Author's Appreciation!
Thanks again to WillyD, CrystalTear and Mikatsu! Sorry it's been a while,
but I have to wait for inspiration to strike in order to write this one! I
expect about 3-4 more chapters to finish out the storyline. On with the
show!
Chapter 9 What to do now and Helga Chows Down
The car rumbled ominously as the old man crossed the street. He was getting up there in years, but he was just about as mischievous as ever. He hardly knew her, only that she was Arnold's little friend who used to have one eyebrow. Now she was calling on him for a favor, only heaven knows what.
The car door creaked open and he sat down. He could see that Arnold's "little" friend was much more grown up since those 2 brief weeks in summer 4 years ago when she was a fixture at the boarding house. Her face was mush more delicate, but there was fire blazing in her ice blue eyes. She looked like a mixture of anger, sadness, and desperation as she began to speak.
"Okay, old timer, you know why I asked you here," Helga breathed in a raspy voice. " I have to ask you a question, and I want an HONEST answer, not some made up crap that you think I want to hear,"
"Now why would I lie to you, Arnold's friend? Heh heh heh!"He laughed nervously, slightly intimidated by her no nonsense approach to him.
" Listen up, bucko, your reputation precedes you. Just tell me this: Does Arnold love that Timberly chic or not? I mean, does she hang out there alot, is he burning up the phone lines with her? What's the scoop?" She fidgeted in her seat anxiously.
" Teemberly? His friend Gerald's leetle sister? They are going to the big dance thingy together, I know that. But I wouldn't say he loves her. Not at all,"
Helga sighed, feeling relief wash over her. " What makes you so sure he doesn't at least lust after her? He dedicated some sappy song to her this afternoon,"
" It's simple. He can't love her, he loves someone else," The older gentleman replied matter of factly.
" Loves...someone...else?" Helga repeated slowly, her tone disbelieving.
"Sure he does, and I think you know her, too," The man replied with a wink. "You know her pretty good, I think. Someone you have known for a long, long time and the only person I have ever seen him go all goofy over the way he did,"
Helga's face burned crimson. She could feel hot tears forming in the back of her eyes, but refused to let them to go. "And you are sure of this?" she whispered.
" Of course I am sure, I would not lie to such a pretty girl," the man winked again.
" Thanks." She threw the man a 10-dollar bill, revving the engine as she did so.
He snatched it up, and held it to the light. " I thought you said 20 dollars for my trouble," he asked cautiously.
" Yeah, well my good mood is spent. Take it or leave it," Helga growled as she flicked the door handle open and pushed on his door.
The man got out quickly, scarcely escaping the closing door as she sped off. He stared back across the street.
" Oskar, who were you talking to?" Susie Kokoshka asked as she opened her car door, her arms bulging with grocery sacks.
" No one, Susie, just Arnold's little girlfriend," Oskar answered sheepishly, his graying hair twinkling in the sunlight. " Where have you been? I am so hungry! Will you make me a sandwich?" he smiled as they walked into the boarding house together.
Arnold climbed into Gerald's lime green geo, utterly confused at to what he was doing there, especially with Timberly and Phoebe in tow. He sat unsteadily in the back seat, perched next to Timberly. " What are all of you doing here?" Arnold asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
" Arnold, my man, it's about time we set you straight," Gerald began slowly.
" We know what's going on with you," Timberly interjected.
" And we just want to help you," chimed Phoebe.
"Help me with what?" Arnold asked, confused as ever.
" Your girl trouble," Gerald smiled, his brown eyes shining.
" The only trouble I am having with girls is that they keep sneaking up on me," Arnold laughed, nudging Timberly with he elbow. What were they talking about? Could they know?
" We know you love her, Arnold," Phoebe answered solemnly. "At least, we hope you do, because I think she still loves you, too."
" Love? Who loves me? Still? Where is all of this going?" Arnold lamented, dense as ever.
" HELGA GERALDINE PATAKI!!" Shouted Timberly, her hi lighted curls bouncing with annoyance.
" Helga..loves me?"Arnold gasped
"The G stands for Geraldine?" laughed Gerald. Phoebe nudged him hard in the shoulder. "Sorry, babe," he replied sheepishly.
" Yes, Helga still loves you. Didn't you see the way she looked at you in the Movie Theater? And how fast she jetted after she saw that we saw her? The girl has never gotten over you, from what Phoebe here says," Timberely rattled off patiently.
" It's true, Arnold. She has always regretted that she couldn't open up to you more back in eight grade. But she's loved you as long as I can remember!" Phoebe's eyes shone with fresh tears, her almond shaped eyes wide with desperation.
" Are you sure? I mean, she was with my cousin Arnie, that might be why she took off so fast when she saw me, " Arnold asked
"The girl hid under a clothing rack to spy on me the other day, right in the middle of the store!" Timberly laughed empathetically. "If it's not love, it's one hell of an obsession!"
Back at home, a disheartened Helga entered the door to the sound of a whirring blender. She sighed, trudging up the stairs to her third story bedroom. How could he still love Lila, was all that was running through her mind. And if he loved Lila the way old man Kokoshka said he did, then why did he dedicate that mushy, sappy love song to Timberly? Was Arnold turning into a player all of the sudden? Nothing made sense to Helga anymore
She picked up her pink neon cordless phone and punched in a few numbers, flopping back on her bed as she did so.
" Wang Fong's Family restaurant, may I help you?" a thin, male voice on the other end answered.
"Doubt you can help me, but here goes," Helga replied dryly. " I want a number 4, no egg roll, extra rice, and a large order of fried wontons, a carton of beef and broccoli, and a 12 pack of fortune cookies. Extra soy and orange sauce on the side, and an extra large diet Yahoo soda. Got that, pal?" Helga rattled off the large order as if her life depended on it.
" Okay, got it. That is about the same size as our family feast, would you like to upsize to that for another 30 cents? You get an extra side included with that deal," the young man asked cautiously.
" What the hell, why not? Slap an order of vegetable lo mein in there and you got yourself a deal," Helga threw a large pillow against the wall, watching it slide down the light pink wallpaper.
" Your order comes to 37.29. Would you like that delivered?"
"Yeah, 2131 36th street, and just charge that to the Pataki account," Helga muttered.
" Umm, that account is only authorized for charges from one Mr. Bob Pataki," the man relplied slowly.
" Look, buddy, I have had the day from hell. The account is listed at the same damn address as the delivery address. I think if I was going to defraud my father, it would be at some OTHER address. Just do your mediocre, non college educated job and leave me ALONE!" she sputtered into the phone angrily.
She pushed the off button, and clicked on the remote to her CD player. Daniel Benningfield (?) crooned softly in his high tenor voice, "If You're Not The One,"
Okay, so Arnold lusted after Timberly, but loved Lila. Now that didn't make sense..unless....
Helga's thoughts returned to her attempt at making Arnold jealous back in the fourth grade by having Stinky Peterson pose as her boyfriend. Although it ended with no results whatsoever, maybe..maybe that's what Arnold was doing with Timberly, trying to make Lila jealous so that she would leave Stinky for him!
Helga looked in the mirror above her dresser. A sun-kissed blonde girl with long wavy hair stared back out at her, with large, sad eyes and a pathetic look on her face. She had stripped down to her tank top and pink shorts again, her tan all the more obvious against her white shirt and pale pink bottoms. She was far from ugly, so why didn't he still want her?
20 minutes later, Helga had what looked like a Chinese buffet laid out on her dresser. She sat on the floor, eating straight out of the cartons with the chopsticks supplied by the delivery guy. Just another benefit of being Phoebe's best friend, she smiled. She taught her the correct way to finagle chopsticks.
It was amazing that someone as svelte as Helga could eat so much and stay the same size, but she'd been that way her whole life. She polished off the lo mein and moved methodically towards the beef and broccoli, when the idea hit her. Lila would never leave Stinky if she thought he liked someone else. And she knew exactly what to do about that. She was about to pick up the phone again, when she heard someone on her fire escape.
Jumping up, she barely saved the egg drop soup from spilling onto her Berber carpet. "Who's there?" she called out nervously. " Old Betsy can come out of retirement right now, bucko so speak up!"
The last thing she saw before she screamed was the wild blonde hair and emerald green eyes, looking up at her mournfully.
****Only about 2-3 chaps to go, not sure yet. Hope you like! Sorry if I made Helga a lot moodier than usual, but she is getting older! It's those teenage hormones! Hope to update sooner this time, like in 2-3 days since the ideas are flowing. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 9 What to do now and Helga Chows Down
The car rumbled ominously as the old man crossed the street. He was getting up there in years, but he was just about as mischievous as ever. He hardly knew her, only that she was Arnold's little friend who used to have one eyebrow. Now she was calling on him for a favor, only heaven knows what.
The car door creaked open and he sat down. He could see that Arnold's "little" friend was much more grown up since those 2 brief weeks in summer 4 years ago when she was a fixture at the boarding house. Her face was mush more delicate, but there was fire blazing in her ice blue eyes. She looked like a mixture of anger, sadness, and desperation as she began to speak.
"Okay, old timer, you know why I asked you here," Helga breathed in a raspy voice. " I have to ask you a question, and I want an HONEST answer, not some made up crap that you think I want to hear,"
"Now why would I lie to you, Arnold's friend? Heh heh heh!"He laughed nervously, slightly intimidated by her no nonsense approach to him.
" Listen up, bucko, your reputation precedes you. Just tell me this: Does Arnold love that Timberly chic or not? I mean, does she hang out there alot, is he burning up the phone lines with her? What's the scoop?" She fidgeted in her seat anxiously.
" Teemberly? His friend Gerald's leetle sister? They are going to the big dance thingy together, I know that. But I wouldn't say he loves her. Not at all,"
Helga sighed, feeling relief wash over her. " What makes you so sure he doesn't at least lust after her? He dedicated some sappy song to her this afternoon,"
" It's simple. He can't love her, he loves someone else," The older gentleman replied matter of factly.
" Loves...someone...else?" Helga repeated slowly, her tone disbelieving.
"Sure he does, and I think you know her, too," The man replied with a wink. "You know her pretty good, I think. Someone you have known for a long, long time and the only person I have ever seen him go all goofy over the way he did,"
Helga's face burned crimson. She could feel hot tears forming in the back of her eyes, but refused to let them to go. "And you are sure of this?" she whispered.
" Of course I am sure, I would not lie to such a pretty girl," the man winked again.
" Thanks." She threw the man a 10-dollar bill, revving the engine as she did so.
He snatched it up, and held it to the light. " I thought you said 20 dollars for my trouble," he asked cautiously.
" Yeah, well my good mood is spent. Take it or leave it," Helga growled as she flicked the door handle open and pushed on his door.
The man got out quickly, scarcely escaping the closing door as she sped off. He stared back across the street.
" Oskar, who were you talking to?" Susie Kokoshka asked as she opened her car door, her arms bulging with grocery sacks.
" No one, Susie, just Arnold's little girlfriend," Oskar answered sheepishly, his graying hair twinkling in the sunlight. " Where have you been? I am so hungry! Will you make me a sandwich?" he smiled as they walked into the boarding house together.
Arnold climbed into Gerald's lime green geo, utterly confused at to what he was doing there, especially with Timberly and Phoebe in tow. He sat unsteadily in the back seat, perched next to Timberly. " What are all of you doing here?" Arnold asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
" Arnold, my man, it's about time we set you straight," Gerald began slowly.
" We know what's going on with you," Timberly interjected.
" And we just want to help you," chimed Phoebe.
"Help me with what?" Arnold asked, confused as ever.
" Your girl trouble," Gerald smiled, his brown eyes shining.
" The only trouble I am having with girls is that they keep sneaking up on me," Arnold laughed, nudging Timberly with he elbow. What were they talking about? Could they know?
" We know you love her, Arnold," Phoebe answered solemnly. "At least, we hope you do, because I think she still loves you, too."
" Love? Who loves me? Still? Where is all of this going?" Arnold lamented, dense as ever.
" HELGA GERALDINE PATAKI!!" Shouted Timberly, her hi lighted curls bouncing with annoyance.
" Helga..loves me?"Arnold gasped
"The G stands for Geraldine?" laughed Gerald. Phoebe nudged him hard in the shoulder. "Sorry, babe," he replied sheepishly.
" Yes, Helga still loves you. Didn't you see the way she looked at you in the Movie Theater? And how fast she jetted after she saw that we saw her? The girl has never gotten over you, from what Phoebe here says," Timberely rattled off patiently.
" It's true, Arnold. She has always regretted that she couldn't open up to you more back in eight grade. But she's loved you as long as I can remember!" Phoebe's eyes shone with fresh tears, her almond shaped eyes wide with desperation.
" Are you sure? I mean, she was with my cousin Arnie, that might be why she took off so fast when she saw me, " Arnold asked
"The girl hid under a clothing rack to spy on me the other day, right in the middle of the store!" Timberly laughed empathetically. "If it's not love, it's one hell of an obsession!"
Back at home, a disheartened Helga entered the door to the sound of a whirring blender. She sighed, trudging up the stairs to her third story bedroom. How could he still love Lila, was all that was running through her mind. And if he loved Lila the way old man Kokoshka said he did, then why did he dedicate that mushy, sappy love song to Timberly? Was Arnold turning into a player all of the sudden? Nothing made sense to Helga anymore
She picked up her pink neon cordless phone and punched in a few numbers, flopping back on her bed as she did so.
" Wang Fong's Family restaurant, may I help you?" a thin, male voice on the other end answered.
"Doubt you can help me, but here goes," Helga replied dryly. " I want a number 4, no egg roll, extra rice, and a large order of fried wontons, a carton of beef and broccoli, and a 12 pack of fortune cookies. Extra soy and orange sauce on the side, and an extra large diet Yahoo soda. Got that, pal?" Helga rattled off the large order as if her life depended on it.
" Okay, got it. That is about the same size as our family feast, would you like to upsize to that for another 30 cents? You get an extra side included with that deal," the young man asked cautiously.
" What the hell, why not? Slap an order of vegetable lo mein in there and you got yourself a deal," Helga threw a large pillow against the wall, watching it slide down the light pink wallpaper.
" Your order comes to 37.29. Would you like that delivered?"
"Yeah, 2131 36th street, and just charge that to the Pataki account," Helga muttered.
" Umm, that account is only authorized for charges from one Mr. Bob Pataki," the man relplied slowly.
" Look, buddy, I have had the day from hell. The account is listed at the same damn address as the delivery address. I think if I was going to defraud my father, it would be at some OTHER address. Just do your mediocre, non college educated job and leave me ALONE!" she sputtered into the phone angrily.
She pushed the off button, and clicked on the remote to her CD player. Daniel Benningfield (?) crooned softly in his high tenor voice, "If You're Not The One,"
Okay, so Arnold lusted after Timberly, but loved Lila. Now that didn't make sense..unless....
Helga's thoughts returned to her attempt at making Arnold jealous back in the fourth grade by having Stinky Peterson pose as her boyfriend. Although it ended with no results whatsoever, maybe..maybe that's what Arnold was doing with Timberly, trying to make Lila jealous so that she would leave Stinky for him!
Helga looked in the mirror above her dresser. A sun-kissed blonde girl with long wavy hair stared back out at her, with large, sad eyes and a pathetic look on her face. She had stripped down to her tank top and pink shorts again, her tan all the more obvious against her white shirt and pale pink bottoms. She was far from ugly, so why didn't he still want her?
20 minutes later, Helga had what looked like a Chinese buffet laid out on her dresser. She sat on the floor, eating straight out of the cartons with the chopsticks supplied by the delivery guy. Just another benefit of being Phoebe's best friend, she smiled. She taught her the correct way to finagle chopsticks.
It was amazing that someone as svelte as Helga could eat so much and stay the same size, but she'd been that way her whole life. She polished off the lo mein and moved methodically towards the beef and broccoli, when the idea hit her. Lila would never leave Stinky if she thought he liked someone else. And she knew exactly what to do about that. She was about to pick up the phone again, when she heard someone on her fire escape.
Jumping up, she barely saved the egg drop soup from spilling onto her Berber carpet. "Who's there?" she called out nervously. " Old Betsy can come out of retirement right now, bucko so speak up!"
The last thing she saw before she screamed was the wild blonde hair and emerald green eyes, looking up at her mournfully.
****Only about 2-3 chaps to go, not sure yet. Hope you like! Sorry if I made Helga a lot moodier than usual, but she is getting older! It's those teenage hormones! Hope to update sooner this time, like in 2-3 days since the ideas are flowing. Let me know what you think!