1999
DISCOVERY
Part Twelve: The Last Mystery
(This fic is written entirely from Arnold's point of view. I really tried to get into his head, even as HE tries to understand Helga.)
Arnold and Helga spun around to see none other than Patti Smith, aka Big Patti, standing behind them. Helga seemed absolutely stunned, so Arnold was the one to ask, "But why would you do something like this?"
He was shocked. Patti had always seemed so serious, so grown up. Up until now, Arnold had just assumed that the heart had been drawn by some kid with a grudge against Helga, who wanted to embarrass her in front of everyone.
Patti had always been upfront and direct. If you did something to her, you got pounded. If you were nice to her, she was friendly to you. She didn't seem like the type to attack someone secretly like this.
"'Cause you remind me of me, not too long ago." Patti answered in that serious way of hers, looking at Helga. "I had a crush on somebody once. I really liked him, but I didn't want anybody to tease me, so I picked on him a lot. I always figured I'd tell him someday, but then...he moved away. I never got the chance to tell him how I felt about him. It really hurt."
She looked down at the ground, a sad look on her face. "I guess after that I started acting meaner or something, because I never wanted to be hurt like that again. Until I met Harold, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a friend. I didn't even realize how lonely I was until then."
Patti smiled at them. "You guys have been nicer to me than anybody, except Harold. I wanted to do something nice for you. To give you the chance I never had."
"You and Arnold are good kids. I know you'll be good to each other." Arnold looked at Helga. She seemed just as surprised as he was.
Patti gave them one more sincere smile and turned to leave. She was halfway down the alley when Helga called out, "Patti--wait."
Patti stopped and turned around, looking at them with no expression on her face.
Helga hesitated, then looked at Arnold. Her face had the same look of painful indecision he'd seen in the past when she was struggling with her sensitive side, trying to say something, but not quite sure how...
And this time Arnold realized all she needed was a little encouragement. He stepped up next to her and took her hand, giving her a 'you can do it' smile.
Helga's expression softened, rewarding him with a tender smile. She turned to Patti and asked, "You want to sit with us at lunch tomorrow?"
Patti's face was not the kind that showed emotions very easily, but Arnold could tell she was pleased. "Sure, that'd be okay. As long as you don't mind sitting with Harold."
"Oh, no, please, not Harold!" Helga said in mock horror, rolling her eyes.
Surprised at this unexpected bit of humor, Arnold couldn't help chuckling. He laughed more because he was happy that Helga was relaxed enough to joke with Patti, than because her joke was particularly funny.
Even Patti grinned. "Okay, see ya tomorrow."
"Oh, hey, Patti?" Helga said quickly.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Patii gave them a friendly nod and left.
The two of them stood looking at the brick wall. "You were right, Arnold." Helga said quietly.
"About what?"
"About making friends with Patti. I never would've guessed she'd be the one responsible for making my fondest wish come true." Helga gazed at him, her expression one of mingled admiration and wonder. "I don't know how you do it. No matter how bad a person may seem...they meet you, and suddenly they're not so bad after all."
Arnold had never really thought about it before. It just seemed to him that no one was ever really as bad as they appeared. "I guess I just look for the good in people. And...I think some people just need to learn to believe in themselves."
"Like me, you mean?" Helga's expression was unreadable.
Arnold looked at her, appreciating anew the kind of person she'd managed to grow up to be, despite her parents' neglect. "Actually, Helga, I really admire you."
Helga looked astonished. "Wh-what?"
"Your parents have a lot of problems. And they really don't appreciate you. A lot of kids wouldn't have been able to cope." Arnold said earnestly.
Helga shrugged. "I'm tough because I have to be--if I don't take care of myself, no one else is going to." Her voice was a little sad.
Arnold thought of his own extended 'family' with fleeting gratefulness. He felt a twinge of sympathy, a desire to help her somehow, and still had no idea how.
He went on thoughtfully, "Your sister learned that she could get your parents' attention by being the best at everything. You decided to do things on your own, instead of trying to impress them. I really admire that."
"Well-it's not like I had a choice..." Now her face reflected her terrible loneliness.
Oh, Helga. Arnold squeezed her hand gently to comfort her. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad.
Do I like her-like her? I don't know. he thought, watching her silently suffering. But he knew he did care about Helga. A lot. And finally, Arnold knew what he could do, what he could say, to help ease a little of her pain.
"Helga?" She looked at him wistfully. "I want you to know that you're not alone anymore. From now on, if you ever need anything...I'll always be there for you. I promise." He meant it.
"Oh, Arnold!"
He didn't expect Helga to throw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. But this time he knew what to do. He hugged her back. His face was half-covered by her hair, but somehow he didn't mind at all.
THE END
Author's Little Note: It took me a year and a half, but it's finished. I never realized when I started this fic that it would get so...involving. I enjoyed writing every bit of it, though. I may eventually write a sequel; who knows? But I really would appreciate any feedback...any at all...
Dreamsinger
DISCOVERY
Part Twelve: The Last Mystery
(This fic is written entirely from Arnold's point of view. I really tried to get into his head, even as HE tries to understand Helga.)
Arnold and Helga spun around to see none other than Patti Smith, aka Big Patti, standing behind them. Helga seemed absolutely stunned, so Arnold was the one to ask, "But why would you do something like this?"
He was shocked. Patti had always seemed so serious, so grown up. Up until now, Arnold had just assumed that the heart had been drawn by some kid with a grudge against Helga, who wanted to embarrass her in front of everyone.
Patti had always been upfront and direct. If you did something to her, you got pounded. If you were nice to her, she was friendly to you. She didn't seem like the type to attack someone secretly like this.
"'Cause you remind me of me, not too long ago." Patti answered in that serious way of hers, looking at Helga. "I had a crush on somebody once. I really liked him, but I didn't want anybody to tease me, so I picked on him a lot. I always figured I'd tell him someday, but then...he moved away. I never got the chance to tell him how I felt about him. It really hurt."
She looked down at the ground, a sad look on her face. "I guess after that I started acting meaner or something, because I never wanted to be hurt like that again. Until I met Harold, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a friend. I didn't even realize how lonely I was until then."
Patti smiled at them. "You guys have been nicer to me than anybody, except Harold. I wanted to do something nice for you. To give you the chance I never had."
"You and Arnold are good kids. I know you'll be good to each other." Arnold looked at Helga. She seemed just as surprised as he was.
Patti gave them one more sincere smile and turned to leave. She was halfway down the alley when Helga called out, "Patti--wait."
Patti stopped and turned around, looking at them with no expression on her face.
Helga hesitated, then looked at Arnold. Her face had the same look of painful indecision he'd seen in the past when she was struggling with her sensitive side, trying to say something, but not quite sure how...
And this time Arnold realized all she needed was a little encouragement. He stepped up next to her and took her hand, giving her a 'you can do it' smile.
Helga's expression softened, rewarding him with a tender smile. She turned to Patti and asked, "You want to sit with us at lunch tomorrow?"
Patti's face was not the kind that showed emotions very easily, but Arnold could tell she was pleased. "Sure, that'd be okay. As long as you don't mind sitting with Harold."
"Oh, no, please, not Harold!" Helga said in mock horror, rolling her eyes.
Surprised at this unexpected bit of humor, Arnold couldn't help chuckling. He laughed more because he was happy that Helga was relaxed enough to joke with Patti, than because her joke was particularly funny.
Even Patti grinned. "Okay, see ya tomorrow."
"Oh, hey, Patti?" Helga said quickly.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Patii gave them a friendly nod and left.
The two of them stood looking at the brick wall. "You were right, Arnold." Helga said quietly.
"About what?"
"About making friends with Patti. I never would've guessed she'd be the one responsible for making my fondest wish come true." Helga gazed at him, her expression one of mingled admiration and wonder. "I don't know how you do it. No matter how bad a person may seem...they meet you, and suddenly they're not so bad after all."
Arnold had never really thought about it before. It just seemed to him that no one was ever really as bad as they appeared. "I guess I just look for the good in people. And...I think some people just need to learn to believe in themselves."
"Like me, you mean?" Helga's expression was unreadable.
Arnold looked at her, appreciating anew the kind of person she'd managed to grow up to be, despite her parents' neglect. "Actually, Helga, I really admire you."
Helga looked astonished. "Wh-what?"
"Your parents have a lot of problems. And they really don't appreciate you. A lot of kids wouldn't have been able to cope." Arnold said earnestly.
Helga shrugged. "I'm tough because I have to be--if I don't take care of myself, no one else is going to." Her voice was a little sad.
Arnold thought of his own extended 'family' with fleeting gratefulness. He felt a twinge of sympathy, a desire to help her somehow, and still had no idea how.
He went on thoughtfully, "Your sister learned that she could get your parents' attention by being the best at everything. You decided to do things on your own, instead of trying to impress them. I really admire that."
"Well-it's not like I had a choice..." Now her face reflected her terrible loneliness.
Oh, Helga. Arnold squeezed her hand gently to comfort her. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad.
Do I like her-like her? I don't know. he thought, watching her silently suffering. But he knew he did care about Helga. A lot. And finally, Arnold knew what he could do, what he could say, to help ease a little of her pain.
"Helga?" She looked at him wistfully. "I want you to know that you're not alone anymore. From now on, if you ever need anything...I'll always be there for you. I promise." He meant it.
"Oh, Arnold!"
He didn't expect Helga to throw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. But this time he knew what to do. He hugged her back. His face was half-covered by her hair, but somehow he didn't mind at all.
THE END
Author's Little Note: It took me a year and a half, but it's finished. I never realized when I started this fic that it would get so...involving. I enjoyed writing every bit of it, though. I may eventually write a sequel; who knows? But I really would appreciate any feedback...any at all...
Dreamsinger