One rainy day part 3
Author's note: Again I'd like to thank any one that read and reviewed the pervious chapters of this story. I also wanted to apologize for the lateness of this chapter update. I've always want to continue with Helga and Arnolds Rainy day encounters but time, work and my stupid old computer wouldn't allow me. Now I have a new computer and new update and new illustrations for this part of the fic. ( as soon as I hook up my scanner). Fanfiction.net doesn't allow Hyperlinks in stories so please follow the link Under Homepage. On my Profile if you'd like to view the Illustrations for this Fic
There was just something in the air.
As Helga's science class neared its end, and she still couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to be one of those days. The final minutes of class always seemed to be passing particularly slow, as clock's hands snailed their way around its circumference. As soon as she woke this morning and glanced out side her bedroom window at the dark heavy clouds, she had the feeling somthing important would happen today. Of course she often felt this way when it rained. Many of the most important moments in her life seemed to have taken place under weeping clouds.
Having finished the pop quiz early Helga allowed her self a moment of reflection. Her minds eye travled back to the first of her important rainy days, to that fateful first day of pre-school. Her pink jumper soaked by the morning downpour, and there was a large mud stain splashed from a passing car. It was that day she met him. It was that day when she felt so unloved and unnoticed that Arnold's beautiful football shaped head burned its way into her soul and set up house in her heart. He selflessly held out his umbrella and even gave her his cracker with the sole purpose of making her feel better. Helga knew how unordinary it was to find the love of your life at age four but there was no doubt she had done just that. She then focused on the clock once more. There was still five minutes till she could go to her next class, her favorite class. Her memory once again took her back this time only about two years ago. That wet cold rainy night when she had her "Episode". That was her name for it. Having an "Episode " sounded cooler then saying, "I had a emotional brake down." That rainy night Helga couldn't focused nether her mind heart or soul well enough to think straight but some how, her love for that same odd shaped headed boy guided her to his door step. It was that rainy day she understood that her love for Arnold was not enough to build the whole of her self around and decided to take a scholarship she was offer and go away for a year. "Clock, oh tool of the devil thou mock me with thine slow place." Helga mused in old English as she notices she still has two minute left. She decided to use the last two minutes to remember the last important rainy day in her head. It was one year ago. Having spent a year away from her family and friends, Helga once again retuned. Helga imagined that upon her return she would have some how morphed into a beautiful butterfly of a person, sweet and kind. But the reality was she came back the same, just more of a Helga then when she left. But it worked out because she discovered she was already a good person in her own right, she just couldn't see that before. The only thing in the perception of her self that hadn't changed was the certainly of her love of Arnold. And it was on that rainy day when she came back home and faced her muse Arnold in his doorway. It was in his room where she finally faced down her fear and kissed him. That rainy day much like today, her world tilted and changed. The school bell rang signaling the end of this class and the beginning of the next. As Helga gathered her books and glanced out through the window at murky low hanging clouds, She muttered, "There just something in the air."
Helga made her way down the hall and through the throngs of students. Over crowding was certainly a factor at Lincoln Jr. High. She smiled remembering how she use to push students out of her way, as she stomped through the halls of PS. 118. Helga still had a reputation of being a bit of a bad ass, but pushing and shoving wouldn't work in this thick of crowd. It was a lot more economic, time wise to just go with the flow and navigate as best you could, hoping to make it on time. Fortunately she did make it to her English class on time with ten minutes to spare. He hoped that foreboding feeling she had this morning was just that, only a feeling.
The room was a carbon copy of every other classroom in this, decaying, badly painted, building they called School. The class was stuffed with about fifteen more desks then it was originally design to hold. She could see the rolls upon rolls of small cramped, desks only punctuated by tiny aisles barly large enough for any one to walk down. The room buzzed with the inane and sometime asinine conversations of students each one trying to slide there way up the social ladder. If this social climbing included back biting, name calling, bulling or down right torturing your fellow students, well that was the price of popularity.
God she hated Jr. High School. Helga never thought she'd long for the days of elementary and Mr. Simmons "Special" class. Fortuntaly for her she had the brains and grit to make it both scholastically and socially. Not that she gave a damn about the latter. Helga inherited her father's independent and ornery traits, not to mention his eyebrow. So social climbing was way down low on her list of things to do. Many time she likened this place to a pressure cooker, filled with anxieties, fear, loathing, sweaty bodies, sexual tension and the filth that came along with dawning adulthood, all of which could explode in her face at any given moment.
"Hey Helga!" a voice called from the other side of the room.
A smile swam across her lightly tinted lips, as she spied her port in the dirty, hormone-ridden storm that was her English class. Arnold. Her beloved for more then half her life, saved a set for her like he always did. Helga made her way through the class and its occupants studying her only slightly secret love. Arnold had changed only in apparrance over the last few years as he made his way into teenagership. At thirteen, they where all in their "Awkward" stage and Arnold was suffering through his like every other preteen. Puberty kick boxed its way through his body much like it was now doing to Helga. Arnold seemed to be in the middle of another growth spurt, so much so he now had an inch of height on Helga. He voice tended to crack at awkward times and his feet seemed to headed much faster into adulthood then the rest of his body. Despite the fact that Arnold was physically like every other thirteen yearly boy on the planet, namely a grimy, over heated undersexed hormonally crazed mess, but Arnold had not changed in personality. This is why Helga loved him dearly. His sense of justice honor and sometimes overly optimistic view of people, was about as fashionable as a uni-brow, but Arnold never ceased, being himself, his beautiful, wonderful, principled self.
"Hey football head, how's it going?" She said only allowing a small smile to show, while taking her normal set.
"Hey Helga, you have my Geometry notes? I normally would let you flunk that test but you seemed so pitiful." Arnold replied trying to hold back a grin but he did allow his shoe to touch hers.
"Yeah, yeah cool your jets, Hair boy. You'll get them." She said sounding a little put off, but she also reached across the aisle hooking her pinky finger on his showing him affection. This exchange was typical of her and Arnold's conversations. They would talk as if they merely tolerated each other, while they show small signs of their fondness for each other.
"Look like these two are going at it again" a snide voice said. Helga looked up knowing very well whom'd she see. Wanda Lloyd followed closely by Nadine took their sets just to the side of Helga's "God I wish you two would ether kiss or slug each other, just choose a direction already." Helga giggled on the inside. Most of their fellow classmates could never tell if they where fighting or flirting and that was exactly how they liked it.
Helga exchanged a knowing glance with Arnold. "I don't know what you're talking about Princess. Who'd like the football headed, geek-wad like Arnold." She said winking at him
"Yeah and who's put up with a pushy, bossy, loud mouth like Helga" Arnold said returning her wink.
This little exchange only confused Wanda even more about the true nature of Arnold's and Helga's friendship. "What ever." But Ronda made a mental note to get to the bottom of what was going on between them. "So, are you two coming to my party? Just everyone who is anyone will be there."
"It's going to be pretty cool." Nadine said, "I hope you two make it."
Helga pulled her English homework out of her notebook replying, "I don't know Ronda, and all the social climbing might give me a nose bleed, but I guess I'll swing by if there's nothing better on TV." Helga really didn't mind going to Ronda's party. It just seemed like the "Princess" was a little too intent on safely securing her place in the "In crowd." Arnold tried explain to her once that not every body was as secure in who they where like Helga, and many people found validation in the people they associated with and in feeling popular.
Arnold nodded saying, "I'm in, want to share a bus Helga?" He asked.
"Sure football head, what ever." Helga tone was dry, but inside she was elated to have enough excuse to be with her beloved Arnold. Unlike the past Arnold new her true feelings but he also knew she was more comfortable if no one else did so he played his role.
Ronda narrowed her eyes at the two, "So you two are coming together, like a couple?" the debutante asked hoping to finally get to the bottom of this possible coupling.
Helga merely smiled and explained, "You've been reading too many teen romance stories, Princess." Helga didn't conceder this lie; this fact is it was a technical truth. Helga and Arnold wasn't an official couple despite what was in their hearts. A part of Helga wanted to climb to the rooftop and declare her love for Arnold to any one that would listen. But she also felt that what was happening between them was something special, and she wanted to keep it all to herself. As the dating and coupling bug bit her fellow 7th graders Helga wactehed in amusement as many of them dated coupled up and their great burning loves flamed out in a few weeks time. Far down deep in her soul Helga realized what was developing between she and Arnold was real and so it took time. Besides Arnold didn't seem to be in any rush to hurry things along, being the mellow kind of guy he was. Helga was simply glad to be close to him whenever she could, like she was on this rainy day.
"Really Gerald you're talking about Attila the Hun!" said the slightly exasperated Japanese girl that just walked into the room.
"I know, and I and still think he's the one we should do our project on." Gerald smiled in his suave way.
Arnold grinned with Helga, as he saw his best friend and his girlfriend deep into another one of their historical arguments. Gerald's love for urban legends had some how turned into love of historical legends.
"Gerald." Phoebe paused to adjust her glasses, "Attila the Hun is recognized at one of history's most brutal conquers, and he destroyed, ravaged and pillaged every thing in his path. The assignment was to write about who we thought was one of the greatest rulers in history and why. I don't see how Attila the Hun qualifies."
Gerald brushed back his dreadlocks with his hand saying, "Well I never said my man King Attila was a saint just that he was a great leader. You se my point is, History is just that, His-Story. Who ever tells the tell puts their own spin on the story. King Attila was possibly the greatest military strategist on his time. But the Romans being so arrogant saw him and all non-roman born people as inferior brutes. When faced against the all mighty Roman empire, King Attila totally kicked their butts, divided the empire and basically started the down fall of Rome, and since most of our accounts, and history form that era was written by the Romans, so naturally they painted him and a monster. But he wasn't any more brutal in his use of power then any other king or emperor in those times. I mean look that the way we say his name Attila THE HUN. It sounds like THE BOOGIE MAN.
"I don't know Gerald, you know writing about grizzly campaigns of raping and pillaging makes me queasy." Phoebe said, holding her stomach
"Don't worry Pheebs, You take care of the dates, names and factual details and I'll take care of the historical over view and perspective and the gory bloody stuff. We can work at my house after school." He told her taking his sit in front of Arnold as Phoebe took her sit in front of Helga.
Helga noticed the subtle subjective tone in Gerald's voice, and gave him a "Don't try and corrupt my friend" look with just a hint of her old familiar sneer.
Gerald narrowed his eyes at Helga and returned her look seeming to say the same thing about his friend. Helga did get along with Gerald better now a days, mostly for Arnolds sake. Also even though he knew about the budding relationship or what ever it was between his best friend and Helga Pataki he managed to keep his mouth closed despite how he felt about her. Helga and Gerald had an unspoken agreement, and sort of non-aggression pact. He wouldn't interfere with what has developing between Arnold and Helga and she wouldn't interfere with what was developing between he and Phoebe. Reluctantly Helga had to admit she liked Gerald and Phoebe dating, he was good for her, although she'd never tell him that Phoebe wasn't so apt to being taking advantage of anymore and seemed to really be coming out of her shell. .
"You sure about this Sid?" a familiar but annoying southern drawn pulled Helga's eyes away from the English homework assignment she was readying to turn in once the teacher asked for it. "I've never been the most athletic, or coordinated person that's walked on two legs." Stinky and Cid chatted with each other as they walked into the noisy classroom.
"Trust me Stinky my man, there's only one thing girls love more then rock stars and that Athletes. I mean look at you, you're the tallest guy in school. It's your duty to go out for the basketball team, and become star ball player. In no time you'll be swimming in chicks! Of course as your agent, I'll get the overflow babes"
Helga looked at Arnold and there shared a laugh. They both were entertained by Sid's latest scam to get girls. "What a moron." Helga thought but she couldn't help but laugh at these two, as dumb at they were they never failed to make her chuckle.
"Wheeze….."
Helga flinched a bit as the sound of that old familiar heavy breathing caught her off guard. "How the hell dose Brainy sneaks up on me like that?" Helga muttered, she still had to remind herself she wasn't allowed to punch brainy in the face any more. Briany's girlfriend wouldn't like it if Helga broke his glasses with her fist. So instead of decking him like in the old days she turned around in her small chair and talked to him.
"Hey Brainy, how's it going?"
"Wheeze…Hi….Wheeze"
"Yeah,…" Helga said dryly "So where's you girlfriend at?"
Brainy wheezed a bit more and pointed at the door just as Lila made her way into the room. The southern bell crossed the room making many of the boys heads turn and many of the girls turn green with envy and took her set net to Brainy.
"I'm ever so certain I missed you." She exclaimed as she planted a kiss on Brainy's cheek.
Helga was a pretty cynical person so not much shocked her but she just couldn't wrap her mind around why "Ms. Perfect" would fall for Brainy.
"You ever see a less likely couple?" Helga asked as she watches Lila adjust Brainy's glasses lovingly.
"I don't know…" Gerald said trying to hid his smile, while looking directly at Helga and Arnold "I think I know of one other very unlikely couple."
Phoebe hid her nose in her book to stop her self from laughing, and Arnold as the good since to be looking else were as Helga sneered at Gerald. "Look here dread head…" Helga began
"Hey here comes Harold." Arnold said quickly to stop the argument before it could start. Helga narrowed her eyes at Arnold. Helga combative personality wouldn't allow her to pass up a good verbal confrontation. Arnold merely looked at her half defiantly and half pleadingly, with those beautiful eyes and she melted. She both loved and hated the way he could cool her hot head. Arnold's easy going personality seemed to both counter and compliment her own hot-blooded character.
Reluctantly Helga stopped staring daggers at Gerald and looked at the newcomer. Harold stood in the hallway with Big Patty. Harold was always big for his age and still reminded so but football and other sports turned him into a mountain of a 7th grader. Harold's large stature matched his girlfriend Patty. She was still called "Big Patty" not so much for her size but for her shear voluptuousness. Helga believed the term was "Built like a brick shit house." Despite the fact that Patty stood head, shoulders and boobs above after other girls in school she was a sweet and kind girl and Helga liked her. After a passionate smooch form Patty they parted company and Harold took his seat next to Stinky.
Helga looked about her and her eyes went form her Beloved Arnold to each one of her friends. This was the reason English was her favorite class. Not because of her writing talent but because this was her only class with all of her old P.S 118 friends in it. As much as she liked to complain about Ronda's shallowness or Sid and Stink's idiocy or Lilia perpetual perfectness she loved being in this class with all of them.
Helga glanced that the clock, noticing they had about 5 minutes before class officially started, but their teacher was always late so it would be another 15 minutes before they got down to any serious class work. Just then a shiver, tingled it way up Helga's arm, down her spine and radiated out to other parts of her anatomy. Arnold arm touched her as her reached over to her desk to borrow her pen. 'God that boy has no ideal what he dose to me.' Helga thought as Arnold continued to innocently talk to Gerald. Arnold really was innocent to the totally rapture, he could induce in Helga with a slightest touch or an innocent brush of his hand on her back. Helga considered herself lucky that the boy that had the key to her soul was as nice they came, because there was nothing Arnold couldn't get her to do with only the slightest smile or gentle touch and she meant nothing.
Arnold then took a stack of papers that Helga immediately recognized out of his book bag. "I finished chapter 22 last night it's pretty good. Although you might want to lose the middle scene of chapter 20." He said evenly.
Of course he was talking about the next installment of the book she was writing. Unknown to most people Helga was a published author. The two books she wrote weren't "Weathering heights" or anything, but short fantasy style novels targeted towards young adults. Publishing a story she wrote while she was away on her Scholarship wasn't even her ideal but it some how found its small niche in the fantasy market. She was dead set against writing another one. Hell she didn't even put her name on the first one she wrote. It was published under the name Gale K. Tapiah, wicth was her names with the letters jumbled up. But Arnold some how talked her into writing a second installment to her story. Arnold could talk her into anything. So she wrote it and sent it to her publisher and just her luck he bought it. Helga true passion was her poetry, and she couldn't help feel like she was betraying her artistic integrity a little by writing Juvenile fantasy, but the royalties from the book sales would more then pay her way through any collage she wanted to attend. So she was now working on the third part of her "The long Journey back" sires. Some how she gotten into the habit of letting Arnold read the drafts she sent in. "What's wrong with the middle scene? That whole last half of the book depends on it." Helga said in a whisper. Only Arnold, her family and few others knew she wrote these books, and that was how she wanted it.
Arnold merely grinned slyly at her, while leaning in closely. "There's nothing wrong with it per say. But I doubt the publisher will like it and may want it edited out."
"Why because it's a love scene?" Helga challenged. The conversation was starting to take an interesting twist, because they both know the two main characters in the story was loosely biased on Arnold and Helga them selves. "You have a problem with those two getting it on?" Helga said wickedly.
Arnold blushed a little but continued with his point. "Not at all, believe me in rather enjoy the ideal but…."
"Oh man here we go" Helga sighed, letting her face rest on her hand knowing Arnold was about to make one of his moral or ethical points.
"Although I thought the love scene was written very well and was done in a totally tactful manor. The majority of your readers are our age, I know I help you read your fan mail. And coupled with the fact that the two main characters aren't much older may lead people to believe your story is encouraging underage er…expressions of love." Arnold said with a superior smile and a slight arch to his eyebrow.
There were many things that got under Helga's skin and that "Holier then thou" we know what best for you kids attitude was one of them. "Look Arnoldo," Helga tended to put an "O" on the end of His name when he managed to annoy her. "First of all it was a sex between two people that love each other deeply. And it wasn't graphic only, subjective and shown mostly in artistic metaphors. Second; not that I even wanted to commit to a third book, your ideal not mine! But I'm writing it in the sprit of the first two, and geared towards the much over looked young female fantasy reader. And oh, news flash! The dirty little secret is we think about making love. There no magic switch that's flicked once we turn eighteen, more often then not most people do it years before that. I made sure to try and incorporate all of the fears and nervousness a young woman would go through when committing to such a huge step in her life. Hell if the publisher doesn't want that scene then I won't finish the damn book." Helga finished in a challenging tone, also arching her eyebrow.
Arnold looked thoughtfully at her then simply said. "Good point Helga, you should send in the manuscript as it is."
"What?" Helga asked shocked at how easily Arnold gave in. Then it dawned on her what exactly her football headed love did. Helga was truly a little worried about the lovemaking scene in her story, she had never written anything like it. It worried her so much so she was thinking about not sending it in at all. Arnold had some how sensed this and managed to let her convince herself with her own argument. As hard as she tried to hold it back, a smile crossed her face, God she love him. It was her nature to be stubborn and some time down right disagreeable but time and time again Arnold seemed to always manage her with his soft tactful touch. Sighing in defeat and grinning like the love stuck schoolgirl she was, Helga said. "Feh! Keep you opinions to yourself football head." The blonde girl reached across the gap between their desks and held his hand caringly. "You don't see me telling you how to play baseball while you're team is having a game." Helga said looking deep into the twin pools of his eyes.
Arnold squeezed her hand a little and faked a look of outrage. "Not only do you criticize me, you often do it very loudly, while tossing peanuts at my head." Arnold said while looking back into Helga's eyes. What pasted between them was as real as the hard concrete floor beneath then but as surreal as disappearing shadows under a full moon. She loved Arnold and managed to say it once long ago during the "FTI" incident but she was almost certain Arnold was beginning to feel the same way about her. It was her hearts delight and her most fantaful dream come true. Perhaps she should have realized sooner it couldn't continue….
The door finally opened, and for a moment every believed it was their teacher coming to class ten minutes late as usual. Instead of their short pudgy balding English teacher stood their tall angular vice principle and suddenly Helga remembered that feeling of foreboding she awoke with this morning. Vice principle Howard scanned the room for a few seconds before his eyes feel on the person setting next to Helga, to Arnold.
"Err… Arnold is it? You have an important massage from home, you need to gather your things and Go home at once"
Once again the feeling of dread that's been clinging to her all morning welded up in her heart. Arnold glanced at her worriedly, wondering what was going on at home that would call him out of class. Helga's stomach quivered anxiously, even with out knowing the details she knows her life was about to change, and not for the better. "Arnold?" she said helplessly.
"Uh….I'll call you later Helga." Her beloved said gathering up his books and things feeling as worried as she.
Helga watched Arnold leave the class room at she heard the rain pound harder at the leaking window seals. She knew this would be one of those life changing days, there was just something in the air today.