A/N: hehee...I LUUV REVIEWS!!!! Hehhaheah!! *laughs maniacally b/c I'm on a
sugar high* heheee...
OKKKeee!! Reviewers
shira: ayayayay!! Glad u LIKE it!!! SICKLY sweet is da BESSST!!! YAYA!! Of course I'll be ya royal story teller!! *Puts on goofy royal story teller hat* hehehahahah!!
SilverChocolate: yep yep, I took ur suggestion, n' I'm gonna try to add some BEAUTY and the BEAST and maybe some SLEEPING BEAUTY in it tooo!! THX!! Read and review MOORE!
JESS: KAWAII bunny FUU FUU!!! That's SO CUTIE poo!! :D *hey that rhymed, surprisingly!!* bows grandiosely...hehe..lols
MetallicPink Sakura: :DDDDD another chappie comin' RIGHT UP!!! :)
Magentha: read more!!! Merha! *drools a bit* review!!!!
matchmake-t: ?:o...- that's mah confused face...tell me more about the suggestions for ur next fic, and I'll suggest some!!! :))))!!! Okkee.thx 4 reading!!! MARSHMALLOWS ROCK!!! :D
old-soul: yay thx! I haven't updated in a while, sorrie!!!! Welp, thanx for ze reviews!!!! :DDDDD
JOEY'S ANGEL: :DDDD thx a bunch, review again when ya have zee time!!! :DD
untouchable-rogue: cool name!! Thx for ze reviews!! CHAPPIE THREE IS UP!!!
heehee.END of MAH CLAZY A/N!!!!
~*~
Fortune and Fame
Helga skipped lightly into the house, humming to herself and clutching the dark red invitation in one hand. When she opened the door, and iron grip encircled her wrist, and twisted it sharply. Helga gasped as pain seared through her arm, and tried to escape from the grasp of Nora. Her eyes trailed the path Arnold's invitation made as it fluttered slowly to the ground.
"Where have you been all night?" Nora asked her, eyes blazing. Behind Nora were her children, Johnny and Catelina. Catelina stepped forward, and picked up the forgotten invitation with one dainty hand. As she read it, her eyes widened.
"How did you get this?" She asked in surprise, greedily eyeing it.
"GIVE that BACK!" Helga said, lunging for the red piece of paper, but Nora pulled her back. Helga turned to her step mother, and narrowed her eyes. She knew that Nora was more powerful that her, but her temper flared and her common sense flew out the window. All she knew was that this woman had ruined her life.
Her fist started hurtling toward the woman's face. Old Betsy hadn't lost any of her skill and power yet. But Nora didn't move. Instead she said the one thing that froze Helga's fist in midair.
"One word from me and everybody you love is dead." Helga's eyes widened, as she heard the ring of truth in the woman's voice. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she lowered her hand. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. Her eyes watered as she knew Nora would keep her word. There was nothing she could do.
"I hate you." She whispered bitterly. Turning away from the woman, Helga slumped up the stairs. Helga lightly walked into her room, and collapsed beside a wall. Her room was the smallest one in the mansion of a house she lived in. It was also the coldest. Her window was fogged with smog, and the only light was from the clouded sun outside. Helga shivered. Everything seemed so distant from her, so far away. The blares of horns in the streets outside were detached, and everything in her room was bathed in a blue light.
Sighing, Helga slouched on the floor and stared at the faded pink wallpaper on the walls. This was the only thing that reminded her of the old neighborhood, where all her old friends were.
Pheobe. All contact between them had been cut.
What had happened to her, anyways? Maybe.just maybe she was still friends with Arnold? Maybe...Pheobe still remembered her? Maybe...she would even recognize her? Unbidden her thoughts drifted to the cornflower haired boy. He was the only thing that had helped her make it through. Year by year, not going to school regularly, all that had kept her alive was the thought that somewhere, Arnold was free.
Helga groaned, and made her way to the small, almost non-existant mirror in her tiny washroom. She wasn't permitted to be anywhere but her room when she wasn't cleaning, so there it was, a tiny sink, toilet and shower.
She couldn't blame him, really. Her hand glided gracefully past her reflection in the mirror. They had changed her appearance, and her face was gaunt from hunger. Her once long blond wavy hair was now only shoulder length, and was dyed a pasty brown. She wasn't ever allowed to wear pink. The only thing she had kept from her childhood was the locket.
With its mention Helga took the small worn out locket from under her clothes. She couldn't believe she had wanted to discard of it two days ago. Then she had felt helpless, and had lost the will to live. But meeting Arnold again...
He had instilled in her an unquenchable hope. Maybe...just maybe somebody would find out and save her, and Bob too. In her lap her hand clenched into a fist. She would survive.
Helga's thinking was interrupted when she heard two footsteps outside her door. It was Nora. She walked in and slapped the girl. Pain sprouted on her cheek.
"The floors are dirty." Nora told her coldly, rubbing her muddy high heels on the floor. "Be thankful I am not punishing you for receiving the invitation which you must have stolen from the streets." With a swift turn, the woman stalked away, heels clicking on the carpeted wooden floor. Sighing softly to herself, Helga grabbed a small bucket that was overfilled with dirty water, and a mop. The water sloshed as she picked it up, and Helga swallowed a lump at her throat. She quietly made her way down the stairs to the main hall.
~*~
Helga frowned as she moved the mop back and forth along the floor. The quiet mansion scared Helga. She had never liked silence, as her real family had always been loud. A large chandelier sparkled above her and illuminated the marble floors of the ball room. Her thoughts began to run inside her head. She clenched her teeth and rubbed savagely at the tiles at her feet.
It wasn't fair. Why her? Why her family? Why Miriam? At her mother's name, Helga's hands tightened their grip on the broom. They had killed her. They had killed Miriam. Right in front of her nine-year-old daughter. Helga would never forget it, she would never forgive them. Miriam had never been a good mother, but her death shattered Helga.
Business.
Helga hated that word. It was business that had got her into this mess, business that had killed Miriam, and business that her murderer had uttered to Helga by way of explanation.
Bob and his business. The beeper emporium had grown into a larger and larger business until it was worth billions. In that brief stint of peaceful happiness everything seemed perfect. The business continued to grow and Bob began to sell all different kinds of technology; weapons, wirelesses, and his business grew into many different franchises. That was until he made a deal with Machia Vaconelli.
Machia Vaconelli. The name made Helga want to hurl.
He turned out to be the leader of a large mafia organization, and somehow, Bob found out and turned him in to the authorities. For a while, the Patakis were put under surveillance by the police for protection, but a few months passed, and nothing peculiar happened, so the security slackened, and finally began to pull away.
That's when they hit.
The mafia killed Miriam, and kidnapped Helga. Bob was on a business trip, and Olga was somewhere in Greenland helping with the abolition of illiteracy. They burned the house down, and made it look like an accident.
Helga suddenly realized that she had finished cleaning the floor, and with a sigh, made her way outside to empty the bucket. It began to drizzle as she stepped out onto the porch. She noticed the newspaper on the doormat, and brought it in. Trust Nora to leave it out here as long as she had. Helga looked at the downcast sky. It was evening. That means she had been cleaning all day. Again.
Shaking her head to herself Helga made her way back into the house as she felt goosebumps begin to form on her skin. As she was about to throw it onto the table a heading caught her eye.
MULTI MILLIONAIRE BACHELOR MOVES INTO TOWN
Arnold had just moved into town. With widened eyes Helga slowly unfolded the newspaper, and saw a picture of her beloved right in the front page. Her eyes roved over the article in amazement. Arnold was a millionaire?
Suddenly her heart leapt with pride. She always knew that he would make it big. Her Arnold. A goofy grin crept onto her face, and she kissed the picture softly and held it to her heart. She recalled to mind that his house had been modest, only moderately enormous. Arnold was still himself, even if he didn't remember or recognize her.
"What are you doing?" A harsh voice asked. Startled, Helga jumped, and inconspicuously slid the newspaper back onto the table.
"Nothing." Helga replied quickly, turning around to face Catelina. They were both about the same age, but they both hated eachother with a passion. Catelina was wearing a ton of make-up, and Helga grimaced in distaste. The other girl's red hair fell in waves around her face, and she wore a small black dress.
Ignoring her with a dismissive twist of her fingers, Catelina placed her manicured hands on top of the newspaper, and smiled.
"A millionaire...and he's my age! Oh! And I even have an invitation to his party." Catelina roved her eyes hungrily on Arnold's picture, and Helga bristled unconsciously. "Not too bad looking either." Catelina said to herself.
NO, she wasn't going to let her emotions take control of her again. With great difficulty, Helga let her fists drop to her side, and turned to leave. Catelina smiled at Helga's obvious consternation.
"Oh well, I'm off to buy a dress." She hollered before Helga left the room. Suddenly Catelina felt herself bowled over, as Helga's fist made contact with her stomach. She growled in anger. This girl thought she could beat HER up? With once swift movement, Catelina kicked Helga in the ribs, and Helga's breath was knocked out of her. She gasped for air, and hoped her lungs hadn't been punctured.
Helga felt herself pushed up against the wall by her neck, and cold metal pressed to her forehead. Her breathing came faster, as she heard the safety clip unlock. Catelina looked murderous, but Helga was sure she wouldn't do it. Helga glared her down from her helpless position.
"If you weren't this important..." Catelina threatened, and dropped the gun. Helga fell to the ground, breathing fast. With one last kick, Catelina left.
~*~
OH well, ok THAT's all, I'm not too sure about this chapter, and sorry it's kindof bad...I had this MAJOR writer's block for a LONG time...next chappie will be betta, I PWOMISE!!! Heehee.
I also promise the next chapter won't take as long * WINTER VACATION, YAY!!* and that there'll be some ARNOLD in it!!! YAYAYAAAAY!
-dkc :D
OKKKeee!! Reviewers
shira: ayayayay!! Glad u LIKE it!!! SICKLY sweet is da BESSST!!! YAYA!! Of course I'll be ya royal story teller!! *Puts on goofy royal story teller hat* hehehahahah!!
SilverChocolate: yep yep, I took ur suggestion, n' I'm gonna try to add some BEAUTY and the BEAST and maybe some SLEEPING BEAUTY in it tooo!! THX!! Read and review MOORE!
JESS: KAWAII bunny FUU FUU!!! That's SO CUTIE poo!! :D *hey that rhymed, surprisingly!!* bows grandiosely...hehe..lols
MetallicPink Sakura: :DDDDD another chappie comin' RIGHT UP!!! :)
Magentha: read more!!! Merha! *drools a bit* review!!!!
matchmake-t: ?:o...- that's mah confused face...tell me more about the suggestions for ur next fic, and I'll suggest some!!! :))))!!! Okkee.thx 4 reading!!! MARSHMALLOWS ROCK!!! :D
old-soul: yay thx! I haven't updated in a while, sorrie!!!! Welp, thanx for ze reviews!!!! :DDDDD
JOEY'S ANGEL: :DDDD thx a bunch, review again when ya have zee time!!! :DD
untouchable-rogue: cool name!! Thx for ze reviews!! CHAPPIE THREE IS UP!!!
heehee.END of MAH CLAZY A/N!!!!
~*~
Fortune and Fame
Helga skipped lightly into the house, humming to herself and clutching the dark red invitation in one hand. When she opened the door, and iron grip encircled her wrist, and twisted it sharply. Helga gasped as pain seared through her arm, and tried to escape from the grasp of Nora. Her eyes trailed the path Arnold's invitation made as it fluttered slowly to the ground.
"Where have you been all night?" Nora asked her, eyes blazing. Behind Nora were her children, Johnny and Catelina. Catelina stepped forward, and picked up the forgotten invitation with one dainty hand. As she read it, her eyes widened.
"How did you get this?" She asked in surprise, greedily eyeing it.
"GIVE that BACK!" Helga said, lunging for the red piece of paper, but Nora pulled her back. Helga turned to her step mother, and narrowed her eyes. She knew that Nora was more powerful that her, but her temper flared and her common sense flew out the window. All she knew was that this woman had ruined her life.
Her fist started hurtling toward the woman's face. Old Betsy hadn't lost any of her skill and power yet. But Nora didn't move. Instead she said the one thing that froze Helga's fist in midair.
"One word from me and everybody you love is dead." Helga's eyes widened, as she heard the ring of truth in the woman's voice. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she lowered her hand. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. Her eyes watered as she knew Nora would keep her word. There was nothing she could do.
"I hate you." She whispered bitterly. Turning away from the woman, Helga slumped up the stairs. Helga lightly walked into her room, and collapsed beside a wall. Her room was the smallest one in the mansion of a house she lived in. It was also the coldest. Her window was fogged with smog, and the only light was from the clouded sun outside. Helga shivered. Everything seemed so distant from her, so far away. The blares of horns in the streets outside were detached, and everything in her room was bathed in a blue light.
Sighing, Helga slouched on the floor and stared at the faded pink wallpaper on the walls. This was the only thing that reminded her of the old neighborhood, where all her old friends were.
Pheobe. All contact between them had been cut.
What had happened to her, anyways? Maybe.just maybe she was still friends with Arnold? Maybe...Pheobe still remembered her? Maybe...she would even recognize her? Unbidden her thoughts drifted to the cornflower haired boy. He was the only thing that had helped her make it through. Year by year, not going to school regularly, all that had kept her alive was the thought that somewhere, Arnold was free.
Helga groaned, and made her way to the small, almost non-existant mirror in her tiny washroom. She wasn't permitted to be anywhere but her room when she wasn't cleaning, so there it was, a tiny sink, toilet and shower.
She couldn't blame him, really. Her hand glided gracefully past her reflection in the mirror. They had changed her appearance, and her face was gaunt from hunger. Her once long blond wavy hair was now only shoulder length, and was dyed a pasty brown. She wasn't ever allowed to wear pink. The only thing she had kept from her childhood was the locket.
With its mention Helga took the small worn out locket from under her clothes. She couldn't believe she had wanted to discard of it two days ago. Then she had felt helpless, and had lost the will to live. But meeting Arnold again...
He had instilled in her an unquenchable hope. Maybe...just maybe somebody would find out and save her, and Bob too. In her lap her hand clenched into a fist. She would survive.
Helga's thinking was interrupted when she heard two footsteps outside her door. It was Nora. She walked in and slapped the girl. Pain sprouted on her cheek.
"The floors are dirty." Nora told her coldly, rubbing her muddy high heels on the floor. "Be thankful I am not punishing you for receiving the invitation which you must have stolen from the streets." With a swift turn, the woman stalked away, heels clicking on the carpeted wooden floor. Sighing softly to herself, Helga grabbed a small bucket that was overfilled with dirty water, and a mop. The water sloshed as she picked it up, and Helga swallowed a lump at her throat. She quietly made her way down the stairs to the main hall.
~*~
Helga frowned as she moved the mop back and forth along the floor. The quiet mansion scared Helga. She had never liked silence, as her real family had always been loud. A large chandelier sparkled above her and illuminated the marble floors of the ball room. Her thoughts began to run inside her head. She clenched her teeth and rubbed savagely at the tiles at her feet.
It wasn't fair. Why her? Why her family? Why Miriam? At her mother's name, Helga's hands tightened their grip on the broom. They had killed her. They had killed Miriam. Right in front of her nine-year-old daughter. Helga would never forget it, she would never forgive them. Miriam had never been a good mother, but her death shattered Helga.
Business.
Helga hated that word. It was business that had got her into this mess, business that had killed Miriam, and business that her murderer had uttered to Helga by way of explanation.
Bob and his business. The beeper emporium had grown into a larger and larger business until it was worth billions. In that brief stint of peaceful happiness everything seemed perfect. The business continued to grow and Bob began to sell all different kinds of technology; weapons, wirelesses, and his business grew into many different franchises. That was until he made a deal with Machia Vaconelli.
Machia Vaconelli. The name made Helga want to hurl.
He turned out to be the leader of a large mafia organization, and somehow, Bob found out and turned him in to the authorities. For a while, the Patakis were put under surveillance by the police for protection, but a few months passed, and nothing peculiar happened, so the security slackened, and finally began to pull away.
That's when they hit.
The mafia killed Miriam, and kidnapped Helga. Bob was on a business trip, and Olga was somewhere in Greenland helping with the abolition of illiteracy. They burned the house down, and made it look like an accident.
Helga suddenly realized that she had finished cleaning the floor, and with a sigh, made her way outside to empty the bucket. It began to drizzle as she stepped out onto the porch. She noticed the newspaper on the doormat, and brought it in. Trust Nora to leave it out here as long as she had. Helga looked at the downcast sky. It was evening. That means she had been cleaning all day. Again.
Shaking her head to herself Helga made her way back into the house as she felt goosebumps begin to form on her skin. As she was about to throw it onto the table a heading caught her eye.
MULTI MILLIONAIRE BACHELOR MOVES INTO TOWN
Arnold had just moved into town. With widened eyes Helga slowly unfolded the newspaper, and saw a picture of her beloved right in the front page. Her eyes roved over the article in amazement. Arnold was a millionaire?
Suddenly her heart leapt with pride. She always knew that he would make it big. Her Arnold. A goofy grin crept onto her face, and she kissed the picture softly and held it to her heart. She recalled to mind that his house had been modest, only moderately enormous. Arnold was still himself, even if he didn't remember or recognize her.
"What are you doing?" A harsh voice asked. Startled, Helga jumped, and inconspicuously slid the newspaper back onto the table.
"Nothing." Helga replied quickly, turning around to face Catelina. They were both about the same age, but they both hated eachother with a passion. Catelina was wearing a ton of make-up, and Helga grimaced in distaste. The other girl's red hair fell in waves around her face, and she wore a small black dress.
Ignoring her with a dismissive twist of her fingers, Catelina placed her manicured hands on top of the newspaper, and smiled.
"A millionaire...and he's my age! Oh! And I even have an invitation to his party." Catelina roved her eyes hungrily on Arnold's picture, and Helga bristled unconsciously. "Not too bad looking either." Catelina said to herself.
NO, she wasn't going to let her emotions take control of her again. With great difficulty, Helga let her fists drop to her side, and turned to leave. Catelina smiled at Helga's obvious consternation.
"Oh well, I'm off to buy a dress." She hollered before Helga left the room. Suddenly Catelina felt herself bowled over, as Helga's fist made contact with her stomach. She growled in anger. This girl thought she could beat HER up? With once swift movement, Catelina kicked Helga in the ribs, and Helga's breath was knocked out of her. She gasped for air, and hoped her lungs hadn't been punctured.
Helga felt herself pushed up against the wall by her neck, and cold metal pressed to her forehead. Her breathing came faster, as she heard the safety clip unlock. Catelina looked murderous, but Helga was sure she wouldn't do it. Helga glared her down from her helpless position.
"If you weren't this important..." Catelina threatened, and dropped the gun. Helga fell to the ground, breathing fast. With one last kick, Catelina left.
~*~
OH well, ok THAT's all, I'm not too sure about this chapter, and sorry it's kindof bad...I had this MAJOR writer's block for a LONG time...next chappie will be betta, I PWOMISE!!! Heehee.
I also promise the next chapter won't take as long * WINTER VACATION, YAY!!* and that there'll be some ARNOLD in it!!! YAYAYAAAAY!
-dkc :D