Hey Arnold does not belong to me!
Chapter Four: A Night Out
Arnold decided to listen to Brainy and Sid's DJ gig at Club Vogue after all. It was in a really trendy little spot downtown. Arnold got the directions from Brainy and lucky he found it. There were no signs outside to distinguish it. It was gray brick with a heavy steel door painted black. A huge, bald guy stood by the door checking ids and handling the cover charge, "It's fifteen dollars."
Arnold handed him the money and walked into the club. He looked around hoping to see Sid or Brainy but he didn't. The crowd looked young and he felt out of place. "Have I gotten so old so quickly?" he thought to himself. Maybe he'd run into Helga. This didn't seem like her crowd. But he couldn't really guess that either. Everybody had changed so much.
The bass thumped deafening his ears. Arnold didn't know how much he could take until he saw a familiar face. "Hey!"
"Hey Arnold, whassup?" answered Stinky. "Whatcha doin' here? I didn't know you liked this kinda music." He still had that 'good ole boy' southern drawl.
"Well, it's okay I really like jazz and swing a lot you know but I came to support Sid and Brainy."
"That's cool." Stinky lit up a cigarette and drew the smoke in deeply and then exhaled. He was in a punk band and played around the city. He liked to promote himself so he'd show up at most clubs around town to smooze.
"So did you guys get signed yet?" Arnold tried to make small talk.
"Nah man, not yet. But that's not what's important to us right now. We just want to make good music."
"Spoken like a true artist man."
"Fuck yeah." Stinky shouted and took another drag off his cigarette. He offered one to Arnold, "Want one?"
"No thanks man. Hey have you seen anyone else around here tonight?"
"Nope. I talked to Lila though, she said she wanted to come but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She doesn't like clubs ya know."
"Oh."
Arnold saw Brainy in the corner setting the laser lights to the right of the dance floor and Sid was pulling out some records. He pointed them out to Stinky who walked over to them and started hassling them. Suddenly, someone shouted in his ear, "The Green Party is a bunch of Environmental Nazis!" Arnold turned around ready to give his prepared speech when he realized it was Helga.
"How's it hangin' Football head?"
Arnold looked at her dumbfounded at first and then smiled, "'Sup Helga?"
"Came to see those losers spin." She smirked at Arnold. "You look thirsty. Lemme buy you a beer." She sauntered over to the bar and ordered two beers. He kept his eyes on her the whole time. She really was gorgeous yet she seemed so down to earth, so real. She walked back with the beer. "Here hairboy, drink up." She toasted and they both took a swig.
"Thanks for the drink. Man, I heard you were going to be here tonight."
"Oh so now you're really stalking me." She laughed and nudged him with her elbow. Arnold smiled.
"I thought it might be a good time."
"So where's your keeper?"
"Huh? You mean Timberly?"
"Doi!"
"She went to her brother's house for the weekend. Damn, have you regressed Helga or what? You acted totally different yesterday." Arnold teased.
"Who am I trying to impress? No really, It's good to see you. We haven't seen each other in a long time. You seem like you're doing well."
"Good, then I fooled ya. I am busy with work. We have to raise funds for one of our guys, Michel Etchegaray..."
"Ohmygod, I know him! I know about that whole deal with him losing that position on the water commission."
"No way, how do you know him?"
"Get this...I used to work for him. After I graduated from law school, I clerked for him for like six months. He was a democrat back then though. He's such a nice guy. So how are you going to raise funds for his campaign against that other guy?"
"That's what I was working on earlier today. I have been writing a bunch of letters so Greens can start raising and donating money."
"Arnold, I could really help you on this."
"Get out."
"No really, my job right now consists of me finding 'artists/musical talents to sign' and most of that is done during Thursday through Sunday nights. I have so much free time right now I am pulling out my hair. Seriously, let me give you my card." Helga pulled out a card and handed it to him. "I'll bet they work you like a dog too and you don't have anybody to help you." He looked at it and slid in his back pocket.
"Not really but I manage."
"So what do you have your degree in?"
"I got my masters in Political Psychology about a year ago. And then I got this position and moved here. I am really impressed that you went to law school, Helga." Arnold grinned at her. She smiled at him and then looked away.
"Looks like Stinky is here. I am going to hear his band play next Friday night. Maybe you and Timster could come out."
"She's not too into his music."
"What a shame... I think that band of his is gonna go pretty far."
A loud siren went off and the lights flickered. The drum machine started to thump and then the electronic music began. The crowd took to the dance floor jerking and spinning, doing what some call dancing. There was a group on the stage that had began to break dance. It was wild. Arnold went to the bar, which was pretty much abandoned now except for a few people that never danced. He bought two more beers and rejoined Helga who was accompanied by a very tall, skinny guy with blue hair. He had his hand on the small of her back and was whispering something in her ear. Arnold rolled his eyes at the sight of this guy. He interrupted them. "Hey Helga, here's your drink." She took it saying thanks but still talked to the guy with the blue hair. Arnold felt even more out of place now, although he didn't look out of place. Arnold was quite tall now averaging about six foot two or three. He was thin yet toned and he was handsome. He hoped that Helga wasn't into this guy. Finally the guy walked away finding a spot on the dance floor. "Made a new friend?" Arnold asked.
"He was giving me some line. He thought I went to high school with him so I had to indulge." Helga giggled. "Thanks for the beer, Football head." She took a sip and bobbed her head to the music.
Arnold was watching the break-dancers when he noticed another guy walk up to Helga and start talking. This guy looked like a frat boy. He had brown hair gelled back. He was well built but a bit stocky. A black shirt hugged his washboard stomach and baggy jeans hung off his sculpted butt. He made Arnold even sicker than the first guy. Men kept on coming up to Helga and talking to her all night. Arnold didn't even really get to speak to her. He left without saying bye to her or Sid and the guys.
As he walked down the street, he heard that voice again, "Why'd you take off?"
He turned, "I am really beat."
Helga had numbers on little pieces of paper in her hand. He looked at them and felt his heart drop. Helga's eyes sparkled, "Wanna split a cab?"
"Why not?" he mumbled.
Helga hailed a cab and they headed to their homes for the night.
This is the end of chapter four. This is now the end of the story but check back for chapter five. It might be a while; I am in the process of moving from TX to CA.
Chapter Four: A Night Out
Arnold decided to listen to Brainy and Sid's DJ gig at Club Vogue after all. It was in a really trendy little spot downtown. Arnold got the directions from Brainy and lucky he found it. There were no signs outside to distinguish it. It was gray brick with a heavy steel door painted black. A huge, bald guy stood by the door checking ids and handling the cover charge, "It's fifteen dollars."
Arnold handed him the money and walked into the club. He looked around hoping to see Sid or Brainy but he didn't. The crowd looked young and he felt out of place. "Have I gotten so old so quickly?" he thought to himself. Maybe he'd run into Helga. This didn't seem like her crowd. But he couldn't really guess that either. Everybody had changed so much.
The bass thumped deafening his ears. Arnold didn't know how much he could take until he saw a familiar face. "Hey!"
"Hey Arnold, whassup?" answered Stinky. "Whatcha doin' here? I didn't know you liked this kinda music." He still had that 'good ole boy' southern drawl.
"Well, it's okay I really like jazz and swing a lot you know but I came to support Sid and Brainy."
"That's cool." Stinky lit up a cigarette and drew the smoke in deeply and then exhaled. He was in a punk band and played around the city. He liked to promote himself so he'd show up at most clubs around town to smooze.
"So did you guys get signed yet?" Arnold tried to make small talk.
"Nah man, not yet. But that's not what's important to us right now. We just want to make good music."
"Spoken like a true artist man."
"Fuck yeah." Stinky shouted and took another drag off his cigarette. He offered one to Arnold, "Want one?"
"No thanks man. Hey have you seen anyone else around here tonight?"
"Nope. I talked to Lila though, she said she wanted to come but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She doesn't like clubs ya know."
"Oh."
Arnold saw Brainy in the corner setting the laser lights to the right of the dance floor and Sid was pulling out some records. He pointed them out to Stinky who walked over to them and started hassling them. Suddenly, someone shouted in his ear, "The Green Party is a bunch of Environmental Nazis!" Arnold turned around ready to give his prepared speech when he realized it was Helga.
"How's it hangin' Football head?"
Arnold looked at her dumbfounded at first and then smiled, "'Sup Helga?"
"Came to see those losers spin." She smirked at Arnold. "You look thirsty. Lemme buy you a beer." She sauntered over to the bar and ordered two beers. He kept his eyes on her the whole time. She really was gorgeous yet she seemed so down to earth, so real. She walked back with the beer. "Here hairboy, drink up." She toasted and they both took a swig.
"Thanks for the drink. Man, I heard you were going to be here tonight."
"Oh so now you're really stalking me." She laughed and nudged him with her elbow. Arnold smiled.
"I thought it might be a good time."
"So where's your keeper?"
"Huh? You mean Timberly?"
"Doi!"
"She went to her brother's house for the weekend. Damn, have you regressed Helga or what? You acted totally different yesterday." Arnold teased.
"Who am I trying to impress? No really, It's good to see you. We haven't seen each other in a long time. You seem like you're doing well."
"Good, then I fooled ya. I am busy with work. We have to raise funds for one of our guys, Michel Etchegaray..."
"Ohmygod, I know him! I know about that whole deal with him losing that position on the water commission."
"No way, how do you know him?"
"Get this...I used to work for him. After I graduated from law school, I clerked for him for like six months. He was a democrat back then though. He's such a nice guy. So how are you going to raise funds for his campaign against that other guy?"
"That's what I was working on earlier today. I have been writing a bunch of letters so Greens can start raising and donating money."
"Arnold, I could really help you on this."
"Get out."
"No really, my job right now consists of me finding 'artists/musical talents to sign' and most of that is done during Thursday through Sunday nights. I have so much free time right now I am pulling out my hair. Seriously, let me give you my card." Helga pulled out a card and handed it to him. "I'll bet they work you like a dog too and you don't have anybody to help you." He looked at it and slid in his back pocket.
"Not really but I manage."
"So what do you have your degree in?"
"I got my masters in Political Psychology about a year ago. And then I got this position and moved here. I am really impressed that you went to law school, Helga." Arnold grinned at her. She smiled at him and then looked away.
"Looks like Stinky is here. I am going to hear his band play next Friday night. Maybe you and Timster could come out."
"She's not too into his music."
"What a shame... I think that band of his is gonna go pretty far."
A loud siren went off and the lights flickered. The drum machine started to thump and then the electronic music began. The crowd took to the dance floor jerking and spinning, doing what some call dancing. There was a group on the stage that had began to break dance. It was wild. Arnold went to the bar, which was pretty much abandoned now except for a few people that never danced. He bought two more beers and rejoined Helga who was accompanied by a very tall, skinny guy with blue hair. He had his hand on the small of her back and was whispering something in her ear. Arnold rolled his eyes at the sight of this guy. He interrupted them. "Hey Helga, here's your drink." She took it saying thanks but still talked to the guy with the blue hair. Arnold felt even more out of place now, although he didn't look out of place. Arnold was quite tall now averaging about six foot two or three. He was thin yet toned and he was handsome. He hoped that Helga wasn't into this guy. Finally the guy walked away finding a spot on the dance floor. "Made a new friend?" Arnold asked.
"He was giving me some line. He thought I went to high school with him so I had to indulge." Helga giggled. "Thanks for the beer, Football head." She took a sip and bobbed her head to the music.
Arnold was watching the break-dancers when he noticed another guy walk up to Helga and start talking. This guy looked like a frat boy. He had brown hair gelled back. He was well built but a bit stocky. A black shirt hugged his washboard stomach and baggy jeans hung off his sculpted butt. He made Arnold even sicker than the first guy. Men kept on coming up to Helga and talking to her all night. Arnold didn't even really get to speak to her. He left without saying bye to her or Sid and the guys.
As he walked down the street, he heard that voice again, "Why'd you take off?"
He turned, "I am really beat."
Helga had numbers on little pieces of paper in her hand. He looked at them and felt his heart drop. Helga's eyes sparkled, "Wanna split a cab?"
"Why not?" he mumbled.
Helga hailed a cab and they headed to their homes for the night.
This is the end of chapter four. This is now the end of the story but check back for chapter five. It might be a while; I am in the process of moving from TX to CA.