Disclaimer: Just to verify again...I don't own any of the Hey Arnold! characters. They are owned by Craig Bartlett. *shakes head sadly* Such a
lucky man...
Chapter Four
Nerd
It's funny how a day that can be so utterly perfect can bug the living hell out of a certain someone. The sun was shining down over the
grounds of the highschool; not a cloud in sight. Birds were singing, children were off playing hopscotch, love was in the air...
Helga spit loudly on the ground as she shoved passed a couple who were rather entangled at the given time.
"One side, geek-bait!" Helga growled, glaring the two down as she walked by. Some things never change do they?
(Sun is the epitome of evil...Note to self: Come up with diabolical scheme to block out the sun...tell no one.)
The breeze picked up suddenly, sending Helga's short blonde hair into a frenzy as it swirled about her head and all around her face.
(Damn wind.)
Helga squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun as she looked around for the bike racks. Helga hadn't ridden her bike in ages. Not since
middle school. Not since Arnold...
Her bike had been girly enough as all things that resided in Helga's past were. A hot pink bike with a white basket in the front. Arnold had
always made fun of her for it.
Her dark lips curled into another scowl as she placed a delicate hand over her eyes. The large brick building showed no promise of a bike
rack in the front, so Helga made her way towards the back of the school, near the parking lot.
Helga was sixteen, but she didn't have a car, or her license for that matter. Helga saw little point in bothering with getting a license when she
could just as easily ride the bus everywhere. Helga wasn't one to do something unless it was practical and served a point.
The hideous sun continued to shine down upon students were were clustered around their cars, talking animatedly and getting ready to leave
for the day.
Friday. 3:05 p.m. Freedom.
Helga wanted to get out of there just as much as the next guy, but she saw no way of that happening until she found Brainy. So far, he was
nowhere in sight. It was beginning to irk Helga's patience. Helga Pataki didn't wait for anyone. It wasn't her style. What was this supposed
'Brainy' playing at? Now that Helga stopped to think, how could she really be sure that this was Brainy? He did look awfully different from the
Brainy she remembered. What if this guy was just playing some sick joke on Helga? Despite the thought, Helga couldn't help but smirk at
the idea. Who would be idiotic enough to pull a stunt like that on a girl who was hailed as the cruelest being since Mr. Waterson, the
terror of ninth grade Geometry?
(No one...) Helga finally decided. It had to be Brainy. Now if only she could find the runt already...
Helga shuddered at all the noise, but continued searching for the given spot. Her eyes settled on it. The bike racks. Students were unlocking
their bikes and putting on their helmets; also talking.
(So much noise...)
Not that Helga ever paid attention to what they were saying. After awhile, the girl had learned to effectively drown out most of the incessant
and irrelevant sounds that people decided to call 'talking' until it had been reduced to nothing more than an obnoxious buzzing sound. Helga
would've settled for complete silence from their stupid mouths, but something was better than nothing.
Helga finally reached the bike racks. She wasn't in any hurry. Her leisurely pace suggested that she didn't really have anywhere else to go, and
the bike racks just seemed like an ideal place to hang out after school--by yourself.
(I look like such a loser.) Helga thought to herself, and the look on her face must have frightened a few ninth graders, because they rode
away quickly, casting a few sidelong glances at Helga before they were out of sight. This brought a genuine smile to her face.
(Nothing like frightening the masses to brighten my day...)
Licking her lips again and again. Whiping her palms. Glancing at her watch. 3:09...3:11...3:17....The minutes continued to tick by, and the
students became less and less frequent, though Helga didn't mind that part in the least.
"Where the fuck is he...?" she murmured, still glancing down at her watch. It was now 3:21 p.m. "That's it, I'm not waiting around her any
longer." Helga stood up and began to walk back to the front of the school. Her mood had worsened considerably. Thanks to Brainy, she'd have
to wait for the four o'clock bus to get home.
She was just stepping off into the grass from the slab of concrete that held the racks, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Helga
whipped around quickly, expecting to see Brainy grinning back at her. Instead, she came face-to-face, or rather, his face to her chest considering
she was so much taller. Sid let his gaze stay there a moment until Helga cleared her throat loudly.
Sid's eyes suddenly shifted so that he was looking up at her. Helga's eyes narrowed as though challenging him to say something unintelligable.
Sid whistled low and took a step back.
"Wow...see you haven't changed much since eighth grade," he commented dryly. Not that Sid had. Helga had known that Sid had gotten mixed
up in the 'wrong crowd' around seventh grade and began doing drugs. Mostly marijuana, but some hard stuff, too. Helga would never admit it,
but she'd always hoped that Sid would get out of that situation before he got in too deep. Helga didn't want to see Sid get hurt, even if she'd
always been annoyed by the little twerp. His black hair had grown out as well, and it hung in his still blood-shot eyes. He'd grown into his nose,
though it was still slightly bigger than the average size. He still wore his backwards cap and of course, his trademark Go-Go boots.
"Damn Helga...what's go your panties in a twist?"
Helga smacked him over the head. "None of your damn business, Sid. Got it?"
"Ow!" He complained loudly, rubbing the side of his head that she'd hit. "I just wanted to know. You looked sorta angry is all. Then...again, you
always look angry." Sid looked thoughtful for a moment...or as thoughtful as any a stoner can look. "Anyway, I just came over to say hey. I just
got out of detention. Can you believe they put me in detention the first day I'm back? Crazy huh?"
Was that a smile on Helga's face. It was probable. "You were always such a spaz, Sid. I suppose it's good to have you back." She said the last
part as though it panged her to do so, the words spatting out of her mouth.
Sid laughed. His voice had gotten deeper too. "It always was hard for you to be nice to people, Helga. Geez...I remember the shit you put
Arnold throu--" Sid stopped short, as though he'd just made a big mistake. And he had.
Helga's head snapped as she looked over at him, her silver eyes blazing with fury. "Oh so now you're going to go and blame me like everybody
else? Saying how I should've been nicer to the stupid football-head? Is that it, Sid?!" Helga looked positively livid and her blonde hair looked
crazier and more windblown at the moment.
Sid shook his head, taking another step back. "I'm not saying anything, Helga, and I sure as hell ain't blaming you. I didn't mean to bring up
Arnold. His death was..." Sid looked at a loss for words. "...anway, I'm sorry. I'll just go now. See you around, Helga." And then out of the blue,
Sid came up and gave Helga a quick hug before he was off. Helga didn't even have time to yell at him about touching her. Helga had a thing
about people touching her.
(Stupid Sid and his stupid shoes and his stupid hair...) Her frame of mind continued in that same way until she reached the bus stop. The bus
had just pulled away. "Damn it all to hell!" Helga cursed, kicking the bus sign and hurting her toe all at the same time. Tears stung her eyes,
but she dared not shed them.
(You're bigger than this, Helga...you gonna let a little stop sign make you cry?)
Helga kicked the stop sign again. Hard. She kicked it again. Harder. Helga continued kicking it until she was satified.
(Stupid stopsign...)
"Wow...looks like fun. Can I try?" Came the voice of the one and only Brainy.
Helga, startled, looking over at him. Her face was flushed and she was panting from the effort of having kicked the sign so many times. Her
scowl was back in an instant; before Brainy could even blink. Instead of using words, Helga decided on the silent treatment.
(I'm not talking to that asshole. He fucking stood me up.) She Helga remained silent as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and
deliberately turned to face the street so that she wasn't looking at him.
From behind her, Brainy cracked a grin. "Guess I've got some explaining to do." Helga rolled her eyes and Brainy stood next to her, looking donw
at the gutter. It was filled with filth. Empty soda cans, discarded newspapers, and what looked suspiciously like an old condom wrapper.
Ah, the wonderful city life. Brainy put his hands in his pockets and began to shift back and forth, from his heels to his tip-toes. Brainy was a
fidgeter. He never could keep still.
"You see..." Brainy began. "I told you to meet me by the bike racks,correct?" Helga's held moved just slightly, perhaps indicating a nod, so
Brainy continued on. "Right, and so being as how I'm not accustomed to this school, I was not aware that there are two sets of bike racks
here."
Helga raised a semi-intrigued eyebrow, but still didn't say anything.
"So I was waiting at the bike racks out past the basketball courts while you were waiting at the bike racks that I later discovered near the
gazebo. I thought you'd forgotten about me, but I stood waiting there just in case. Then finally I began walking back across the basketball
courts and I discovered the other bike racks. It hit me, figuring you must have gone to those ones instead. I know you Helga, even though I
haven't seen you in awhile. I know you're impatient and that you wouldn't have waited for me long, so I went to the bus stop, and well...here
we are." Brainy smiled again. He had quite an adorable smile, but Helga tried her best to resist it. She never so much as glanced at him in
grade school, and now she was having trouble taking her eyes off of him!
Helga shrugged indifferently as though she wasn't impressed.
Brainy looked pouty for a moment. "Geez Helga. The least you could do is speak to me after how mean you've been all day."
Helga couldn't take it. She finally exploded. "I was never mean to you! Hell, I only saw you twice!" Helga was about to yell a few more
obscenities when she realized the Brainy was grinning again in sheer amusement.
"Gotcha talkin'," he said triumphantly. Exasperated, Helga gave a loud sigh as she shoved him on the shoulder. It wasn't a real shove,
however. She could've done a lot of damage to that shoulder had she really wanted to. Helga was actually quite intrigued by Brainy's
absolute forwardness with her.
"Fine..." she grumbled, but her eyes registered the same amusement. "You said you wanted to talk, geek-boy. What's there to say?"
At those words, the 4:20 bus began to pull up to them. It came to a halt, and the doors opened, revealed an old balding man, staring at them.
Brainy ran a hand casually through his sandy hair and began to ascend the stairs of the bus. "Why don't we talk about it on the way to the
mall?" he suggested, dropping a few coins into the machine. Enough for both Helga and himself, she noticed. What was this guy playing at?
Brainy stood there, looking down at the reluctant Helga expectantly.
Helga cocked an eyebrow. "The mall? What for?" But she had already followed him onto the bus, and without another word, Brainy made his way
towards the back of the bus. Helga heaved another sigh as she followed.
(Note to self: kill Brainy...after I look at him in a swimsuit...)
Yay!! Hope everyone likes how Brainy is turning out. A hottie if you ask me. *fans herself* Lol. Anyway...feedback please! The comments
I've been getting so far mean a lot to me. I can see that the majority of you are enjoying this weird story.
lucky man...
Chapter Four
Nerd
It's funny how a day that can be so utterly perfect can bug the living hell out of a certain someone. The sun was shining down over the
grounds of the highschool; not a cloud in sight. Birds were singing, children were off playing hopscotch, love was in the air...
Helga spit loudly on the ground as she shoved passed a couple who were rather entangled at the given time.
"One side, geek-bait!" Helga growled, glaring the two down as she walked by. Some things never change do they?
(Sun is the epitome of evil...Note to self: Come up with diabolical scheme to block out the sun...tell no one.)
The breeze picked up suddenly, sending Helga's short blonde hair into a frenzy as it swirled about her head and all around her face.
(Damn wind.)
Helga squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun as she looked around for the bike racks. Helga hadn't ridden her bike in ages. Not since
middle school. Not since Arnold...
Her bike had been girly enough as all things that resided in Helga's past were. A hot pink bike with a white basket in the front. Arnold had
always made fun of her for it.
Her dark lips curled into another scowl as she placed a delicate hand over her eyes. The large brick building showed no promise of a bike
rack in the front, so Helga made her way towards the back of the school, near the parking lot.
Helga was sixteen, but she didn't have a car, or her license for that matter. Helga saw little point in bothering with getting a license when she
could just as easily ride the bus everywhere. Helga wasn't one to do something unless it was practical and served a point.
The hideous sun continued to shine down upon students were were clustered around their cars, talking animatedly and getting ready to leave
for the day.
Friday. 3:05 p.m. Freedom.
Helga wanted to get out of there just as much as the next guy, but she saw no way of that happening until she found Brainy. So far, he was
nowhere in sight. It was beginning to irk Helga's patience. Helga Pataki didn't wait for anyone. It wasn't her style. What was this supposed
'Brainy' playing at? Now that Helga stopped to think, how could she really be sure that this was Brainy? He did look awfully different from the
Brainy she remembered. What if this guy was just playing some sick joke on Helga? Despite the thought, Helga couldn't help but smirk at
the idea. Who would be idiotic enough to pull a stunt like that on a girl who was hailed as the cruelest being since Mr. Waterson, the
terror of ninth grade Geometry?
(No one...) Helga finally decided. It had to be Brainy. Now if only she could find the runt already...
Helga shuddered at all the noise, but continued searching for the given spot. Her eyes settled on it. The bike racks. Students were unlocking
their bikes and putting on their helmets; also talking.
(So much noise...)
Not that Helga ever paid attention to what they were saying. After awhile, the girl had learned to effectively drown out most of the incessant
and irrelevant sounds that people decided to call 'talking' until it had been reduced to nothing more than an obnoxious buzzing sound. Helga
would've settled for complete silence from their stupid mouths, but something was better than nothing.
Helga finally reached the bike racks. She wasn't in any hurry. Her leisurely pace suggested that she didn't really have anywhere else to go, and
the bike racks just seemed like an ideal place to hang out after school--by yourself.
(I look like such a loser.) Helga thought to herself, and the look on her face must have frightened a few ninth graders, because they rode
away quickly, casting a few sidelong glances at Helga before they were out of sight. This brought a genuine smile to her face.
(Nothing like frightening the masses to brighten my day...)
Licking her lips again and again. Whiping her palms. Glancing at her watch. 3:09...3:11...3:17....The minutes continued to tick by, and the
students became less and less frequent, though Helga didn't mind that part in the least.
"Where the fuck is he...?" she murmured, still glancing down at her watch. It was now 3:21 p.m. "That's it, I'm not waiting around her any
longer." Helga stood up and began to walk back to the front of the school. Her mood had worsened considerably. Thanks to Brainy, she'd have
to wait for the four o'clock bus to get home.
She was just stepping off into the grass from the slab of concrete that held the racks, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Helga
whipped around quickly, expecting to see Brainy grinning back at her. Instead, she came face-to-face, or rather, his face to her chest considering
she was so much taller. Sid let his gaze stay there a moment until Helga cleared her throat loudly.
Sid's eyes suddenly shifted so that he was looking up at her. Helga's eyes narrowed as though challenging him to say something unintelligable.
Sid whistled low and took a step back.
"Wow...see you haven't changed much since eighth grade," he commented dryly. Not that Sid had. Helga had known that Sid had gotten mixed
up in the 'wrong crowd' around seventh grade and began doing drugs. Mostly marijuana, but some hard stuff, too. Helga would never admit it,
but she'd always hoped that Sid would get out of that situation before he got in too deep. Helga didn't want to see Sid get hurt, even if she'd
always been annoyed by the little twerp. His black hair had grown out as well, and it hung in his still blood-shot eyes. He'd grown into his nose,
though it was still slightly bigger than the average size. He still wore his backwards cap and of course, his trademark Go-Go boots.
"Damn Helga...what's go your panties in a twist?"
Helga smacked him over the head. "None of your damn business, Sid. Got it?"
"Ow!" He complained loudly, rubbing the side of his head that she'd hit. "I just wanted to know. You looked sorta angry is all. Then...again, you
always look angry." Sid looked thoughtful for a moment...or as thoughtful as any a stoner can look. "Anyway, I just came over to say hey. I just
got out of detention. Can you believe they put me in detention the first day I'm back? Crazy huh?"
Was that a smile on Helga's face. It was probable. "You were always such a spaz, Sid. I suppose it's good to have you back." She said the last
part as though it panged her to do so, the words spatting out of her mouth.
Sid laughed. His voice had gotten deeper too. "It always was hard for you to be nice to people, Helga. Geez...I remember the shit you put
Arnold throu--" Sid stopped short, as though he'd just made a big mistake. And he had.
Helga's head snapped as she looked over at him, her silver eyes blazing with fury. "Oh so now you're going to go and blame me like everybody
else? Saying how I should've been nicer to the stupid football-head? Is that it, Sid?!" Helga looked positively livid and her blonde hair looked
crazier and more windblown at the moment.
Sid shook his head, taking another step back. "I'm not saying anything, Helga, and I sure as hell ain't blaming you. I didn't mean to bring up
Arnold. His death was..." Sid looked at a loss for words. "...anway, I'm sorry. I'll just go now. See you around, Helga." And then out of the blue,
Sid came up and gave Helga a quick hug before he was off. Helga didn't even have time to yell at him about touching her. Helga had a thing
about people touching her.
(Stupid Sid and his stupid shoes and his stupid hair...) Her frame of mind continued in that same way until she reached the bus stop. The bus
had just pulled away. "Damn it all to hell!" Helga cursed, kicking the bus sign and hurting her toe all at the same time. Tears stung her eyes,
but she dared not shed them.
(You're bigger than this, Helga...you gonna let a little stop sign make you cry?)
Helga kicked the stop sign again. Hard. She kicked it again. Harder. Helga continued kicking it until she was satified.
(Stupid stopsign...)
"Wow...looks like fun. Can I try?" Came the voice of the one and only Brainy.
Helga, startled, looking over at him. Her face was flushed and she was panting from the effort of having kicked the sign so many times. Her
scowl was back in an instant; before Brainy could even blink. Instead of using words, Helga decided on the silent treatment.
(I'm not talking to that asshole. He fucking stood me up.) She Helga remained silent as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and
deliberately turned to face the street so that she wasn't looking at him.
From behind her, Brainy cracked a grin. "Guess I've got some explaining to do." Helga rolled her eyes and Brainy stood next to her, looking donw
at the gutter. It was filled with filth. Empty soda cans, discarded newspapers, and what looked suspiciously like an old condom wrapper.
Ah, the wonderful city life. Brainy put his hands in his pockets and began to shift back and forth, from his heels to his tip-toes. Brainy was a
fidgeter. He never could keep still.
"You see..." Brainy began. "I told you to meet me by the bike racks,correct?" Helga's held moved just slightly, perhaps indicating a nod, so
Brainy continued on. "Right, and so being as how I'm not accustomed to this school, I was not aware that there are two sets of bike racks
here."
Helga raised a semi-intrigued eyebrow, but still didn't say anything.
"So I was waiting at the bike racks out past the basketball courts while you were waiting at the bike racks that I later discovered near the
gazebo. I thought you'd forgotten about me, but I stood waiting there just in case. Then finally I began walking back across the basketball
courts and I discovered the other bike racks. It hit me, figuring you must have gone to those ones instead. I know you Helga, even though I
haven't seen you in awhile. I know you're impatient and that you wouldn't have waited for me long, so I went to the bus stop, and well...here
we are." Brainy smiled again. He had quite an adorable smile, but Helga tried her best to resist it. She never so much as glanced at him in
grade school, and now she was having trouble taking her eyes off of him!
Helga shrugged indifferently as though she wasn't impressed.
Brainy looked pouty for a moment. "Geez Helga. The least you could do is speak to me after how mean you've been all day."
Helga couldn't take it. She finally exploded. "I was never mean to you! Hell, I only saw you twice!" Helga was about to yell a few more
obscenities when she realized the Brainy was grinning again in sheer amusement.
"Gotcha talkin'," he said triumphantly. Exasperated, Helga gave a loud sigh as she shoved him on the shoulder. It wasn't a real shove,
however. She could've done a lot of damage to that shoulder had she really wanted to. Helga was actually quite intrigued by Brainy's
absolute forwardness with her.
"Fine..." she grumbled, but her eyes registered the same amusement. "You said you wanted to talk, geek-boy. What's there to say?"
At those words, the 4:20 bus began to pull up to them. It came to a halt, and the doors opened, revealed an old balding man, staring at them.
Brainy ran a hand casually through his sandy hair and began to ascend the stairs of the bus. "Why don't we talk about it on the way to the
mall?" he suggested, dropping a few coins into the machine. Enough for both Helga and himself, she noticed. What was this guy playing at?
Brainy stood there, looking down at the reluctant Helga expectantly.
Helga cocked an eyebrow. "The mall? What for?" But she had already followed him onto the bus, and without another word, Brainy made his way
towards the back of the bus. Helga heaved another sigh as she followed.
(Note to self: kill Brainy...after I look at him in a swimsuit...)
Yay!! Hope everyone likes how Brainy is turning out. A hottie if you ask me. *fans herself* Lol. Anyway...feedback please! The comments
I've been getting so far mean a lot to me. I can see that the majority of you are enjoying this weird story.