Anyway, it's been days since I called Lila and when Friday rolled around, she called. "Arnold, I've been just ever so worried," she said. "You didn't call at all. You're not mad at me are you?"
No, Lila, I just found someone else to take my mind off of Helga, I thought. By the way, Lila goes to a private school now. "No, Lila," I said. "I've just been busy."
"Oh, well, are we still on for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" What's happening tomorrow, I thought.
"Yes, the Van Gogh exhibit, remember?"
Oh, right. "Um, actually, Lila, can I take a rain check? I'm not feeling up to going anymore." At least not with you, I added silently.
"Oh...well, sure, Arnold. That's fine. Can I come by tonight though?"
Why? You're boyfriend dump you for someone smarter? "No, I'm really busy," I said. "Some other time, okay?"
There was a long silence before she finally replied, "Sure, Arnold. Another time..."
"Well, I'll call you later. Bye." Once again, I hung up without letting her say goodbye. I looked at the phone for a while before I picked it up and dialed a number I had memorized a couple days ago.
"Hello?" the angel's voice answered.
"Hi, Helen," I answered. "It's Arnold. Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to ask you something."
"Where'd you get my number?" she asked.
Boy, she doesn't beat around the bush, I thought. "Um...I got it from the phone book a couple days ago."
"A couple days ago?" I hit my head. Why can't I lie? Then she said, and I could swear I heard her smile, "That's sweet, Arnold. You have a crush on me, don't you?" She didn't sound at all haughty about it. She just sounded...like her.
I blushed as I said, "Yeah...is that okay?"
She laughed and said, "I was worried I would have to make the first move. I have a crush on you too, Arnold."
I smiled. Not only did she like me back, she sounded more intelligent than Lila with her "like me, like me" thing. "Then since feelings are clear, would you mind if we go to the Van Gogh exhibit with Gerald and Phoebe."
"I didn't know the Van Gogh exhibit was in town. I love his work. If it's okay with Gerald and Phoebe then I'd love to go."
"Gerald said he thought it'd be fun. He's okay with it."
"Okay, then I'll come. When are we going?"
"We're going to meet them there at seven. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I'm looking forward to it already."
"Yeah, me too. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, sure. Well, night, Arnold."
"Night, Helen." I hung up after I heard her phone click and disconnect. I smiled brightly. I had a date with Helen Kincaid. How lucky am I!
After some serious begging,
I was able to borrow one of Mr. Smith's cars instead of going in the Packard.
It's old and shot and definitely not fit to take someone like Helen to
something like the Van Gogh exhibit. He had a few cars and he lent me the
key to his BMW Z8 convertible. I had answered a few questions about Helen
and where we were going and lent me this beauty. I knew she'd like it and
I guess he did too.
She looked amazing when
I picked her up, a floral dress with a black background and a pink shirt
beneath it and black small-heeled shoes. I was surprised that she wore
pink, but then again, something was always pink with her. She even ties
this small pink bow around any hairstyle she has. This time she wore her
pink bow around her neck as a choker and hung a small heart charm from
it.
"You look great, Helen,"
I said as I started the car.
"You look good too," she
replied with her heart-melting smile. I was wearing a black satin button
down polo shirt, not tucked in of course, and black jeans with black boots.
"Black suits you very well."
"Like pink suits you," I
said, as I began to drive, causing her to laugh.
"I couldn't help it," she
admitted. "I know it's not under casual formal, but I love the color."
"It's okay. It really does
look good on you."
"Well, thank you."
"By the way, did you finish
that book of yours?"
"Pride and Prejudice? Yes,
yesterday. I've started on Great Expectations. It's also slow, but its
way of writing keeps it interesting, but you have to respect Ms. Austen's
way of writing. Pride and Prejudice was a lovely story and though it's
quite wordy, I can't help reading it over and over."
"How many times have you
read it?"
"Once a year. I've read
it since I was 10, but it seemed familiar. I may have read it when I was
younger." We talked about the book and other books we've read over the
years. We were talking about Alice in Wonderland by the time we arrived.
"Hey, you guys," Gerald
called to us as we approached. "You two look great together! Much better
than Lila."
"Who's Lila?" Helen asked.
"This witch Arnold dated
for a while," Gerald said as he led Phoebe and us inside.
"Gerald, that's not a very
nice thing to say about someone. Even if they didn't act very reasonable.
They usually have a good reason behind their attitudes. Like Rhonda. She
acts the way she does because she's insecure about her appearances and
what people think of her."
"That's not nice," Gerald
said with a grin.
"I was just stating a fact,"
Helen defended.
"As was I."
Helen smiled in defeat.
"Touché," she replied. She then turned to me and we continued our
conversation of books. Gerald and Phoebe left us alone after a while. We
paused in our conversation to talk about the paintings we would stop at.
"Arnold!" the most hideous
shriek cried, interrupting the wonderful time I was having with Helen.
I turned to see Lila standing there in a trademark green colored dress,
which looked completely grotesque on her by the way.
"Who the hell is she!" Lila
cried angrily, pointing at Helen.
"I'm Helen," Helen spoke.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Lila and Arnold's girlfriend,
you hussy!"
Helen seemed unaffected
by the name. "You mean ex-girlfriend, right?" she said. "Or are you one
of those obsessed stalker girls who can't take a hint as to when it's over?"
Lila was furious. "I am
Arnold's current girlfriend. I talked to him last night and he told me
he didn't want to go to this exhibit!"
Helen looked at me. Oh god,
she wanted me to tell her if Lila was lying or not. Please lie, Arnold.
Just once! Please! Say "no!" Instead I looked away, which confirmed the
Lila had been telling the truth.
"I'm sorry, Lila," I heard
Helen say. "He didn't tell me you were still seeing each other. I'll leave."
"No, Helen, please don't,"
I begged.
"You're with me, Arnold!"
Lila growled.
"And you're cheating on
me!" I yelled at her.
She gasped, trying to look
innocent. "Arnold! How can you say that?"
"Because it's true. I hear
men's voices in the background of our calls, you're always breathless when
I talk to you, and you smell like some guy right now!"
Helen seemed to have noticed
the smell and she looked at Lila disapprovingly. Lila glared at the two
of us and finally she yelled, "Yeah, well, you're calling me Helga while
we fucked wasn't a picnic for me, Arnold! I needed a guy who called out
my name while banging me."
I smiled inwardly that she
finally dropped the "I'm-a-virgin" act. "I never called you Helga!" I yelled
when what she said finally got to me.
"Yes, you did! All the time!
Every time, not once did you call me by my name. I let it go the first
time thinking you still needed time to adjust, but damn it, Arnold, you
kept calling me Helga. Helga's dead, Arnold. You need to get over it!"
"It's over, Lila. Now get
out of my face," I hissed angrily. I knew she was dead, but hearing that
from someone else hurt like hell.
"My pleasure!" she yelled.
She glared at Helen and said, "He's in love with a dead girl I hope you
know. He'll call you Helga too." With that she stomped off, grabbing some
blank-faced guy with her.
I looked at Helen after a while. She was looking at the ground, looking
somewhat confused. "Helen?" I said, trying to pull her attention.
"Arnold, can you take me
home," she said softly.
"Yeah, sure..." I said quietly
as I took her hand and led her out.
