As the bell sounded for the end of the school day, the children of PS118
poured out of the double doors, words flying around loudly as some boarded
the bus and others began the walk home.
"Hey Pheebs! I'm coming over to yours okay?" Helga stated as she caught up with her best friend.
"Of course Helga!" Phoebe smiled politely. She had successfully predicted this and saw another piece of her plan fall into place. Now there was no way Helga could avoid going to the park with her.
They boarded the bus and sat down.
"Are you sure you're alright Helga? Your eyes look awfully red." Phoebe observed as Helga rested her head on the headrest of the seat. She really didn't look well. "You didn't sleep last night, did you." it wasn't a question.
"No..." Helga mumbled, seeing the concern on her friend's face. But she didn't want to tell her why. "I, I just wasn't tired, that's all." she fiddled with her thumbs, suddenly becoming nervous. Phoebe ignored her excuse.
"You don't have to pretend Helga. Remember this is me you're talking to." her voice was calm but firm. "How do you feel now?"
"If I tell you, will you stop asking me all these dumb questions?!" Helga asked in frustration, but her tone was softer than usual. She knew Phoebe was worried for her.
"Of course!" Phoebe grinned.
Helga's brow knotted and she looked down at her hands; she felt uncomfortable. "Well I, I don't know what I feel! I guess I've been trying to figure it out, but I, I can't. It's like, I'm looking for someone to blame, but I know I'm the only one at fault, and it's completely my problem. I created it... I just feel so... empty. I spilled my guts, and he didn't believe it... even if he did, he didn't want to believe it. He gave me a way out, but that wasn't what I wanted, because now everything is normal again... except it isn't! He knows, and he doesn't care! So, I'm... empty. Just empty." Phoebe could see that Helga was fighting back tears. She is, after all, very good at fighting.
Phoebe extended a comforting arm, resting her hand on Helga's shoulder for reassurance. They had been the best of friends for so long, that sometimes they didn't really need words. Helga looked up and smiled weakly in thanks. Phoebe gave a small nod of understanding.
"He does care about you, you know." Phoebe said softly.
"Oh? Well, he sure has a funny way of showing it!" she sighed. Phoebe chuckled lightly to herself at those words. Helga arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"It's just, he said exactly the same thing about you."
When the bus finally reached Phoebe's stop, both girls got off and made there way to Phoebe's house to drop off their school bags.
"You really do have your heart set on the park, huh Pheebs?" Helga chucked as Phoebe pulled her out of the front door and onto the street.
"Hmm..." Phoebe wasn't really paying attention as her eyes searched the streets anxiously. The coast was clear. By her calculations, they should reach the park just before 4:00. Perfect.
"Well, I'm just gonna relax when we get there y'know. Man I'm tired!" Helga yawned as Phoebe pulled her down the street. But she was beginning to notice Phoebe's strange behaviour. "Er, Phoebe?"
"Yes Helga?"
"I can walk by myself thanks! Sheesh! Where's the fire?!" she yanked her hand away and slowed down, forcing Phoebe to slow down with her.
"Oh, er, sorry Helga" she smiled sheepishly. Thankfully, the park wasn't much further, and they were still making good time.
By the time they arrived, it was almost 4:00. They walked along the path; Phoebe scanned the area while Helga enjoyed the cooling breeze on her face, completely unaware of her friend's anxiety. She plopped down on the nearest bench and sighed deeply. "I'm gonna rest here for a while, okay Pheebs?" she yawned again and stretched out on the bench, hands behind her head, she closed her eyes.
Then Phoebe spotted them approaching. Had they seen her?
"...And she didn't say anything else?" Gerald asked as he and Arnold walked down the street, parallel with the park railings.
"Nope, just that it had something to do with schoolwork." Arnold shrugged. It did seem a bit strange for Phoebe to ask them to meet her at the park, and for schoolwork purposes too! It's not like Phoebe would need their help with schoolwork! Very strange. "Maybe she just wants an excuse to see you" Arnold winked and nudged his blushing best friend who quickly protested.
"What?! What are you talking about? Why would she wanna see me? Huh huh... hmm... Anyway, she said schoolwork! Oh look, there she is now!" he stumbled over his words as Arnold watched knowingly, eyes half-lidded, smirking.
They entered the park and headed over to Phoebe who was waiting patiently for them under a large tree, its leaves whispering in the cool breeze. She was getting nervous.
"Yo Pheebs!" Gerald greeted, shooting her a smile. Arnold still had that knowing expression on his face as he watched their interaction.
"Hello Gerald, Arnold," she nodded.
"Hey Phoebe!" Arnold returned the greeting. "So, what's up?" he asked casually. Phoebe face suddenly changed to a quite serious expression and she looked directly at Arnold. Neither of the two boys had noticed the sprawled out Helga on the bench a few meters away from them.
"Erm..." Phoebe walked up to Arnold and then turned to face Gerald. "Gerald, may I have a minute to speak with Arnold, alone?" Both Gerald and Arnold turned to each other, looks of confusion were exchanged, and then they shrugged it off."
"Sure." Gerald replied softly. Phoebe nodded in gratitude and motioned for Arnold to follow her to another bench in the park. They sat; Arnold still held the look of confusion.
"Phoebe?" he questioned. "What's going on?"
"It's about Helga," she began, slightly unsure of her words. Arnold raised an eyebrow. That name sparked off so many different feelings, and that in itself worried him. But why would she want to talk to him about Helga? She doesn't know about the, er, incident, does she? Now Arnold was beginning to feel nervous, but intrigued all the same.
"Okay..."
"Hey Pheebs! I'm coming over to yours okay?" Helga stated as she caught up with her best friend.
"Of course Helga!" Phoebe smiled politely. She had successfully predicted this and saw another piece of her plan fall into place. Now there was no way Helga could avoid going to the park with her.
They boarded the bus and sat down.
"Are you sure you're alright Helga? Your eyes look awfully red." Phoebe observed as Helga rested her head on the headrest of the seat. She really didn't look well. "You didn't sleep last night, did you." it wasn't a question.
"No..." Helga mumbled, seeing the concern on her friend's face. But she didn't want to tell her why. "I, I just wasn't tired, that's all." she fiddled with her thumbs, suddenly becoming nervous. Phoebe ignored her excuse.
"You don't have to pretend Helga. Remember this is me you're talking to." her voice was calm but firm. "How do you feel now?"
"If I tell you, will you stop asking me all these dumb questions?!" Helga asked in frustration, but her tone was softer than usual. She knew Phoebe was worried for her.
"Of course!" Phoebe grinned.
Helga's brow knotted and she looked down at her hands; she felt uncomfortable. "Well I, I don't know what I feel! I guess I've been trying to figure it out, but I, I can't. It's like, I'm looking for someone to blame, but I know I'm the only one at fault, and it's completely my problem. I created it... I just feel so... empty. I spilled my guts, and he didn't believe it... even if he did, he didn't want to believe it. He gave me a way out, but that wasn't what I wanted, because now everything is normal again... except it isn't! He knows, and he doesn't care! So, I'm... empty. Just empty." Phoebe could see that Helga was fighting back tears. She is, after all, very good at fighting.
Phoebe extended a comforting arm, resting her hand on Helga's shoulder for reassurance. They had been the best of friends for so long, that sometimes they didn't really need words. Helga looked up and smiled weakly in thanks. Phoebe gave a small nod of understanding.
"He does care about you, you know." Phoebe said softly.
"Oh? Well, he sure has a funny way of showing it!" she sighed. Phoebe chuckled lightly to herself at those words. Helga arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"It's just, he said exactly the same thing about you."
When the bus finally reached Phoebe's stop, both girls got off and made there way to Phoebe's house to drop off their school bags.
"You really do have your heart set on the park, huh Pheebs?" Helga chucked as Phoebe pulled her out of the front door and onto the street.
"Hmm..." Phoebe wasn't really paying attention as her eyes searched the streets anxiously. The coast was clear. By her calculations, they should reach the park just before 4:00. Perfect.
"Well, I'm just gonna relax when we get there y'know. Man I'm tired!" Helga yawned as Phoebe pulled her down the street. But she was beginning to notice Phoebe's strange behaviour. "Er, Phoebe?"
"Yes Helga?"
"I can walk by myself thanks! Sheesh! Where's the fire?!" she yanked her hand away and slowed down, forcing Phoebe to slow down with her.
"Oh, er, sorry Helga" she smiled sheepishly. Thankfully, the park wasn't much further, and they were still making good time.
By the time they arrived, it was almost 4:00. They walked along the path; Phoebe scanned the area while Helga enjoyed the cooling breeze on her face, completely unaware of her friend's anxiety. She plopped down on the nearest bench and sighed deeply. "I'm gonna rest here for a while, okay Pheebs?" she yawned again and stretched out on the bench, hands behind her head, she closed her eyes.
Then Phoebe spotted them approaching. Had they seen her?
"...And she didn't say anything else?" Gerald asked as he and Arnold walked down the street, parallel with the park railings.
"Nope, just that it had something to do with schoolwork." Arnold shrugged. It did seem a bit strange for Phoebe to ask them to meet her at the park, and for schoolwork purposes too! It's not like Phoebe would need their help with schoolwork! Very strange. "Maybe she just wants an excuse to see you" Arnold winked and nudged his blushing best friend who quickly protested.
"What?! What are you talking about? Why would she wanna see me? Huh huh... hmm... Anyway, she said schoolwork! Oh look, there she is now!" he stumbled over his words as Arnold watched knowingly, eyes half-lidded, smirking.
They entered the park and headed over to Phoebe who was waiting patiently for them under a large tree, its leaves whispering in the cool breeze. She was getting nervous.
"Yo Pheebs!" Gerald greeted, shooting her a smile. Arnold still had that knowing expression on his face as he watched their interaction.
"Hello Gerald, Arnold," she nodded.
"Hey Phoebe!" Arnold returned the greeting. "So, what's up?" he asked casually. Phoebe face suddenly changed to a quite serious expression and she looked directly at Arnold. Neither of the two boys had noticed the sprawled out Helga on the bench a few meters away from them.
"Erm..." Phoebe walked up to Arnold and then turned to face Gerald. "Gerald, may I have a minute to speak with Arnold, alone?" Both Gerald and Arnold turned to each other, looks of confusion were exchanged, and then they shrugged it off."
"Sure." Gerald replied softly. Phoebe nodded in gratitude and motioned for Arnold to follow her to another bench in the park. They sat; Arnold still held the look of confusion.
"Phoebe?" he questioned. "What's going on?"
"It's about Helga," she began, slightly unsure of her words. Arnold raised an eyebrow. That name sparked off so many different feelings, and that in itself worried him. But why would she want to talk to him about Helga? She doesn't know about the, er, incident, does she? Now Arnold was beginning to feel nervous, but intrigued all the same.
"Okay..."