Old chapter, made new.
Disclaimer: Idea mine, Hey Arnold not.
1
2 Rhetorical Questions
2.1 What if…
2.1.1 By: Christina
2.1.1.1 Shared Pain
Arnold sat in his bedroom, silently watching the TV. A show was on; he didn't know what it was. He just stared at the screen, watching pictures move and colors change. He was trying to block Helga from his mind. If he wanted everything to go back to the way it was he needed to forget every feeling for Helga he has. He got out the game of checkers he had brought. He played a short game with himself and won. He yawned; this was incredibly boring. He decided to take a walk.
He stepped out the door and was run over by Phoebe. Tears were streaming down her face and as soon as she fell over she scrambled to her feet.
Arnold grabbed her arm, "Phoebe, what is the matter?"
She broke out in sobs. "Oh Arnold, I'm- I'm so confused. Gerald asked me to marry him. But how can I? He left me for a pretty face back in 10th grade. How can I trust him? He says he loves me, but he said that then. I don't even know my feelings for him. Arnold- Arnold- Arnold-"
She stopped talking as her tears stopped the ability for her to speak. He mascara was running. Arnold realized she was wearing the same clothing as the day before. He kept his observations to himself. He just held her and kept her close. That was what she needed at the time.
Helga stepped into the large mall. Ah, here she could forget all about Arnold and drown herself in sales. She headed first to the nearby Department store. She asked a lady at a counter where the swimsuits were and headed in the direction she was told. Soon she saw them, all different colors. She immersed herself in the racks. For one hour she saw, heard or thought about nothing but swimsuits. She had the ability to engross herself in anything she wanted too, which made her a good studier. She had always wanted to write but never found the inspiration.
She found the perfect suit, a pink string bikini. Somehow she had always favored the color pink. She bought the suit and went to the food court. She bought a chocolate shake and sat at a booth by herself, drinking it. Many men walked past her, taking longing looks at her. She paid no attention to them; the only thought in her mind was how good the shake was. She got up and walked to the nearest exit. She wanted to try out her suit.
She had finally arrived at the hotel and changed into her suit. She put a baggy, sleeveless, white, t-shirt over it and headed to the pool. She grabbed a towel and took off her shirt. She lay on a lawn chair and closed her eyes. The cool breeze cooled off her skin, which was being warmed by the sun. It was a nice balance and she allowed herself to sink away. She wasn't sleeping, but was in a deep meditation. Her body relaxed and her mind wandered.
She thought about Arnold, the wish, and life before the wish. Her mind was going a million miles an hour, thinking. Suddenly, a voice stirred her from her meditation.
"Helga?"
Helga opened her eyes slowly and allowed them to become comfortable to the light. Soon the picture of a young man with blonde hair and a football shape appeared.
Arnold.
"Hello." She said indifferently.
"Helga, I just want to explain what happened upstairs. Yesterday. Will you let me explain?"
"Sure. Shoot away." Helga replied with a yawn.
"Ok. I'm going to say this fast. I love you."
"Hah. If you loved me, why couldn't you kiss me? Arnoldo you are going to have to come up with a better excuse than that."
Helga was slipping back into the bully façade she had kept up for so long. Well, the bully façade she would have had if Arnold hadn't made the wish. Arnold saw this, but he pushed it aside.
"I love you. There is no excuse. But Helga-" He sat down and put his hand on her bare thigh and stared into her icy blue eyes. "I can't kiss you because… then… I can't make that wish. If I make the wish I go right back to being in that rut. Being teased by you day in and day out? Do you think I want to do that?"
"Then don't. We can be perfectly happy right here, right now. The wish doesn't have to take place."
"Yes it does. We changed something Helga, by making that wish we changed something."
Helga gave him a look. Arnold threw up his hands.
"Alright I did something. I changed something. So, I have the responsibility to change it back. If I don't, no matter how happy we are; the world will be different."
"Who cares about the world? What has the world done for us? I'm sorry Arnold but I really don't want to go back to being an ugly 4th grader. That was a horrible time. I want to be with you Arnold."
"And we can't do that back in PS 118?"
"No. We can't. Arnold, if you make the decision to wish us back there, we will never be together."
"I'm sorry Helga, but it is something that has to be done. I really wish you could understand that."
He kissed her slightly on the cheek and looked her up and down longingly. But he turned her head as she turned hers away. A lone tear slid down his and her cheeks, each unknowing of the pain the other was going through. They were too proud to admit they had feelings.
Phoebe sat in her room silently staring out the window. She had a clear view of the pool area, where at the time Arnold and Helga were talking. Arnold had left her when she said she felt better to talk to Helga. In reality, Phoebe was feeling worse but she didn't want to bother Arnold. He tried comforting her but he was too distracted. She waved him away and retreated to her room.
She didn't know how she felt, or why she had had sex with Gerald and then turned down his proposal. She was so confused. She loved Gerald, and every bit of her self was telling her to say yes. But then, while she was reeling with glee, she heard a small voice say no. That voice was so small and insignificant compared to the millions of screaming yes's, but she choose to listen to it. Maybe it was wrong for her to say no, but somehow she felt she did the right thing. After all, if the wish worked she would be back in PS 118 soon. Then, she could go on with her small puppy crush on Gerald and worry about this marriage stuff later. She sighed and flopped onto the bed. Arnold was leaving Helga, both were crying.
Phoebe had never been a fan of love. It was always changing, never the same. What was love? Was it enjoying being around someone? Could loving someone different from being in love with someone? Tears started flowing once again. Why couldn't she be strong? Why couldn't she be so smart and assured about love as she was about science? Life was just cruel like that. She allowed herself to let the tears flow, losing herself in their current.
Gerald watched the door to his house open and the girl he loved run out of it. The dish pieces broken on the floor was all he saw. He picked them up and threw them into a trashcan. He walked slowly up to his room. The bed sheets were messed up, an opened condom wrapper on the floor. He got in bed and stayed there. He stared at the ceiling, not wanting to let what had happened sink in.
Disclaimer: Idea mine, Hey Arnold not.
1
2 Rhetorical Questions
2.1 What if…
2.1.1 By: Christina
2.1.1.1 Shared Pain
Arnold sat in his bedroom, silently watching the TV. A show was on; he didn't know what it was. He just stared at the screen, watching pictures move and colors change. He was trying to block Helga from his mind. If he wanted everything to go back to the way it was he needed to forget every feeling for Helga he has. He got out the game of checkers he had brought. He played a short game with himself and won. He yawned; this was incredibly boring. He decided to take a walk.
He stepped out the door and was run over by Phoebe. Tears were streaming down her face and as soon as she fell over she scrambled to her feet.
Arnold grabbed her arm, "Phoebe, what is the matter?"
She broke out in sobs. "Oh Arnold, I'm- I'm so confused. Gerald asked me to marry him. But how can I? He left me for a pretty face back in 10th grade. How can I trust him? He says he loves me, but he said that then. I don't even know my feelings for him. Arnold- Arnold- Arnold-"
She stopped talking as her tears stopped the ability for her to speak. He mascara was running. Arnold realized she was wearing the same clothing as the day before. He kept his observations to himself. He just held her and kept her close. That was what she needed at the time.
Helga stepped into the large mall. Ah, here she could forget all about Arnold and drown herself in sales. She headed first to the nearby Department store. She asked a lady at a counter where the swimsuits were and headed in the direction she was told. Soon she saw them, all different colors. She immersed herself in the racks. For one hour she saw, heard or thought about nothing but swimsuits. She had the ability to engross herself in anything she wanted too, which made her a good studier. She had always wanted to write but never found the inspiration.
She found the perfect suit, a pink string bikini. Somehow she had always favored the color pink. She bought the suit and went to the food court. She bought a chocolate shake and sat at a booth by herself, drinking it. Many men walked past her, taking longing looks at her. She paid no attention to them; the only thought in her mind was how good the shake was. She got up and walked to the nearest exit. She wanted to try out her suit.
She had finally arrived at the hotel and changed into her suit. She put a baggy, sleeveless, white, t-shirt over it and headed to the pool. She grabbed a towel and took off her shirt. She lay on a lawn chair and closed her eyes. The cool breeze cooled off her skin, which was being warmed by the sun. It was a nice balance and she allowed herself to sink away. She wasn't sleeping, but was in a deep meditation. Her body relaxed and her mind wandered.
She thought about Arnold, the wish, and life before the wish. Her mind was going a million miles an hour, thinking. Suddenly, a voice stirred her from her meditation.
"Helga?"
Helga opened her eyes slowly and allowed them to become comfortable to the light. Soon the picture of a young man with blonde hair and a football shape appeared.
Arnold.
"Hello." She said indifferently.
"Helga, I just want to explain what happened upstairs. Yesterday. Will you let me explain?"
"Sure. Shoot away." Helga replied with a yawn.
"Ok. I'm going to say this fast. I love you."
"Hah. If you loved me, why couldn't you kiss me? Arnoldo you are going to have to come up with a better excuse than that."
Helga was slipping back into the bully façade she had kept up for so long. Well, the bully façade she would have had if Arnold hadn't made the wish. Arnold saw this, but he pushed it aside.
"I love you. There is no excuse. But Helga-" He sat down and put his hand on her bare thigh and stared into her icy blue eyes. "I can't kiss you because… then… I can't make that wish. If I make the wish I go right back to being in that rut. Being teased by you day in and day out? Do you think I want to do that?"
"Then don't. We can be perfectly happy right here, right now. The wish doesn't have to take place."
"Yes it does. We changed something Helga, by making that wish we changed something."
Helga gave him a look. Arnold threw up his hands.
"Alright I did something. I changed something. So, I have the responsibility to change it back. If I don't, no matter how happy we are; the world will be different."
"Who cares about the world? What has the world done for us? I'm sorry Arnold but I really don't want to go back to being an ugly 4th grader. That was a horrible time. I want to be with you Arnold."
"And we can't do that back in PS 118?"
"No. We can't. Arnold, if you make the decision to wish us back there, we will never be together."
"I'm sorry Helga, but it is something that has to be done. I really wish you could understand that."
He kissed her slightly on the cheek and looked her up and down longingly. But he turned her head as she turned hers away. A lone tear slid down his and her cheeks, each unknowing of the pain the other was going through. They were too proud to admit they had feelings.
Phoebe sat in her room silently staring out the window. She had a clear view of the pool area, where at the time Arnold and Helga were talking. Arnold had left her when she said she felt better to talk to Helga. In reality, Phoebe was feeling worse but she didn't want to bother Arnold. He tried comforting her but he was too distracted. She waved him away and retreated to her room.
She didn't know how she felt, or why she had had sex with Gerald and then turned down his proposal. She was so confused. She loved Gerald, and every bit of her self was telling her to say yes. But then, while she was reeling with glee, she heard a small voice say no. That voice was so small and insignificant compared to the millions of screaming yes's, but she choose to listen to it. Maybe it was wrong for her to say no, but somehow she felt she did the right thing. After all, if the wish worked she would be back in PS 118 soon. Then, she could go on with her small puppy crush on Gerald and worry about this marriage stuff later. She sighed and flopped onto the bed. Arnold was leaving Helga, both were crying.
Phoebe had never been a fan of love. It was always changing, never the same. What was love? Was it enjoying being around someone? Could loving someone different from being in love with someone? Tears started flowing once again. Why couldn't she be strong? Why couldn't she be so smart and assured about love as she was about science? Life was just cruel like that. She allowed herself to let the tears flow, losing herself in their current.
Gerald watched the door to his house open and the girl he loved run out of it. The dish pieces broken on the floor was all he saw. He picked them up and threw them into a trashcan. He walked slowly up to his room. The bed sheets were messed up, an opened condom wrapper on the floor. He got in bed and stayed there. He stared at the ceiling, not wanting to let what had happened sink in.
