Hey you guys, thanks for your kind words! I'm so glad you're liking this
story! Wanna see what I think Arnold and Helga look like in my story? For
Arnold, http://www.geraldfield.com/unofficial/forum/arn.jpg and for Helga,
http://www.geraldfield.com/unofficial/forum/helg.jpg. I only drew their
heads because I am lazy. Just imagine Arnold in some loose jeans and Helga
in some... tight jeans? I don't know, whatever you want them to look like.
Clothes aren't that important in this story. As for everybody else, just
use your imagination. I'm too lazy to draw them.
Disclaimer: Hey Arnold! is not mine, but my toes are. So hands off. Who does Arnold belong to? See chapter one's disclaimer.
The Search: chapter 3
"No!" Arnold shouted, flying out of the bed. He searched the room with his eyes, not knowing exactly where he was. Images of his dream flashed slightly in his mind before disappearing all together. He rubbed his eyes and stood up wearily.
"One more day till the wedding Arnold!" Grandma said cheerily as he sat down at the table.
"I'm graduating Grandma, not getting married."
"That's what you think," she said.
"So Arnold, did you think it over some more?" Grandpa asked, walking into the kitchen with a newspaper under his arm.
Arnold nodded and said, "It's just something I have to do Grandpa..."
"All right then. I called the bank this morning and you have six thousand dollars saved up in your college fund."
"That's great!" he said.
"I figure you need at least one more grand and then you'll be set."
"How am I going to raise that amount of money in enough time?" Arnold sighed.
"You'll figure it out. You're a smart kid, Arnold," Grandpa said. "Why don't you ask Mr. Green to sponsor you and then you can pay him back after you return?"
"Thanks Grandpa!" he called, halfway out the door.
Arnold ran down the sidewalk, headed for Mr. Green's shop. He almost felt like the care free boy he used to be as he passed the people on the street in a blur. And he almost felt like he was back in his dream...
"Hey Arnold!" someone called. Still running, he looked over his shoulder and saw Helga waving at him. He looked back in time to see a telephone pole in his path and the burst of stars that followed it. Arnold then found himself on his back and looking up at the sky. "Are you okay Arnold?" she asked with frantic concern.
"What?" he asked, a little confused.
"I mean," she coughed, "you are such a loser." Helga pulled him to his feet and dusted him off. "What are you doing?"
"I have six thousand dollars to fund the search," he said. "Grandpa said I needed at least seven and I was going to ask Mr. Green if he could lend it to me. Do you want to come with me?"
"Uhh... why not. It's not like I have a life or anything..." she said.
They walked to the butcher shop together, carefully avoiding all telephone poles. They didn't say much, but Helga could tell that he was in a good mood. Green's Meats was just up ahead.
"I'm sorry Arnold, I don't have that kind of money."
"It's okay, Mr. Green," Arnold said.
"I can loan you about two hundred dollars, will that help?" Mr. Green asked.
"Of course," he said happily. "That will help a lot."
"No problem Arnold," he said opening the cash register with a cha- ching. "Anything I can do to help."
"Thanks Mr. Green," Arnold took the money and put it in his wallet. "I'll repay you as soon as possible."
"No hurry," Mr. Green said as they walked out of the shop.
"At least it's a start," Arnold said.
"Did you get anywhere with that map?" Helga asked.
"I think it's somewhere near Brazil... the place where they circled is around a place called Manaus."
"But it's not exactly in Manaus?" Helga asked. They turned down the sidewalk and walked into the park. It was a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky.
"No, I think the village that they went to rescue is not a well known place. We're going to have to find it ourselves."
"How do you expect to find the rest of the money?" she asked.
"Look, everybody's here," Arnold said. "Hey guys," he shouted.
Helga looked ahead and saw the gang sitting around a picnic table. She suddenly felt embarrassed when she realized that she had arrived walking with Arnold. She sped up her pace, leaving him behind. "You won't believe this scheme that Arnold's come up with," she said.
"We know... Gerald already told us," Stinky said.
"Well, what do you guys think?" Arnold asked with hope in his eyes.
They looked at each other uneasily and then back at Arnold. "It sounds wonderful," Lila said. "It's a really nice plan."
"Really? You think so?" he smiled. "I've almost raised enough money, but now I just need you guys to come with me."
"But Arnold," Sid said, "how do you expect us to drop what we're doing here to go on a wild goose chase?"
"Thank you Captain Obvious," Rhonda said.
"I know Sid... and I'll understand if you don't go..." Arnold said, clearly a little hurt. There was an awkward moment of silence among them.
"I'll go," Gerald said and stood up. Arnold smiled.
"I'll go too," Phoebe announced seconds after Gerald.
"I would love to go, but I can't," Lila said softly as she put her hand on Arnold's shoulder. Helga mumbled something and looked away. "You understand, don't you?"
"Sure Lila, it's okay."
"I can't either Arnold, I have to get a job so that Rh-" Harold said, but was silenced as Rhonda elbowed him in the stomach. "So that I can earn some money..."
"I can't leave Pa by himself," Stinky said. "And I have to study for entrance exams."
"That's great, Stinky," Arnold nodded. "I completely understand. So anyone else coming?"
"You know I can't," Rhonda said. "Those dirty Amazon people," she shuddered. "But I'll be glad to lend you any camping supplies."
"Wow thanks Rhonda."
Everyone else declined, but Arnold was beaming. In his mind, he saw everything working out perfectly. Everything would go the way it was supposed to.
"Okay Sir, your total is eight thousand dollars."
"What??"
"Eight thousand dollars Sir. For four coach, round-trip tickets to Brazil," a lady from the airport said on the phone.
"But it should be about seven-" Arnold said.
"No Sir, it's eight."
"All right, thank you. Good-bye," he sighed and hung up. "What am I going to do?" Arnold asked sighing loudly.
"You mean to tell me that it's going to cost all of your college fund?" Gerald asked as he sat down on Arnold's couch in his room.
"It's going to cost more..." he said. "And I don't know how I'm going to get it either."
"A lot is riding on this trip, isn't it?" Phoebe asked, across the room standing next to Helga.
"What are we gonna do?" Gerald asked.
"I'll pay the difference," Helga said.
"You'd pay for a trip that you're not even going on?" asked a stunned Gerald.
"She's going," Arnold said.
"WHAT? Why is SHE going?"
"Gerald! Because she promised me that she would go!" he said.
"Why??" he turned to Helga. "Why would you want to go? Just so you can make fun of us?"
"If I were you, I would watch my mouth!" she growled at Gerald. "I don't have to stand here and take this," Helga said angrily and stormed out of the room.
"Gerald, if this is going to work, we all have to get along!" Arnold said and followed Helga, leaving Gerald and Phoebe in his room alone. "Helga, wait!"
"What?" she snapped and turned around. "Are you going to jump all over me too?"
"No... just, please don't be mad. I need you right now Helga."
"You need me?" she asked in disbelief, melting away inside. Oh-ho-oh!
"I need all of you. You and Gerald and Phoebe. So can we please try to work together on this?"
Helga crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine."
"So... uh... what have you been up to lately?" Gerald asked. It was a pathetic attempt to make conversation with Phoebe.
"I recently started taking violin lessons..." she said meekly.
"Oh.. well that's... interesting." Another awkward, silent moment.
"I'll pay the difference for the trip," Helga repeated. They were still out in the hallway in front of the stairs that led to Arnold's room.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked.
"Yes. I know how much this means to you... and well I need a vacation too. I'm giving you two weeks to find them or I'm leaving you, got it?"
"Thanks Helga," he said. "But will you please try to get along with Gerald and me?"
"Sure football head, I'll try. If you didn't bother me so much and get on my nerves we wouldn't have this problem!"
"Maybe if you were a little nicer- look Helga, let's both agree not to fight," Arnold said.
"Fine."
After graduation was over the next night, Arnold stuffed his clothes into a suitcase. They were leaving tomorrow morning for Brazil and he was packing. That night had been really emotional for the whole gang. Arnold had been chosen for valedictorian and he gave a long, but beautiful speech that had everyone in tears. Except for Helga, of course, who he had never seen cry. Although she appeared to be emotionally challenged, he knew that his speech had touched her hard heart. There was a knock at the door and Grandpa and Grandma snuck in.
"We were so proud of you tonight!" Grandma said.
"High school is finally over," he sighed.
"Getting ready for the trip Shortman?" Grandpa asked.
"Yeah, look at all the camping supplies that Rhonda gave us. We have everything that we need."
"It looks like it," he said, surveying all of the equipment.
"Except for one thing..." Arnold said as he turned to face them. "You never told me their names."
"Who?"
"My parents."
"Oh. I guess that's kind of important, huh?" Grandpa laughed. "Your father's name was Philip and your mother's name was Joan."
"Is, Grandpa. Is," Arnold corrected him.
"Oh, my mistake," he smiled.
"Do you have everything you need?" Grandma asked.
"I think so."
"Well what about this?" she asked, holding up his harmonica.
"Thanks Grandma," he smiled warmly.
"It will help you ward off the Indians on your honeymoon."
"Well, we'll leave you to pack," Grandpa said.
They left, leaving Arnold all alone. He looked down at his diploma laying on the bed next to his cap and gown. He told himself that he would frame his diploma when he got back, but a thought hit him. What if he never came back?
The phone rang, shaking the thought from his mind. "Hello?"
"Hey man," Gerald said. "Great speech tonight."
"I still think that you should have given it. You always tell the best stories," Arnold laughed.
"Yeah, you're right," he smiled. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"Why would I be?"
Gerald raised an eyebrow and said,"You honestly think that we can go for two whole weeks without getting into a fight with Helga?"
"Come on Gerald, have a little faith in her," Arnold sighed.
"Well then what about Phoebe and myself? What about us? I can't hold a conversation with her if my life depended on it. I just can't talk to her without getting nervous."
"You'll deal," he said. "We are adults now," Arnold said with sophistication.
"Mmm-hmm," Gerald said. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"I am nervous though. What am I going to say to my parents when I find them?"
"Just give that speech you gave to us tonight and you won't have to worry about awkward silence... ever," he said.
"It wasn't THAT long," Arnold said. "And I'm serious, what will I say to them?"
"Relax man. You'll have your whole lives to talk about things, so don't worry."
"I guess you're right Gerald."
Downstairs in the living room, the boarders were in a heated discussion.
"Since Arnold is going away for a while and then he is going off to college, I think it would only be
fair to let me have his room," Oskar said.
"Why should you get his room?" Ernie asked, apparently agitated. "You don't even pay for your own room."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Oskar asked.
"A whole lot!" Mr. Hyunh said as he stomped his foot on the floor. "You make no sense!"
"Quiet, all of you!" Grandpa said when he returned from upstairs. "Nobody gets his room..."
"Why not? It's not like he's going to need it," Oskar whined.
"You're too involved in your own world to realize what's going on," Grandpa said.
"I am not," he said sheepishly.
"Yes you are or you would know that Arnold's not going to college!"
"What??" everybody asked.
"He's using all of his money to search for his parents and Pooky and I can't afford to send him to school. But he hasn't realized it either," Grandpa said, sitting down.
"Oh I didn't know," Oskar whined again.
"Well now I feel kinda bad," Ernie said.
"Yes, poor Arnold," Mr. Hyunh agreed. "Is there something we can do?"
"Yeah, don't mention it to Arnold. He has enough riding on his shoulders as it is, so keep your mouths shut."
The boarders looked around at each other with grim expressions on their faces.
The airport: people hurrying in one big jumble to their destination. It reminded Arnold of the last day of school.
"Move it bucko! Can't you see we've got a plane to catch??" Helga yelled as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Come on, come on!" she barked at a little girl in her path, who in return began to cry and clutched her mother's leg.
"Adults huh..." Gerald mumbled to Arnold.
"Flight 53 to Brazil, your plane is now boarding. Flight 53 to Brazil," the loud speaker said.
"Let's go," Helga snapped and pushed the boys toward the boarding entrance. Phoebe followed them, trying to stay away from Gerald as much as possible.
"Tickets please," the man at the desk said.
"Do we have everything?" Arnold asked.
"We've already been over this Arnoldo," Helga said. "We have the map, the supplies and our luggage is on the plane, and we have our..." she trailed off, digging in her bag.
"Tickets?" the man asked.
"Helga, you didn't..." Arnold said as his eyes grew big.
She began to rummage through her bag frantically, saying, "I knew I put them in here!"
"Helga!" Gerald cried.
"No, I KNOW they're in here!" Helga said firmly, but kept looking in her bag.
"I need tickets," the man said.
"I've got your tickets right here buddy," Helga growled and held out her fist. The man backed off.
"Found them!" Phoebe said innocently and gave them to the man.
"How did YOU get them?" Helga asked.
"Oh they fell out when we were getting out of the cab," she said.
"Thank god we brought you along Phoebe," Gerald said, before he realized exactly what he was saying. "I mean.. uh, Helga you need to be more responsible."
Helga shrugged calmly and continued on her way into the plane. I looked like a complete idiot back there, she admitted to herself. "I told Arnold that he should have carried them, it's his fault."
The airplane was small and cramped, but Arnold couldn't care less. He didn't even mind that he had to sit next to Helga. Somehow, they had gotten two tickets that were right next to each other, leaving Gerald and Phoebe sitting next to each other a few rows ahead of them.
"Move it Arnold," Helga said. "I get the window seat."
"Says who?" he said.
"This ticket... and Old Betsy. So move it. NOW."
"Okay, all right!" he said and moved into the isle seat. She pushed her way to the seat, purposefully shoving her ass in his face.
"Helga, your a-" he was saying, but was hit in the face with her elbow. "Ow!"
Once they were settled, the flight attendant came out and instructed them where the exits were and what to do if the plane crashes into an ocean. Helga wasn't listening. "Buckle your seat belts and enjoy your flight."
Suddenly, the plane began to move, slowly but surely. They were about to take off. Arnold noticed Helga gripping the arm rests tightly. "Nervous?" he asked.
"Nervous? Ha! If we DO happen to fall from the sky in a fiery explosion of death and if we DO happen to be over an ocean, all I have to do is use your huge head as a floatation device and I'll survive."
"Haha," he said. "Funny."
"I thought so," she smirked.
The plane got off the ground without a problem and soon they were flying smoothly. Arnold got out the map from his bag and started studying every detail. Helga reached up and flicked off the light.
"Hey! I'm reading here!" he said.
"I'm trying to get some sleep," she retorted.
"Well I need to study this map so I know exactly what we're going to do when we get to Brazil!" he said, turning the light back on.
"Fine!" she huffed and looked out the window. She reached up and pushed the button for the heat. After a minute, Arnold started to sweat.
"Can we turn the heat off? It's hard to concentrate when there's sweat running into your eyes." Arnold flipped it off.
"Why does everything have to be your way??" she asked, turning it back on. "It's freezing in here!"
"I'm burning up!" he flipped it off.
"Well I'm cold!" she argued, turning it on.
"Cold hearted, yeah..." he said under his breath. But Helga heard it.
"What was that football head?" Helga threatened.
"Maybe it would be best if you traded seats with Gerald," Arnold said. "You're acting like a child."
"I'm acting like a child??" she laughed. "You're acting like a baby!"
"Besides," he ignored her, "I don't think they're getting along... just like us."
"Sounds good to me," she said as she unbuckled her seat belt and got up. Once again, she shoved her ass in his face as she got out. "See you in Brazil, loser."
"Why me," he sighed and shook his head. He reached up and turned the heat off for the last time. Then he moved into the window seat and stuck the picture of his parents in the window so that he could look out and see the clouds and his parents at the same time.
"What did you do to make that girl so angry?" Gerald asked as he sat down next to Arnold.
"I think she was born that way. Just naturally angry... at me," he said.
"Seems like it," Gerald agreed.
"I don't know though. Some times, when I look at her, I see an actual caring human being. But other times... I just see a spoiled brat with no compassion at all. And I don't know how I manage to spend time with a person like that. She is completely opposite from me! We've grown up together... but it's like we're strangers. To be honest, I don't think that I should have made her come with us."
"It's like a dream come true!" Helga was saying to Phoebe. "I finally get to spend some quality time with Arn.... icecream!"
"So you admit it... you're actually glad to be seen with him?" Phoebe asked with growing excitement.
"Of course not!" Helga complained. "He's driving me completely crazy!" And I'm loving every minute of it, she said to herself.
"Peanuts?" a flight attendant asked as she pushed her cart.
"I'll take some," Helga spoke up. At that exact moment, Arnold said the same thing.
"I'm sorry, there's only one more bag," she said. Helga looked over her seat and back at Arnold, who was a few rows behind her and Phoebe.
"Oh he doesn't need it, he can live off the fat stored in his big oblong head," Helga said loudly. Some of the other passengers looked at Arnold and laughed. Then Helga snatched the bag of peanuts from the woman and sat back down in her seat.
Arnold looked at Gerald and said in a serious tone, "I think I hate her."
to be continued...
Disclaimer: Hey Arnold! is not mine, but my toes are. So hands off. Who does Arnold belong to? See chapter one's disclaimer.
The Search: chapter 3
"No!" Arnold shouted, flying out of the bed. He searched the room with his eyes, not knowing exactly where he was. Images of his dream flashed slightly in his mind before disappearing all together. He rubbed his eyes and stood up wearily.
"One more day till the wedding Arnold!" Grandma said cheerily as he sat down at the table.
"I'm graduating Grandma, not getting married."
"That's what you think," she said.
"So Arnold, did you think it over some more?" Grandpa asked, walking into the kitchen with a newspaper under his arm.
Arnold nodded and said, "It's just something I have to do Grandpa..."
"All right then. I called the bank this morning and you have six thousand dollars saved up in your college fund."
"That's great!" he said.
"I figure you need at least one more grand and then you'll be set."
"How am I going to raise that amount of money in enough time?" Arnold sighed.
"You'll figure it out. You're a smart kid, Arnold," Grandpa said. "Why don't you ask Mr. Green to sponsor you and then you can pay him back after you return?"
"Thanks Grandpa!" he called, halfway out the door.
Arnold ran down the sidewalk, headed for Mr. Green's shop. He almost felt like the care free boy he used to be as he passed the people on the street in a blur. And he almost felt like he was back in his dream...
"Hey Arnold!" someone called. Still running, he looked over his shoulder and saw Helga waving at him. He looked back in time to see a telephone pole in his path and the burst of stars that followed it. Arnold then found himself on his back and looking up at the sky. "Are you okay Arnold?" she asked with frantic concern.
"What?" he asked, a little confused.
"I mean," she coughed, "you are such a loser." Helga pulled him to his feet and dusted him off. "What are you doing?"
"I have six thousand dollars to fund the search," he said. "Grandpa said I needed at least seven and I was going to ask Mr. Green if he could lend it to me. Do you want to come with me?"
"Uhh... why not. It's not like I have a life or anything..." she said.
They walked to the butcher shop together, carefully avoiding all telephone poles. They didn't say much, but Helga could tell that he was in a good mood. Green's Meats was just up ahead.
"I'm sorry Arnold, I don't have that kind of money."
"It's okay, Mr. Green," Arnold said.
"I can loan you about two hundred dollars, will that help?" Mr. Green asked.
"Of course," he said happily. "That will help a lot."
"No problem Arnold," he said opening the cash register with a cha- ching. "Anything I can do to help."
"Thanks Mr. Green," Arnold took the money and put it in his wallet. "I'll repay you as soon as possible."
"No hurry," Mr. Green said as they walked out of the shop.
"At least it's a start," Arnold said.
"Did you get anywhere with that map?" Helga asked.
"I think it's somewhere near Brazil... the place where they circled is around a place called Manaus."
"But it's not exactly in Manaus?" Helga asked. They turned down the sidewalk and walked into the park. It was a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky.
"No, I think the village that they went to rescue is not a well known place. We're going to have to find it ourselves."
"How do you expect to find the rest of the money?" she asked.
"Look, everybody's here," Arnold said. "Hey guys," he shouted.
Helga looked ahead and saw the gang sitting around a picnic table. She suddenly felt embarrassed when she realized that she had arrived walking with Arnold. She sped up her pace, leaving him behind. "You won't believe this scheme that Arnold's come up with," she said.
"We know... Gerald already told us," Stinky said.
"Well, what do you guys think?" Arnold asked with hope in his eyes.
They looked at each other uneasily and then back at Arnold. "It sounds wonderful," Lila said. "It's a really nice plan."
"Really? You think so?" he smiled. "I've almost raised enough money, but now I just need you guys to come with me."
"But Arnold," Sid said, "how do you expect us to drop what we're doing here to go on a wild goose chase?"
"Thank you Captain Obvious," Rhonda said.
"I know Sid... and I'll understand if you don't go..." Arnold said, clearly a little hurt. There was an awkward moment of silence among them.
"I'll go," Gerald said and stood up. Arnold smiled.
"I'll go too," Phoebe announced seconds after Gerald.
"I would love to go, but I can't," Lila said softly as she put her hand on Arnold's shoulder. Helga mumbled something and looked away. "You understand, don't you?"
"Sure Lila, it's okay."
"I can't either Arnold, I have to get a job so that Rh-" Harold said, but was silenced as Rhonda elbowed him in the stomach. "So that I can earn some money..."
"I can't leave Pa by himself," Stinky said. "And I have to study for entrance exams."
"That's great, Stinky," Arnold nodded. "I completely understand. So anyone else coming?"
"You know I can't," Rhonda said. "Those dirty Amazon people," she shuddered. "But I'll be glad to lend you any camping supplies."
"Wow thanks Rhonda."
Everyone else declined, but Arnold was beaming. In his mind, he saw everything working out perfectly. Everything would go the way it was supposed to.
"Okay Sir, your total is eight thousand dollars."
"What??"
"Eight thousand dollars Sir. For four coach, round-trip tickets to Brazil," a lady from the airport said on the phone.
"But it should be about seven-" Arnold said.
"No Sir, it's eight."
"All right, thank you. Good-bye," he sighed and hung up. "What am I going to do?" Arnold asked sighing loudly.
"You mean to tell me that it's going to cost all of your college fund?" Gerald asked as he sat down on Arnold's couch in his room.
"It's going to cost more..." he said. "And I don't know how I'm going to get it either."
"A lot is riding on this trip, isn't it?" Phoebe asked, across the room standing next to Helga.
"What are we gonna do?" Gerald asked.
"I'll pay the difference," Helga said.
"You'd pay for a trip that you're not even going on?" asked a stunned Gerald.
"She's going," Arnold said.
"WHAT? Why is SHE going?"
"Gerald! Because she promised me that she would go!" he said.
"Why??" he turned to Helga. "Why would you want to go? Just so you can make fun of us?"
"If I were you, I would watch my mouth!" she growled at Gerald. "I don't have to stand here and take this," Helga said angrily and stormed out of the room.
"Gerald, if this is going to work, we all have to get along!" Arnold said and followed Helga, leaving Gerald and Phoebe in his room alone. "Helga, wait!"
"What?" she snapped and turned around. "Are you going to jump all over me too?"
"No... just, please don't be mad. I need you right now Helga."
"You need me?" she asked in disbelief, melting away inside. Oh-ho-oh!
"I need all of you. You and Gerald and Phoebe. So can we please try to work together on this?"
Helga crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine."
"So... uh... what have you been up to lately?" Gerald asked. It was a pathetic attempt to make conversation with Phoebe.
"I recently started taking violin lessons..." she said meekly.
"Oh.. well that's... interesting." Another awkward, silent moment.
"I'll pay the difference for the trip," Helga repeated. They were still out in the hallway in front of the stairs that led to Arnold's room.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked.
"Yes. I know how much this means to you... and well I need a vacation too. I'm giving you two weeks to find them or I'm leaving you, got it?"
"Thanks Helga," he said. "But will you please try to get along with Gerald and me?"
"Sure football head, I'll try. If you didn't bother me so much and get on my nerves we wouldn't have this problem!"
"Maybe if you were a little nicer- look Helga, let's both agree not to fight," Arnold said.
"Fine."
After graduation was over the next night, Arnold stuffed his clothes into a suitcase. They were leaving tomorrow morning for Brazil and he was packing. That night had been really emotional for the whole gang. Arnold had been chosen for valedictorian and he gave a long, but beautiful speech that had everyone in tears. Except for Helga, of course, who he had never seen cry. Although she appeared to be emotionally challenged, he knew that his speech had touched her hard heart. There was a knock at the door and Grandpa and Grandma snuck in.
"We were so proud of you tonight!" Grandma said.
"High school is finally over," he sighed.
"Getting ready for the trip Shortman?" Grandpa asked.
"Yeah, look at all the camping supplies that Rhonda gave us. We have everything that we need."
"It looks like it," he said, surveying all of the equipment.
"Except for one thing..." Arnold said as he turned to face them. "You never told me their names."
"Who?"
"My parents."
"Oh. I guess that's kind of important, huh?" Grandpa laughed. "Your father's name was Philip and your mother's name was Joan."
"Is, Grandpa. Is," Arnold corrected him.
"Oh, my mistake," he smiled.
"Do you have everything you need?" Grandma asked.
"I think so."
"Well what about this?" she asked, holding up his harmonica.
"Thanks Grandma," he smiled warmly.
"It will help you ward off the Indians on your honeymoon."
"Well, we'll leave you to pack," Grandpa said.
They left, leaving Arnold all alone. He looked down at his diploma laying on the bed next to his cap and gown. He told himself that he would frame his diploma when he got back, but a thought hit him. What if he never came back?
The phone rang, shaking the thought from his mind. "Hello?"
"Hey man," Gerald said. "Great speech tonight."
"I still think that you should have given it. You always tell the best stories," Arnold laughed.
"Yeah, you're right," he smiled. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"Why would I be?"
Gerald raised an eyebrow and said,"You honestly think that we can go for two whole weeks without getting into a fight with Helga?"
"Come on Gerald, have a little faith in her," Arnold sighed.
"Well then what about Phoebe and myself? What about us? I can't hold a conversation with her if my life depended on it. I just can't talk to her without getting nervous."
"You'll deal," he said. "We are adults now," Arnold said with sophistication.
"Mmm-hmm," Gerald said. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"I am nervous though. What am I going to say to my parents when I find them?"
"Just give that speech you gave to us tonight and you won't have to worry about awkward silence... ever," he said.
"It wasn't THAT long," Arnold said. "And I'm serious, what will I say to them?"
"Relax man. You'll have your whole lives to talk about things, so don't worry."
"I guess you're right Gerald."
Downstairs in the living room, the boarders were in a heated discussion.
"Since Arnold is going away for a while and then he is going off to college, I think it would only be
fair to let me have his room," Oskar said.
"Why should you get his room?" Ernie asked, apparently agitated. "You don't even pay for your own room."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Oskar asked.
"A whole lot!" Mr. Hyunh said as he stomped his foot on the floor. "You make no sense!"
"Quiet, all of you!" Grandpa said when he returned from upstairs. "Nobody gets his room..."
"Why not? It's not like he's going to need it," Oskar whined.
"You're too involved in your own world to realize what's going on," Grandpa said.
"I am not," he said sheepishly.
"Yes you are or you would know that Arnold's not going to college!"
"What??" everybody asked.
"He's using all of his money to search for his parents and Pooky and I can't afford to send him to school. But he hasn't realized it either," Grandpa said, sitting down.
"Oh I didn't know," Oskar whined again.
"Well now I feel kinda bad," Ernie said.
"Yes, poor Arnold," Mr. Hyunh agreed. "Is there something we can do?"
"Yeah, don't mention it to Arnold. He has enough riding on his shoulders as it is, so keep your mouths shut."
The boarders looked around at each other with grim expressions on their faces.
The airport: people hurrying in one big jumble to their destination. It reminded Arnold of the last day of school.
"Move it bucko! Can't you see we've got a plane to catch??" Helga yelled as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Come on, come on!" she barked at a little girl in her path, who in return began to cry and clutched her mother's leg.
"Adults huh..." Gerald mumbled to Arnold.
"Flight 53 to Brazil, your plane is now boarding. Flight 53 to Brazil," the loud speaker said.
"Let's go," Helga snapped and pushed the boys toward the boarding entrance. Phoebe followed them, trying to stay away from Gerald as much as possible.
"Tickets please," the man at the desk said.
"Do we have everything?" Arnold asked.
"We've already been over this Arnoldo," Helga said. "We have the map, the supplies and our luggage is on the plane, and we have our..." she trailed off, digging in her bag.
"Tickets?" the man asked.
"Helga, you didn't..." Arnold said as his eyes grew big.
She began to rummage through her bag frantically, saying, "I knew I put them in here!"
"Helga!" Gerald cried.
"No, I KNOW they're in here!" Helga said firmly, but kept looking in her bag.
"I need tickets," the man said.
"I've got your tickets right here buddy," Helga growled and held out her fist. The man backed off.
"Found them!" Phoebe said innocently and gave them to the man.
"How did YOU get them?" Helga asked.
"Oh they fell out when we were getting out of the cab," she said.
"Thank god we brought you along Phoebe," Gerald said, before he realized exactly what he was saying. "I mean.. uh, Helga you need to be more responsible."
Helga shrugged calmly and continued on her way into the plane. I looked like a complete idiot back there, she admitted to herself. "I told Arnold that he should have carried them, it's his fault."
The airplane was small and cramped, but Arnold couldn't care less. He didn't even mind that he had to sit next to Helga. Somehow, they had gotten two tickets that were right next to each other, leaving Gerald and Phoebe sitting next to each other a few rows ahead of them.
"Move it Arnold," Helga said. "I get the window seat."
"Says who?" he said.
"This ticket... and Old Betsy. So move it. NOW."
"Okay, all right!" he said and moved into the isle seat. She pushed her way to the seat, purposefully shoving her ass in his face.
"Helga, your a-" he was saying, but was hit in the face with her elbow. "Ow!"
Once they were settled, the flight attendant came out and instructed them where the exits were and what to do if the plane crashes into an ocean. Helga wasn't listening. "Buckle your seat belts and enjoy your flight."
Suddenly, the plane began to move, slowly but surely. They were about to take off. Arnold noticed Helga gripping the arm rests tightly. "Nervous?" he asked.
"Nervous? Ha! If we DO happen to fall from the sky in a fiery explosion of death and if we DO happen to be over an ocean, all I have to do is use your huge head as a floatation device and I'll survive."
"Haha," he said. "Funny."
"I thought so," she smirked.
The plane got off the ground without a problem and soon they were flying smoothly. Arnold got out the map from his bag and started studying every detail. Helga reached up and flicked off the light.
"Hey! I'm reading here!" he said.
"I'm trying to get some sleep," she retorted.
"Well I need to study this map so I know exactly what we're going to do when we get to Brazil!" he said, turning the light back on.
"Fine!" she huffed and looked out the window. She reached up and pushed the button for the heat. After a minute, Arnold started to sweat.
"Can we turn the heat off? It's hard to concentrate when there's sweat running into your eyes." Arnold flipped it off.
"Why does everything have to be your way??" she asked, turning it back on. "It's freezing in here!"
"I'm burning up!" he flipped it off.
"Well I'm cold!" she argued, turning it on.
"Cold hearted, yeah..." he said under his breath. But Helga heard it.
"What was that football head?" Helga threatened.
"Maybe it would be best if you traded seats with Gerald," Arnold said. "You're acting like a child."
"I'm acting like a child??" she laughed. "You're acting like a baby!"
"Besides," he ignored her, "I don't think they're getting along... just like us."
"Sounds good to me," she said as she unbuckled her seat belt and got up. Once again, she shoved her ass in his face as she got out. "See you in Brazil, loser."
"Why me," he sighed and shook his head. He reached up and turned the heat off for the last time. Then he moved into the window seat and stuck the picture of his parents in the window so that he could look out and see the clouds and his parents at the same time.
"What did you do to make that girl so angry?" Gerald asked as he sat down next to Arnold.
"I think she was born that way. Just naturally angry... at me," he said.
"Seems like it," Gerald agreed.
"I don't know though. Some times, when I look at her, I see an actual caring human being. But other times... I just see a spoiled brat with no compassion at all. And I don't know how I manage to spend time with a person like that. She is completely opposite from me! We've grown up together... but it's like we're strangers. To be honest, I don't think that I should have made her come with us."
"It's like a dream come true!" Helga was saying to Phoebe. "I finally get to spend some quality time with Arn.... icecream!"
"So you admit it... you're actually glad to be seen with him?" Phoebe asked with growing excitement.
"Of course not!" Helga complained. "He's driving me completely crazy!" And I'm loving every minute of it, she said to herself.
"Peanuts?" a flight attendant asked as she pushed her cart.
"I'll take some," Helga spoke up. At that exact moment, Arnold said the same thing.
"I'm sorry, there's only one more bag," she said. Helga looked over her seat and back at Arnold, who was a few rows behind her and Phoebe.
"Oh he doesn't need it, he can live off the fat stored in his big oblong head," Helga said loudly. Some of the other passengers looked at Arnold and laughed. Then Helga snatched the bag of peanuts from the woman and sat back down in her seat.
Arnold looked at Gerald and said in a serious tone, "I think I hate her."
to be continued...
