh'd and ah'd at the spectacle until it became very clear that things were beginning to get a little strange. Their visions became blurred and colors became brighter. Sounds became distorted until all they could see is black and hear nothing but laughter.
Arnold began to eat the popcorn faster with enjoyment and he glanced over at his partner, who looked moderately amused.
The light in the theater became incredibly bright as the screen suddenly turned white.
The group of friends were finally able to see again and what they saw certainly shocked. They were all inside cages in some sort of dark room.
"I promised a show of a life time…" The ringmasters voice came out of some speakers. "I promised a show you'd never forget in your life time… and I always keep my promises…" He finished with a loud cackle.
Some of the kids yelled, and some of them cowered on the floor together. It became obvious to everyone that whatever they were in now, they weren't going to get out of without a fight.
"Some of you my know each other… some of you may not…" The ringmaster continued over the cracking, low quality speakers. "But you'll all get to know each other very soon… your life may depend on it…"
Helga chuckled and reached back over to grab the soda. "This is getting pretty good."
Arnold smiled and turned back to the screen.
The cages opened and the people all ran out and looked for an exit. There was only one large door and it was locked. People banged on it and yelled but the only answer that came was the loud cackling from the man over the speaker.
"Don't you worry. I'll open the door but when I do… you better run until you can't anymore."
One of the main characters yelled at the speaker and tried to seem like an alpha, causing a few people to get behind him. More people started to grow confident and stand up for themselves, until the doors began to creek and slide open. In front of them was many hall ways so the people entered inside. The moment they looked back at their cages, the door slammed shut and an audible locking sound was heard.
Many people looked around confused, wondering what they should be running from. Many challenged this whole thing as a harmless joke.
Suddenly, a loud noise came and filled the theater.
A large hole opened up through the ceiling and cages were slowly being brought down. Inside, were large and angry animals; animals that were once a part of the show they had just witnessed.
It became apparent what was happening now, and the obvious main characters began to run down a hallway, causing the majority of the people to follow them or down their own hallway. The few who stayed behind and mocked the ringmaster, met their demise the moment those cages swung open.
"It's not all fun and games… is it?" The ringmaster asked the crowd as they ran for their lives.
The main characters ran and ran, with some of the people following them falling prey to traps until it was inevitably only them. They ran into rooms and out of rooms. They solved puzzles until finally they walked into another large room with a stage. The lone ringmaster stood and waited for them, with his cane in hand and his hat lowered over his face. The door behind them swung shut and killer clowns chained the doors and swallowed the key.
"Congratulations for getting this far…" He explained in a low, hoarse voice. "Life is a cruel game were only the select few can survive." He looked up at the group as if he was peering into their souls. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Some of the characters yelled at him, others cried and others remained silent.
The clowns began to surround the ringmaster on the stage and the man smiled a crooked smile. "From here on out, it is up to you to find your way out. There will be surprises ahead… many surprises… life is full of surprises…" His voice echoed off the walls of the theater. "Not all of them always… good."
Suddenly, the stage began to rise and the ceiling opened up once more.
"This is the final act. Good luck!" He said before leaving them all with nothing but loud laughter until dead silence.
The 12 people argued amongst each other before deciding to press onward. Behind the stage that was now gone, was 3 doors. They split up into groups of 4 and headed into the unknown.
It was clear that days began to pass, as the friends struggled to overcome obstacle after obstacle, hoping that someone was looking for them and that they would be saved. It was also clear that with the tasks becoming more difficult, that many of these characters would not survive.
Helga let out another laugh and leaned towards Arnold. "You wanna bet who lives and who dies?" She asked in amusement.
Arnold looked down at his popcorn that was now, surprisingly half gone. He wondered to himself when that happened before turning to her. "Sure."
"That one jock guy and his stupid bimbo of a girlfriend are totally gonna die." She predicted as she slyly reached over and grabbed a fist full of popcorn. "And I bet they die the most gruesome death ever… while that old hacker guy and that geeky medical student get out alive."
"Okay…" Arnold smiled as he watched her eat some popcorn, then turned back to the screen. "I think that jock guy definitely dies but he sacrifices himself for his girlfriend and she lives. That old hacker guy definitely has some secrets. I bet he betrays the party and dies, leaving the prom queen and med student to get out alive."
"Fair enough…" Helga grinned openly, impressed with his prediction. "What about the creepy old guy. Live, or die?"
"The trucker?" Arnold asked, looking at the screen again and watching the characters argue amongst themselves over food rations. "That's hard but I think he'll live."
"I don't." She popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth. "I think he's full of himself and that's gonna be his downfall." She chewed loudly then pointed at the screen. "That chef too… he's definitely going to die. I bet the teacher and that little girl make it out though."
"The fortune teller, artist, police officer and rich guy?" Arnold asked, seeing as they were at the last team.
"Dead, dead, live and live." Helga responded shortly as she finished her handful and slurped more soda.
Shaking his head, he snatched her soda from her and took a small sip. "I think the fortune teller will live but the rich man dies."
Helga scowled at him before playfully swiping her drink back from him. "You're on." She challenged as she reclined back in her seat. "And who said you could take my soda?"
With a grin, Arnold placed the almost empty bag of popcorn down on the floor between them. After taking that sip of soda, he knew it was almost gone so it was best to not become further thirsty or else someone would have to get more.
The scene changed back to the truck driver attempting to figure out the puzzle, while the teacher and chef felt around the walls for clues. The little girl sat on an old sofa and sang quietly to herself.
"Will you stop that singing!" The old truck driver yelled to the little girl, causing her to cover her ears and cry.
"Now look what you've done!" The chef yelled back. "The girl is scared enough as it is! Do you need to go and make it even worse?!"
The teacher walked over to the girl and hugged her closely. The little girl grabbed on to the woman and sobbed into her chest until her breathing returned to normal. After assuring her that everything was going to be okay, the girl nodded and got up to help them look for clues.
The old truck driver went back to the task he was given, placing specific pieces into specific holes without getting it wrong, in fear of the consequence. Each piece made a sound, and it was clear that there was a sequence he had to figure out. "Hurry up and find those clues!"
"We're trying!" The teacher replied back, as she moved over to a table. She felt underneath it and found a card with musical notes on it. "I think I found something."
Everyone rushed over to her and discussed the puzzle. The truck driver brought the music piece over to his puzzle, dropped the pieces into the holes indicated by the music piece, and a drawer opened to reveal four vials of different color liquids.
"What the hell is this?!" The man blurted out angrily as he stomped over to the next part of the puzzle.
The chef picked up the vials and sniffed them. "Nothing I have ever seen or smelled before."
"Look!" The little girl shouted as she picked up a playing card with some colors on it. "I found something."
Everyone gathered over to her and looked at the clues and it became obvious that each one of them had to drink a vial in order to complete this stage, as the door would only open when a droplet of someone's blood who had drank the concoction was placed on the lock pad.
"But what if this is poison?" The chef asked, looking over his green vial.
"It doesn't matter, now does it? Just drink it, prick your finger and place your finger on that damn lock pad!" The truck driver demanded as he shot his red vial's liquid down his throat, and did just as he knew he had to.
The little girl cried again but did as she was told and drank her blue vial, allowed the truck driver to prick her finger and she placed it on the pad.
The chef and the teacher looked between each other before taking their own colorful concoction, pricking their fingers, and placing their droplets on the pad.
Loud shaking began and soon, their door opened into another hallway which they knew would end up in a room.
"Run!" The teacher shouted and the four ran as fast as they could until they reached the other door. They jiggled the handle but it would not budge. The door read "Only two may enter here".
"Hurry!" The angry, loud truck driver yelled as he pushed the young woman away and jiggled the handle for himself.
A thump was heard and the adults turned behind them to notice the little girl had fainted. Quickly, the chef ran to her and picked her up. "She's not breathing!" He cried out, causing the teacher to join him.
"Lay her down, I know CPR!" The woman yelled and the chef did as he was told.
"There is no point!" The truck driver insisted. "The door says only two can enter. She's a goner! Don't waste your breath!" and just as he finished his sentence, he dropped to his knees and clutched his heart.
The teacher cried as she held the little girl in her arms, and the chef ran over to the other man. His eyes were bloodshot and it looked like he was having a heart attack. The irony of his last words, caused him to chuckle before he fell forward and silent.
The door before them opened without any assistance and the chef and teacher walked into a room. The room looked like a lounge, with a buffet of food, drinks, and a few comfortable sofas.
"How can we celebrate at a time like this?!" The teacher cried as she threw herself on the sofa.
As soon as the chef entered the room, the door behind him swung shut and locked tightly, causing the woman to rush over to it. "And now their bodies will remain in there like a tomb?!"
"When we make it out of here, we'll call the authorities and retrieve their bodies!" The chef replied as he placed his shaking hands on the woman's shoulders. "Not all hope is lost, Sharon!"
The woman turned around and cried in his arms until she had no more tears left.
"Hah! What a loser…" Helga blurted out, causing someone else who was watching to shush her. "I mean, come on! It's obvious that once they leave that place, it will explode or something so no evidence will be left behind. That's what I would have rigged it to do."
Arnold silently agreed that if it ended that way, it would make sense but still held out that hope was still possible, and all of the fallen people would eventually be retrieved and have a proper burial.
The two adults began to comfort each other as they sat down on the sofa. The chef held the teacher in his arms, and rocked her back and forth while he hummed a song.
"That… is a nice song…" The teacher whispered to the man. "Where is it from?"
The chef looked down at the sad woman and smiled. "My mother used to sing it to me during thunderstorms. I don't know what it is called… only that it always lulled me to sleep, even in the scariest times." He let go of her and stood up, grabbing 2 wine glasses, and handed one to her.
"But what if-"
The man placed his finger on her lips, then sat down. "If this is meant to be our last day on earth, it will be such, even if we don't want it to be, right?" He asked, gaining a nod from her in return. "Whether poison or nourishment, let us go in our own way…"
The two drank their glasses of wine, spoke of times long past and eventually their spirits were lifted. They joked and played around until the wine was gone.
"Tim… we can't…" The teacher whispered softly to him, as he brought his face closer to hers. "You're… you're married…"
"My wife died when all of this began and there is no getting her back…" He whispered back sadly, slowly closing their gap.
Their kiss started out soft but eventually turned into something a lot greedier and more animalistic. They each began to slowly take off each other's tops…
Arnold watched this display of loveless lust unravel before his eyes. He gulped and looked over at Helga, who seemed unaffected and had even managed to grab the popcorn from the floor without him noticing. This doesn't bother her? He wondered, feeling himself become uneasy.
Feeling his eyes on her, Helga slowly turned her head and gave him a questioning look. "What?"
With a blush, the boy cleared his throat. "This… doesn't make you feel… weird? Or uncomfortable?" He asked, as he pointed towards the screen where the two people were now only in their underwear and still making out.
Helga smirked and popped one of the kernels in his mouth. "Uncomfortable? Because of this? You got to be joking."
Arnold blushed a deeper shade, now at his own embarrassment.
She suddenly reached over and turned his head back to the screen. "You see them, Football head?" She asked playfully in his ear, causing a shiver to travel up his spine. "Those are two people who could die at any moment, grasping for any sense of relief from their dire situation."
He heard her words but could only see the faces of the two adults touching each other in manners he wasn't used to seeing.
"It's not romantic, it's pathetic." She stated with a grunt before sitting back down in her seat. Noticing that he had no response for her, she looked at him again and noticed that he still looked very uncomfortable. "Is… is this your first time seeing some rated R content?" She asked in astonishment.
The scene had changed to another group's struggles, and Arnold quietly nodded his head. "Grandpa usually doesn't let me watch TV after 8 o'clock."
"Geez!" She shouted, causing another person to shush her. She turned around and threw some popcorn in their direction. "Mind your own business, you moron!"
"Helga!" Arnold grabbed her by the elbow and sat her back down, his embarrassment now focusing on something different. "You're gonna get us kicked out!"
Slumping back down into her seat, she shrugged. "Fine, fine…" She shook her head and smiled, "I've seen things way worse than this. Things that come on way past 8pm, Football head and let me tell you…" She turned to face him with a grin he had never seen her wear before. "Things get way wilder than just hot and heavy kissing and grabbing…"
"W-wilder?" Arnold gawked back before closing his eyes and shaking the images from his head, causing Helga to laugh and grab her drink.
The movie ended with only the fortune teller, teacher and hacker genius making it out alive and the ending being open ended with whether or not all of those bodies would ever be found.
The four friends walked out of the theater back through the emergency exit with many things on their mind.
"Man! I cannot believe the police officer died like that!" Gerald yelled after closing the door. "I mean, really? How could he make such a rookie move like that?"
Phoebe frowned and grabbed his hand. "I agree that his plan wasn't thought through… however I was impressed that he managed to unlock all of those mechanisms all by himself in order to let the other man live…"
"The way the chef got squashed by the boulder was hilarious, though!" Helga laughed as they made it from the alleyway and towards their bus stop once more. "He should have been watching where he was going instead of staring at that lady's butt!"
"Hands down, the hacker was my favorite." Gerald pointed out before continuing with all of his favorite parts that the hacker had a hand in.
Arnold listened to them all and smiled. "It was definitely an interesting movie. What was it called?"
"Choice Consequences." Phoebe replied, knowingly. "A very fitting title for their predicaments."
The bus pulled up and opened the doors, allowing the four to enter and take their seats.
Gerald leaned over the back of his seat and smiled at his best friend. "So, how's your day been, my man?"
"It's been great!" Arnold replied enthusiastically. "I couldn't have asked for a better day! The food, the game, the movies… I really had a fun time."
"And the day is only half over." Helga mentioned, her voice turning harsh as she looked away, causing Arnold to give her a questioning look.
"Is… is there more?" He asked, unsure if this was a good thing or not.
Gerald gave him a chuckle and sat back down in his seat. "That's something that I don't even know, man."
After a while, the bus dropped them off close to the Sunset Arms and the four stood in front of the large red building. They looked up at the old building and noticed that nothing really seemed out of the ordinary.
Arnold walked up his stoop to open the door, and noticed no one was following him. "Aren't… you guys coming in?"
"Sorry, Arnold but I promised my mom that I'd help her take care of… all the laundry." Gerald replied, scratching his arm, and looking uncomfortable. "Jamie-O brought a bunch of his stuff over and… I don't want her to have to do it by herself. Who knows what crazy stuff she might find?"
"I have to apologize as well, Arnold." Phoebe chimed in, sadly. "I have fencing lessons with my father."
Arnold then looked over at Helga, who looked the most uncomfortable out of the bunch. "Helga?"
Her face began to turn red at the thought that she couldn't go inside with him. The day had been such a success, aside from their brief fight earlier that morning, so why is it she couldn't enjoy the final act with him? Helga kicked a nearby pebble and took in a deep breath. "I… I have something I gotta do…" She lied.
"Mother asked Helga if she could help her with… dinner, right Helga?" Phoebe helped, with a sympathetic look on her face as she placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder.
"R-right…" Helga stuttered quietly, refusing to look up at the sad face she knew her beloved was wearing. "I'm… actually sleeping over…"
An awkward silence passed between them all before Gerald cleared his throat. "Yeah, sorry man. Call me tomorrow and let me know all the cool stuff you get, okay?"
Looking at his front door, and then back at his friends, Arnold's heart felt heavy. "Yeah… okay…" He said solemnly, poorly hiding his disappointment. With a heavy swallow, he opened the door and stepped inside. "I'll see you guys later. Thanks again for the really fun day. It was great!"
It was obvious to the kids that Arnold was forcing his smile, but they all gave him a smile of reassurance back, save for Helga, and wished him a goodnight.
The moment he shut the door; the three friends could hear his parents yell "Surprise!" from within the house.
"I guess that's, that." Gerald was the one to break the heavy silence, as he grabbed his girlfriend's hand. "A job well done."
"Y-yeah…" Helga replied, looking at the stoop of her beloved, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
"Mother was pleased to hear that you would be spending the night, Helga." Phoebe reminded her, happily. "She really was hoping you would help her with dinner."
Helga didn't respond, but continued to look at the stoop.
The couple glanced between themselves and seemed to give a silent understanding.
"You know…" Gerald started slowly. "It would be a shame if someone crashed that party… Walk in, unexpected."
"Indeed. It's possible that if such a situation happened like that, maybe they wouldn't know what to do." Phoebe added, waiting a moment to see if her friend would respond. "I once knew a girl who crashed a party that she felt she should have been invited to. Just showed up, completely unannounced and took over the whole thing, and had a lot of fun… Right, Helga?"
The light in the living room lit up, and the kids could see someone placing a party had on Arnold's head through the shadows.
"The Helga Pataki I know, wouldn't let something like not being invited stop her from getting what she wanted." Gerald pushed in a rough tone.
"That is true…" Phoebe smiled. "She would yell, Get outta my way, geekbaits! And storm on in…"
They both watched as Helga clenched her fists angrily.
"You're right…" She whispered, before turning around and showing them her angry, red face. "You're right!" She yelled again before stomping inches away from them. "Screw invitations! I don't need to be invited! Criminy! I living there, for crying out loud! They can't keep me from my room!"
"Well, technically you are living there rent free…" Phoebe pointed out.
"Who cares?! No one wants to live in this run down piece of crap anyway!" Helga shouted accusingly. "I pull my own weight and ask for nothing! In fact, I didn't even want to live here but they insisted! They practically threw their hospitality in my face and then think they can uninvite me?!"
Gerald and Phoebe smiled at each other at a job well done.
"I'll show them what it means to uninvite Helga G. Pataki!" She cried to the world, before stomping up the steps, throwing open the boarding house door, and disappearing inside with a loud thud from the door swinging shut behind her.
"Hey! Treat that door with some respect, young lady! That wood is older than I am!" Phil scolded Helga from another room.
With one final huff, Helga marched her way into the living room and saw all the happy faces of everyone that lived there.
"Helga?" Arnold looked at her with a joyous surprise. "I thought you were helping Phoebe and her mom?"
"Yeah, well I decided to crash this party instead." She shrugged stubbornly as she crossed her arms and waited to be thrown out.
Stella smiled and ushered the girl to sit next to Arnold on the old sofa. "We were surprised to hear that you weren't gonna make it!"
When Helga sat down, she gawked at the woman in confusion. "Huh?"
"Yeah? What kind of girlfriend leaves this helpless kid to the mercy of all these crazy adults?!" Phil asked before he gave a wicked laugh.
Helga turned to him with a shocked face, that slowly melted into anger. "You're the one who said this was a 'family only' event!" She yelled, full of confusion and embarrassment.
"I told you that I didn't want you getting the whole dang school involved!" The old man threw his arms up in the air and chuckled. "I didn't say that you couldn't come!"
"Helga… honey, you live here." Stella informed as she placed a loving hand on the girls back. "Did you really think you weren't invited?"
The room became quiet as everyone waited for Helga's response.
Suddenly, a large realization dawned upon Arnold and he placed his hand on the girl's leg. "Is… is this why you've been so unhappy lately? Because you thought you couldn't come to my birthday party?"
Helga let out a loud scream and stood up. "How the heck do you think I should feel?! I had a week to plan the perfect day for you, even though I wasn't invited to the main event?!"
The adults took a step back and looked at each other, astonished that they had unknowingly created such a grave misunderstanding.
Gertie walked over to the girl and gave her a large hug. "Oh…. Eleanor! You should have said something, dearie!"
The old woman's warm embrace and kind words caused Helga's eyes to water. She had been boxing up and forcing down her own, real emotions for so long, that they were threatening to expose themselves in a way she wouldn't tolerate. "What could I have said?" She replied, angrily. "You have me under YOUR roof! Feeding me YOUR food! I don't have a leg to stand on, let alone have room to complain about a favor ASKED of me!"
"But Helga…" Miles walked over to the girl and knelt down to face her rage head on. "You don't owe us anything…" He said softly. "If you hadn't of helped Arnold, against all the odds back in that jungle, we wouldn't even be here right now."
"Of course we would help you in your time of need!" Phil placed his hands on his boney hips and let out a long, exasperated sigh. "If it hadn't of been for you and that cute little gold locket you stole back from me all those years ago with Arnold's picture in it, none of this would even be possible!"
"You KNEW about that?!" Helga shrieked in horror.
"I may be old and feeble-minded, but I'm not SENILE!" Phil laughed. "Shortman told us everything you kids sacrificed out there to get my kids back! How could we not be grateful?"
Helga could feel her head begin to spin and she wanted to run away. They all knew about her locket. They all knew about her secret. They all knew of her feelings for Arnold and… they were all perfectly okay with it? This whole time, she thought that they were all just pitying her, when in fact, they were helping her out of pure gratitude and concern? This information was too much for Helga to handle and she felt her knees get weak, causing her to sit back down.
"I think she's a little overwhelmed…" Stella said as she looked into Helga's glassy eyes. "Let's put all of this aside for now, and continue with the party."
Gertie ran over and turned on the record player. "It's party time, boys and girls!"
The noise around the house sounded only like muffled congestion in Helga's ears, as she stared off into space, trying to take in all of the new information and feelings.
Arnold smiled and grabbed both of her hands when he noticed all the adults had taken their attention off of them. "Helga?" He called out to her, lovingly.
She turned her head, but her blank expression still remained.
"I'm sorry about earlier." The boy confessed with genuine embarrassment of his own. "I didn't know that you've been shouldering all of this… all for my sake. I wish you would have said something to me… even though I know you couldn't." He looked into her eyes and gave her a confident smile. "I had a really fun day! Thank you!"
Helga watched as her body reacted on its own and reached out to touch his cheek. He blushed at her touch, but didn't brush it away. "Oh Arnold…" She sighed, finally breaking from her daze. "To see you smile at me that way, I'd do it all again without question…"
He blushed at her truthful comment and looked around at all of the adults doing a jig to his grandmother's music. He stood up and reached his hand out to her. "Come on, let's join them!"
Everybody danced, played games, ate the food on display, and even partook in some party shenanigans before it was finally time for Arnold to unwrap his presents. His parents sat him down in the chair with all of the streamers covering it and began to hand him colorful boxes with bows.
The boy's shining smile grew. "Thanks, everyone." He said as he picked up a small box.
Miles held his wife close as she snapped a quick picture. "Open it up, son!" She called out to him.
Arnold unwrapped the small box and opened it up. His face gave a queer look as he held up what was inside. "…Grandpa's underwear?"
"That's where those went!" The old man shouted and laughed as he snatched the briefs away. "There's more, Shortman!"
Removing some white fluff, Arnold revealed a small shiny object. He held it up and looked it over. He recognized it immediately but was still a bit baffled and looked at his grandpa. "It's your old swiss army knife."
The man nodded his head with a proud smile. "It served me well for many, many years and I think it's time for it to become someone else's." He explained as he thought fondly of the item. "Keep it with you always, Arnold! You never know when it might come in handy someday and get you out of some sticky situations!"
"Except for school, son…" Miles added, quickly. "Don't bring it to school."
Arnold chuckled and placed the old relic in his pocket. "Thanks, Grandpa. I'll take good care of it."
Ernie brought over the next gift, which was larger than the last. "Open up ours next, Arnold."
"We all pitched in!" Mr. Hyunh added, with a large smile. "Even Oscar!"
"I scraped together all of my pennies so you could have a birthday present, Arnold…" Mr. Kokoshka explained sadly, hoping to get some recognition for the small amount he added to the pool. "I hope you like it."
Arnold slowly unwrapped the paper and opened the box. "A new catcher's mitt!" He yelled as he pulled it out of the box, some filler falling on the floor. "Thanks, you guys! How did you know I needed one?"
"I found your old one in the dumpster while I was looking for dropped change on the ground." Oscar confessed. "I was so sad for you that I suggested it to everyone else."
"Criminy…" Helga mumbled from the corner of the room, not wanting to interrupt anything.
Stella ran over and handed her son his next present. "This one is from us!"
The boy ripped off the wrapping paper and smiled widely. "Is this…?"
"It's your own cell phone!" Miles called out, as Arnold inspected the phone's box. "That way, if you're ever out and stuck, you'll be able to call home instead of relying on the payphones around town."
"It's a prepaid, as well." Stella added. "It means that you will always be able to make emergency calls, however if you want to make leisurely calls, you'll need to buy those minutes using your money you get from your chores."
Arnold took the phone out of its box and looked it over. It wasn't flashy in anyway, but seemed practical and easy to use. "Thanks Mom and Dad!" He smiled at them as he flipped the phone open and shut. "I'll make sure I keep it charged and have it on me at all times when I leave the house."
"That's my boy!" Miles cheered before he handed him his next present. "This one is from your Grandma."
The box was long and rectangular, with a colorful bow tapped on the top. Arnold removed the cover to find a blue and red woven blanket that was clearly handmade. "A new blanket!"
"I knitted it myself!" The old woman mentioned. "There is something inside it too!"
Arnold picked the blanket out of its box and noticed there was a smaller box inside. Curious, he unwrapped the box to find a new electric toothbrush. Unsure of how to show excitement for this type of present, he forced a smile at his grandmother who seemed to be awaiting a response.
"Brush well, Tex or your mouth will be looking like its full of cow pies!" Gertie shouted with a laugh. "And no woman will want to kiss a mouth like that."
Helga turned away as a blush suddenly mounted on her cheeks and began to exit the room as she was beginning to feel awkward.
"Oh, good job, Pookie!" She could hear Phil shout from behind her. "Now you've gone and embarrassed the girl!"
The girl rolled her eyes at his comment but continued to her room. Although the woman's words did send some eyes her way, it wasn't the only reason she was feeling awkward. Standing there, by herself, while she watched loving family members shower Arnold with gifts while she kept hers hidden for later, made her feel like the odd one out.
Once she got to her room, she opened the desk drawer that had the tickets in them. She picked them up and looked them over as she thought of all of the gifts his family had given him. Was this really the right gift, after all? It made her feel a little cheap and selfish. Sure, he would enjoy going to the botanical gardens but she was more looking forward to enjoying that event with him, rather than him just enjoying it himself. Her mind flashed back to the conversation she heard him and Gerald talking about outside, while Phoebe was getting ready. I haven't really seen him spend a whole lot of time with his parents… She realized as she looked over the tickets. She thought back to the baseball game and remembered the little boy who got those peanuts. He had his parents with him, as did many of the other kids who watched the game. This caused Helga to imagine Arnold and his parents at that baseball game, all holding number 1 fingers, with hot dogs and sodas in their seats.
Helga sat down at her desk and placed the tickets on the woods soft surface. I had the whole day to spend with Arnold because they gave me the money and opportunity… She thought as she remembered their happy faces when she barged into the room, full of rage. I thought… I thought they didn't want me around and were paying me off, when it couldn't have been further from the truth! Phoebe was right… Miles and Stella aren't the type of people to have malicious intent. I have to make this right…
Then Helga noticed something particular about the tickets. She picked them up and smoothed them out in her hand. "Is… is there…?" but just as she wondered aloud before her finger and thumb pushed hard between the pieces of paper, revealing that there were actually three tickets, instead of two. "They were stuck together?" Helga held the tickets up to her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Criminy! I must have been so excited to get them, that I didn't notice this earlier…"
With a loud whine, Helga threw them down on her desk. "It doesn't matter how much I want to have that romantic date with Arnold, in the controlled jungle environment of the botanical gardens, free of pirates and poison darts... he would enjoy it much more with his parents, not me!" Her heart ached at the thought of her losing her opportunity with him, but knew it was the right thing to do, for their sake. "He's spent his whole life without them… and this is the least I can do…" She whispered to herself as she slumped in her seat, her body letting gravity drag herself to nearly falling off the chair. "They'll have a far better time teaching him things and showing off, compared to a half-baked attempt at me trying to rekindle the moment we lost back in San Lorenzo. And Arnold? He even said himself just today that all he does is look forward to spending time with them and since I've been living here, they've been focused on helping his elderly grandparents while he focuses on school."
Helga allowed gravity to pull her down completely, as her bottom fell to the floor, causing the small rolling chair to wheel backwards until it hit her bed. She crossed her legs and slouched forward, with her elbows touching her knees, and her face in her palms. She imagined her love holding both of his parent's hands while they pointed out different flower species and explaining to him different purposes they could be used for, pointing out some sorta weird looking bug and giving him a lecture on how some tribe probably worshiped it. She imagined after a long day of walking and talking, Arnold becoming tired so his dad would carry him on his back, all the way home so that way they could tuck him in. These were the things that Arnold missed out on his entire childhood and these were the moments he deserved. "I've had the luxury to watch him practically my whole life! And they haven't!" She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Knock, Knock, Knock…
Helga was interrupted by someone at her door. She got to her feet, wobbled a second then placed her ear against the door. "Yes?"
"Ummm…" She could hear Arnold's voice on the other end, and her heart began to beat fast. "I was wondering if you wanted a slice of cake?"
He left his party to come all the way up here and offer me cake?! Helga fanned herself and smiled wildly as she felt her adoration for the boy beginning to rise.
Outside in the hallway, Arnold held the plate of birthday cake close to him, while frowning at the door. He knew his grandmothers comment probably caused her to leave, and felt bad about it. "I can leave it in front of the door, if you want?"
Helga took another deep breath. She had meant to apologize to him properly over how she acted earlier, and wondered if this was a good time to do that. There was also the matter of the tickets and how she would present them to him. Were they waiting for him downstairs? Had they already finished the festivities and were cleaning up?
"Helga?" Arnold called to her again. She could hear the disappointment in his voice and knew she had no other choice than to confront him now.
The blonde girl unlocked and opened the door. She placed a hand on her hip and looked surprised. "You came all the way up here… to bring me cake?"
Arnold blushed and held the plate out to her, shyly. "Well… yeah."
She accepted it and opened the door wider, giving him the signal that he could join her, which he did without much hesitation.
Noticing that the tickets were still on her desk, Helga quickly placed the plate over them, in an attempt to conceal them before she was ready.
"I'm… sorry about earlier…" He started, as he stood there apprehensively in the doorway. "My Grandma can say some crazy things. I hope she didn't bother you…" He scratched the side of his arm awkwardly, and looked at the floor. "I'm also really sorry that my family caused that big misunderstanding… and I know they're sorry too."
"Stop."
Helga's voice caught the boy off guard, and he looked up at her: She was sitting in the rolling desk chair, looking irritated.
"But Helga-"
"Maybe your Grandma should have given you something to clean your ears out with instead, because you must be going deaf!" She challenged, causing him to give her a guilty look. "You have nothing to apologize for." Her look softened as she gave him a small but sad smile. "I'm the one that needs to say I'm sorry. It's always me. I'm the one who acts without thinking. I'm the one who always jumps to conclusions! You had every right to be frustrated with me this morning because…" Her voice cracked as she fought off her emotions. "I've been the one avoiding you since I couldn't get out of my own head. I really wanted to plan the perfect day for you, but I didn't like the thought that I was being pushed out. I blamed your family instead of just asking them clearly, and you had to pay for it! You, Arnold, the one person who didn't deserve it."
Arnold could hear the desperation in her voice, and it only made him feel worse. "It's okay, Helga!" He insisted as he smiled and began to approach her. "I had a really fun day! It was a real surprise that you guys went through all of that trouble, just to make today special for me!" When he sat on her bed, he noticed by her face expression that she was still beating herself up over everything and reached his hand out and placed it on hers. "How about tomorrow, we just spend the day together? Just the two of us?"
His suggestion caused her heart to skip, but she shook her head. "We can't."
"Why… why not?" He asked, full of worry.
Helga let go of his hand and turned around. She moved her plate, took the tickets, and turned to face him again with them in hand. "Because you have other plans."
"I… do?" He asked as he looked at the pieces of paper she was holding.
Squeezing them one more time to solidify her decision that this was the best thing, Helga handed them to him and gave another small smile. "Here. Happy birthday."
Arnold took the tickets and looked them over. "Three tickets to see the city's botanical gardens?"
"Yeah, they're for the new rain forest exhibit." She explained shyly as she looked down. "I got them for you and your parents. I noticed you guys haven't been spending a lot of time together. I found these and figured… I don't know, maybe you could all take a day trip… or something." She grumbled.
It took a moment for her words to register in his brain, but after they finally had, Arnold leapt up and gave her the biggest hug he could muster, causing Helga's eyes to widen in shock. "This is the best present of all!" He stated before letting her go and looking into her eyes to show her that he meant those words. "It's a shame that you can't come with us, though…"
"Gardens aren't really my style, Football head." Helga shrugged and laughed. "I like loud angry mobs and violence, remember? Monster trucks and wrestling? Angry death metal?" She then took his hand once more and gave him a real smile, something she hadn't managed to do for a while now. "I'm glad you like them, though."
Seeing her happiness caused Arnold to feel at ease. Things were finally right again in their little world. "What about next weekend?" He adamantly suggested. "Can we can do something then?"
Helga smirked. "Like what?"
Allowing a warm and fuzzy feeling to wash over his body, Arnold thought of possible romantic places to take her to confess his feelings. "I got a bit of birthday money… so maybe some place nice to eat?"
The suggestion caused Helga's mind to wander into her fantasies. "You mean something with romantic appeal? Dim lighting, soft music playing in the background and a dinner by candle light?" She asked with a soft and dreamy voice.
Arnold blushed and looked down at her hands. "Y-yeah… something like that…" He replied nervously, feeling his heart beat in his throat.
"I'll have to check my calendar but I think maybe I could squeeze you in." Helga replied playfully when she noticed his adorable boyish behavior. "But don't say I never did you any favors."
Feeling grateful that she was handling his shyness about everything so well, Arnold chuckled. "Alright."
The noise downstairs began to pick up as it sounded like someone broke something, causing an argument between the adults.
Arnold rolled his eyes and stood up, slowly letting go of her hands. "I better get back downstairs before Grandpa strangles someone…" He said regretfully, as he stared into her starry blue eyes.
"Is this typical for your birthday?" She asked in amusement, trying to imagine what sort of troubles the boarders have caused Phil in the past.
"Something like that." Arnold replied with a shrug. He noticed she still hadn't touched her cake and handed it to her once more. "Here. My parents made it and its pretty good." He smiled as she looked down at it with a queer look. "It tastes better than it looks, I promise."
"I bet they added weird things to it…" She frowned as she poked at the frosting with her fork. "Is it at least sweet?"
Love filled Arnold's chest as he silently cherished the vision of her picking at her food like a stubborn child. "Of course it is, Helga." He laughed. "It's cake."
After giving him a look of doubt, the girl cut a piece with the side of her fork and reluctantly took a bite. She gave it a moment in her mouth to really get a taste and noticed that he was telling the truth. There were some interesting flavors she hadn't tasted before, which was something she was dreading since his parents liked to 'spice things up' but the taste was surprisingly delightful.
"I know its not your typical birthday cake, but I'm used to things being out of the ordinary when it comes to my family." Arnold casually joked with a witty grin. He waited and watched as she took another bite. "Do you like it?"
"Eh, it's alright." Helga shrugged before putting the half-eaten cake back down on her desk. "I've had better."
Arnold gave her a heartwarming grin. He wanted to stay with her longer but he knew that he needed to intervene downstairs. "I better get going now." He said as he placed his birthday present in his pocket. "I'll show them to my parents after whatever is going on downstairs has settled…" He winced as he heard his grandpa call someone some colorful names. "Whenever… that happens."
"Okay." Helga frowned as she watched him turn around and head towards the door. Arnold… always the mediator… She sighed to herself, feeling sorry for him as it seemed he was always the more mature person of this nut job of a household. A feeling of regret washed over her as he grabbed her door handle and she stood up. "Actually, Arnold… wait." She said as she felt her anxious and longing heart begin to throb in her chest, not wanting him to go.
He turned around and gave her an encouraging smile. "Yeah?"
Looking down at her piece of cake, then back at him, she suddenly had an idea. "You might as well take this back down with you…"
"Oh..." Arnold's smile disappeared as he watched her collect her plate and begin to bring it to him.
"Yeah… it's just not my style." She said as she placed it in his hand, but didn't let go. "It's not bad but… I'm looking for something a lot sweeter…" Noticing that Arnold was still holding on to the doorknob, she placed her hand on top of his and slowly entwined their fingers until they were both grasping it. "You know what I mean?"
With a hard swallow, Arnold could feel his temperature rise and his head begin to go fuzzy as her body moved closer. There was just something about the way she was talking, and the way she was moving, that was so enticing. Almost like if his body knew something that his brain didn't. He stared up at her anxiously but didn't move. "Do you want me to get you something else?" He quietly asked through his shallow breathing.
Helga locked eyes with him and slowly forced him backwards until they both heard the clicking noise of the door as it was closed. She could see that he was anticipating her moves, and it made her wear a devilish grin. "Oh, you don't need to get me anything." She teased as she gradually let go of his hand and trailed her fingers up his arm.
Her touch caused tingles to shoot up Arnold's spine in an almost electrifying way, and he unintentionally shivered. "I… I see." He said as he let go of the doorknob and held the plate with both hands.
Her fingers trailed further up to his shoulder, then to his collar bone, under his neck and to his chin; her gaze never wavering from his. He was submissive and pliable to her touches and she wondered what was going through his mind. She leaned forward and brought her lips to his ear. "I think you can give me something much sweeter…" She breathed lovingly, leaving the only gap between them being held by the plate they both clutched.
Her breath on his skin caused him to grip the plate harder, making an audible clanking noise when the fork was jostled against the ceramic. He felt like a mouse being cornered by a hungry cat but instead of feeling scared, he was further drawn to her. Images from the movie flashed in his mind of the two adults enveloping each other in passion, and Arnold swallowed nervously again, unable to keep himself from inserting them into that situation.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" She whispered sweetly before letting out a small giggle and bringing her face closer to his. Seeing his expression caused her to blush a deep shade, but she didn't hesitate, only smiled. "Just what are you thinking about in that dreamy little mind of yours? Eh, Football head?"
Arnold's face grew redder than it already was, unable to answer her with the truth. He knew he was being teased, since it was something she had mastered, but he wasn't used to being teased in this manner nor had any idea how to respond to it. Part of him enjoyed it, and all the ways she was making him feel, but another part of him grew frustrated and unsure of himself since he couldn't get his thoughts straight. "I'm… I'm not sure…" He answered her softly and quietly. "Everything… is a little fuzzy…"
Helga chuckled to herself as things were a lot more amusing than she expected them to be. "Sorry about that." She said as she tilted his chin upward. "I'll clear things up for you."
When their lips finally met, Arnold nearly dropped the plate. Her lips were warm, and pleasant, just as they always were except this time, he could taste the sweet cake on them. He wanted so badly to put down the plate and hold her in his arms, however the nearest table was in no way in arms reach, so instead, he gingerly moved it out from between them with one hand, and grabbed her waist with the other, causing her to give a small squeak of surprise. Arnold grinned beneath their kiss before pushing up on the balls of his feet to gain some equality in their height difference and deepened their kiss.
Not expecting such a feverous response from her partner, Helga felt her legs become weak and she grabbed on to his shoulders to steady herself, but only caused them both to stumble forward a little bit and their lips broke apart.
"I'm… sorry." Said Helga, breathlessly and embarrassed. "My legs kinda got all wobbly there."
Arnold gave her a shy smile but understood. "It's okay… mine were kinda… getting that way too…"
The two kids stood there with bashful smiles on there faces, and just basked in each other's glow. The noise from below them started to louden once more, but this time it was laughing instead of yelling.
"I guess you didn't have to intervene after all." Helga stated with an awkward grin. "Seems they figured it out themselves."
"Yeah…" Arnold agreed, still letting his body return to normal before he gave walking another try.
Another awkward silence passed between them as they listened to the adults below.
"Hey, Arnold." Helga suddenly said, breaking their silence.
"Yeah?"
"Happy birthday." She finished with a warm and loving smile.
The boy smiled back. "Thanks, Helga."