Author's Appreciation**Once more, Will and Crystal are my faithful veteran
R/R warriors!! Thanks alot, you guys, as always! Hope to incorporate more
humor into this installment, so bear with me!!
Chapter 8 Radio Dedications and Final Preparations
Arnold sped along route 12 in his dad's mustang, wondering how in the hell he was going to get Helga away from Lorenzo. The radio hummed mundanely as the warm spring breeze sucked the stale air out of the rarely driven vehicle. Miles and Stella had remained home with Arnold, Pookie and Phil for a whole year once they were found, but slowly grew restless to do some good for the less fortunate. It was then they had both taken jobs at the Hillwood Medical Research Lab in downtown Hillwood. They worked extremely long hours, but Arnold was just glad that he knew where they were at least.
Miles drove Stella's sensible and more fuel efficient cavalier when they rode together to work each day, so the Mustang was like a shiny jewel, sitting under it's dust cover in the garage. Arnold had chosen to borrow it, with a quick nod of approval from his dad as he left early that morning.
Absentmindedly, Arnold ran his hand through his hair as the radio dj droned on and on. He was stuck at a traffic light leading towards downtown, his destiny being Samson and Sons Tuxedo Emporium. He glanced up at a huge billboard that loomed above him. It was a gigantic portrait of some nervous looking guy, holding a small, velvet box in his left hand. Enormous letters spelled out: "Tonyia, I love you and cherish you. I want all of Hillwood to know it. Will you marry me? Love, Scott."
Like a girl would say no to that kind of proposal, Arnold sneered unaffectionately. Like anyone could say no to such a grand gesture...
GRAND GESTURE! That's exactly what he needed to get ahead of Lorenzo. He might have money, and power, and yes, even good looks. But he didn't have the history he and Helga shared. If she was even one shred of the girl he fell for way back in grade school, then she would indeed notice a grand type of gesture, take into consideration his feelings for her, and they would try again. Yes, this had to work, only....what to do?
Helga steered dangerously around pedestrians in the early afternoon traffic, causing one old man to leap out of the way with the near grace of the Lord of the dance. "One side, grandpa!" she'd shouted, squealing the tires of Big Bob's blue beast as it rolled by the angry geriatric. He flipped her an inappropriate sign as he dusted himself off, but Helga paid no heed.
All she could think of was Timberly, trouncing around with Ms. Perfect, talking about how Arnold's "dream girl" would be no match for her. Okay, so she didn't know who this other broad was, but damn sure she was going to beat them both at their own game. They'd BOTH see.
She pulled into the La Mesira designs parking lot. She normally didn't use the connections that Olga got her, but this was an all out emergency. She flung the glass paned door open, startling a young, blonde girl with blue tips in her chin length hair.
"Can I help you?" she sputtered, trying to straighten her disheveled papers.
" Yeah, Toots. I need to speak to Oleg, right now if you catch my drift," Helga barked, her old self surfacing with a vengeance.
" That is impossible, Miss-" "Pataki. Helga G. Pataki. As in Award frickin' winning Olga Pataki's younger sister. Tell ol' Caprini Puss to get his carcass out here if he knows what's good for him." She curled her now tiny fist in a ball and shook it for good measure inches from the frightened assistant.
Moments later, a slender, brisk looking man entered the reception area, extending his ring laden hands towards Helga as he approached her.
"Helena, darling," he purred in a sketchy German accent. " Vat ees it zat Oleg can do for hees favorite apprentice model's leetle seester?"
" Let's get one thing straight here, kraut boy. It's HELGA, as in HELL with a little G A thrown in. I need a dress, a stunner, and not some smutty, Tara Reidish little number either. Something that reeks of class, sophistication, and all that other junk. Oh, and it has to be completely original, and done in one week. Think you can handle all that?" Helga spat, her hands placed squarely on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow at him.
If the man hadn't already been snowy haired, he would of been made so now. He scratched the underside of his fuzzy chin nervously.
" One week? And compleetley original? Helga, vat you are asking, it ees impossible. I have several othser orders to feel-"
"Look, pal. I wouldn't come to you if I wasn't completely and utterly desperate!" Helga saw his eyes fill with horror at someone insinuating he was a last resort designer. She quickly continued. " It's just, I never EVER ask for help, from anyone, and I need this dress. It has to be perfect, and you are the only person I have ever seen create perfection."
The man's face softened slightly, his grey eyes sparkled. "Vell, it will not be easy, zat part I can tell you," he started slowly. " Vat occasion is thees dress for?"
"Prom," Helga sighed, noticing at once how shallow and vague she sounded.
" Prom ees special, no doubt in Oleg's mind. But so special as to demand such things of an old man?"
" There's this girl I have to out-do" Helga began reluctantly, feeling as though she owed the man some kind of explanation for all this trouble. " Potentially two girls, really," She added, blushing slightly.
"To achieve what, Prom queen?" Oleg sighed, the light in his eyes fading. He looked completely disgusted.
" No-nothing like that. It's...it's this guy I like.." She sputtered, unsure of entrusting this man she had met only a handful of times back in 4th grade with her deepest secret.
"Only like?" Oleg cocked an eyebrow high above those steely grey eyes, studying her.
" Like alot. Heck, you could even say I like him a lot ALOT. Why, I guess you could even say that I ...I .lo-"
"Say no more," Oleg sighed, his eyes misty and sad looking. " It will be hard work. You vill have to do favor, as vell. Eef I pull thees off, you must model it at the Hillwood Fashion Show for Breast Cancer survivors benefit, at end of year. Oleg has been in love too, Helga sister. I do thees!"
"Oleg, you got yourself a deal," Helga shook his hand heartily.
Helga smiled in relief, with real gratitude in her heart. She impulsively hugged the svelte little man before running in back to be measured. Step one, she thought as she held her arms out to the nervous blue haired girls measuring tape. Just wait till he gets a load of me.
Arnold paced nervously as he held his dad's cell phone overtly over his ear, watching the traffic flow smoothly down route 12 now. He had pulled over at Dolly's doughnuts, desperate to think of this grand gesture to win back Helga's affections. He didn't know why he felt such urgency to do this, he just did. He had finally hit upon the idea of dedicating a song to her, via the most widely listened to station in the city, MJZZ. Although it no longer played jazz , the station's call letters had remained the same. Now he sat on hold, waiting to make his dedication live over the air.
He'd thought it out perfectly. All he had to do was dedicate this song, and everyone, hopefully Helga included, would hear it and know exactly how he feels for her. It was scary, but invigorating too.
The dj clicked over to him once more. " This is Listen All Day With Clay, I have a certain young man on the phone right now. He wants to give a shout out and a dedication to his hopefully soon to be sweetie. Why don't I turn it over to our Valentino right now?"
" Hi, Clay, " Arnold started softly, stumbling over the words. " Uh, I wanted to dedicate a song to this girl I have known a long time, almost all her life. She is more special to me than she will ever know, and well, I want her to know that I think...I think I am falling in love with her," "And what is this special song, Romeo?" The DJ played along, acting all excited for him.
"Hanging By A Moment, by Lifehouse," Arnold answered waveringly. " It says exactly how I feel, and I need her to know I mean every word of it."
"You heard the man, this song goes out with love, from Arnold to-?"
"TIMBERLY!" Arnold shouted inadverently into the reciever, instantly dropping the cell phone on the cold, hard cement at her feet. She looked at him like he was crazy.
" Who are you dedicating a song to?" she asked, tapping her foot dramatically, searching his eyes with hers. "Let's just see," she muttered, reaching into the mustang and turning the volume up. The dedication had been done live, so the song was already cueing up.
"Uh, yeah...Arnold to Timberly. Hanging by A Moment," the startled dj spoke into his mike.
Desperate for changing
Starving for truth I'm closer than I started I'm chasing after you I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you..
Forgetting all I'm lacking Completely incomplete I take your invitation' You take all of me And I'm fallin' even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you
There's nothing else to lose There's nothing else to find There's nothing in this world That could change my mind There is nothing ellllllllse There is nothing else
Desperate for changing Starving for truth I'm closer than I started, Chasing after you...
I'm fallin' even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you
The song ended, and Arnold's face fluttered back and forth, from extreme horror, to utter disappointment. He smacked himself upside his foot ball head.
" You ..you meant all that for me?" Timberly blushed, her hazel eyes shining in amusement.
"Uh,.. well you heard the man.." Arnold stuttered uneasily. He did not like to lie, especially over something this huge.
"Arnold, my dear, I think we need to have a talk," Timberly answered simply, her hand motioning towards Gerald's parked geo.
" That was hanging by a moment, by Lifehouse. Dedicated from Arnold, to Timberly. He means every word," The DJ at MJZZ was talking pleasant enough, but to Helga, it was like hurling boiling hot coals at her via the airwaves. The radio in the studio had been tuned to this station, and she had jumped down from her pedestal to turn it up when she thought she recognized Arnold's voice. Unshed tears welled up in those gorgeous blue eyes, but she refused them their escape.
" Almost feenished measuring, Helga," Oleg called from his private office. As though he was out there trying to measure a sulky and surly blonde time bomb.
"Smurfette, I think I am done for the day, " Helga spat angrily at the blue- blonde girl, jumping off the platform once more as she listened intently to the lyrics of that god forsaken song. How on earth was she going to pull him from Timberly, let alone this mystery woman, if he felt THAT way about her?
"I have all thee things I need, dearest. I call you for fitting once design and prototype ees ready," she heard Oleg yell as she slammed the door. This was turning into a nightmare, why should she even bother?
She sat on the curb, dreading climbing into the blue beast, dreading the barrage of phone calls she would be receiving for her untimely departure from Bella's. An idea sprang into her head, as she mulled it over, not daring to speak it aloud. There was one way to see if she still stood even a remote chance with him, but it was super risky. She thought of the pros and cons, her mind swirling with possibilities. Could she go through with it? She wasn't sure...but she had to try.
She drove straight back to the neighborhood, stopping on Vine Street, just past Art's Shoe Repair. She saw him an instant later, searching for her. She had asked him to meet her there, across the street in Big Bob's huge blue boat of a car. He crossed the street, opened the door and sat down slowly, smiling.
###Okay not too hard to figure out, but I had to stop somewhere! SORRY I put all the lyrics to the song down, but I just love it and it is so fitting to my plot! Let me know if you like!
Chapter 8 Radio Dedications and Final Preparations
Arnold sped along route 12 in his dad's mustang, wondering how in the hell he was going to get Helga away from Lorenzo. The radio hummed mundanely as the warm spring breeze sucked the stale air out of the rarely driven vehicle. Miles and Stella had remained home with Arnold, Pookie and Phil for a whole year once they were found, but slowly grew restless to do some good for the less fortunate. It was then they had both taken jobs at the Hillwood Medical Research Lab in downtown Hillwood. They worked extremely long hours, but Arnold was just glad that he knew where they were at least.
Miles drove Stella's sensible and more fuel efficient cavalier when they rode together to work each day, so the Mustang was like a shiny jewel, sitting under it's dust cover in the garage. Arnold had chosen to borrow it, with a quick nod of approval from his dad as he left early that morning.
Absentmindedly, Arnold ran his hand through his hair as the radio dj droned on and on. He was stuck at a traffic light leading towards downtown, his destiny being Samson and Sons Tuxedo Emporium. He glanced up at a huge billboard that loomed above him. It was a gigantic portrait of some nervous looking guy, holding a small, velvet box in his left hand. Enormous letters spelled out: "Tonyia, I love you and cherish you. I want all of Hillwood to know it. Will you marry me? Love, Scott."
Like a girl would say no to that kind of proposal, Arnold sneered unaffectionately. Like anyone could say no to such a grand gesture...
GRAND GESTURE! That's exactly what he needed to get ahead of Lorenzo. He might have money, and power, and yes, even good looks. But he didn't have the history he and Helga shared. If she was even one shred of the girl he fell for way back in grade school, then she would indeed notice a grand type of gesture, take into consideration his feelings for her, and they would try again. Yes, this had to work, only....what to do?
Helga steered dangerously around pedestrians in the early afternoon traffic, causing one old man to leap out of the way with the near grace of the Lord of the dance. "One side, grandpa!" she'd shouted, squealing the tires of Big Bob's blue beast as it rolled by the angry geriatric. He flipped her an inappropriate sign as he dusted himself off, but Helga paid no heed.
All she could think of was Timberly, trouncing around with Ms. Perfect, talking about how Arnold's "dream girl" would be no match for her. Okay, so she didn't know who this other broad was, but damn sure she was going to beat them both at their own game. They'd BOTH see.
She pulled into the La Mesira designs parking lot. She normally didn't use the connections that Olga got her, but this was an all out emergency. She flung the glass paned door open, startling a young, blonde girl with blue tips in her chin length hair.
"Can I help you?" she sputtered, trying to straighten her disheveled papers.
" Yeah, Toots. I need to speak to Oleg, right now if you catch my drift," Helga barked, her old self surfacing with a vengeance.
" That is impossible, Miss-" "Pataki. Helga G. Pataki. As in Award frickin' winning Olga Pataki's younger sister. Tell ol' Caprini Puss to get his carcass out here if he knows what's good for him." She curled her now tiny fist in a ball and shook it for good measure inches from the frightened assistant.
Moments later, a slender, brisk looking man entered the reception area, extending his ring laden hands towards Helga as he approached her.
"Helena, darling," he purred in a sketchy German accent. " Vat ees it zat Oleg can do for hees favorite apprentice model's leetle seester?"
" Let's get one thing straight here, kraut boy. It's HELGA, as in HELL with a little G A thrown in. I need a dress, a stunner, and not some smutty, Tara Reidish little number either. Something that reeks of class, sophistication, and all that other junk. Oh, and it has to be completely original, and done in one week. Think you can handle all that?" Helga spat, her hands placed squarely on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow at him.
If the man hadn't already been snowy haired, he would of been made so now. He scratched the underside of his fuzzy chin nervously.
" One week? And compleetley original? Helga, vat you are asking, it ees impossible. I have several othser orders to feel-"
"Look, pal. I wouldn't come to you if I wasn't completely and utterly desperate!" Helga saw his eyes fill with horror at someone insinuating he was a last resort designer. She quickly continued. " It's just, I never EVER ask for help, from anyone, and I need this dress. It has to be perfect, and you are the only person I have ever seen create perfection."
The man's face softened slightly, his grey eyes sparkled. "Vell, it will not be easy, zat part I can tell you," he started slowly. " Vat occasion is thees dress for?"
"Prom," Helga sighed, noticing at once how shallow and vague she sounded.
" Prom ees special, no doubt in Oleg's mind. But so special as to demand such things of an old man?"
" There's this girl I have to out-do" Helga began reluctantly, feeling as though she owed the man some kind of explanation for all this trouble. " Potentially two girls, really," She added, blushing slightly.
"To achieve what, Prom queen?" Oleg sighed, the light in his eyes fading. He looked completely disgusted.
" No-nothing like that. It's...it's this guy I like.." She sputtered, unsure of entrusting this man she had met only a handful of times back in 4th grade with her deepest secret.
"Only like?" Oleg cocked an eyebrow high above those steely grey eyes, studying her.
" Like alot. Heck, you could even say I like him a lot ALOT. Why, I guess you could even say that I ...I .lo-"
"Say no more," Oleg sighed, his eyes misty and sad looking. " It will be hard work. You vill have to do favor, as vell. Eef I pull thees off, you must model it at the Hillwood Fashion Show for Breast Cancer survivors benefit, at end of year. Oleg has been in love too, Helga sister. I do thees!"
"Oleg, you got yourself a deal," Helga shook his hand heartily.
Helga smiled in relief, with real gratitude in her heart. She impulsively hugged the svelte little man before running in back to be measured. Step one, she thought as she held her arms out to the nervous blue haired girls measuring tape. Just wait till he gets a load of me.
Arnold paced nervously as he held his dad's cell phone overtly over his ear, watching the traffic flow smoothly down route 12 now. He had pulled over at Dolly's doughnuts, desperate to think of this grand gesture to win back Helga's affections. He didn't know why he felt such urgency to do this, he just did. He had finally hit upon the idea of dedicating a song to her, via the most widely listened to station in the city, MJZZ. Although it no longer played jazz , the station's call letters had remained the same. Now he sat on hold, waiting to make his dedication live over the air.
He'd thought it out perfectly. All he had to do was dedicate this song, and everyone, hopefully Helga included, would hear it and know exactly how he feels for her. It was scary, but invigorating too.
The dj clicked over to him once more. " This is Listen All Day With Clay, I have a certain young man on the phone right now. He wants to give a shout out and a dedication to his hopefully soon to be sweetie. Why don't I turn it over to our Valentino right now?"
" Hi, Clay, " Arnold started softly, stumbling over the words. " Uh, I wanted to dedicate a song to this girl I have known a long time, almost all her life. She is more special to me than she will ever know, and well, I want her to know that I think...I think I am falling in love with her," "And what is this special song, Romeo?" The DJ played along, acting all excited for him.
"Hanging By A Moment, by Lifehouse," Arnold answered waveringly. " It says exactly how I feel, and I need her to know I mean every word of it."
"You heard the man, this song goes out with love, from Arnold to-?"
"TIMBERLY!" Arnold shouted inadverently into the reciever, instantly dropping the cell phone on the cold, hard cement at her feet. She looked at him like he was crazy.
" Who are you dedicating a song to?" she asked, tapping her foot dramatically, searching his eyes with hers. "Let's just see," she muttered, reaching into the mustang and turning the volume up. The dedication had been done live, so the song was already cueing up.
"Uh, yeah...Arnold to Timberly. Hanging by A Moment," the startled dj spoke into his mike.
Desperate for changing
Starving for truth I'm closer than I started I'm chasing after you I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you..
Forgetting all I'm lacking Completely incomplete I take your invitation' You take all of me And I'm fallin' even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you
There's nothing else to lose There's nothing else to find There's nothing in this world That could change my mind There is nothing ellllllllse There is nothing else
Desperate for changing Starving for truth I'm closer than I started, Chasing after you...
I'm fallin' even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you
The song ended, and Arnold's face fluttered back and forth, from extreme horror, to utter disappointment. He smacked himself upside his foot ball head.
" You ..you meant all that for me?" Timberly blushed, her hazel eyes shining in amusement.
"Uh,.. well you heard the man.." Arnold stuttered uneasily. He did not like to lie, especially over something this huge.
"Arnold, my dear, I think we need to have a talk," Timberly answered simply, her hand motioning towards Gerald's parked geo.
" That was hanging by a moment, by Lifehouse. Dedicated from Arnold, to Timberly. He means every word," The DJ at MJZZ was talking pleasant enough, but to Helga, it was like hurling boiling hot coals at her via the airwaves. The radio in the studio had been tuned to this station, and she had jumped down from her pedestal to turn it up when she thought she recognized Arnold's voice. Unshed tears welled up in those gorgeous blue eyes, but she refused them their escape.
" Almost feenished measuring, Helga," Oleg called from his private office. As though he was out there trying to measure a sulky and surly blonde time bomb.
"Smurfette, I think I am done for the day, " Helga spat angrily at the blue- blonde girl, jumping off the platform once more as she listened intently to the lyrics of that god forsaken song. How on earth was she going to pull him from Timberly, let alone this mystery woman, if he felt THAT way about her?
"I have all thee things I need, dearest. I call you for fitting once design and prototype ees ready," she heard Oleg yell as she slammed the door. This was turning into a nightmare, why should she even bother?
She sat on the curb, dreading climbing into the blue beast, dreading the barrage of phone calls she would be receiving for her untimely departure from Bella's. An idea sprang into her head, as she mulled it over, not daring to speak it aloud. There was one way to see if she still stood even a remote chance with him, but it was super risky. She thought of the pros and cons, her mind swirling with possibilities. Could she go through with it? She wasn't sure...but she had to try.
She drove straight back to the neighborhood, stopping on Vine Street, just past Art's Shoe Repair. She saw him an instant later, searching for her. She had asked him to meet her there, across the street in Big Bob's huge blue boat of a car. He crossed the street, opened the door and sat down slowly, smiling.
###Okay not too hard to figure out, but I had to stop somewhere! SORRY I put all the lyrics to the song down, but I just love it and it is so fitting to my plot! Let me know if you like!