Okay, this is a very…weird story. Definitely not my best, but you may beg to differ…anyway, I wanted to first introduce you to Arnold's POV, how he saw things. This isn't really a lemon…I didn't want any revelations, more like "close-to-revelations". I really doubt this would ever happen, but I am proposing a "what if…?" situation here, so you'll have to bear with me. Anyway, I wanted to sort of give these kids an adventure of their lives, a time travel. The kids stumble upon a "time machine" and go through the past and the future together, getting glimpses of prehistoric times, each other's past, and their futures. Should be interesting (I hope!). Okay I'm gonna start writing it now, this is just an introduction and a guideline for me. P.S. I'm gonna try not to have any revelations, no romance, just…interesting…not like any of my other fanfics…or really any others I've seen out there…so if you're looking for something a little different, I'm the author for you! Check out my other stories, but this one is probably the "most eventful". DISCLAIMER: I have absolutely no connection with Hey Arnold! whatsoever…yet. So don't sue me! I have no money! I'm innocent, innocent I tell ya! HAHAHAHA!
Travel Through Time
Chapter 1
Another spit wad hit the back of my head. I turned around and glared at Helga, angrily.
"Cut it out!" I hissed, not wanting it to come out too nastily. I'm not that kind of person. I was just irritated.
Helga, naturally, denied having done anything-but making it pretty obvious that she knew that I knew that she knew she did. Or, something like that.
"What?" she asked innocently.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, exasperated, as Mr. Simmons strolled through the door. I shook off my irritation and decided to focus on the lesson.
The rest of the day carried on like this. Helga, throwing spitballs. Me, trying to ignore her. Gerald, my best friend, trying to bring me back to reality.
I tend to space off a lot. It's not that I get bored easily, or that I want to escape reality even. I guess I'm just a dreamer. Gerald is the one who brings me back from my fantasies, trying to keep me somewhat mellowed out. I guess we go well together.
Okay, so much for my attempt at describing my relationships. Well, I suppose I'm really not much of a writer. Then again, I'm only nine.
Lately my dreams seemed to be…changing. Now I find myself fantasizing about Lila, or having nightmares about visiting my cousin Arnie, or…well, I don't remember a lot of my dreams anymore, either.
Lila. The name itself was enough to spark an adrenaline rush. Lila was…perfect. She's everything I'm looking for in a girl…smart, funny, pretty, sophisticated, trendy, and most importantly…nice.
I groaned when my eyes fell upon Helga, my childhood tormentor. I sometimes wonder if she'll ever change, if she'll ever come out of her bully exterior. At least, I hope it's just an exterior. I like to think she's just covering up for insecurities I'm not aware of yet. But, who knows, maybe she's just mean.
The strange thing is, I consider Helga my friend. Well, sort of. Half of the time I sort of like her, but then she reverts to being a bully and I can't stand her. Gerald thinks I'm insane for even putting up with her. But what am I supposed to do?
Anyway, Lila and I…we're not exactly together. Yet. I still have hope. Out of desperation I once pretended to be Helga's boyfriend to make her jealous. As Helga put it, "Girl's don't like you if they know you like them."
And yet, after everything I've done, after all of my pathetic attempts, she still doesn't like me like me. I can't tell you how many times she's told me, "I don't like you like you, I just like you." Every time she says it stings just as much as the last.
It was just another day.
I sighed and trudged out of the school, amidst the herd of rampaging kids running for the door. Nothing new.
Except one thing. I spotted Helga, being careful to walk as slowly as possible, grumbling something under her breath. Like she REALLY didn't want to leave school. Or, I thought to myself, to go home.
I tried to push it out of my mind, to tell myself I didn't care. But my concerned nature got the best of me and I stopped to talk to her.
I expected her to push me aside, to insult me, to pound me or yell at me. What I didn't expect was what happened.
She spoke. "Hey, Arnold."
No "football head". No "Arnoldo." Just casual conversation, which surprised me.
"You goin home?" I asked, trying to nose into it without actually sounding like I was being nosy.
But Helga saw through it. She's good at that.
She glared at me scornfully. "Cut the crap, Arnoldo, I don't have time for it. I just wanna get this over with."
"So…um, you wanna talk about it?" I asked.
"No," was all she said. But then she continued, "But I suppose I'll tell you anyway. Bob and Miriam are out celebrating their…" she gave a slight shudder, "anniversary. They're going to be gone all day today until sometime tomorrow, leaving me home. With Olga."
There was a sneer in her tone as she mentioned her older sister. I had the feeling she was jealous of Olga, resented her, but I still didn't quite figure out why. Helga's not usually very open, or at least, not with me.
But right now I suppose there really wasn't anyone else around for her to talk to, and she probably wanted to gripe to someone about it. Get it off her chest. Phoebe hadn't been at school that day, I think she had a dentist appointment or something.
"I thought your sister was at college," I put in.
"Yeah, she is. But suddenly she jumps at the chance to 'bond' with her 'baby sister'. It's going to be miserable. I mean, I can get along with her, I guess, but we're better left apart. I'm going to take every chance I get to be away from her. Maybe Phoebe's back."
She sounded more like she was talking to herself. This didn't sound like Helga. Not really. I mean, she had the attitude and everything, but something had changed in her tone. Maybe it's just my imagination.
"Maybe," I replied, trying to make conversation. There was an awkward silence as we walked through the city together. It just wasn't right.
"We'll, see ya football head, my house is just a couple blocks away. I'll see ya at school or something…" she trailed off, once again grumbling, groaning, and continuing her path.
"Huh," I said to myself, heading towards my own house. Or, well, boarding house to be precise.
What had started as an ordinary day and gotten weirder, just now reached its ultimate bizarreness. Suddenly a dark cloud came over me, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a small, dark room next to three shadowy figures.
Chapter 2
"What? Where am I?" I asked as it suddenly sank in that I had no idea how I'd gotten there.
"Huh? Who's there?" a familiar voice demanded.
"Okay, what's going on?" one I recognized to be Gerald.
"Hey, that you football head? Tall hair boy? Phoebes?"
A major obvious one. Okay, so, I was stuck in a small, dark room with Phoebe, Gerald, and…Helga.
Now that was just odd.
"Uh…does anyone know where we are?" I asked, uncertain.
Phoebe speculated. "I believe we are in a small, dark, isolated room, Arnold."
Was she humoring me?
I heard Helga scoff. "DOI! Tell us something we don't know!"
We all just sort of looked around, trying to find some form of escape or clue as to where we were. But no, we couldn't find anything. Except…
"Hey! What's that?" Helga asked, mostly to herself because she knew that no one else could provide an answer. "Hey! It's a button! Wonder what it does…"
She wasted no time in pressing it.
Suddenly, I was surrounded by a bright light. I took a while to adjust to it, but eventually I could see my surroundings. Helga, Phoebe, and Gerald stood beside me, gaping.
I looked up, seeing the same thing they all saw. "Oh…my…" I whispered, not believing what stood before me.
"DINOSAUR!" Helga screamed, terrified. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" she cried, running away from the giant lizard-thing.
I stood, frozen, as they all followed Helga's lead. Suddenly I felt a hand pulling me, dragging me along until I finally snapped out of my daze.
RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
There was no way we could outrun it, it was right behind us! In a matter of seconds we'd be eaten alive!
"He…hey, what's this?" I asked, panting while I ran and pulled out the round object. I inspected it as closely as I could while running. "There are a bunch of buttons! Which one do I press?"
I don't know how I knew that these buttons had anything to do with the apparent time travel button we'd just pressed.
"WHO CARES?! JUST PRESS ONE!" Helga yelled, terrified.
I decided to choose the one on the far left.
Anything to get out of this.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Chapter 3
Just then a big flash, and suddenly, we were in a room.
I heard the sound of a piano in the background, and turned my head at the sound. Okay, at least we were back in the city where we were SAFE. I looked around, wondering where we were. Who was that playing the piano?
I was in a house. Gerald, Phoebe, and Helga were once again at my side. We walked into the room that the sound of the piano was coming from, and Helga screamed, even more horrified than before.
A younger version of Olga sat, playing the piano, her parents totally fawning over her. They would go on and on about how great she was, admiring and adoring her.
And there, tugging on her father's pants, trying to get his attention, was a 3-year-old Helga. I turned to see 9-year-old Helga totally flipping out.
"Where's that remote thingy?!!!" she screamed.
Wow, what had her so uptight?
I felt my pockets, but couldn't find it. Dang, where WAS the remote?
But instead of fretting over it, I turned my attention towards the scene before me, suddenly interested.
"Just a second, Olga," Bob mumbled to Helga, not even glancing at her.
"I'm going to preschool!" she hollered from the door, trying to get the attention of her parents, who were too busy admiring Olga to notice.
Once again, louder this time, Helga repeated that she was going to preschool, and slammed the door when she realized they didn't care.
I decided to follow. Gerald and Phoebe behind me, I ran after the young version of Helga. Where was the "other" Helga, anyway? Strange that I would be referring to her as "other". I looked behind me, and saw Helga running after us, hesitantly.
A car ran by, splashing the little girl with mud. She walked on in silent misery, clutching her lunch box like her life depended on it. A dog came upon her and took her lunch box. Again, she walked on, sullen. A sadness overwhelmed me.
And then, I saw a VERY familiar car pull up…a green Packard, to be exact. Helga lifted her head as she noticed that the rain was no longer touching her. Shocked, she turned to the football-headed little boy…
Oh, god…
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Helga screamed, tackling the three of us to the ground, shouting to drown out the sound.
And then, an identifiable circular object came flying from Gerald's jacket pocket, and Helga suddenly got up and ran for it.
"I like your bow," the 3-year-old me said to the little girl.
"What?" she asked, confused.
*I* closed the umbrella as *we* entered the building together, and replied. "I like your bow, because it's pink like your-"
FLASH!
Suddenly, a room I'd never seen before. I took a while to take in the sight, trying to recognize. Nothing clicked in my head.
In the corner of the room, though, I spotted a familiar face. I smiled, knowing now who's house I was in.
A slightly younger Gerald sat in the middle of the room, crying. He was going to have a baby sister. "As if an older brother isn't enough," I heard the young boy pout.
Gerald's father was going crazy, calling the hospital, getting his wife and kids out to the car. Gerald looked hesitant, but climbed in.
Of course, everyone followed. I saw Gerald bite his lip as he followed. After seeing Helga's reaction to her own past being revealed, I got the feeling this might be a similar outcome.
"Jaimie O, help me get your mom inside," his father ordered.
A grouchy Jaimie O got out of the car and helped his mother into the building. Gerald followed, reluctantly.
"Wasn't two enough? Why'd you hafta have another? Man, this bites!" muttered an upset Gerald. "Stupid little sister."
She hadn't even been born yet and already he had a grudge against her. Probably jealous of the attention the newborn would get.
Five-year-old Gerald sat in the waiting room for a long time, until finally he could go and see his new baby sister.
Angrily, he got up and dragged himself to his mother's room. His eyes gazed upon the fragile child as he stood beside his mom's bed. "Whatcha gonna name her?" he asked, anger faded, if only for a moment.
Mrs. Johansson smiled. "Timberley. Her name is Timberley. Meet your new sister, Gerald."
Gerald was now red with embarrassment. I could understand why, I suppose. Frantically, he searched for the remote. Now Phoebe took it out of her pocket, surprised.
Smiling sweetly at him, she pressed the third button from the left.
Chapter 4
Another flash, and then…
A familiar restaurant. I took a while to take it all in. To try to remember.
Gerald and Phoebe were beside me. Wait…where was Helga?
Valentines Day.
Cecile.
Ruth.
Everything was coming back now.
And there, before me, was the scene. My jaw dropped.
"…I can't tell you."
That sweet, soft-spoken voice. The wavy, blonde hair. Gorgeous blue, luminous eyes I couldn't take my eyes off of. The mysterious Cecile imposter.
I looked back, hearing footsteps. Helga solemnly joined us, her face now expressionless. I turned my attention back towards the two blonde nine year olds before me.
But everything else was muted as the previous words haunted my memory. Sent a chill down my spine.
"I can't tell you." Who was she? I never did find out, and since then I've given up hope of finding out. She had refused to reveal her true identity.
What was she hiding?
I shook off the daze and looked back towards the scene. "Cecile" had left, and there I stood, totally baffled.
There was a very peculiar silence. I was thinking of my past memories. Gerald, probably recalling his own past as well. Phoebe was speechless. Helga…who knew what that girl was thinking?
"Who's got the remote? I think we've seen enough," I said gravely, breaking the silence.
Silently, Helga brought out what we had come to know as a remote. Without a word said, she pressed the fourth button from the left.
Chapter 5
There were no flashes this time. No bright lights. And, thankfully, no dinosaurs.
I stood, shakily, and looked around me. I knew where I was instantly.
Here's the 411--I'm stuck in a time warp with my best friend, a football head, and his best friend, and neither of us have a clue what's going on or how to get out.
A 3-year-old Phoebe sat in the middle of the room, building a castle out of blocks, silent. Back in the too familiar preschool from my past. I shuddered at what our last visit had come so close to revealing.
A then 6-year-old Harold kicked the castle, knocking down the bricks that she'd been so intent on putting together. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of her castle being torn. Phoebe stammered, trying to come out with a defense, but said nothing, just wallowed in her grief.
Harold saw this as an opportunity to reign his power over the class, to claim his title as class bully and all-around tough-guy. That way no one would mess with him. No one would dare make fun of him. And he would finally get the power he desired.
"Is `wil Phoebe-weeby sad that her castle was ruined?" the older, dumber boy asked of the small child.
Laughs could be heard from the other kids, and the little girl just accepted it and fell silent.
And then, a 3-year-old girl with blonde hair put up in pig tails and a pink bow stomped over to the scene, and got up in the boy's face. Suddenly a shift of power was made, and the boy seemed to shrink in fear.
"What'd you do that for?" *I* snapped an angrily.
Even *I* wasn't that cruel. I mean, okay, I would have knocked the castle over, but I wouldn't make fun of the kid for getting upset.
"Be-because…I…" Harold stuttered.
Not letting him answer, *I* continued in my rage. "And if you EVER mess with my friend again, you'll be getting a visit from `Ol Betsy!"
And with that, a fist was thrust into his face, and he got the picture.
The 6-year-old Harold ran away, once again crying for his mommy.
Quickly, the 3-year-old bully snapped her head back to the other girl, who now looked up at her fondly. Admiring her, grateful.
"What are you looking at?" *I* snapped.
Suddenly, the girl threw her arms around *me*, and *I* was frozen. *I* couldn't move. This was all so new to *me*, *I* didn't know how to respond.
"Give me that remote!" I suddenly barked. "Who has the remote?!"
I'd had enough of all of this touchy-feely stuff. I saw the circular object on the floor in the middle of our little huddle. Frantically, I picked it up, found the fifth button from the left, and…
Chapter Six
FLASH!
A woman in her late twenties stood, looking at her watch. She had short, raven hair, and was wearing a very formal dress. I looked around me, trying to figure out where I was. I took a while to recognize the woman in front of me.
The woman in front of me was…me.
I blinked. Once. Again. No, I wasn't seeing things. Now, this was just getting creepy.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Helga stood there, jaw dropped, totally shocked. Beside her, Gerald and Arnold had similar expressions. I hid a sly smile.
The older me was, well, very pretty. I find it very difficult referring to myself in this sense, or even describing myself, particularly while staring at this older version of me.
We were in a restaurant. I could now see several other people gathered around the room, but for some reason I hadn't noticed until now. I turned my attention back to the older me, now wondering what she…I…could have been waiting for.
A business associate perhaps? Perhaps. An old friend? Certainly, that might be interesting to see one of my peers in an older version as well.
A tall, handsome man entered the room now. I was completely in a state of shock at what happened next. This man, who I soon recognized to be Gerald, smiled at seeing me…or, well, the older woman…and ran over to her, giving her a big hug and…a kiss.
I fainted. This was too much.
When I came to, whose face did I see but none other than Gerald's. I screamed, instinctively. Cautiously, he backed away, and let Arnold and Helga help me up. Possibly hurt that I would be so afraid of him.
I wasn't afraid of Gerald. I was just afraid of what this visit to the future had revealed…some things just shouldn't be known until they happen.
Looking closer, I could see that Gerald was red with embarrassment. It still hadn't worn off of him. Inside, I smiled. It wasn't very often that Gerald "lost his cool."
Once I was up again, we continued to watch as the couple sat down for dinner. Talked about careers, the past…
"Hey, whatever happened to our old friends? You know, from PS118? I haven't seen Arnold in years," stated the older Gerald. I could hear a hint of sadness in his voice.
The older me looked down at her plate, sharing the same grief. "Yes. I haven't heard from Helga since…well, since she went off to college."
I gasped. How could I go so long without seeing my best friend? And Gerald! He and Arnold…no. This could not happen. No way.
"I hear Rhonda's got her own fashion line. No big surprise there. Makes some pretty good money, too. Doesn't even rely on her parents anymore."
"Yes. And Harold is a butcher. He's still in the old neighborhood, too. I've seen Lila around."
At the mention of Lila, Arnold's spirit was lifted. Even I had to roll my eyes at this. I could see Helga scoff. I turned my attention back to the conversation.
"Really?"
"Yeah," the woman went on, "she told me she saw Arnold the other day in the city. They exchanged greetings and left. Arnold didn't even tell her where he was staying--if he was staying. Other than that, Lila really didn't have much else to say."
Arnold's face sank. I could just imagine what he must be thinking. In the corner of my eye I noted Helga's scowl disappearing, now a slight smile in its place.
"Okay, this is just weird…" Gerald suddenly spoke, ending the silence between us.
True; it was very strange. I'll give him that. But I was becoming fascinated in this flow of information.
Suddenly, another handsome young man walked into the room. It was very easy to recognize him. The football head gave it away right off the bat. I saw Helga's jaw drop.
"Whoa…" Arnold said, amazed by the new face. His face.
Suddenly, the older Gerald jumped out of his seat and ran towards the older Arnold, who had been looking at his watch anxiously, but was now very shocked at the burst of emotion. Gerald had wrapped his arms around Arnold, suffocating the poor man. Meekly, Arnold pushed Gerald away, and gave his former best friend a quick once-over, until finally he realized who it was.
"Gerald?!" he yelled, now full of joy.
"Arnold!" Gerald yelled, equally happy.
I glanced at Helga, who I just knew was going to throw a cynical comment in. And my intuition did not fail me.
"Getting a little too cozy there," she muttered.
I could see a hint of fear in her eyes. We'd just seen Arnold, Gerald, and me…it was only a matter of time before she made an appearance. Helga had good reasons to be afraid. Her critical comment had been a desperate escape from her nervousness.
"Phoebe?!" the older Arnold yelled, now interrupting my thoughts.
"Hey, Arnold!" the woman screamed with delight, coming over to embrace the fairly tall man.
The man smiled. "So, are you two…?"
Now the couple blushed, and Gerald held out *my* hand. She…I…blushed, and when everyone saw the ring, there was a gasp.
Even the older Arnold had to let out a surprised gasp. But he soon recovered with a coy smile. "When?"
I…She…smiled, the blush slowly fading. "In a few months. We were hoping to get in contact with you, as well as our other old friends, you know, from PS118. I still can't find Helga."
Just then, a tall, blonde woman walked into the room. She was absolutely stunning. A full figure, gorgeous face, long, blond hair…
"Okay, now it's getting interesting…" Helga grumbled, the 9-year-old Helga we all knew.
Arnold's mouth was hanging wide open. He was drooling all over this woman, not even realizing who it was. I couldn't contain my laughter any longer.
"Am I late?" the blonde woman asked, glancing at her watch, and looking back up towards the table where Arnold was now standing with Phoebe and Gerald. Her face suddenly lit up. "Phoebe! Wow! Long time, no see! How you been, girl!"
"Girl? Okay, what is going on here? Is this some sort of a joke? Come on, that is not me. Just look at Arnold over there, he's drooling all over me!"
Suddenly, Arnold looked like he'd been run over by a truck. I could imagine his shock when it finally clicked that this was Helga. Oh, the irony of it all…
Gerald laughed hysterically at this comment, hitting Arnold in the shoulders, dying laughing.
"Oh, MAN, Arnold! Sure got you there!" Then he suddenly stopped laughing, becoming serious, thinking. I don't think I want to know what was running through his mind right then, but I could imagine.
"Arnold!" the older blonde woman yelled, delighted to see the young man, running towards him.
Helga growled, suddenly VERY uncomfortable. And yet, I had to sit through the whole Gerald thing? I almost wanted to make her wait and bear the same thing I had to… But no, this would be more traumatic for her, and for Arnold.
"Where's that remote?!" Helga suddenly fumed, becoming very agitated.
Arnold hid a sly smile. He'd just seen Helga greet him joyously, run over to him, and embrace him. Not a side of Helga he saw very often. But, he had to be wondering, what she was so disturbed about…she'd been like this during every visit so far, except the one with Gerald.
Of course, I knew what was bothering her.
And then, I saw it. The shiny, round object. Poking out of Arnold's pocket. I saw him tuck it into his pocket, not wanting to return yet. Anxious to see more. I didn't blame him for that, but what he didn't, and hopefully wouldn't, realize is, to see what was going to happen next would be to reveal something Helga just wasn't ready to reveal yet.
I lunged for it. I HAD to get that remote…if I didn't, Helga would be ruined…
Meanwhile, the conversation between old friends still lingered. I could hear it, even with my concentration set on getting the remote.
"So, Helga, how's…life?!" my older self asked, thrilled to be reunited with her best friend.
I would have liked to see them as this was going on, but that would have been difficult. Arnold tried to keep me away. This thing was driving us all crazy.
"Well, I've been writing a lot of poetry; I even wrote a book filled with all of my childhood poems!" I could hear laughs from the two girls, and gulped. I could imagine what Helga was thinking. "I called it, "The Little Pink Book. Of course, I used my pen name. I can imagine what our old classmates would say if they knew it was me!"
"So, who were you waiting for?" the woman asked of Helga eagerly.
"Well…actually…I was meeting Arnold here for dinner. It's a long story, Phoebes, but basically we ran into each other. Anyway, since we're all here, we might as well get a table together!"
I grabbed the remote, after a challenging struggle. Before Arnold could snatch it away from me, I pressed the last button.
Chapter Seven
My eyes suddenly snapped open, and it finally settled in. I was back home. On my bed. In my room.
Grandpa and the boarders were there. Gerald, too. Only he was now coming to, as well. Grandma now came into the room.
"Hey, Arnold, you gave us quite a scare there! For a minute there we didn't think you were gonna wake up!"
Grandpa.
He scratched his chin, contemplating. "It was the oddest thing, too. Just as you were heading towards the house, you just collapsed. Luckily, Gerald was coming by just then, and took you inside, moments before passing out himself. As if that's not weird enough, your friend with the one eyebrow was found a couple houses down, unconscious on the sidewalk. Very strange…"
I sat up, now breathing harder than ever. "HELGA?!!!"
"Yeah, that's the one! Anyway, Pookie found her outside and took her in…mumbling something about Eleanor Roosevelt…" Grandpa trailed off, grumbling.
"Grandpa, please tell me you're joking."
I wanted to just die.
After everything that I'd just witnessed, after all the weirdness, I'd thought it couldn't get any stranger. Apparently, I was wrong.
Gerald sat up now, too. Panting, as well. "Man, Arnold! That was intense! I just had the strangest dream, and…ha…You, Helga, Phoebe and I were trapped in a small room together, and…we traveled through time…came face to face with a dinosaur…saw each other's pasts…then went into the future…oh, man! It was WEIRD!"
I could feel my heart rate accelerate. It had been so real…and now I knew it was real…so…Man! This was so weird!
"Uh…Gerald?" I stammered, my voice trembling as I spoke. My fear was obvious.
"Huh?" he asked.
"That wasn't a dream…I had the same experience…"
An awkward silence. Then.
"Arnold?"
"Yeah?"
A long pause. "What just happened?"
"I have no idea." I was silent, then. "HELGA! She's HERE!"
Gerald's face sagged. He moaned.
But I didn't have to get up to find her. 'Cause sure enough, the next person to walk into the room was none other than…
"HELGA?"
A glass shattered. She stood in the doorway, frozen. I could see her lip tremble. She lowered her eyes, gazing at the floor. Then, looking us both in the eyes, her voice firm, she came up with a conclusion that we could all agree on.
"What just happened--never happened."
"Gotcha," we said in unison, finally able to agree on something.
Slowly, carefully, Helga backed out of the room.
Not exactly a typical day in my life. Not at all.
As the door closed, a long silence followed.
"Wanna go play stickball?"
"Sure," I agreed, pushing the earlier incident out of my mind.
Nothing had happened.
The End
Arnold: "Uh…does anyone know where we are?"
Phoebe: "I believe we are in a small, dark, isolated room, Arnold."
Arnold: "Oh…my…"
"DINOSAUR!" Helga screamed, terrified. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
Arnold: "There are a bunch of buttons! Which one do I press?"
Helga: "WHO CARES?! JUST PRESS ONE!"
Travel Through Time
Chapter 1
Another spit wad hit the back of my head. I turned around and glared at Helga, angrily.
"Cut it out!" I hissed, not wanting it to come out too nastily. I'm not that kind of person. I was just irritated.
Helga, naturally, denied having done anything-but making it pretty obvious that she knew that I knew that she knew she did. Or, something like that.
"What?" she asked innocently.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, exasperated, as Mr. Simmons strolled through the door. I shook off my irritation and decided to focus on the lesson.
The rest of the day carried on like this. Helga, throwing spitballs. Me, trying to ignore her. Gerald, my best friend, trying to bring me back to reality.
I tend to space off a lot. It's not that I get bored easily, or that I want to escape reality even. I guess I'm just a dreamer. Gerald is the one who brings me back from my fantasies, trying to keep me somewhat mellowed out. I guess we go well together.
Okay, so much for my attempt at describing my relationships. Well, I suppose I'm really not much of a writer. Then again, I'm only nine.
Lately my dreams seemed to be…changing. Now I find myself fantasizing about Lila, or having nightmares about visiting my cousin Arnie, or…well, I don't remember a lot of my dreams anymore, either.
Lila. The name itself was enough to spark an adrenaline rush. Lila was…perfect. She's everything I'm looking for in a girl…smart, funny, pretty, sophisticated, trendy, and most importantly…nice.
I groaned when my eyes fell upon Helga, my childhood tormentor. I sometimes wonder if she'll ever change, if she'll ever come out of her bully exterior. At least, I hope it's just an exterior. I like to think she's just covering up for insecurities I'm not aware of yet. But, who knows, maybe she's just mean.
The strange thing is, I consider Helga my friend. Well, sort of. Half of the time I sort of like her, but then she reverts to being a bully and I can't stand her. Gerald thinks I'm insane for even putting up with her. But what am I supposed to do?
Anyway, Lila and I…we're not exactly together. Yet. I still have hope. Out of desperation I once pretended to be Helga's boyfriend to make her jealous. As Helga put it, "Girl's don't like you if they know you like them."
And yet, after everything I've done, after all of my pathetic attempts, she still doesn't like me like me. I can't tell you how many times she's told me, "I don't like you like you, I just like you." Every time she says it stings just as much as the last.
It was just another day.
I sighed and trudged out of the school, amidst the herd of rampaging kids running for the door. Nothing new.
Except one thing. I spotted Helga, being careful to walk as slowly as possible, grumbling something under her breath. Like she REALLY didn't want to leave school. Or, I thought to myself, to go home.
I tried to push it out of my mind, to tell myself I didn't care. But my concerned nature got the best of me and I stopped to talk to her.
I expected her to push me aside, to insult me, to pound me or yell at me. What I didn't expect was what happened.
She spoke. "Hey, Arnold."
No "football head". No "Arnoldo." Just casual conversation, which surprised me.
"You goin home?" I asked, trying to nose into it without actually sounding like I was being nosy.
But Helga saw through it. She's good at that.
She glared at me scornfully. "Cut the crap, Arnoldo, I don't have time for it. I just wanna get this over with."
"So…um, you wanna talk about it?" I asked.
"No," was all she said. But then she continued, "But I suppose I'll tell you anyway. Bob and Miriam are out celebrating their…" she gave a slight shudder, "anniversary. They're going to be gone all day today until sometime tomorrow, leaving me home. With Olga."
There was a sneer in her tone as she mentioned her older sister. I had the feeling she was jealous of Olga, resented her, but I still didn't quite figure out why. Helga's not usually very open, or at least, not with me.
But right now I suppose there really wasn't anyone else around for her to talk to, and she probably wanted to gripe to someone about it. Get it off her chest. Phoebe hadn't been at school that day, I think she had a dentist appointment or something.
"I thought your sister was at college," I put in.
"Yeah, she is. But suddenly she jumps at the chance to 'bond' with her 'baby sister'. It's going to be miserable. I mean, I can get along with her, I guess, but we're better left apart. I'm going to take every chance I get to be away from her. Maybe Phoebe's back."
She sounded more like she was talking to herself. This didn't sound like Helga. Not really. I mean, she had the attitude and everything, but something had changed in her tone. Maybe it's just my imagination.
"Maybe," I replied, trying to make conversation. There was an awkward silence as we walked through the city together. It just wasn't right.
"We'll, see ya football head, my house is just a couple blocks away. I'll see ya at school or something…" she trailed off, once again grumbling, groaning, and continuing her path.
"Huh," I said to myself, heading towards my own house. Or, well, boarding house to be precise.
What had started as an ordinary day and gotten weirder, just now reached its ultimate bizarreness. Suddenly a dark cloud came over me, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a small, dark room next to three shadowy figures.
Chapter 2
"What? Where am I?" I asked as it suddenly sank in that I had no idea how I'd gotten there.
"Huh? Who's there?" a familiar voice demanded.
"Okay, what's going on?" one I recognized to be Gerald.
"Hey, that you football head? Tall hair boy? Phoebes?"
A major obvious one. Okay, so, I was stuck in a small, dark room with Phoebe, Gerald, and…Helga.
Now that was just odd.
"Uh…does anyone know where we are?" I asked, uncertain.
Phoebe speculated. "I believe we are in a small, dark, isolated room, Arnold."
Was she humoring me?
I heard Helga scoff. "DOI! Tell us something we don't know!"
We all just sort of looked around, trying to find some form of escape or clue as to where we were. But no, we couldn't find anything. Except…
"Hey! What's that?" Helga asked, mostly to herself because she knew that no one else could provide an answer. "Hey! It's a button! Wonder what it does…"
She wasted no time in pressing it.
Suddenly, I was surrounded by a bright light. I took a while to adjust to it, but eventually I could see my surroundings. Helga, Phoebe, and Gerald stood beside me, gaping.
I looked up, seeing the same thing they all saw. "Oh…my…" I whispered, not believing what stood before me.
"DINOSAUR!" Helga screamed, terrified. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" she cried, running away from the giant lizard-thing.
I stood, frozen, as they all followed Helga's lead. Suddenly I felt a hand pulling me, dragging me along until I finally snapped out of my daze.
RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
There was no way we could outrun it, it was right behind us! In a matter of seconds we'd be eaten alive!
"He…hey, what's this?" I asked, panting while I ran and pulled out the round object. I inspected it as closely as I could while running. "There are a bunch of buttons! Which one do I press?"
I don't know how I knew that these buttons had anything to do with the apparent time travel button we'd just pressed.
"WHO CARES?! JUST PRESS ONE!" Helga yelled, terrified.
I decided to choose the one on the far left.
Anything to get out of this.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Chapter 3
Just then a big flash, and suddenly, we were in a room.
I heard the sound of a piano in the background, and turned my head at the sound. Okay, at least we were back in the city where we were SAFE. I looked around, wondering where we were. Who was that playing the piano?
I was in a house. Gerald, Phoebe, and Helga were once again at my side. We walked into the room that the sound of the piano was coming from, and Helga screamed, even more horrified than before.
A younger version of Olga sat, playing the piano, her parents totally fawning over her. They would go on and on about how great she was, admiring and adoring her.
And there, tugging on her father's pants, trying to get his attention, was a 3-year-old Helga. I turned to see 9-year-old Helga totally flipping out.
"Where's that remote thingy?!!!" she screamed.
Wow, what had her so uptight?
I felt my pockets, but couldn't find it. Dang, where WAS the remote?
But instead of fretting over it, I turned my attention towards the scene before me, suddenly interested.
"Just a second, Olga," Bob mumbled to Helga, not even glancing at her.
"I'm going to preschool!" she hollered from the door, trying to get the attention of her parents, who were too busy admiring Olga to notice.
Once again, louder this time, Helga repeated that she was going to preschool, and slammed the door when she realized they didn't care.
I decided to follow. Gerald and Phoebe behind me, I ran after the young version of Helga. Where was the "other" Helga, anyway? Strange that I would be referring to her as "other". I looked behind me, and saw Helga running after us, hesitantly.
A car ran by, splashing the little girl with mud. She walked on in silent misery, clutching her lunch box like her life depended on it. A dog came upon her and took her lunch box. Again, she walked on, sullen. A sadness overwhelmed me.
And then, I saw a VERY familiar car pull up…a green Packard, to be exact. Helga lifted her head as she noticed that the rain was no longer touching her. Shocked, she turned to the football-headed little boy…
Oh, god…
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Helga screamed, tackling the three of us to the ground, shouting to drown out the sound.
And then, an identifiable circular object came flying from Gerald's jacket pocket, and Helga suddenly got up and ran for it.
"I like your bow," the 3-year-old me said to the little girl.
"What?" she asked, confused.
*I* closed the umbrella as *we* entered the building together, and replied. "I like your bow, because it's pink like your-"
FLASH!
Suddenly, a room I'd never seen before. I took a while to take in the sight, trying to recognize. Nothing clicked in my head.
In the corner of the room, though, I spotted a familiar face. I smiled, knowing now who's house I was in.
A slightly younger Gerald sat in the middle of the room, crying. He was going to have a baby sister. "As if an older brother isn't enough," I heard the young boy pout.
Gerald's father was going crazy, calling the hospital, getting his wife and kids out to the car. Gerald looked hesitant, but climbed in.
Of course, everyone followed. I saw Gerald bite his lip as he followed. After seeing Helga's reaction to her own past being revealed, I got the feeling this might be a similar outcome.
"Jaimie O, help me get your mom inside," his father ordered.
A grouchy Jaimie O got out of the car and helped his mother into the building. Gerald followed, reluctantly.
"Wasn't two enough? Why'd you hafta have another? Man, this bites!" muttered an upset Gerald. "Stupid little sister."
She hadn't even been born yet and already he had a grudge against her. Probably jealous of the attention the newborn would get.
Five-year-old Gerald sat in the waiting room for a long time, until finally he could go and see his new baby sister.
Angrily, he got up and dragged himself to his mother's room. His eyes gazed upon the fragile child as he stood beside his mom's bed. "Whatcha gonna name her?" he asked, anger faded, if only for a moment.
Mrs. Johansson smiled. "Timberley. Her name is Timberley. Meet your new sister, Gerald."
Gerald was now red with embarrassment. I could understand why, I suppose. Frantically, he searched for the remote. Now Phoebe took it out of her pocket, surprised.
Smiling sweetly at him, she pressed the third button from the left.
Chapter 4
Another flash, and then…
A familiar restaurant. I took a while to take it all in. To try to remember.
Gerald and Phoebe were beside me. Wait…where was Helga?
Valentines Day.
Cecile.
Ruth.
Everything was coming back now.
And there, before me, was the scene. My jaw dropped.
"…I can't tell you."
That sweet, soft-spoken voice. The wavy, blonde hair. Gorgeous blue, luminous eyes I couldn't take my eyes off of. The mysterious Cecile imposter.
I looked back, hearing footsteps. Helga solemnly joined us, her face now expressionless. I turned my attention back towards the two blonde nine year olds before me.
But everything else was muted as the previous words haunted my memory. Sent a chill down my spine.
"I can't tell you." Who was she? I never did find out, and since then I've given up hope of finding out. She had refused to reveal her true identity.
What was she hiding?
I shook off the daze and looked back towards the scene. "Cecile" had left, and there I stood, totally baffled.
There was a very peculiar silence. I was thinking of my past memories. Gerald, probably recalling his own past as well. Phoebe was speechless. Helga…who knew what that girl was thinking?
"Who's got the remote? I think we've seen enough," I said gravely, breaking the silence.
Silently, Helga brought out what we had come to know as a remote. Without a word said, she pressed the fourth button from the left.
Chapter 5
There were no flashes this time. No bright lights. And, thankfully, no dinosaurs.
I stood, shakily, and looked around me. I knew where I was instantly.
Here's the 411--I'm stuck in a time warp with my best friend, a football head, and his best friend, and neither of us have a clue what's going on or how to get out.
A 3-year-old Phoebe sat in the middle of the room, building a castle out of blocks, silent. Back in the too familiar preschool from my past. I shuddered at what our last visit had come so close to revealing.
A then 6-year-old Harold kicked the castle, knocking down the bricks that she'd been so intent on putting together. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of her castle being torn. Phoebe stammered, trying to come out with a defense, but said nothing, just wallowed in her grief.
Harold saw this as an opportunity to reign his power over the class, to claim his title as class bully and all-around tough-guy. That way no one would mess with him. No one would dare make fun of him. And he would finally get the power he desired.
"Is `wil Phoebe-weeby sad that her castle was ruined?" the older, dumber boy asked of the small child.
Laughs could be heard from the other kids, and the little girl just accepted it and fell silent.
And then, a 3-year-old girl with blonde hair put up in pig tails and a pink bow stomped over to the scene, and got up in the boy's face. Suddenly a shift of power was made, and the boy seemed to shrink in fear.
"What'd you do that for?" *I* snapped an angrily.
Even *I* wasn't that cruel. I mean, okay, I would have knocked the castle over, but I wouldn't make fun of the kid for getting upset.
"Be-because…I…" Harold stuttered.
Not letting him answer, *I* continued in my rage. "And if you EVER mess with my friend again, you'll be getting a visit from `Ol Betsy!"
And with that, a fist was thrust into his face, and he got the picture.
The 6-year-old Harold ran away, once again crying for his mommy.
Quickly, the 3-year-old bully snapped her head back to the other girl, who now looked up at her fondly. Admiring her, grateful.
"What are you looking at?" *I* snapped.
Suddenly, the girl threw her arms around *me*, and *I* was frozen. *I* couldn't move. This was all so new to *me*, *I* didn't know how to respond.
"Give me that remote!" I suddenly barked. "Who has the remote?!"
I'd had enough of all of this touchy-feely stuff. I saw the circular object on the floor in the middle of our little huddle. Frantically, I picked it up, found the fifth button from the left, and…
Chapter Six
FLASH!
A woman in her late twenties stood, looking at her watch. She had short, raven hair, and was wearing a very formal dress. I looked around me, trying to figure out where I was. I took a while to recognize the woman in front of me.
The woman in front of me was…me.
I blinked. Once. Again. No, I wasn't seeing things. Now, this was just getting creepy.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Helga stood there, jaw dropped, totally shocked. Beside her, Gerald and Arnold had similar expressions. I hid a sly smile.
The older me was, well, very pretty. I find it very difficult referring to myself in this sense, or even describing myself, particularly while staring at this older version of me.
We were in a restaurant. I could now see several other people gathered around the room, but for some reason I hadn't noticed until now. I turned my attention back to the older me, now wondering what she…I…could have been waiting for.
A business associate perhaps? Perhaps. An old friend? Certainly, that might be interesting to see one of my peers in an older version as well.
A tall, handsome man entered the room now. I was completely in a state of shock at what happened next. This man, who I soon recognized to be Gerald, smiled at seeing me…or, well, the older woman…and ran over to her, giving her a big hug and…a kiss.
I fainted. This was too much.
When I came to, whose face did I see but none other than Gerald's. I screamed, instinctively. Cautiously, he backed away, and let Arnold and Helga help me up. Possibly hurt that I would be so afraid of him.
I wasn't afraid of Gerald. I was just afraid of what this visit to the future had revealed…some things just shouldn't be known until they happen.
Looking closer, I could see that Gerald was red with embarrassment. It still hadn't worn off of him. Inside, I smiled. It wasn't very often that Gerald "lost his cool."
Once I was up again, we continued to watch as the couple sat down for dinner. Talked about careers, the past…
"Hey, whatever happened to our old friends? You know, from PS118? I haven't seen Arnold in years," stated the older Gerald. I could hear a hint of sadness in his voice.
The older me looked down at her plate, sharing the same grief. "Yes. I haven't heard from Helga since…well, since she went off to college."
I gasped. How could I go so long without seeing my best friend? And Gerald! He and Arnold…no. This could not happen. No way.
"I hear Rhonda's got her own fashion line. No big surprise there. Makes some pretty good money, too. Doesn't even rely on her parents anymore."
"Yes. And Harold is a butcher. He's still in the old neighborhood, too. I've seen Lila around."
At the mention of Lila, Arnold's spirit was lifted. Even I had to roll my eyes at this. I could see Helga scoff. I turned my attention back to the conversation.
"Really?"
"Yeah," the woman went on, "she told me she saw Arnold the other day in the city. They exchanged greetings and left. Arnold didn't even tell her where he was staying--if he was staying. Other than that, Lila really didn't have much else to say."
Arnold's face sank. I could just imagine what he must be thinking. In the corner of my eye I noted Helga's scowl disappearing, now a slight smile in its place.
"Okay, this is just weird…" Gerald suddenly spoke, ending the silence between us.
True; it was very strange. I'll give him that. But I was becoming fascinated in this flow of information.
Suddenly, another handsome young man walked into the room. It was very easy to recognize him. The football head gave it away right off the bat. I saw Helga's jaw drop.
"Whoa…" Arnold said, amazed by the new face. His face.
Suddenly, the older Gerald jumped out of his seat and ran towards the older Arnold, who had been looking at his watch anxiously, but was now very shocked at the burst of emotion. Gerald had wrapped his arms around Arnold, suffocating the poor man. Meekly, Arnold pushed Gerald away, and gave his former best friend a quick once-over, until finally he realized who it was.
"Gerald?!" he yelled, now full of joy.
"Arnold!" Gerald yelled, equally happy.
I glanced at Helga, who I just knew was going to throw a cynical comment in. And my intuition did not fail me.
"Getting a little too cozy there," she muttered.
I could see a hint of fear in her eyes. We'd just seen Arnold, Gerald, and me…it was only a matter of time before she made an appearance. Helga had good reasons to be afraid. Her critical comment had been a desperate escape from her nervousness.
"Phoebe?!" the older Arnold yelled, now interrupting my thoughts.
"Hey, Arnold!" the woman screamed with delight, coming over to embrace the fairly tall man.
The man smiled. "So, are you two…?"
Now the couple blushed, and Gerald held out *my* hand. She…I…blushed, and when everyone saw the ring, there was a gasp.
Even the older Arnold had to let out a surprised gasp. But he soon recovered with a coy smile. "When?"
I…She…smiled, the blush slowly fading. "In a few months. We were hoping to get in contact with you, as well as our other old friends, you know, from PS118. I still can't find Helga."
Just then, a tall, blonde woman walked into the room. She was absolutely stunning. A full figure, gorgeous face, long, blond hair…
"Okay, now it's getting interesting…" Helga grumbled, the 9-year-old Helga we all knew.
Arnold's mouth was hanging wide open. He was drooling all over this woman, not even realizing who it was. I couldn't contain my laughter any longer.
"Am I late?" the blonde woman asked, glancing at her watch, and looking back up towards the table where Arnold was now standing with Phoebe and Gerald. Her face suddenly lit up. "Phoebe! Wow! Long time, no see! How you been, girl!"
"Girl? Okay, what is going on here? Is this some sort of a joke? Come on, that is not me. Just look at Arnold over there, he's drooling all over me!"
Suddenly, Arnold looked like he'd been run over by a truck. I could imagine his shock when it finally clicked that this was Helga. Oh, the irony of it all…
Gerald laughed hysterically at this comment, hitting Arnold in the shoulders, dying laughing.
"Oh, MAN, Arnold! Sure got you there!" Then he suddenly stopped laughing, becoming serious, thinking. I don't think I want to know what was running through his mind right then, but I could imagine.
"Arnold!" the older blonde woman yelled, delighted to see the young man, running towards him.
Helga growled, suddenly VERY uncomfortable. And yet, I had to sit through the whole Gerald thing? I almost wanted to make her wait and bear the same thing I had to… But no, this would be more traumatic for her, and for Arnold.
"Where's that remote?!" Helga suddenly fumed, becoming very agitated.
Arnold hid a sly smile. He'd just seen Helga greet him joyously, run over to him, and embrace him. Not a side of Helga he saw very often. But, he had to be wondering, what she was so disturbed about…she'd been like this during every visit so far, except the one with Gerald.
Of course, I knew what was bothering her.
And then, I saw it. The shiny, round object. Poking out of Arnold's pocket. I saw him tuck it into his pocket, not wanting to return yet. Anxious to see more. I didn't blame him for that, but what he didn't, and hopefully wouldn't, realize is, to see what was going to happen next would be to reveal something Helga just wasn't ready to reveal yet.
I lunged for it. I HAD to get that remote…if I didn't, Helga would be ruined…
Meanwhile, the conversation between old friends still lingered. I could hear it, even with my concentration set on getting the remote.
"So, Helga, how's…life?!" my older self asked, thrilled to be reunited with her best friend.
I would have liked to see them as this was going on, but that would have been difficult. Arnold tried to keep me away. This thing was driving us all crazy.
"Well, I've been writing a lot of poetry; I even wrote a book filled with all of my childhood poems!" I could hear laughs from the two girls, and gulped. I could imagine what Helga was thinking. "I called it, "The Little Pink Book. Of course, I used my pen name. I can imagine what our old classmates would say if they knew it was me!"
"So, who were you waiting for?" the woman asked of Helga eagerly.
"Well…actually…I was meeting Arnold here for dinner. It's a long story, Phoebes, but basically we ran into each other. Anyway, since we're all here, we might as well get a table together!"
I grabbed the remote, after a challenging struggle. Before Arnold could snatch it away from me, I pressed the last button.
Chapter Seven
My eyes suddenly snapped open, and it finally settled in. I was back home. On my bed. In my room.
Grandpa and the boarders were there. Gerald, too. Only he was now coming to, as well. Grandma now came into the room.
"Hey, Arnold, you gave us quite a scare there! For a minute there we didn't think you were gonna wake up!"
Grandpa.
He scratched his chin, contemplating. "It was the oddest thing, too. Just as you were heading towards the house, you just collapsed. Luckily, Gerald was coming by just then, and took you inside, moments before passing out himself. As if that's not weird enough, your friend with the one eyebrow was found a couple houses down, unconscious on the sidewalk. Very strange…"
I sat up, now breathing harder than ever. "HELGA?!!!"
"Yeah, that's the one! Anyway, Pookie found her outside and took her in…mumbling something about Eleanor Roosevelt…" Grandpa trailed off, grumbling.
"Grandpa, please tell me you're joking."
I wanted to just die.
After everything that I'd just witnessed, after all the weirdness, I'd thought it couldn't get any stranger. Apparently, I was wrong.
Gerald sat up now, too. Panting, as well. "Man, Arnold! That was intense! I just had the strangest dream, and…ha…You, Helga, Phoebe and I were trapped in a small room together, and…we traveled through time…came face to face with a dinosaur…saw each other's pasts…then went into the future…oh, man! It was WEIRD!"
I could feel my heart rate accelerate. It had been so real…and now I knew it was real…so…Man! This was so weird!
"Uh…Gerald?" I stammered, my voice trembling as I spoke. My fear was obvious.
"Huh?" he asked.
"That wasn't a dream…I had the same experience…"
An awkward silence. Then.
"Arnold?"
"Yeah?"
A long pause. "What just happened?"
"I have no idea." I was silent, then. "HELGA! She's HERE!"
Gerald's face sagged. He moaned.
But I didn't have to get up to find her. 'Cause sure enough, the next person to walk into the room was none other than…
"HELGA?"
A glass shattered. She stood in the doorway, frozen. I could see her lip tremble. She lowered her eyes, gazing at the floor. Then, looking us both in the eyes, her voice firm, she came up with a conclusion that we could all agree on.
"What just happened--never happened."
"Gotcha," we said in unison, finally able to agree on something.
Slowly, carefully, Helga backed out of the room.
Not exactly a typical day in my life. Not at all.
As the door closed, a long silence followed.
"Wanna go play stickball?"
"Sure," I agreed, pushing the earlier incident out of my mind.
Nothing had happened.
The End
Arnold: "Uh…does anyone know where we are?"
Phoebe: "I believe we are in a small, dark, isolated room, Arnold."
Arnold: "Oh…my…"
"DINOSAUR!" Helga screamed, terrified. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
Arnold: "There are a bunch of buttons! Which one do I press?"
Helga: "WHO CARES?! JUST PRESS ONE!"