Oh well…
SUMMARY of this chapter: It's Christmas time! Arnold and Helga get to know each other a little better, they make friends with a woman named Heather. Lila's acting really weird, and something's happened that we all have feared. In the end, Helga cries, and Arnold wants someone to die.
Chapter Four: The Fire Within"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry. You'd better not pout I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is comin' to town…he sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake," sang Helga as she changed Jacqueline. The cute little newly 7 month old child.
"You're turning into such a darling baby," smiled Helga. "Did you know that Christmas is coming? Yes it is…" She sat her up on the changing table. "And you'll get to be with the people you love and get lots and lots of gifts. You thought Thanksgiving was fun…wait till you go through Christmas!"
The baby giggled.
Helga picked her up and swinged her in the air.
"Hey there's my princess," smiled Arnold into the door. He hugged Helga from behind and kissed her neck. "And my beautiful queen…" he whispered in her ear.
Helga laughed. "You know what I'd love to do?"
"What?"
"I'd love to go out and buy some Christmas things. A nice big tree…with ornaments and all. And lots of decorations. Lots and lots!"
"Maybe not that many…"
"And the best part is that we'll go to Brookwood and pretend we're in our early thirties!"
"What do you mean?"
"We'll take Jacqueline with us to Brookwood to go shopping and pretend we're in our thirties. C'mon…we'll use fake names and everything."
Arnold nodded slowly. "Okay…"
"Cool! Then let's go to Brookwood!"
"Now?!"
"Yup. Now." Helga put Jacqueline down in the crib and hugged Arnold. "Please, please, please?"
"Oh okay. I'll go get the car ready and stuff."
"Awesome. I'll get Jacqueline ready…meet ya in fifteen minutes." She kissed his cheek.
After half an hour, they reached Brookwood and began to shop in their big mall. There were over 200 shops. Really nice ones Helga loved like Abercrombie and Fitch, Illuminations, and the Barnes and Noble bookstore. She missed going to the mall in Brookwood.
"Oh Arnold. This is wonderful," said Helga. She held his arm and leaned against them as they walked. Arnold was pushing the stroller.
"Yeah. It's really nice."
They walked into the Barnes and Noble and sat down in just any aisle without anyone there. By pure coincidence, they ended up in the Maternity section. Helga took any book from the shelf and began to read it.
Then a lady ran into Helga's shoe.
"Oh so sorry. I was just trying to get that pregnancy book over there." She pointed over next to Arnold. "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
Arnold took it out and handed it to the red headed pregnant lady. She grinned and bumped into the stroller. (Small aisle, isn't it?)
"Oh my gosh! Is that your baby?" she squealed, bending over to look at Jacqueline. Her index finger touched her chubby cheek.
Helga got up and nodded. "Yeah…she's seven months old."
"How darling…what's her name?"
"Jacqueline." Stated Arnold clearly.
The lady smiled. "How long have the two of you been married for?"
Helga glanced at Arnold briefly. "Four years. And you?"
She placed her hand on her stomach. "One year."
"That's so sweet…how old are you? 28?"
"Actually I'm 26." She smiled. "And the name's Heather." She put out her hand.
Helga shook her hand. "Stella. My name's Stella."
Arnold's eyes widened. She said her name is Stella…does this have some cosmic meaning to it or something?
"And this is my husband," began Helga.
"Miles," coughed Arnold.
"You two are such a cute couple," commented Heather. "And both so young. You look like, what, twenty at the most."
"We're actually 25." So much for being in the thirties…
"How sweet," she smiled and glanced at her wrist watch. "Oh my, look at the time. I really have to get going. My husband is waiting for me at the cash register. Bye! It was great to meet the two of you." She walked away quickly.
Helga laughed and slumped down next to Arnold. "Wasn't that fun?"
He nodded. "Let's go home. I think we've shopped around enough."
***
Arnold was really in a sort of deep trance for the next week. Constantly thinking of his parents. And thinking of how his life would have been different. Maybe if his parents were still around he wouldn't have gotten Helga pregnant in the first place. Then maybe she would still be living with her parents and they would still be living together.
So many "what ifs" fluttered through his mind, Helga couldn't take his mind off it. She knew something was bugging him. It was just that she didn't know what was bugging him. Yeah, she could predict what Arnold would do next if he was angry or sad or happy. Yet she just didn't know anything about him.
They've decorated the tree with lots of tinsel and all different kinds of ornaments. Some were of Disney characters and balls and snowflakes. Jacqueline loved the tinsel. She grabbed them by the handful and threw it in the air.
"Arnold, you seem so stressed out," said Helga softly, putting her arms around him from behind. "Are you okay? You're not getting into the holiday spirit."
Arnold fidgeted in his seat. "It's nothing…really."
She looked down at him. "You're such a bad liar."
"Where's Jacqueline?"
"She's out with Miriam. Miriam insisted that she take Jacqueline out today so that I could have a day off. She'll bring her back around seven."
Arnold groaned.
"What's wrong? Don't you trust my mom?"
"Yeah. I trust her. It's just…I don't know." He put his head down on his fists.
Helga sighed slightly. "Why don't you go up to the attic and bring down the Christmas box? We'll decorate the boarding house some more."
Arnold got up and walked up the stairs. Helga walked around and slumped down in his chair. What could be bugging him? I hope I didn't do anything…what if I did? Oh my Gosh…maybe he's mad at me. Maybe he's finally reluctant of living with me. Maybe I should've gone out with Mom and Jackie…
Nearly half an hour passed and Arnold wasn't back yet. Oh God, thought Helga. He left me for Lila. She jumped out of her seat and dashed up the stairs and walked up the stairs to the attic cautiously to find Arnold sitting by a box under a dimmed light.
"Hey…Arnold," said Helga slowly. "I was getting worried down there. I thought you ran off with Lila or something," she chuckled softly.
Arnold didn't chuckle along with her. Instead, he gave a deep and heavy sigh. Then she noticed the pictures in his hands and the map laid out on the wooden floor. It felt like her inner soul dropped. She sat down next to him. "That's a nice journal you have there…"
"This journal is one of the very few things I have left of my parents." His voice was flat and serious.
"Oh, Arnold. I didn't know," mumbled Helga sadly.
"It's stupid…I practically forgot about them. I was having so much fun with you and Jacqueline. You two are all I really care about. But then ever since that day you pretended you were named Stella…well…"
"Don't tell me…that was your mother's name?"
Arnold nodded.
Helga groaned at herself. "I swear, I didn't know…the name just popped up in my head." She looked at Arnold. His face was dark and it looked like the usual gleam in his eyes weren't there.
"Miles and Stella. Just after I heard you say her name…and hearing myself say my father's name reminded me of another Christmas without them. I try not to get sad, but I just do. Keeping all this to myself…it's unbearable at times."
Helga rubbed his back with her hand. "You don't have to keep it all to yourself. I mean, I'd like to know…if you'd like to share."
He looked at her. "Really?"
"Of course…I barely know anything about your past."
Arnold smiled and put his left arm around her body as she snuggled up close to him, leaning against his body. Her hand was on his chest and his arm around her waist.
"My Grandpa told me that my parents were really adventurous, you know…" he began. "And this is how their relationship all began…"
After over an hour of story-telling, Arnold was surprised to see that Helga was still awake and that she was so into the story. Asking questions every step of the way. Gasping at the scary moments, laughing at the funny ones. He couldn't believe it. Someone actually cared.
"And so Grandpa told me these stories over and over again. I just lived to hear them. Practically devouring every word, trying to visualize what it would be like to have my parents with me. Just to have them take me through life. Ya know…just to have a family."
"You've always had a family. People who live with you who care about you. That's a better family than I had, I'll tell you."
Arnold shrugged. "It's getting cold…"
"Yeah." Helga shivered and glanced at a happier Arnold. It Seemed that after Arnold told her his parents' story, he was a lot more like his regular self.
"Hey you kids!" shouted Phil from below the attic stairs. "It's snowing!"
Helga grinned wildly with Arnold. "Snow!" she squealed, rushing down the stairs. Arnold followed her shortly after he put away all the things in the box.
Outside the streets were slowly covering with white powder and beautiful snowflakes of all different sizes and shapes glittered as they fell on the sidewalks. Carolers were heard just half a block away singing "Deck The Halls".
Helga was only wearing a turtle-neck sweater, jeans, and a pair of pink books. Yeah. She was pretty cold. But it was worth it to see the first snowfall of the season. How she used to love dancing in the middle of the street, fall back and make snow angels.
No one would be driving when it snowed.
Helga opened up her arms and tilted her head and opened her mouth catching a couple of snowflakes on the tip of her tongue. She twirled around and inhaled the freezing air. Boy she was still cold.
Arnold snuck up from behind her and put a wool scarf around the front of her neck and pulled her to him. "Didn't you mother ever tell you not to go out in freezing weather without a scarf?"
He wrapped it around her neck and she turned around, putting her hand on his face.
"Your hand is cold," he murmured, taking her hand in his gloved hand. He kissed it.
Helga exhaled a cool breath and giggled when she saw it in the air.
"Easily amused, aren't you?"
"C'mere," she pulled him down with her into the snow. Once they hit the ground the two of them began laughing. "Too bad there's not enough snow for us to be making snow angels…"
"Why should I bother trying to make an angel I can't keep when I have the best angel already here with me?" Arnold looked over at Helga and touched her pink cheek with his curled finger. "You're really cute with your cheeks all flushed."
Helga sat up and rubbed her hands together, blowing into them. "It's freezing out here."
"I could help warm you up." Arnold laid his head on his hands.
Helga smirked and kneeled on top of him, with her legs parted. She leaned over on top of him. "Let's go inside then…" she pulled him up by his scarf and led him inside the boarding house.
Once they were inside the warm house, Helga stripped off her scarf and yanked off Arnold's scarf and gloves; she also pulled off his thick coat, throwing it on the floor. Instantly, they began to embrace. It's just that after they set their eyes on each other inside the house a flame sparked.
He led her next to the fireplace where the fire was burning bright and laid her down on the multi-colored rug. He looked down at her and devoured in her lips again. The way she looked…the way her body looked in that sweater. His body pressed against hers as she tried to unbutton his shirt.
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons and then suddenly he whispered, "we can't…I can't. We have to stop."
Helga forced herself to nod. But I don't want to…
Arnold stopped kissing around her jaw bone and sat down. His head was bowed down and pulled his hands through his hair. They were both a little out of breath.
Helga covered her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured.
"No. It's not your fault or anything. The whole house is infested with people…"
"I'm really sorry…I'm going to go get some cocoa or something." He got up with a blank stare on his face and left.
Yes, it IS your fault…thought Helga. It is so completely your fault. Just when we get so intimate, so close…I love you Arnold. Why can't you let me love you? I know you love me. WHY WON'T YOU ADMIT IT?
Arnold came back with two mugs of hot chocolate and a blanket hung on his arm. He sat down next to her and gave her the hot chocolate and wrapped the blanket around the two of them.
"Three marshmallows…just the way you like it."
Helga smiled. "Thanks."
The two of them just sat together next to the fire. Staring into it until they fell asleep.
***
"This is awful! Just awful, awful, awful," complained Lila. "I don't think I'm ever going to see Arnold again until January!" Her feet stomped angrily on her floor.
She paced around her room rubbing her chin. So many things to plan. Things to buy, people to see. What would absolutely kill Arnold? she thought. His Grandparents? No, no…too old. Maybe his hat? Nah, he barely wears that old thing anyways…what…think, Lila. THINK!
Then it hit her.
What a wonderful idea. So devious, so cunning…so perfect. "Their baby," she mumbled to herself. "The baby!" Her voice filled with a sinister laugh as she repeated it over and over again. "the BABY!"
"This is so perfect!" she cried. "I just simply take the baby from Helga and Arnold… I'll tear that poor little Helga's heart apart." She clutched her fingers together and grimaced. "THEN ARNOLD WILL LOVE ME!"
"But how…how do I get the baby?"
A light bulb flashed.
"Rhonda's Christmas Party…I'll just sneak into their house while they're there and take her!" She laughed again. "Lila, you are just ever so profound!"
***
"Arnold! Helga! So good of you two to come!" Rhonda exclaimed. She kissed both sides of their cheeks. "Jackie's not with you?"
"No, she was really stuffy today. We decided to let her stay home tonight," said Helga.
"Well, you two look fab! Come on in. Everyone's here."
The whole place was crowded. Filled with all kinds of people. Waiters walked around with shot glasses of punch and little tea sandwiches. The atmosphere was all too familiar to both Helga and Arnold.
Helga and Arnold danced away. Always standing by each other every second. Although on their minds was only Jacqueline. It wasn't the first time they left her alone, but this time it was different. It was the Christmas season. They wouldn't be home until midnight. The boarders were busy making different kinds of eggnogs and getting hyper.
Yet they still had them watch their only prized possession. No matter how hard they tried, their minds were fixed on Jackie. No matter how many times their friends pushed the two of them under the mistletoe…they still couldn't think of anything but Jackie. Who ever knew having fun could be so tiring?
"Hey, you know what?" said Arnold.
"What?"
"I don't think I've seen Lila tonight."
"Me either…you don't suppose she's sick or something do you?"
"Lila never gets too sick. Not sick enough to drop a party at least."
"Arnold…I'm worried." She looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh God, Arnold…I have this strange feeling in my body. I feel like something's bad happened and it's 10 o' clock. The whole boarding house is asleep now. I have to check on Jacqueline…we need to go home."
"Okay, okay. Calm down," soothed Arnold. "Let's go." He took her arm and they rushed out of Rhonda's house.
Come on, prove me wrong, thought Helga. Prove me wrong stupid intuition…you've failed me millions of times, now it's time to work your powers again. Arnold knows…nothing could have happened. She glanced at the worried expression on his face. Oh no…he senses it too.
They were running into the boarding house and ran up the stairs. Helga turned on the hall lights and barged in through her bedroom door. A chill ran down both their spines. The window was open. Nervously, she walked towards the crib.
As her fingers touched the edge, she looked down to find the crib empty. Suddenly something came over her and she just crouched down and screamed of sorrow and tears flooded her eyes. Her hands covered her face. Who could have done such a thing? Why?
It felt like a knife cut through Arnold's heart. He felt the same way he felt when his parents had left on that journey and never came back. Could he possibly get Jackie back? For once, he too began to shed a few tears. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground. I will kill whoever did this, he vowed to himself.
A/N: WhEw…I got it up…Oh hey, by the WAY…check out Chapter 3 again…I drew this picture, and linked it. Yeah! Then you get to see my Hey Arnold! drawing. I wanted to do the same for this chapter, but then the picture I was drawing looked too much like the other one. So… I decided not to. And PLEASE review on this review thingy…Yes…
I'm so HAPPY…IT'S DECEMBER! And you know what's comin' up real soon…
Btw, sorry this chapter was corny.