Chapter 2
Phoebe waited anxiously after school for Gerald. The bell had rung 15 minutes before and she was becoming nervous. What if he didn't show? What if he stood her up to be with Nadine? Her eyes fell on the ground. Footsteps were approaching one soft while one was dragging, but they weren't Gerald's. No, his were more pronounced. these were feminine steps. Her gaze lifted and she saw Helga walking up to Phoebe, her eyes narrowed- dragging the kicking Rhonda behind her. "Hey, Phoebs, this little wench was spyin' on ya. What d'ya want me to do to her?"
"Spying on me? Why on earth would you spy on me, Rhonda?"
"You're trying to take my best friend's boyfriend! I have every right to spy, you-you-you geek!" Helga's grip on Rhonda tightened dangerously, her blue eyes narrowed angrily.
"What the Hell did you just call my best friend?" She hissed through her teeth. Rhonda visibly gulped down her fear and took a deep breath. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Rhonda Lloyd. Why don't you get lost and leave my friend and I alone?" She shoved Rhonda away and turned back to her friend.
"I'll get you back for this, Helga. And you, too Phoebe!" Helga put her arm around her best friend's shoulders.
"Don't worry about her, Phoebs. She's just jealous. C'mon, lets wait over by the doors. Maybe Gerald's just late." Phoebe nodded, although she now felt doubtful. Rhonda had shown up, but where was Gerald?
~*~*~*~
On Gerald's way out to meet Phoebe he ran into a problem. And that problem was a certain girl named Nadine. She had slipped her arm around his and smiled happily at Gerald as they headed for the doors. It was now 3:30 and he knew if Phoebe didn't already leave she would find Nadine on his arm and that would cause a problem. The only problem with him getting Nadine off his arm was she was attached. He paused at the door and she smiled shyly at him. "I'll get the door." She offered him, fluttering her lashes a little at him. Gulping, he nodded. He pleaded to God Phoebe had given up and had left. Unfortunately, fates were not on his side. The instant he stepped outside the door his and Phoebe's gazes locked-and her eyes narrowed.
"I can't believe this." He heard her hiss as she started off, out of school grounds. Helga looked at Gerald with distaste, before stalking over to him and striking him across the face.
"You've some nerve, Tall-Hair boy." She glowered at him before racing off after her friend. Gerald rubbed his swelling cheek gingerly, watching after where Helga and Phoebe disappeared.
"What was that about?" Nadine asked cautiously.
"Man."
As Phoebe and Helga started back to Phoebe's house there was a tense silence in the air. Helga was nervous that Phoebe kept clenching and unclenching her fists. "Phoebs, you wanna talk about it?" The Japanese girl shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "You want some ice cream? It's on me." Again, she shook her head. "Well, I'm gonna go home then, unless you want me to stay." She made no movement. "Call me if you need anything, Phoebs." She nodded before she kept walking.
Helga turned and headed for her house, muttering to herself. She turned a corner and BAM! She was on the ground. "Arnold! I mean-watch it, football-head!" She hissed.
"Sorry Helga..." He replied running his hand through his blonde hair. "Hey, have you seen Gerald? He told me he was meeting Phoebe today after school and then he'd come by my house. He's not been by at all." The female snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You mean Gerald didn't tell you that he was planning on standing Phoebe up to be with Nadine? He walked right up by Phoebe and I and looked at her, but kept walking with his new girlfriend. Phoebe ran off, I followed her but she wanted to be alone."
"He stood her up? But he's liked her since. Well. Since forever! I can't believe he'd do something like that. It had to be a misunderstanding. Maybe he couldn't get to her?"
"Get a life, Football-head! He doesn't like her, he likes Nadine. He was just out to break her heart like you hurt-" She cut herself off. "Never mind. Get lost. I've got to get home to see if Phoebe will call." As she started to walk away Arnold grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.
"What were you going to say? Who did I hurt?"
"None of your business, Hair Boy." She retorted.
"It is my business. Tell me." She shoved him away.
"No. Now if you'll excuse me." She said bitterly. He sighed.
"Whatever you say, Helga." He turned and continued on his way. Helga groaned and fell against the brick wall, watching the exiting form of Arnold, as she clutched her locket to her chest.
"Oh, cruel fate! What injustice has this world put upon us? Why have we been punished for a wrong we did not do? But how to right this horrible situation? We must fix this, you and I. but how am I supposed to get you to turn your sympathetic eyes to me so we can make things the way they were- the way things ought to have been? If we can work together-If we can get along well enough-we will put our best friends back together and maybe then you will see me in a new light. Maybe then you will long for Lila no more, and turn your attention to someone more worthy of your love-someone who has made shrines and devoted herself solely to you." She grinned. "This is perfect! If Arnold and I can set up Phoebe and Geraldo, he will HAVE to admire me." Suddenly, a familiar wheezing sounded from behind her. Her shoulders tensed as her hand closed, slowly into a fist. When she could feel his breath on her shoulder she lifted her left and swiftly and punched Brainy in the nose, before she hurried away to plan.
However, her plans don't have a chance to work.
Phoebe was only one block away from her house when the man in a mask jumped her. She stepped back in alarm, looking the masked figure over before she turned and began to run in the direction she had come. "C'mon, my dear! Don't tell me you're afraid of coming with me!" The man hissed in a deep voice, charging after her. She rounded a corner and then tripped onto the ground. She lifted her fearful gaze up to her masked assailant who was grinning at her under the mask..
~*~*~*~
At 8:05 that night Helga got a phone call from Phoebe's mother. Her voice was shaking as she held back sobs. "Helga, have you seen Phoebe? I am so worried about her. She'd usually be home by now or at least call me. Please, tell me she's with you."
"Phoebe's not there? Mrs. Heyerdahl, I've not seen Phoebe since we came by my house and she left, angry at Gerald. They had a-disagreement. She told me she was going straight home, though. Do you want me to look for her?"
"N-No, thank you anyway, Helga. Just call me the instant you hear from Phoebe, you're her best friend, and I'm sure she'll talk to you. Tell her I'm worried about her."
"I will. I promise." But what Helga didn't add was that she was not going to wait around for the phone call from her best friend. Something was wrong, she knew it. "Goodbye, Mrs. Heyerdahl." She hung up the phone then rushed downstairs to put on her jacket. "Dad, I'm going out to find Phoebe. I'll be home later."
"Sure thing, Olga. Hey, could you get some milk while you're out?" Helga didn't reply as she slammed the door shut, hurrying down each road and into each alleyway trying to find a single person in a huge city. Imagine her surprise when she found Phoebe in and alley nearly 2 blocks away from Phoebe's house. The Japanese girl's hair was matted and she was bruised, obviously beaten. Her left eye was swollen and her outfit was in shreds. Phoebe was unconscious, her chest rising and falling in quick breaths.
"Oh, God. SOMEBODY HELP!!!!!! HELP!!!!!! PLEASE! MY FRIEND IS HURT! HELP!!!!!!!!" Someone called the police, while two neighbors came running to see what was wrong with her, and why she was screaming. An ambulance arrived 5 minutes later where the paramedics ushered Helga and Phoebe inside. "Phoebe, hang in there. You'll be okay. Just keep breathing."
Once at the hospital Helga called Mr. and Mrs. Heyerdahl and informed them of her location, that Phoebe was in intensive care. There were two fractured ribs and she was really scraped up, she had a blow to her eye and one to her temple, which knocked her out. Helga, to spite Gerald, called him and told him where Phoebe was and what happened, and asked him to tell Arnold. Soon the waiting room was full of worried people, Mrs. Heyerdahl was sobbing in her husband's arms, Helga pacing back and forth nervously as Arnold watched, and Gerald jumping at every sound, praying it was a doctor with good news about Phoebe.
Finally, Dr. Farran came out of the room his head downcast as he approached the attentive group. All immediately threw questions at him until he raised his hand to silence them. "Phoebe will be alright, but she must heal. Her damages were great and she will be in a great deal of pain for a while. Her ribs will take a while, but she will live, we have all the best doctors here to make sure of it. She is conscious, but is on painkillers. She was raped, Mr. and Mrs. Heyerdahl-She knows this and is terrified you will find her repulsive-dirty. She's afraid to see you. But she wishes to see Helga, to thank her. Please follow me." Helga stood quickly to follow the doctor, awaiting to see what Phoebe would be like now.
Phoebe waited anxiously after school for Gerald. The bell had rung 15 minutes before and she was becoming nervous. What if he didn't show? What if he stood her up to be with Nadine? Her eyes fell on the ground. Footsteps were approaching one soft while one was dragging, but they weren't Gerald's. No, his were more pronounced. these were feminine steps. Her gaze lifted and she saw Helga walking up to Phoebe, her eyes narrowed- dragging the kicking Rhonda behind her. "Hey, Phoebs, this little wench was spyin' on ya. What d'ya want me to do to her?"
"Spying on me? Why on earth would you spy on me, Rhonda?"
"You're trying to take my best friend's boyfriend! I have every right to spy, you-you-you geek!" Helga's grip on Rhonda tightened dangerously, her blue eyes narrowed angrily.
"What the Hell did you just call my best friend?" She hissed through her teeth. Rhonda visibly gulped down her fear and took a deep breath. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Rhonda Lloyd. Why don't you get lost and leave my friend and I alone?" She shoved Rhonda away and turned back to her friend.
"I'll get you back for this, Helga. And you, too Phoebe!" Helga put her arm around her best friend's shoulders.
"Don't worry about her, Phoebs. She's just jealous. C'mon, lets wait over by the doors. Maybe Gerald's just late." Phoebe nodded, although she now felt doubtful. Rhonda had shown up, but where was Gerald?
~*~*~*~
On Gerald's way out to meet Phoebe he ran into a problem. And that problem was a certain girl named Nadine. She had slipped her arm around his and smiled happily at Gerald as they headed for the doors. It was now 3:30 and he knew if Phoebe didn't already leave she would find Nadine on his arm and that would cause a problem. The only problem with him getting Nadine off his arm was she was attached. He paused at the door and she smiled shyly at him. "I'll get the door." She offered him, fluttering her lashes a little at him. Gulping, he nodded. He pleaded to God Phoebe had given up and had left. Unfortunately, fates were not on his side. The instant he stepped outside the door his and Phoebe's gazes locked-and her eyes narrowed.
"I can't believe this." He heard her hiss as she started off, out of school grounds. Helga looked at Gerald with distaste, before stalking over to him and striking him across the face.
"You've some nerve, Tall-Hair boy." She glowered at him before racing off after her friend. Gerald rubbed his swelling cheek gingerly, watching after where Helga and Phoebe disappeared.
"What was that about?" Nadine asked cautiously.
"Man."
As Phoebe and Helga started back to Phoebe's house there was a tense silence in the air. Helga was nervous that Phoebe kept clenching and unclenching her fists. "Phoebs, you wanna talk about it?" The Japanese girl shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "You want some ice cream? It's on me." Again, she shook her head. "Well, I'm gonna go home then, unless you want me to stay." She made no movement. "Call me if you need anything, Phoebs." She nodded before she kept walking.
Helga turned and headed for her house, muttering to herself. She turned a corner and BAM! She was on the ground. "Arnold! I mean-watch it, football-head!" She hissed.
"Sorry Helga..." He replied running his hand through his blonde hair. "Hey, have you seen Gerald? He told me he was meeting Phoebe today after school and then he'd come by my house. He's not been by at all." The female snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You mean Gerald didn't tell you that he was planning on standing Phoebe up to be with Nadine? He walked right up by Phoebe and I and looked at her, but kept walking with his new girlfriend. Phoebe ran off, I followed her but she wanted to be alone."
"He stood her up? But he's liked her since. Well. Since forever! I can't believe he'd do something like that. It had to be a misunderstanding. Maybe he couldn't get to her?"
"Get a life, Football-head! He doesn't like her, he likes Nadine. He was just out to break her heart like you hurt-" She cut herself off. "Never mind. Get lost. I've got to get home to see if Phoebe will call." As she started to walk away Arnold grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.
"What were you going to say? Who did I hurt?"
"None of your business, Hair Boy." She retorted.
"It is my business. Tell me." She shoved him away.
"No. Now if you'll excuse me." She said bitterly. He sighed.
"Whatever you say, Helga." He turned and continued on his way. Helga groaned and fell against the brick wall, watching the exiting form of Arnold, as she clutched her locket to her chest.
"Oh, cruel fate! What injustice has this world put upon us? Why have we been punished for a wrong we did not do? But how to right this horrible situation? We must fix this, you and I. but how am I supposed to get you to turn your sympathetic eyes to me so we can make things the way they were- the way things ought to have been? If we can work together-If we can get along well enough-we will put our best friends back together and maybe then you will see me in a new light. Maybe then you will long for Lila no more, and turn your attention to someone more worthy of your love-someone who has made shrines and devoted herself solely to you." She grinned. "This is perfect! If Arnold and I can set up Phoebe and Geraldo, he will HAVE to admire me." Suddenly, a familiar wheezing sounded from behind her. Her shoulders tensed as her hand closed, slowly into a fist. When she could feel his breath on her shoulder she lifted her left and swiftly and punched Brainy in the nose, before she hurried away to plan.
However, her plans don't have a chance to work.
Phoebe was only one block away from her house when the man in a mask jumped her. She stepped back in alarm, looking the masked figure over before she turned and began to run in the direction she had come. "C'mon, my dear! Don't tell me you're afraid of coming with me!" The man hissed in a deep voice, charging after her. She rounded a corner and then tripped onto the ground. She lifted her fearful gaze up to her masked assailant who was grinning at her under the mask..
~*~*~*~
At 8:05 that night Helga got a phone call from Phoebe's mother. Her voice was shaking as she held back sobs. "Helga, have you seen Phoebe? I am so worried about her. She'd usually be home by now or at least call me. Please, tell me she's with you."
"Phoebe's not there? Mrs. Heyerdahl, I've not seen Phoebe since we came by my house and she left, angry at Gerald. They had a-disagreement. She told me she was going straight home, though. Do you want me to look for her?"
"N-No, thank you anyway, Helga. Just call me the instant you hear from Phoebe, you're her best friend, and I'm sure she'll talk to you. Tell her I'm worried about her."
"I will. I promise." But what Helga didn't add was that she was not going to wait around for the phone call from her best friend. Something was wrong, she knew it. "Goodbye, Mrs. Heyerdahl." She hung up the phone then rushed downstairs to put on her jacket. "Dad, I'm going out to find Phoebe. I'll be home later."
"Sure thing, Olga. Hey, could you get some milk while you're out?" Helga didn't reply as she slammed the door shut, hurrying down each road and into each alleyway trying to find a single person in a huge city. Imagine her surprise when she found Phoebe in and alley nearly 2 blocks away from Phoebe's house. The Japanese girl's hair was matted and she was bruised, obviously beaten. Her left eye was swollen and her outfit was in shreds. Phoebe was unconscious, her chest rising and falling in quick breaths.
"Oh, God. SOMEBODY HELP!!!!!! HELP!!!!!! PLEASE! MY FRIEND IS HURT! HELP!!!!!!!!" Someone called the police, while two neighbors came running to see what was wrong with her, and why she was screaming. An ambulance arrived 5 minutes later where the paramedics ushered Helga and Phoebe inside. "Phoebe, hang in there. You'll be okay. Just keep breathing."
Once at the hospital Helga called Mr. and Mrs. Heyerdahl and informed them of her location, that Phoebe was in intensive care. There were two fractured ribs and she was really scraped up, she had a blow to her eye and one to her temple, which knocked her out. Helga, to spite Gerald, called him and told him where Phoebe was and what happened, and asked him to tell Arnold. Soon the waiting room was full of worried people, Mrs. Heyerdahl was sobbing in her husband's arms, Helga pacing back and forth nervously as Arnold watched, and Gerald jumping at every sound, praying it was a doctor with good news about Phoebe.
Finally, Dr. Farran came out of the room his head downcast as he approached the attentive group. All immediately threw questions at him until he raised his hand to silence them. "Phoebe will be alright, but she must heal. Her damages were great and she will be in a great deal of pain for a while. Her ribs will take a while, but she will live, we have all the best doctors here to make sure of it. She is conscious, but is on painkillers. She was raped, Mr. and Mrs. Heyerdahl-She knows this and is terrified you will find her repulsive-dirty. She's afraid to see you. But she wishes to see Helga, to thank her. Please follow me." Helga stood quickly to follow the doctor, awaiting to see what Phoebe would be like now.