Rescuing Arnold
Rating: PG-13 (Swearing, weaponry, and violence)
Chapter 04
"Return of Deep Voice"
~~~~~~~~~~
She grunted as the slippery ladder caused her to slip again, for the third time that night. Her hands gripped the rail determinately as she threw her legs over the side of the rooftop. The drizzle of rain hit her forehead lightly, cooling her, urging her to keep on going. Finally she had both her feet on the top of his roof, a place she had been many times before. She flipped her messy blond hair behind her head and adjusted the pink strap of her dress back onto her shoulder. She gasped as the skylight door opened and a small pink pig ran out. She quickly looked for a place to hide and found one behind the chimney. "Eureka!" She muttered silently and dove behind the hiding place just as a golden blond head bobbed out.
Her voice and breath caught in her throat as he slowly placed one foot in front of the other, climbing out of his attic room and onto the roof. He sighed heavily and plopped down on the nearest chair. The pig walked up to him and started to lick his hand as he placed his head between his knees. "I really blew it big time tonight, Abner. She probably really hates me now." The pig snorted and turned around, running back inside. Arnold huffed agitated. "Fine. That's the way you want to be too? Go ahead!" His voice rose in the night sky as his hands clenched. "Run away! Run away! I don't need anyone! I'm perfectly happy alone in this God-forsaken world!" A solitary tear rolled down his copper cheek. "Oh, Helga." He muttered, giving up on being angry. "I wish you could see what feelings I've developed for you. I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life. I'm going to miss you so much." He whispered. Helga listened intently at Arnold's private muse. The familiar feelings washed over her like a comforting fire, the small hairs on her skin prickling as he sighed softly, the longing sigh she had waited more than half her life for. She held her rapidly beating heart as the wind kicked up his golden tuffs of hair, blowing them about his football-headed-face. Finally the intensity was too much and she threw the trench coat over her body. She cleared her throat, which made Arnold turn and stare at her hiding place. His eyes narrowed hauntingly as she caught herself swooning. "Who's there?" He ordered more than asked. Helga smiled victoriously and walked out from her hiding place. Arnold's eyes widened in surprise at the figure. "Deep Voice?" He questioned, shaking his odd shaped head, almost as if he were trying to clear whatever doubts he held.
Helga nodded. "You always knew who I really was, didn't you, Arnold?"
"How long have you been there?" He questioned, the same butterflies returning into his stomach, causing his heart to bounce around in his ribcage like a starved wild lion. He silently ordered it down and the butterflies to nearly disappear. His hands grew sweaty as the light drizzle and night sky impaired his vision. Deep Voice smiled, the usual smile, hidden in shadows but felt between the both of them. Their hearts beat as one, their breaths the same and their eyes locked, green to blue.
"Long enough." She finally answered. He broke the gaze between them to stare at the slowly forming puddles on the roof. She sighed and pulled the hood from off her eyes. Casually she walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You know, Arnold, you were the one who always saw me for what I really was: a scared and lonely girl looking for someone to care about me" Arnold looked at her and smiled weakly.
"You're not that easy to read, Helga." He muttered and broke free of her hold on him. He slowly walked to the edge of his roof and peered over the side. The rain fell down harder. "There's still so much about you I don't know. I want - I guess all I want is to know you. The real you, not the bossy, over emotional, negative person you present yourself at school everyday. I know there's much more than that to you. There has to be. You can't just be mean to everyone all the time. There has to be an ulterior motive."
Helga narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well, there isn't, football-head. With me, it's just what you see is what you get." Arnold looked at her disbelieving. She sighed heavily, not a longing sigh, but a depressed sigh. "I mean everyone knows what kind of family I come from." Arnold smiled to himself. Finally she was going to tell him her secrets; show him the real Helga Pataki. And he was ready and willing to take her in his arms when she had finished. "It's just everyone thinks I lead a perfect life following my sister's footsteps. Truth is, I don't. I can't stand my parents sometimes!" She cried out in frustration. Suddenly the words poured out of her mouth freely as if she really didn't care about who she was telling. "Mom and Dad don't even pay any attention to me. Miriam's always sprawled out on the couch, drunk as a sailor, she never remembers to pack my lunch, and when she does it's always the same old thing: an individual packet of crackers, moist towels and a can of shaving cream. She always leaves the groceries on top of the car and forgets about them, driving off, leaving everything to crash onto the gravel. Even when she went back to work and was the happiest person alive, she still treated me like I was pond scum on the bottom of her shoe. She's the worst mother anyone could ever have. And don't get me started on Big Bob. He's always calling me "Olga" and acts like she can do no wrong. Like she's a little angel and I'm the devil's child! There are only two things in the world he cares about and that's Olga and money. He constantly abuses me, if not verbally, then physically. Olga acts like Big Bob and Miriam have no faults. She's the perfect child! She is always studying and getting good grades. She has won every single contest in this whole stinking city, including twenty-three national contests! She had a wing in the local high school named after her, and she was accepted into three of the finest colleges in the whole country! All the boys fall head over heals in love with her and she could have men swooning at her feet, on call every time she needs them. She is an expert pianist, a romantic violinist, and a gorgeous dancer. She can waltz, tango, hip-hop, and swing! Plus, she has mom and dad wrapped tighter around her finger than perfect wiring on a cable car. And then you look at me. I have practically no friends, and no motive for living. No one gives a damn about me or what the hell I do! I could jump off Mount Everest, plunge myself into the Atlantic Ocean, crawl across the Sahara, or take off my helmet in space and no one would even bat an eye! For anyone knows I could be slitting my damn wrists every night! I could be physically abusing myself! I could be walking downtown as a damn whore and no one would care less about it! If I told someone, all they'd do is mumble 'that's nice, Olga' and be on their merry way doing their damn chores! They couldn't give a shit about me!" By now Helga was sobbing, her voice cracking and becoming more choked up by the second. Finally she collapsed, the weight of her body and soul bearing down hard on her knees. She clenched her hand into a fist and pounded the ground underneath her. "Everyone in this God damn world can go to fucking Hell!" The clouds above crashed with thunder and shot lightning.
Arnold looked at the trembling girl that was kneeled before him. He was expecting not this sudden, tragic outburst, but a monologue of bits and pieces of sorrow he knew she felt when in public. He had never imagined the true torment his foe felt. He lowered his head, grieving for her, pitying her, and finally his hand touched her, the warm flesh of his fingers traveling down her cheekbone from her temple. He licked his lips and finally found the courage to advance on the poor heartfelt woman in front of him. His eyes flickered in the thunderclaps and lightning bolts that danced in the sky. Finally he found himself slowly pushing her down, gently but determinately. Her eyes shot into his and for the first time ever, he saw not doubt or fear, but hopefulness and a passion so great he immediately knew he felt the same. He knew she was in love with him as he was her. His eyes closed as did hers, her lips parted with anxiety and finally he kissed her. The kiss lasted far into the thunder and lightning, until the storm was over. The kiss they shared became more deeper, more hotter, than any average twelve-year-old has ever seen. They only once opened their eyes and that was when their breath escaped their lungs and they had to stop to breathe. Arnold smiled at the girl below him. "Helga," he whispered her name softly, "don't think this has anything to do with our current situation, because I've felt this way, long before - this." She smiled at him longingly as he brought his face up to meet hers. "Helga, I -" his voice caught in his throat. He already knew how she felt, but all the same, telling her was not an easy task. "Helga, I love you." He finally puttered out. Helga's eyes grew wide and she stared at him for a good time before she shoved him off of her and leapt to her feet.
"What did you say?" She asked slowly, trying to absorb everything that had happened in the previous five minutes. Arnold smiled sheepishly and took her hands in his.
"You heard me, Helga. I said I love you. And I do. I was a fool for not realizing it before all these years. I've been stupid. Honestly, Helga, I love it when you call me 'football-head', I love the way you and I are always crashing into each other, I love the feel and warmth of your body, and how it fits perfectly into mine. I love the way your eyes shine in the moonlight, the way the drops of water glide gracefully down your cheek as if they were dancers in a famous ballet." Helga blushed deeply at this. "I love the way you try to act tough, but then automatically change into the real person you are. I love the way I felt like you and I were the only two people in the world this evening as we danced. Helga, you don't even need words and I can already tell what you're going to say. Helga, I can feel it and I know you can too. Our hearts beat as one this evening, our minds one, as if we were each other. I love you, Helga, with all my heart and soul." By now Helga's hands were sweaty and cold. Her azure blue eyes were locked with Arnold's jade ones, and she could tell he wasn't lying. It was true. She felt the passion in her chest when he kissed her. She felt his heart beating with hers as one when they waltzed on the dance floor. She was off in her own little world, breathing nothing but the essence of his shampoo, and she knew he had put any other fling or crush into the far back of his mind, if not out at the very sight of her. The love in his eyes proved that. The feeling of trembles engulfed her body; she shivered horribly and finally the pressure was too much. Her eyes narrowed hauntingly and she threw herself into his awaiting grasp. Their mouths touched, the heat of the night rising in the air around them, and the feel of the cold, crisp air, cooling their overheating bodies. Her hands slowly slid up his chest and wrapped caringly around his neck as his arms encased her protectively. He vowed silently to both himself and the true love of his life that he would be by her side through thick and thin forever and ever. Finally the kiss softened and their eyes locked once more. She smiled and laid her head upon his shoulder blade.
"You really love me, don't you?" She asked softly. The words sounded foreign to her, as if she had never spoken before in her life. He nodded and held her closer. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Helga held her stomach as the tears of joy came flooding out of their sockets and Arnold had to lean against his skylight to keep from falling off the roof. Finally, after a long and hard laugh they settled down and Helga sighed softly. "Oh, Arnold." She whispered into the deepening night sky.
Rating: PG-13 (Swearing, weaponry, and violence)
Chapter 04
"Return of Deep Voice"
~~~~~~~~~~
She grunted as the slippery ladder caused her to slip again, for the third time that night. Her hands gripped the rail determinately as she threw her legs over the side of the rooftop. The drizzle of rain hit her forehead lightly, cooling her, urging her to keep on going. Finally she had both her feet on the top of his roof, a place she had been many times before. She flipped her messy blond hair behind her head and adjusted the pink strap of her dress back onto her shoulder. She gasped as the skylight door opened and a small pink pig ran out. She quickly looked for a place to hide and found one behind the chimney. "Eureka!" She muttered silently and dove behind the hiding place just as a golden blond head bobbed out.
Her voice and breath caught in her throat as he slowly placed one foot in front of the other, climbing out of his attic room and onto the roof. He sighed heavily and plopped down on the nearest chair. The pig walked up to him and started to lick his hand as he placed his head between his knees. "I really blew it big time tonight, Abner. She probably really hates me now." The pig snorted and turned around, running back inside. Arnold huffed agitated. "Fine. That's the way you want to be too? Go ahead!" His voice rose in the night sky as his hands clenched. "Run away! Run away! I don't need anyone! I'm perfectly happy alone in this God-forsaken world!" A solitary tear rolled down his copper cheek. "Oh, Helga." He muttered, giving up on being angry. "I wish you could see what feelings I've developed for you. I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life. I'm going to miss you so much." He whispered. Helga listened intently at Arnold's private muse. The familiar feelings washed over her like a comforting fire, the small hairs on her skin prickling as he sighed softly, the longing sigh she had waited more than half her life for. She held her rapidly beating heart as the wind kicked up his golden tuffs of hair, blowing them about his football-headed-face. Finally the intensity was too much and she threw the trench coat over her body. She cleared her throat, which made Arnold turn and stare at her hiding place. His eyes narrowed hauntingly as she caught herself swooning. "Who's there?" He ordered more than asked. Helga smiled victoriously and walked out from her hiding place. Arnold's eyes widened in surprise at the figure. "Deep Voice?" He questioned, shaking his odd shaped head, almost as if he were trying to clear whatever doubts he held.
Helga nodded. "You always knew who I really was, didn't you, Arnold?"
"How long have you been there?" He questioned, the same butterflies returning into his stomach, causing his heart to bounce around in his ribcage like a starved wild lion. He silently ordered it down and the butterflies to nearly disappear. His hands grew sweaty as the light drizzle and night sky impaired his vision. Deep Voice smiled, the usual smile, hidden in shadows but felt between the both of them. Their hearts beat as one, their breaths the same and their eyes locked, green to blue.
"Long enough." She finally answered. He broke the gaze between them to stare at the slowly forming puddles on the roof. She sighed and pulled the hood from off her eyes. Casually she walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You know, Arnold, you were the one who always saw me for what I really was: a scared and lonely girl looking for someone to care about me" Arnold looked at her and smiled weakly.
"You're not that easy to read, Helga." He muttered and broke free of her hold on him. He slowly walked to the edge of his roof and peered over the side. The rain fell down harder. "There's still so much about you I don't know. I want - I guess all I want is to know you. The real you, not the bossy, over emotional, negative person you present yourself at school everyday. I know there's much more than that to you. There has to be. You can't just be mean to everyone all the time. There has to be an ulterior motive."
Helga narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well, there isn't, football-head. With me, it's just what you see is what you get." Arnold looked at her disbelieving. She sighed heavily, not a longing sigh, but a depressed sigh. "I mean everyone knows what kind of family I come from." Arnold smiled to himself. Finally she was going to tell him her secrets; show him the real Helga Pataki. And he was ready and willing to take her in his arms when she had finished. "It's just everyone thinks I lead a perfect life following my sister's footsteps. Truth is, I don't. I can't stand my parents sometimes!" She cried out in frustration. Suddenly the words poured out of her mouth freely as if she really didn't care about who she was telling. "Mom and Dad don't even pay any attention to me. Miriam's always sprawled out on the couch, drunk as a sailor, she never remembers to pack my lunch, and when she does it's always the same old thing: an individual packet of crackers, moist towels and a can of shaving cream. She always leaves the groceries on top of the car and forgets about them, driving off, leaving everything to crash onto the gravel. Even when she went back to work and was the happiest person alive, she still treated me like I was pond scum on the bottom of her shoe. She's the worst mother anyone could ever have. And don't get me started on Big Bob. He's always calling me "Olga" and acts like she can do no wrong. Like she's a little angel and I'm the devil's child! There are only two things in the world he cares about and that's Olga and money. He constantly abuses me, if not verbally, then physically. Olga acts like Big Bob and Miriam have no faults. She's the perfect child! She is always studying and getting good grades. She has won every single contest in this whole stinking city, including twenty-three national contests! She had a wing in the local high school named after her, and she was accepted into three of the finest colleges in the whole country! All the boys fall head over heals in love with her and she could have men swooning at her feet, on call every time she needs them. She is an expert pianist, a romantic violinist, and a gorgeous dancer. She can waltz, tango, hip-hop, and swing! Plus, she has mom and dad wrapped tighter around her finger than perfect wiring on a cable car. And then you look at me. I have practically no friends, and no motive for living. No one gives a damn about me or what the hell I do! I could jump off Mount Everest, plunge myself into the Atlantic Ocean, crawl across the Sahara, or take off my helmet in space and no one would even bat an eye! For anyone knows I could be slitting my damn wrists every night! I could be physically abusing myself! I could be walking downtown as a damn whore and no one would care less about it! If I told someone, all they'd do is mumble 'that's nice, Olga' and be on their merry way doing their damn chores! They couldn't give a shit about me!" By now Helga was sobbing, her voice cracking and becoming more choked up by the second. Finally she collapsed, the weight of her body and soul bearing down hard on her knees. She clenched her hand into a fist and pounded the ground underneath her. "Everyone in this God damn world can go to fucking Hell!" The clouds above crashed with thunder and shot lightning.
Arnold looked at the trembling girl that was kneeled before him. He was expecting not this sudden, tragic outburst, but a monologue of bits and pieces of sorrow he knew she felt when in public. He had never imagined the true torment his foe felt. He lowered his head, grieving for her, pitying her, and finally his hand touched her, the warm flesh of his fingers traveling down her cheekbone from her temple. He licked his lips and finally found the courage to advance on the poor heartfelt woman in front of him. His eyes flickered in the thunderclaps and lightning bolts that danced in the sky. Finally he found himself slowly pushing her down, gently but determinately. Her eyes shot into his and for the first time ever, he saw not doubt or fear, but hopefulness and a passion so great he immediately knew he felt the same. He knew she was in love with him as he was her. His eyes closed as did hers, her lips parted with anxiety and finally he kissed her. The kiss lasted far into the thunder and lightning, until the storm was over. The kiss they shared became more deeper, more hotter, than any average twelve-year-old has ever seen. They only once opened their eyes and that was when their breath escaped their lungs and they had to stop to breathe. Arnold smiled at the girl below him. "Helga," he whispered her name softly, "don't think this has anything to do with our current situation, because I've felt this way, long before - this." She smiled at him longingly as he brought his face up to meet hers. "Helga, I -" his voice caught in his throat. He already knew how she felt, but all the same, telling her was not an easy task. "Helga, I love you." He finally puttered out. Helga's eyes grew wide and she stared at him for a good time before she shoved him off of her and leapt to her feet.
"What did you say?" She asked slowly, trying to absorb everything that had happened in the previous five minutes. Arnold smiled sheepishly and took her hands in his.
"You heard me, Helga. I said I love you. And I do. I was a fool for not realizing it before all these years. I've been stupid. Honestly, Helga, I love it when you call me 'football-head', I love the way you and I are always crashing into each other, I love the feel and warmth of your body, and how it fits perfectly into mine. I love the way your eyes shine in the moonlight, the way the drops of water glide gracefully down your cheek as if they were dancers in a famous ballet." Helga blushed deeply at this. "I love the way you try to act tough, but then automatically change into the real person you are. I love the way I felt like you and I were the only two people in the world this evening as we danced. Helga, you don't even need words and I can already tell what you're going to say. Helga, I can feel it and I know you can too. Our hearts beat as one this evening, our minds one, as if we were each other. I love you, Helga, with all my heart and soul." By now Helga's hands were sweaty and cold. Her azure blue eyes were locked with Arnold's jade ones, and she could tell he wasn't lying. It was true. She felt the passion in her chest when he kissed her. She felt his heart beating with hers as one when they waltzed on the dance floor. She was off in her own little world, breathing nothing but the essence of his shampoo, and she knew he had put any other fling or crush into the far back of his mind, if not out at the very sight of her. The love in his eyes proved that. The feeling of trembles engulfed her body; she shivered horribly and finally the pressure was too much. Her eyes narrowed hauntingly and she threw herself into his awaiting grasp. Their mouths touched, the heat of the night rising in the air around them, and the feel of the cold, crisp air, cooling their overheating bodies. Her hands slowly slid up his chest and wrapped caringly around his neck as his arms encased her protectively. He vowed silently to both himself and the true love of his life that he would be by her side through thick and thin forever and ever. Finally the kiss softened and their eyes locked once more. She smiled and laid her head upon his shoulder blade.
"You really love me, don't you?" She asked softly. The words sounded foreign to her, as if she had never spoken before in her life. He nodded and held her closer. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Helga held her stomach as the tears of joy came flooding out of their sockets and Arnold had to lean against his skylight to keep from falling off the roof. Finally, after a long and hard laugh they settled down and Helga sighed softly. "Oh, Arnold." She whispered into the deepening night sky.