A/N: Here's chapter 2, sorry it took so long but I was having some SERIOUS writers block (not to mention ff.net's been down and stuff). I had one thing going with the playground and another with Cocoa Hut and teachers, but I hope you like this version! And about my vacation, it was fun! Yeah, I got rained out at the beach, saw a shark in the water I would be swimming in, was sun burnt, and they had the seat belt sign on the whole time on the plane (try holding it in for 2 and a half hours)! But seriously, it wasn't that bad. Now only 3 more weeks till school! (UGH!!!)Don't get me wrong, school's not so bad, but I got shoved into advanced math! Don't ask me how, someone told me I did good on my final, I said "yeah, okay." Next thing you know BOOM, I'm taking something like "Quantum Physics" or whatever. Oh well, it's only (looks over at calendar) 10 MONTHS!!!???
Today of All Days
Chapter 2
******************
Ah, the 'old' tree house.
A place for the kids of P.S 118 to just hang out, goof around, and possibly get a good laugh. A place where you can let all your worries go. A place where you sit back, grab a Yahoo, and know that life still has some fun.
Yeah, right.
All I wanted was to enjoy my little bit of freedom, to ignore all other problems and difficulties in my life. But it's almost like all of fate AND CREATION has it out for me. Nothing too mean to pull on 'Helga G. Pataki', oh no. As long as you can get a good laugh out of the process.
And that's exactly what happened.
After that melee of insanity known as recess, the whole gang and me figured we might as well stop at the tree house for a little while. After all, we'd played at least 3 baseball games at school, so everyone had agreed that we might as well take a break. Now, what could go wrong? About 12 or so kids, after playing an American pastime, walking to an old city club house to relax for a little in late spring. Really, what could happen?
"Hey, I'll bet 3 Mr. Fudgies I can beat ya'all to Mighty Pete!"
We all looked at each other and simultaneously agreed with Stinky. Everyone lined up, and I started the countdown.
"Ready...set..."
"GO!!!" came everyone in a huge cheer.
All of us ran down the sidewalk, tree house no more than 100 feet ahead. I was in about third behind Gerald and Arnold.
"Hey football-head, think FAST!" I yelled sarcastically getting in front of them both and into first.
50 feet...30 feet...10...5...
"YEAH!" I reached the tree house ladder and started to climb. I thought I heard something as I neared the first floor and pulled myself up. But what I saw in front of me took my mind off of it....REALLY off of it...
***************
(The next day)
"Helga, are you okay dear?" Miriam. Again.
"I'm fine MOM!"
Actually, I wasn't too fine. In fact if you wanted to put a name on it, I was terrified, confused, and SERIOUSLY ticked off! I walked over to my closet, nervous if I would find the shrine their, and discover that the tree house one had been a fake, or if it wouldn't be there...
(*flashback*)
"My shrine..."
Those two words were, I think, the most terrifying I'd ever heard myself utter. And the worst part was, I wasn't waking UP! There was no alarm clock buzzing, no Miriam yelling I was late, no sunlight shining in my eyes, NOTHING! There was just me, in a state of shock, and about a dozen kids a millisecond away. No time to think, MOVE MOVE MOVE! I began pulling it apart and shoving the blankets and odds & ends in any box or hideaway I could.
"Hey Helga, what did you do, take the bus when we weren't looking?"
Gerald. I glanced back and saw him half way up the ladder, followed by-
"ARNOLD!!"
Oh boy, hurry, hurry!
And then I swear, I swear time stood still as both of them entered and I threw the intricately decorated football bearing the most of Arnold's likeness out of the window and into a trashcan we had all positioned at the base of the tree.
"Done!" I yelled, gasping for air.
"Um Helga," Arnold stared at me and cocked an eyebrow, "are you all right?".
Okay, I'll admit, I must have looked a little weird sprawled on the floor, hand out of the window, covered in dust and breathing like a maniac. Luckily I managed to compose myself.
"Uh, nothing football-head! I just....thought I...dropped a quarter and I was catching it."
Both rolled their eyes as everyone else began to enter. Good thing they didn't notice the smear of red paint on my hand, and the small piece of paper on the floor.
(*end flashback*)
My hand, now clean, was sweaty on the knob, slowly it turned...
Nothing.
Now a sigh of relief left me as I laid my eyes upon the shrine, still in tact and perfect. I closed the door behind me.
"But still, someone, somewhere, knows my secret. Not to mention a few other things about me. So the question is 'How?'. HOW could they have gotten all of this information? HOW could they have known where I would be and when? Or maybe the question isn't how, but why? Why in the world would they do this, when they had given no motive or demands? Were they just toying with me, or-"
I flopped down on some pillows and sighed.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting. Maybe it was someone's stupid toy, or just a sick joke. It dosen't necessarily mean they 'know' anything." I laid my eyes on the glowing monument before me again, "Yeah, someone just 'felt' like making a shrine to Arnold and placing it in the tree house!"
Then a flash of something caught my eye. It was nothing but a memory and a basic observation. I stood up and went over to that football that served as a head. On the left side was a small circle of red paint, but on the right was simply a smear, with my fingerprint in the center...
A piece of paper floated to the floor. 'That' piece of paper...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Sorry it's a little short. But I think that this would be the best place to stop. R&R!!!
Today of All Days
Chapter 2
******************
Ah, the 'old' tree house.
A place for the kids of P.S 118 to just hang out, goof around, and possibly get a good laugh. A place where you can let all your worries go. A place where you sit back, grab a Yahoo, and know that life still has some fun.
Yeah, right.
All I wanted was to enjoy my little bit of freedom, to ignore all other problems and difficulties in my life. But it's almost like all of fate AND CREATION has it out for me. Nothing too mean to pull on 'Helga G. Pataki', oh no. As long as you can get a good laugh out of the process.
And that's exactly what happened.
After that melee of insanity known as recess, the whole gang and me figured we might as well stop at the tree house for a little while. After all, we'd played at least 3 baseball games at school, so everyone had agreed that we might as well take a break. Now, what could go wrong? About 12 or so kids, after playing an American pastime, walking to an old city club house to relax for a little in late spring. Really, what could happen?
"Hey, I'll bet 3 Mr. Fudgies I can beat ya'all to Mighty Pete!"
We all looked at each other and simultaneously agreed with Stinky. Everyone lined up, and I started the countdown.
"Ready...set..."
"GO!!!" came everyone in a huge cheer.
All of us ran down the sidewalk, tree house no more than 100 feet ahead. I was in about third behind Gerald and Arnold.
"Hey football-head, think FAST!" I yelled sarcastically getting in front of them both and into first.
50 feet...30 feet...10...5...
"YEAH!" I reached the tree house ladder and started to climb. I thought I heard something as I neared the first floor and pulled myself up. But what I saw in front of me took my mind off of it....REALLY off of it...
***************
(The next day)
"Helga, are you okay dear?" Miriam. Again.
"I'm fine MOM!"
Actually, I wasn't too fine. In fact if you wanted to put a name on it, I was terrified, confused, and SERIOUSLY ticked off! I walked over to my closet, nervous if I would find the shrine their, and discover that the tree house one had been a fake, or if it wouldn't be there...
(*flashback*)
"My shrine..."
Those two words were, I think, the most terrifying I'd ever heard myself utter. And the worst part was, I wasn't waking UP! There was no alarm clock buzzing, no Miriam yelling I was late, no sunlight shining in my eyes, NOTHING! There was just me, in a state of shock, and about a dozen kids a millisecond away. No time to think, MOVE MOVE MOVE! I began pulling it apart and shoving the blankets and odds & ends in any box or hideaway I could.
"Hey Helga, what did you do, take the bus when we weren't looking?"
Gerald. I glanced back and saw him half way up the ladder, followed by-
"ARNOLD!!"
Oh boy, hurry, hurry!
And then I swear, I swear time stood still as both of them entered and I threw the intricately decorated football bearing the most of Arnold's likeness out of the window and into a trashcan we had all positioned at the base of the tree.
"Done!" I yelled, gasping for air.
"Um Helga," Arnold stared at me and cocked an eyebrow, "are you all right?".
Okay, I'll admit, I must have looked a little weird sprawled on the floor, hand out of the window, covered in dust and breathing like a maniac. Luckily I managed to compose myself.
"Uh, nothing football-head! I just....thought I...dropped a quarter and I was catching it."
Both rolled their eyes as everyone else began to enter. Good thing they didn't notice the smear of red paint on my hand, and the small piece of paper on the floor.
(*end flashback*)
My hand, now clean, was sweaty on the knob, slowly it turned...
Nothing.
Now a sigh of relief left me as I laid my eyes upon the shrine, still in tact and perfect. I closed the door behind me.
"But still, someone, somewhere, knows my secret. Not to mention a few other things about me. So the question is 'How?'. HOW could they have gotten all of this information? HOW could they have known where I would be and when? Or maybe the question isn't how, but why? Why in the world would they do this, when they had given no motive or demands? Were they just toying with me, or-"
I flopped down on some pillows and sighed.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting. Maybe it was someone's stupid toy, or just a sick joke. It dosen't necessarily mean they 'know' anything." I laid my eyes on the glowing monument before me again, "Yeah, someone just 'felt' like making a shrine to Arnold and placing it in the tree house!"
Then a flash of something caught my eye. It was nothing but a memory and a basic observation. I stood up and went over to that football that served as a head. On the left side was a small circle of red paint, but on the right was simply a smear, with my fingerprint in the center...
A piece of paper floated to the floor. 'That' piece of paper...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Sorry it's a little short. But I think that this would be the best place to stop. R&R!!!