The minute hand on the clock slowly ticked off the time; 2:59. Seventeen anxious pairs of eyes followed its every move as the sixty seconds till freedom turned into an eternity of waiting. The eighteenth pair, however, was dreading that time with an almost palpable fear. Helga Pataki stared at the clock as though it were her enemy, and for once in her short life, fear was easily read in her clear blue eyes. A somewhat flustered Mr. Simmons vainly tried to get the class to listen to their homoework assignments for the upcoming weekend. Through some pushing and prodding, Phoebe had gotten the jist of the story and was stunned by the short time it had all taken place.
By this time Arnold had noticed that something was wrong with Helga. After she had come back, in her bully mode no less, she has spaced out, ignored any attempts at conversation, and waved off his attempt to make her feel better with a quiet, "Just lay off, okay Arnold?" This statement had surprised Arnold so much that he had tipped his desk over accidentally. He kept sending inquisitive glances towards Helga now and then, and he saw her growing more and more anxious as the seconds ticked away. Maybe she was in a fight with Big Patty again! No that couldn't be it, the news would have been all over school. Finally the bell rang and the students ran off with gleeful shouts, making plans for the weekend. Phoebe whispered something to Helga before leaving, to which Helga only nodded. Arnold however, stayed behind as he watched Helga make for the back entrance to the school.
Arnold, whose natural curiosity and sympathy had been aroused by Helga's unusual behavior, called out her name and caught up to her as she walked towards her house using back roads.
"Helga!"
Said girl turned around stiffly, her eyes narrowing as she said in her normal defensive manner, "What do you-" She cut herself off, and instead replied, "Yeah, Arnold?"
Arnold stared before composing himself, asked. "Are you all right Helga? You were acting so weird today."
Helga rolled her eyes, smirking at nothing in particular; "Hey, don't I have the right to act weird, if I want, Football Head?" but her words lacked the familiar sting.
She saw his disapproving look and replied quietly, "Let's just say that I just found out something today, and it's not a good thing. I have to go home Arnold, see you Monday...Oh wait, I might not!"
Saying this, she ran off in the direction of her house, leaving an confused and worried Arnold behind.
-_-_-_-
"Hello Mrs. Hyerdahl, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. Is Phoebe here?"
Mrs. Hyerdahl replied in her lilting accent, "Why, its Arnold! Don't you worry about it, I'll go get her right now!"
Arnold waited and looked at the living room that he was in, it was a mix of Japanese and Southern decoration, which although sounded odd, actually made an eccentric yet pleasing to the eye style.
Suddenly, Phoebe came in, with a fencing mask on and a foil in her hand, "Ohayo Arnold, how are you?"
"Hey, Phoebe, I'm fine, I was actually a little worried about Helga." Arnold replied, getting straight to the point.
Phoebe bit her lip, she was obviously worried about Helga too. "Well, since you're worried about her, I guess I can tell you. Wait here, while I get out of this and have Mother put on some tea."
"Okay." Arnold sat down on the low couch, his eyes wandering the room. While his eyes were occupied with the exquisite swirls of pearl that represented a dragon on a plum colored kimono, hung on the wall for decoration; his mind was occupied with a memory from five or six years ago.
~~`~~
He had been watching the little girl as he drove by her in his grandpa's car. She had been splashed with mud, and had her lunchbox taken away from her. He could tell she was upset, and he wondered where her grandparents were, or maybe she had a mommy and daddy. Well if he ever met them he would tell them to go away because they were mean. He couldn't even imagine walking to preschool by himself ever, especially not on the first day. Well, when he got there he was going to tell her how nice her bow was, cuz it was nice. It was pink and big and kept her hair up. He couldn't wait till preschool started, maybe they could be friends! His thoughts were distracted when the car came to a stop. They were there!
~~`~~
Phoebe had come back into the room, bearing a tray of steaming tea and some kind of chocolate covered cracker she called pocky. They sat down on opposite ends of low table; Phoebe sipped at her tea before she broke the comfortable but slightly tense silence between them.
"So Arnold, tell me what you think the matter is with Helga."
"Well...she was upset when she came back from the office, and she didn't want to go home. So I guess that maybe Olga's back, or worse, someone had an accident or something."
Phoebe stared into the murky depths of her sweet tea, gnawing at her lip as she searched for the correct answer. Unlike school, she didn't always have the right answer for social situations that required tact. With Helga it was different, she had known Helga for so long, she knew exactly what to say, but Helga had told her to not tell anyone, so she wouldn't. Now she just had to lead Arnold to the truth.
"Well, no no, not that. But it does have to do with her family..."
"What? Did someone die? Did Mrs. Pataki have a baby?"
"No, definately not that, think Arnold, think!"
"Is Olga getting married? Are her parents getting a divorce?"
"YES! Well, no her parents aren't, but Helga..." Phoebe trailed off in what she deemed lead to an obvious answer.
"Is Helga getting a divorce?"
"NO!" Phoebe cried exasperated, "Helga's getting removed into Foster Care!"
Saying this, she clapped her hands over her mouth, before whispering, "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone..."
Arnold was dumbfounded by the information, and dimply stared for a few moments.
"That, thats horrible Phoebe! We gotta do something."
Phoebe shook her head sadly, "No Arnold, this is something we can't do anything about."
And for once, Arnold acknowledged that he was helpless.
-_-_-_-
Helga rushed through the the familiar streets leading to her house. Pushing over unknown strangers she threaded her way through the people with a constant stream of, "Move it buckoe!" "Outta my way!" and "Criminy!". When she reached her destination, she opened the unlocked door and slammed it hard, in order to wake up her mother.
"MIRIAM!" She shouted out, thinking wildly, 'oh please be home, oh please be home, oh please, oh please'
"MIRIAM!!!"
She was about to yell for a third time when her mother stumbled from her kitchen, yawning, "Helga? What's the matter? Why are you home from school so early?"
"Miriam, its 3:15! Criminey!" Helga stopped before launching into another tirade, and took her mom's hand dragging her mother back into the kitchen.
Miriam, by this time, was sufficiently aware that something was wrong, and instead of going back to sleep, paid attention to her youngest daughter for once. Maybe it was something in Helga's desperate tone, or the fact that even after they had been seated in the kitchen table, Helga had not let go of her mother's hand.
"Yes, sweetie? What's wrong?"
Helga struggled with an answer, and before she had found one, her overloaded emotions caused her to burst into tears in her mother's arms.
Miriam's maternal instincts were now on hyperdrive as she soothed her daughter for the first time in many many years.
Helga was scandalized and her pride was broken as she cried stormily for several minutes; finally she stopped as abruptly as she started, saying, "Miri- Mom, this lady took me out of class today. Her name was Julie Tirran and she said that I couldn't live with you and Dad anymore, she said that I had to go into a foster home for a while!"
Miriam's eyes widened as she took in the news, thinking 'I'm a bad parent.', this time she would take the initiative, they would not take her baby from her without a fight.
She clasped a distraught Helga to her, knowing that she had done wrong in the past, and it might be too late to fix it, but by God she would try!
-_-_-_
-wow, writing this chapter has left *me* distraught!
hail to the rebellion
arynnl
By this time Arnold had noticed that something was wrong with Helga. After she had come back, in her bully mode no less, she has spaced out, ignored any attempts at conversation, and waved off his attempt to make her feel better with a quiet, "Just lay off, okay Arnold?" This statement had surprised Arnold so much that he had tipped his desk over accidentally. He kept sending inquisitive glances towards Helga now and then, and he saw her growing more and more anxious as the seconds ticked away. Maybe she was in a fight with Big Patty again! No that couldn't be it, the news would have been all over school. Finally the bell rang and the students ran off with gleeful shouts, making plans for the weekend. Phoebe whispered something to Helga before leaving, to which Helga only nodded. Arnold however, stayed behind as he watched Helga make for the back entrance to the school.
Arnold, whose natural curiosity and sympathy had been aroused by Helga's unusual behavior, called out her name and caught up to her as she walked towards her house using back roads.
"Helga!"
Said girl turned around stiffly, her eyes narrowing as she said in her normal defensive manner, "What do you-" She cut herself off, and instead replied, "Yeah, Arnold?"
Arnold stared before composing himself, asked. "Are you all right Helga? You were acting so weird today."
Helga rolled her eyes, smirking at nothing in particular; "Hey, don't I have the right to act weird, if I want, Football Head?" but her words lacked the familiar sting.
She saw his disapproving look and replied quietly, "Let's just say that I just found out something today, and it's not a good thing. I have to go home Arnold, see you Monday...Oh wait, I might not!"
Saying this, she ran off in the direction of her house, leaving an confused and worried Arnold behind.
-_-_-_-
"Hello Mrs. Hyerdahl, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. Is Phoebe here?"
Mrs. Hyerdahl replied in her lilting accent, "Why, its Arnold! Don't you worry about it, I'll go get her right now!"
Arnold waited and looked at the living room that he was in, it was a mix of Japanese and Southern decoration, which although sounded odd, actually made an eccentric yet pleasing to the eye style.
Suddenly, Phoebe came in, with a fencing mask on and a foil in her hand, "Ohayo Arnold, how are you?"
"Hey, Phoebe, I'm fine, I was actually a little worried about Helga." Arnold replied, getting straight to the point.
Phoebe bit her lip, she was obviously worried about Helga too. "Well, since you're worried about her, I guess I can tell you. Wait here, while I get out of this and have Mother put on some tea."
"Okay." Arnold sat down on the low couch, his eyes wandering the room. While his eyes were occupied with the exquisite swirls of pearl that represented a dragon on a plum colored kimono, hung on the wall for decoration; his mind was occupied with a memory from five or six years ago.
~~`~~
He had been watching the little girl as he drove by her in his grandpa's car. She had been splashed with mud, and had her lunchbox taken away from her. He could tell she was upset, and he wondered where her grandparents were, or maybe she had a mommy and daddy. Well if he ever met them he would tell them to go away because they were mean. He couldn't even imagine walking to preschool by himself ever, especially not on the first day. Well, when he got there he was going to tell her how nice her bow was, cuz it was nice. It was pink and big and kept her hair up. He couldn't wait till preschool started, maybe they could be friends! His thoughts were distracted when the car came to a stop. They were there!
~~`~~
Phoebe had come back into the room, bearing a tray of steaming tea and some kind of chocolate covered cracker she called pocky. They sat down on opposite ends of low table; Phoebe sipped at her tea before she broke the comfortable but slightly tense silence between them.
"So Arnold, tell me what you think the matter is with Helga."
"Well...she was upset when she came back from the office, and she didn't want to go home. So I guess that maybe Olga's back, or worse, someone had an accident or something."
Phoebe stared into the murky depths of her sweet tea, gnawing at her lip as she searched for the correct answer. Unlike school, she didn't always have the right answer for social situations that required tact. With Helga it was different, she had known Helga for so long, she knew exactly what to say, but Helga had told her to not tell anyone, so she wouldn't. Now she just had to lead Arnold to the truth.
"Well, no no, not that. But it does have to do with her family..."
"What? Did someone die? Did Mrs. Pataki have a baby?"
"No, definately not that, think Arnold, think!"
"Is Olga getting married? Are her parents getting a divorce?"
"YES! Well, no her parents aren't, but Helga..." Phoebe trailed off in what she deemed lead to an obvious answer.
"Is Helga getting a divorce?"
"NO!" Phoebe cried exasperated, "Helga's getting removed into Foster Care!"
Saying this, she clapped her hands over her mouth, before whispering, "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone..."
Arnold was dumbfounded by the information, and dimply stared for a few moments.
"That, thats horrible Phoebe! We gotta do something."
Phoebe shook her head sadly, "No Arnold, this is something we can't do anything about."
And for once, Arnold acknowledged that he was helpless.
-_-_-_-
Helga rushed through the the familiar streets leading to her house. Pushing over unknown strangers she threaded her way through the people with a constant stream of, "Move it buckoe!" "Outta my way!" and "Criminy!". When she reached her destination, she opened the unlocked door and slammed it hard, in order to wake up her mother.
"MIRIAM!" She shouted out, thinking wildly, 'oh please be home, oh please be home, oh please, oh please'
"MIRIAM!!!"
She was about to yell for a third time when her mother stumbled from her kitchen, yawning, "Helga? What's the matter? Why are you home from school so early?"
"Miriam, its 3:15! Criminey!" Helga stopped before launching into another tirade, and took her mom's hand dragging her mother back into the kitchen.
Miriam, by this time, was sufficiently aware that something was wrong, and instead of going back to sleep, paid attention to her youngest daughter for once. Maybe it was something in Helga's desperate tone, or the fact that even after they had been seated in the kitchen table, Helga had not let go of her mother's hand.
"Yes, sweetie? What's wrong?"
Helga struggled with an answer, and before she had found one, her overloaded emotions caused her to burst into tears in her mother's arms.
Miriam's maternal instincts were now on hyperdrive as she soothed her daughter for the first time in many many years.
Helga was scandalized and her pride was broken as she cried stormily for several minutes; finally she stopped as abruptly as she started, saying, "Miri- Mom, this lady took me out of class today. Her name was Julie Tirran and she said that I couldn't live with you and Dad anymore, she said that I had to go into a foster home for a while!"
Miriam's eyes widened as she took in the news, thinking 'I'm a bad parent.', this time she would take the initiative, they would not take her baby from her without a fight.
She clasped a distraught Helga to her, knowing that she had done wrong in the past, and it might be too late to fix it, but by God she would try!
-_-_-_
-wow, writing this chapter has left *me* distraught!
hail to the rebellion
arynnl