Chapter Seven
Helga needed to clear her head. She was becoming fussy over nothing, and overreacting at everything. Somehow she was being overwhelmed. She figured that it was because of her new riches, but that's why she was headed towards the bridge. She needed to…sort things out.
It was getting dark. Her parents didn't care where she was, as long as she came back early enough to go to school. She laughed briefly, but it was an empty laugh. For some reason, every time she came here she was put into a sort of depressing but thoughtful mood. She sat down and hung her feet down above the river. She sat there for hours.
Helga never remembered falling asleep. All she remembered was waking up and thinking it still a dream. Arnold was sitting next to her on the bridge, looking just like she was before she fell asleep.
"Hey, Arnold…what're you doing here?" He looked startled, as if he hadn't heard me yawning and waking up. He was obviously lost in thought.
"Oh…Helga. You woke up. I was just…" Arnold trailed off.
"Don't go on. I can see it in your eyes." She said glumly. He was silent.
"Why are you here?"
"Well, if I figure correctly, the same reason as you."
"What, your -"
"Bob and Miriam, yes. If you can call them parents. Now that they're rich, they're happy, even Miriam. And when they're happy, they get along too well. I see them even less. It's good too, or else they might, oh no, actually have to look at me. Yeah, well I don't care. They can go off on their own and leave me in a dumpster for all I care, because that's what they've been doing all my life. They probably think they deserve the Nobel Prize for buying a house and making me a big room. Maybe they figure that's enough to make up for how much I haven't seen them the past few days." Arnold sat quietly for a second before replying.
"Well, you kind of contradicted yourself in that monologue Helga. You seem to hate them with a passion, but then get mad at them for leaving you alone." Helga grumbled silently.
"Why do you think I'm here in the first place? I'm trying to sort things out. I figure, like Don Henley said, "What the head makes cloudy, the heart makes very clear." I…also have some other things on my mind too."
"Like what?"
"Well, for one…just think back to today."
"Ah. I see."
"I can't figure out what I'm feeling about anything lately."
"Well, the way I see it, you were so worried about how everyone was going to react that you blew it out of proportion. And it didn't help that you were right about them in the first place…by the way, what DID happen with Mr. Simmons?" Helga sighed.
"Oh, he changed too, Arnold. He asked to hold the dance in my mansion." Arnold had a confused expression on his face.
"Mr. Simmons? He said that? Well…that was kind of rude."
"Yep. Then I went back to my seat, and…" Helga suddenly remembered what took place next. "…oh. Right. Hey…Arnoldo. I'm -"
"It's alright. I know." They sat together for quite some time, very quiet. Then Helga spoke.
"So Arnold. Do you come here often?" Arnold noticed a hint of concern in her voice, and was mildly surprised.
"Well, yeah. Pretty much every other day. Can we talk about something else?" Helga backed off.
"Sure, Arnold. Sure. Actually, I'd better be going soon…I need to get some sleep to greet the 'well wishers' at school tomorrow…" She emphasized "well wishers" with heavy sarcasm. Arnold nodded.
"I'd better go too. Say, Helga…"
"Yeah?"
"I think…this might have been good…for both of us. Do you want to…you know…meet here sometimes?" Arnold said. Helga smiled inwardly at his kindness, and the fact that she was helping him in some way.
"Sure, Football Head. That would…be good." Then they walked away, both with their own concerns.
As Helga walked back to her house, she realized how late it was. It had to be 12 o' clock, or later. She thought to herself some more, but this time about Arnold. Why does he torture himself by thinking about it so much? Or did something happen to awaken his sadness…? He would have told her if it was Bob, so what was it? Or maybe it wasn't one particular event. Maybe he was just in a bad mood.
He was right though. She was feeling much better. Maybe this would be good for her, in more ways than one.
This is becoming fun. Suggestions? Please review!
-I. Krag
Helga needed to clear her head. She was becoming fussy over nothing, and overreacting at everything. Somehow she was being overwhelmed. She figured that it was because of her new riches, but that's why she was headed towards the bridge. She needed to…sort things out.
It was getting dark. Her parents didn't care where she was, as long as she came back early enough to go to school. She laughed briefly, but it was an empty laugh. For some reason, every time she came here she was put into a sort of depressing but thoughtful mood. She sat down and hung her feet down above the river. She sat there for hours.
Helga never remembered falling asleep. All she remembered was waking up and thinking it still a dream. Arnold was sitting next to her on the bridge, looking just like she was before she fell asleep.
"Hey, Arnold…what're you doing here?" He looked startled, as if he hadn't heard me yawning and waking up. He was obviously lost in thought.
"Oh…Helga. You woke up. I was just…" Arnold trailed off.
"Don't go on. I can see it in your eyes." She said glumly. He was silent.
"Why are you here?"
"Well, if I figure correctly, the same reason as you."
"What, your -"
"Bob and Miriam, yes. If you can call them parents. Now that they're rich, they're happy, even Miriam. And when they're happy, they get along too well. I see them even less. It's good too, or else they might, oh no, actually have to look at me. Yeah, well I don't care. They can go off on their own and leave me in a dumpster for all I care, because that's what they've been doing all my life. They probably think they deserve the Nobel Prize for buying a house and making me a big room. Maybe they figure that's enough to make up for how much I haven't seen them the past few days." Arnold sat quietly for a second before replying.
"Well, you kind of contradicted yourself in that monologue Helga. You seem to hate them with a passion, but then get mad at them for leaving you alone." Helga grumbled silently.
"Why do you think I'm here in the first place? I'm trying to sort things out. I figure, like Don Henley said, "What the head makes cloudy, the heart makes very clear." I…also have some other things on my mind too."
"Like what?"
"Well, for one…just think back to today."
"Ah. I see."
"I can't figure out what I'm feeling about anything lately."
"Well, the way I see it, you were so worried about how everyone was going to react that you blew it out of proportion. And it didn't help that you were right about them in the first place…by the way, what DID happen with Mr. Simmons?" Helga sighed.
"Oh, he changed too, Arnold. He asked to hold the dance in my mansion." Arnold had a confused expression on his face.
"Mr. Simmons? He said that? Well…that was kind of rude."
"Yep. Then I went back to my seat, and…" Helga suddenly remembered what took place next. "…oh. Right. Hey…Arnoldo. I'm -"
"It's alright. I know." They sat together for quite some time, very quiet. Then Helga spoke.
"So Arnold. Do you come here often?" Arnold noticed a hint of concern in her voice, and was mildly surprised.
"Well, yeah. Pretty much every other day. Can we talk about something else?" Helga backed off.
"Sure, Arnold. Sure. Actually, I'd better be going soon…I need to get some sleep to greet the 'well wishers' at school tomorrow…" She emphasized "well wishers" with heavy sarcasm. Arnold nodded.
"I'd better go too. Say, Helga…"
"Yeah?"
"I think…this might have been good…for both of us. Do you want to…you know…meet here sometimes?" Arnold said. Helga smiled inwardly at his kindness, and the fact that she was helping him in some way.
"Sure, Football Head. That would…be good." Then they walked away, both with their own concerns.
As Helga walked back to her house, she realized how late it was. It had to be 12 o' clock, or later. She thought to herself some more, but this time about Arnold. Why does he torture himself by thinking about it so much? Or did something happen to awaken his sadness…? He would have told her if it was Bob, so what was it? Or maybe it wasn't one particular event. Maybe he was just in a bad mood.
He was right though. She was feeling much better. Maybe this would be good for her, in more ways than one.
This is becoming fun. Suggestions? Please review!
-I. Krag