Chapter 2: "A Challenge Met"
It was business as usual the next day when Mr. Simmons came into class. As everyone could have guessed, he had a project up his sleeve, but his "special" attitude didn't make it due for another two weeks. Plenty of time. Everyone sat at their desks making notes to the assignment, except for Helga and Silas.
Silas pretended to pay attention, but glanced several times at Helga, watching her face. Her eyes met his occassionally, but her evil look toward him was constant each time. He simply smiled disarmingly at her, and chuckled to himself.
Helga: (to herself) "Criminy! That freak is toying with me! What am I going to do? I have to think of a way to silence him." She snapped her pencil in two. "Permanently. Let's see... He'd probably fly away just like that parrot if I go after him with a chainsaw." She snickered to herself at that thought. "Perhaps my pet monitor lizard could help." She glanced back in Silas' direction. "I bet a wakeup call to that face would send him packing! Ha ha ha!"
Mr. Simmons: "Helga! Please pay attention."
Helga turns around: (still to herself) "Yes, I'll need to think hard to top him."
...Later in the cafeteria...
Helga: (standing outside the door) "There he is. With Arnold and Gerald. What a dope. Thinks he can scare me does he? I'll show him!" She turned and looked in again. "Lila!" Lila passed by the three of them with a brief hello. Arnold smiled at her, like Helga wished he'd smile at her. That made her more angry. "Great! How am I suppose to stop Silas from telling the whole school, and Arnold, what I said, and keep Lila from liking liking Arnold? Hmmm... I've got it!"
"Got what?"
Helga turned quickly. "Phoebe! I, uhhh, I got it! Why don't we sit with those three today?" She laughed. "Ha ha... I've been meaning to get to know Silas a bit more anyway."
Phoebe: "Oh that's nice. I'm glad to see you're not upset about yesterday. I mean, you two didn't exactly get off on the right foot..."
Helga: "Oh that? Naaah... We're a lot alike! In many ways... Ah ha ha... Uhhhh." They both went into the cafeteria, got their lunches, and sat down with them. Helga sat next to Silas, across from Arnold.
Arnold: "What are you two doing here?"
Helga: "What's it to you football-head? It's a free country! So, Silas. Good game yesterday, huh? Bet your hand stings a bit! Ha ha ha!"
Phoebe: "Nonetheless, that was incredible how you stood up to Harold like that. The proportions of your bodies combined with the speed at which he was travelling states that you had less than thirty percent chance of remaining standing. Perhaps with your feet four inches more apart you could've..."
Helga: "Yeah, great Phoebe. Anyway, about yesterday. I know you don't have any hard feelings about it, huh? I mean, we both knew our places. You just happened to be in mine."
Silas: "I'm as good a sport as the next. Especially since Gerald here is too chicken to accept a rematch!" He laughed.
Gerald: "What? When did I say that? I'll take you on anyday!" He leaned forward. "Perhaps we can even test both your pitching skills. Arnold, you catch today. We'll see who can strike me out. Helga or Silas."
Helga remained silent.
Silas: "All right then."
And so later that day, they all met at Gerald Field. Everyone gathered in their outfield places, Arnold sat at home plate, and Silas and Helga stood on the pitcher's mound.
Arnold: "Farthest hit loses!"
Gerald readies himself at the plate, with Arnold showing signs under his glove. Doi! Yeah, a fastball! Guh, who would've thought of that? Gerald missed it.
Helga: "Pressure's on now, bucko! Two more and you should win!"
Silas: "I've not yet even started." Of, course, he had just finished. The second pitch streaked in toward's Arnold's glove, but met a bat instead. Luckily, the outfield had hit the dirt as the ball streaked over their heads. Even Eugene managed to avoid the ball when Sheena pulled him down.
Geraldo: "Line drive into the far far far far far outfield! Let's see whatcha got Helga."
Curly returned with the ball a few minutes later, and by then the outfield had a barricade of dirt set up as they all peeked over to watch the action. Arnold fell backwards after Helga's first pitch, and dropped the ball the second.
Arnold: "Please hit it Gerald. This glove is made way too thin!"
Gerald: "Don't worry about it. Gotcha covered."
Silas: (to Helga) "So Helga. Who's facing pressure now? Think you can do it? The whole outfield is counting on you! Come on!" He laughed.
Helga: "Sheesh! What a moron! Huh, thinks he can make me nervous?" She looked at her hand. It might have been her imagination, but it was shaking a little bit. Perhaps that was because of what she would do after she won...
Strike three.
Arnold: "Ow." He ripped off his glove and started dancing across the field. Gerald smiled at him.
Gerald: "I told you to stay away from the outfield! No action, no endurance!"
Just then, Helga did something totally unexpected. Not much to her liking, she ran around the plate cheering for herself, and then hugged Silas. "I won I won I won! Ha ha ha!" He fell backward.
Silas: "Jeez! Get a grip!" He pulled her off of him. "What's the matter with you?"
Gerald came up to him. "Tough break, but I believe that's a treat with the Jolly Olly man?"
Silas: (sighing) "Well, a deals a deal. Come on." He slumped off with Gerald.
Helga fell down and buried her face in the dirt. Unable to believe what she had done, she sighed. For there was more to come.
Arnold: "Helga? Are you alright?"
Helga: (without looking up) "What makes you think anything's wrong?"
Arnold: "Well, you normally don't dance around like you did when you win.
Helga: "You should talk, football-head! Just 'cause you can't take a little fast pitching!" She stood up and brushed herself off. Her face was stained reddish brown though.
Arnold: (pretend sighs) "I know I know. Us poor football-headed people. Such tender flesh. How would we ever survive behind the plate?" He laughed slightly, and ran off after Lila.
Helga: (after everyone had left and the sun began to set) "Criminy! I'd better get on with this soon, or Lila will start to like him like him instead of just liking him! The more I try the worse it gets!" She sat down. "Step one complete. I'm sure he saw me with Silas. Ewww, gross!!!! I can't believe what I have to do!" She pulled out her locket. "Maybe with a little time, my love, you shalt be strucketh by the green-eyed monster I have foolishly allied myself with! Oh, forgive me Arnold. For in the end, we shall see just how foolish it can be..."
It was business as usual the next day when Mr. Simmons came into class. As everyone could have guessed, he had a project up his sleeve, but his "special" attitude didn't make it due for another two weeks. Plenty of time. Everyone sat at their desks making notes to the assignment, except for Helga and Silas.
Silas pretended to pay attention, but glanced several times at Helga, watching her face. Her eyes met his occassionally, but her evil look toward him was constant each time. He simply smiled disarmingly at her, and chuckled to himself.
Helga: (to herself) "Criminy! That freak is toying with me! What am I going to do? I have to think of a way to silence him." She snapped her pencil in two. "Permanently. Let's see... He'd probably fly away just like that parrot if I go after him with a chainsaw." She snickered to herself at that thought. "Perhaps my pet monitor lizard could help." She glanced back in Silas' direction. "I bet a wakeup call to that face would send him packing! Ha ha ha!"
Mr. Simmons: "Helga! Please pay attention."
Helga turns around: (still to herself) "Yes, I'll need to think hard to top him."
...Later in the cafeteria...
Helga: (standing outside the door) "There he is. With Arnold and Gerald. What a dope. Thinks he can scare me does he? I'll show him!" She turned and looked in again. "Lila!" Lila passed by the three of them with a brief hello. Arnold smiled at her, like Helga wished he'd smile at her. That made her more angry. "Great! How am I suppose to stop Silas from telling the whole school, and Arnold, what I said, and keep Lila from liking liking Arnold? Hmmm... I've got it!"
"Got what?"
Helga turned quickly. "Phoebe! I, uhhh, I got it! Why don't we sit with those three today?" She laughed. "Ha ha... I've been meaning to get to know Silas a bit more anyway."
Phoebe: "Oh that's nice. I'm glad to see you're not upset about yesterday. I mean, you two didn't exactly get off on the right foot..."
Helga: "Oh that? Naaah... We're a lot alike! In many ways... Ah ha ha... Uhhhh." They both went into the cafeteria, got their lunches, and sat down with them. Helga sat next to Silas, across from Arnold.
Arnold: "What are you two doing here?"
Helga: "What's it to you football-head? It's a free country! So, Silas. Good game yesterday, huh? Bet your hand stings a bit! Ha ha ha!"
Phoebe: "Nonetheless, that was incredible how you stood up to Harold like that. The proportions of your bodies combined with the speed at which he was travelling states that you had less than thirty percent chance of remaining standing. Perhaps with your feet four inches more apart you could've..."
Helga: "Yeah, great Phoebe. Anyway, about yesterday. I know you don't have any hard feelings about it, huh? I mean, we both knew our places. You just happened to be in mine."
Silas: "I'm as good a sport as the next. Especially since Gerald here is too chicken to accept a rematch!" He laughed.
Gerald: "What? When did I say that? I'll take you on anyday!" He leaned forward. "Perhaps we can even test both your pitching skills. Arnold, you catch today. We'll see who can strike me out. Helga or Silas."
Helga remained silent.
Silas: "All right then."
And so later that day, they all met at Gerald Field. Everyone gathered in their outfield places, Arnold sat at home plate, and Silas and Helga stood on the pitcher's mound.
Arnold: "Farthest hit loses!"
Gerald readies himself at the plate, with Arnold showing signs under his glove. Doi! Yeah, a fastball! Guh, who would've thought of that? Gerald missed it.
Helga: "Pressure's on now, bucko! Two more and you should win!"
Silas: "I've not yet even started." Of, course, he had just finished. The second pitch streaked in toward's Arnold's glove, but met a bat instead. Luckily, the outfield had hit the dirt as the ball streaked over their heads. Even Eugene managed to avoid the ball when Sheena pulled him down.
Geraldo: "Line drive into the far far far far far outfield! Let's see whatcha got Helga."
Curly returned with the ball a few minutes later, and by then the outfield had a barricade of dirt set up as they all peeked over to watch the action. Arnold fell backwards after Helga's first pitch, and dropped the ball the second.
Arnold: "Please hit it Gerald. This glove is made way too thin!"
Gerald: "Don't worry about it. Gotcha covered."
Silas: (to Helga) "So Helga. Who's facing pressure now? Think you can do it? The whole outfield is counting on you! Come on!" He laughed.
Helga: "Sheesh! What a moron! Huh, thinks he can make me nervous?" She looked at her hand. It might have been her imagination, but it was shaking a little bit. Perhaps that was because of what she would do after she won...
Strike three.
Arnold: "Ow." He ripped off his glove and started dancing across the field. Gerald smiled at him.
Gerald: "I told you to stay away from the outfield! No action, no endurance!"
Just then, Helga did something totally unexpected. Not much to her liking, she ran around the plate cheering for herself, and then hugged Silas. "I won I won I won! Ha ha ha!" He fell backward.
Silas: "Jeez! Get a grip!" He pulled her off of him. "What's the matter with you?"
Gerald came up to him. "Tough break, but I believe that's a treat with the Jolly Olly man?"
Silas: (sighing) "Well, a deals a deal. Come on." He slumped off with Gerald.
Helga fell down and buried her face in the dirt. Unable to believe what she had done, she sighed. For there was more to come.
Arnold: "Helga? Are you alright?"
Helga: (without looking up) "What makes you think anything's wrong?"
Arnold: "Well, you normally don't dance around like you did when you win.
Helga: "You should talk, football-head! Just 'cause you can't take a little fast pitching!" She stood up and brushed herself off. Her face was stained reddish brown though.
Arnold: (pretend sighs) "I know I know. Us poor football-headed people. Such tender flesh. How would we ever survive behind the plate?" He laughed slightly, and ran off after Lila.
Helga: (after everyone had left and the sun began to set) "Criminy! I'd better get on with this soon, or Lila will start to like him like him instead of just liking him! The more I try the worse it gets!" She sat down. "Step one complete. I'm sure he saw me with Silas. Ewww, gross!!!! I can't believe what I have to do!" She pulled out her locket. "Maybe with a little time, my love, you shalt be strucketh by the green-eyed monster I have foolishly allied myself with! Oh, forgive me Arnold. For in the end, we shall see just how foolish it can be..."