What is this? I'm updating? Is this possible? YES!! This fic is not
dead. None of my fics are dead. I just haven't been updating for a while.
(It's been over a year) I also have half of the next chapter to 'The End of
the Beginning' typed too. Just gotta finish typing it and post it. Oh
well. I'll get it done. Hopefully in this lifetime.
But... (Insert Disclaimer Here) And on with the next chapter.
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Chapter 7- How Not to Make Friends
"DIB! Would ya slow down? You're hurting my wrist." Jen exclaimed breathless from running. Dib was still holding her wrist tightly, half dragging her down the hall toward their classroom.
"Oh, yeah, sure." Dib replied absently. He let go of her wrist, not slowing down in the slightest. A moment later, he skidded to a stop and turned around. Jen had stopped two doors down and was now examining her wrist for possible damage do to loss of circulation.
"Jen, come on! You've gotta see this! Quick! Before he escapes." Dib said impatiently. His voice had taken on that tone it did when he was in one of his 'Save the World' moods.
Jen stayed where she was a few seconds longer. Finally, when she had decided her wrist was fine, she began jogging down the hall again.
"I'm coming. Just wait." She caught up with him and they both continued to the door of Ms. Bitters' classroom. "Now, what did you want me to see so badly that you felt you had to cut the circulation to my hand?" Jen asked as they stopped outside the door.
"I think I found another alien!" Dib told her excitedly. "Look!" He pointed in the window to the classroom. Jen stood on tiptoe to see in.
Her eye widened. It looked like he could be right. A boy and an old man stood in front of Ms. Bitters' desk. The old teacher sat behind it, looking at something on her computer, and not looking happy with the results.
But... this boy... his HEAD! It was shaped like... a football... a messy, blond haired football. Well, at least Dib might get a break.
The boy in question looked around absently, he caught sight of Jen peeking through the window and his eyes widened. Jen got down quickly, slightly embarrassed.
"Well?" Dib asked her impatiently.
"I've seen that guy before!" Jen said as she turned to face her friend. Dib's face lit up.
"On what planet?" He asked, excited. Jen laughed.
"Earth. He's my new neighbor." Jen replied. A flash of something ran through her mind, and then was gone. "He seems familiar though..." She added quietly to herself. Dib's smile faded a bit.
"But do you think it's possible that he could be an alien?" He asked hopefully.
"Anything's possible." Jen shrugged. She went back on tiptoe and studied the boy. "But I've never heard of a species with a football shaped head. And the guy beside him looks... umm... fairly human..." She stepped away from the door as the boy looked at her again. She shrugged. "I dunno."
Dib thought for a few moments. "Do you think he'd tell me if I asked?"
Jen stared at him. "What? How long has it been since you had to start a new research file on a possible alien? Did I just walk up to you on my first day and say 'Hi! I'm Jen! I'm from the planet Irk!'?"
"Well, not that exact wording... but, yeah, that's pretty much what you did." He replied.
Jen crossed her arms and leaned back against the door, putting one foot up on it as she thought back on that day. "Hmm... you're right. But you knew Zim was an Irken and you knew I was his cousin, so it's not like I revealed any new info to you." She leaned her full weight on the door.
"But he could be stupid and tell the truth, right?" Dib asked, still hopeful.
Jen sighed. "Dib, I really don't think the guy's an alien. But, hey, if you really want to go ask him, go ahead! Don't let me get in the way of making yourself look like—"Her voice caught in her throat as the door supporting her disappeared. She gave a small scream as she fell to the floor, cracking her head against the hard tile.
"—An idiot..." Jen finished. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, a tear slid down her cheek. "Owww...."
"Are you alright?" Two male voices asked in unison. Jen opened her eyes to find three Dibs and three football-headed boys standing over her. Triplets of the old man bent over her a moment later.
"I'm fine." Jen replied as both boys helped her to her feet. She kept one hand pressed to her head, part from pain, part to keep her wig on. When she was standing, leaning against Dib, she closed her eyes tightly again.
"Are you sure you're alright?" The football head asked, sounding uncertain.
"I'm sure." Jen told him. She took a step away from Dib, stumbled and collapsed on the floor again.
"Jen!" Dib exclaimed. He knelt down beside her. She curled up against a wall and hid her face in her hands.
She was watching something in her mind. Kids playing stickball, a teacher who was actually NICE, people she didn't know but felt like she should, a door opening to a rush of animals.
"I don't know, Short-man..." The old man said. "I think you're going about this 'making new friends' thing the wrong way. Knocking them unconscious isn't the way I made friends when I was a boy. Not that I didn't try..."
"She's not unconscious, Grandpa." The boy told him, nervously. He turned back to Dib "Is she?"
"No, she's awake." Dib answered, glancing at the other boy, then returning his attention to Jen. "Jen? Can you talk to me?" He took her wrists and gently pulled her hands away from her face. She stared at her own hands a moment then looked up at him as if trying to remember who he was. In her mind, the pictures still played like a slide show of a past life.
"Dib?" She asked slowly, her voice small and childish.
"Yeah?" He replied. She smiled.
"I fell down!" She frowned and rubbed the back of her head. "And it hurt. Bad."
"Yeah... I saw that." Dib said sounding a little worried.
Jen's eyes shifted up to the football headed boy. She stared at him a moment. "I know you." She told him.
"I moved in down the street from you. That's where you've seen me." Arnold told her.
Jen looked at him and shook her head. "No...Owww..." She put her hands up to her face again.
"Maybe we should get her to a doctor..." Grandpa suggested.
"NO!" Dib exclaimed.
"Or we can keep her in the hall and hope she doesn't have a concussion." The boy's grandpa replied.
"Jen?" Dib asked again. "Are you going to be okay?"
Jen nodded. The pictures in her mind dissolved away, leaving a blank feeling in her mind. She took her hands away from her face and looked up at the boy again. "Yeah..." She said quietly, feeling slightly confused. "Yeah, I saw you yesterday."
"I'm Arnold." The boy told her, extending his hand out to her to help her up.
"Jen." Jen replied, taking his hand. Arnold pulled her to her feet. Jen stared at him a few moments.
"Is something wrong?" Arnold asked.
"What? Oh, no." Jen said, looking away quickly. She felt like she should know him. Her eyes settled on Dib. "Oh, and this is Dib." She added, motioning to her friend.
"Hi." Dib and Arnold said in unison. Arnold turned back to Jen.
"I saw you too." He told her. "You and a gold thing. Not to be nosey, but what was that thing? It seemed to like you."
'It liked Pooky's raspberry pie, too." Arnold's grandpa grumbled.
"Oh..." Jen fumbled. "That was....my.... toy. Yeah."
"Toy? I've never seen a toy like that before." Arnold commented.
"It's one of those new kinds. Robo-type. Ya know, like from Japan. They make a lot of high-Tec stuff in that country, lotsa robots and... smart stuff like that...yeah..." Jen was just rambling now, she knew it, but she just couldn't shut up.
"Oh, yeah, I've heard of that before." Arnold replied, not entirely sure that he really had. He looked at them with a slight suspicion. "So, why were you two watching us?"
"You're the second new kid we've gotten today." Dib replied quickly, saving Jen from needing to come up with another story. "We were curious."
"Oh!" Jen exclaimed suddenly. "Helga! I forgot about Helga! She's probably wondering where I went!"
Arnold's eyes widened slightly. "Helga?" He asked.
"Yeah." Jen nodded, "she's the other new kid."
"Helga.... Pataki?" Arnold asked, not looking too happy.
Jen and Dib looked at each other a moment then nodded at Arnold.
"Yeah, I think that was her last name." Jen said in surprise. "You know her?"
"Maybe." Arnold shook his head. "I hope not. She was a bully back at my old school... we didn't get along well, to say the least."
Jen smiled. "Well, this Helga's pretty cool. Come on, we'll introduce you two. Er, or RE-introduce you." Arnold nodded and began following Jen and Dib back toward the cafeteria.
"Well, see ya, Arnold." His grandpa called back as he began down the hall in the other direction, toward the door. "I gotta get back to the house to make sure your hair-brained grandmother hasn't gotten herself lost in the attic again."
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"Oooooo... uhhhhg..."
Helga ignored the groaning coming from the floor under the table, keeping her gaze on her locket and the beautiful face that filled it.
"Ugh." The sound of cloth sliding over the linoleum-tiled floor replaced the groans a moment later. Helga looked down and watched a light blue shoe pull itself away. She shrugged and went back to her locket.
"Oh Arnold...." She sighed quietly. "I wish you were here..."
"Hi, Helga."
Helga gasped, jumped a little, nearly dropping the locket, as Jen sat down across from her. Jen noticed the golden object in her hand.
"What's that?" She asked.
"This?" Helga looked down at it and quickly shoved it back in her hidden breast pocket. She looked up and scowled at Jen. "None of your business!"
Jen moved back on the bench slightly, a bit startled. Helga realized her mistake.
"I mean, it's nothing. It's just.... Something...something given to me by one of my friends back home." She lied. Jen didn't look completely convinced. She could tell when someone was keeping something back. She had plenty of experience in that field.
"So... which friend gave it to you?" Jen asked casually, just to see if she could maybe catch Helga in her lie.
"umm..... Pheobe!" Helga answered quickly.
"Hmm..." Jen hummed thoughtfully, watching Helga's face. "Say, did you ever meet a guy named Arnold?"
"ARNOLD?!" Helga yelped. "I mean... It rings a bell... faintly... why?"
"Helga?" Helga froze at the sound of her name being said by that all too familiar voice. She looked up over Jen's head to find her crush walking up behind the green girl, Dib walking beside him. But Helga really didn't see Dib at the moment.
"ARNOLD?!" Helga screamed. The surprise jarred her so badly she fell over backward off her bench. Arnold moved around the table and looked down at her in surprise, Helga stared back. Jen leaned over the table to watch and Dib walked around to stand a little behind Arnold.
"So... I'm assuming it's the same girl." Dib guessed. No one answered.
"Do you need help up?" Arnold asked politely, extending his hand to her. It took Helga a few more moments to come back to the real world. When she did, she didn't look happy.
"NO, I don't need your help, Football Head!" Helga growled. Arnold pulled his hand back slowly. "CRIMANY! I thought I had rid myself of you!" She went on as she pulled herself to her feet. "One of the few reasons I was GLAD I was moving was to get away from YOU!" Helga jabbed a finger at Arnold's nose. "I just can't get a break, can I? What are you doing? Stalking me?!"
Arnold's eyes slid away from Helga's glaring face to scan the cafeteria. Everyone who hadn't gone outside yet for recess was watching them. One green boy was watching with a bit more interest than the others were.
"I...didn't know you were here." Was all Arnold could say. Helga's eyes narrowed to small slits.
"Let's keep it that way." She hissed. "From now on I don't know you and you don't know me. Got it?" Arnold smiled slightly.
"Good idea." He said. Helga looked surprised a moment. "Let's start over. Like we just met."
Helga sighed and put her hands on her hips. "You just don't get it, do you?" She asked. "Let me sound it out for you. I...don't...want...ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!"
Arnold took a surprised, slightly hurt step back. A strange look suddenly crossed Helga's face. She glanced at Jen, then Dib, then back at Arnold. A moment later, she was sprinting toward the doors. A few tables away, Zim slipped out of the cafeteria, un-noticed.
A silence descended over the large room. Then, gradually, talking resumed and forks began clicking on trays again. Soon only Jen, Dib and Arnold were left in the silence.
"Same girl?" Dib asked, sure he knew the answer. Jen looked from Dib to Arnold, staying quiet. Arnold just nodded.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I really got nothing to say. I hope to get more done sooner.
~HelgaGP
But... (Insert Disclaimer Here) And on with the next chapter.
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Chapter 7- How Not to Make Friends
"DIB! Would ya slow down? You're hurting my wrist." Jen exclaimed breathless from running. Dib was still holding her wrist tightly, half dragging her down the hall toward their classroom.
"Oh, yeah, sure." Dib replied absently. He let go of her wrist, not slowing down in the slightest. A moment later, he skidded to a stop and turned around. Jen had stopped two doors down and was now examining her wrist for possible damage do to loss of circulation.
"Jen, come on! You've gotta see this! Quick! Before he escapes." Dib said impatiently. His voice had taken on that tone it did when he was in one of his 'Save the World' moods.
Jen stayed where she was a few seconds longer. Finally, when she had decided her wrist was fine, she began jogging down the hall again.
"I'm coming. Just wait." She caught up with him and they both continued to the door of Ms. Bitters' classroom. "Now, what did you want me to see so badly that you felt you had to cut the circulation to my hand?" Jen asked as they stopped outside the door.
"I think I found another alien!" Dib told her excitedly. "Look!" He pointed in the window to the classroom. Jen stood on tiptoe to see in.
Her eye widened. It looked like he could be right. A boy and an old man stood in front of Ms. Bitters' desk. The old teacher sat behind it, looking at something on her computer, and not looking happy with the results.
But... this boy... his HEAD! It was shaped like... a football... a messy, blond haired football. Well, at least Dib might get a break.
The boy in question looked around absently, he caught sight of Jen peeking through the window and his eyes widened. Jen got down quickly, slightly embarrassed.
"Well?" Dib asked her impatiently.
"I've seen that guy before!" Jen said as she turned to face her friend. Dib's face lit up.
"On what planet?" He asked, excited. Jen laughed.
"Earth. He's my new neighbor." Jen replied. A flash of something ran through her mind, and then was gone. "He seems familiar though..." She added quietly to herself. Dib's smile faded a bit.
"But do you think it's possible that he could be an alien?" He asked hopefully.
"Anything's possible." Jen shrugged. She went back on tiptoe and studied the boy. "But I've never heard of a species with a football shaped head. And the guy beside him looks... umm... fairly human..." She stepped away from the door as the boy looked at her again. She shrugged. "I dunno."
Dib thought for a few moments. "Do you think he'd tell me if I asked?"
Jen stared at him. "What? How long has it been since you had to start a new research file on a possible alien? Did I just walk up to you on my first day and say 'Hi! I'm Jen! I'm from the planet Irk!'?"
"Well, not that exact wording... but, yeah, that's pretty much what you did." He replied.
Jen crossed her arms and leaned back against the door, putting one foot up on it as she thought back on that day. "Hmm... you're right. But you knew Zim was an Irken and you knew I was his cousin, so it's not like I revealed any new info to you." She leaned her full weight on the door.
"But he could be stupid and tell the truth, right?" Dib asked, still hopeful.
Jen sighed. "Dib, I really don't think the guy's an alien. But, hey, if you really want to go ask him, go ahead! Don't let me get in the way of making yourself look like—"Her voice caught in her throat as the door supporting her disappeared. She gave a small scream as she fell to the floor, cracking her head against the hard tile.
"—An idiot..." Jen finished. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, a tear slid down her cheek. "Owww...."
"Are you alright?" Two male voices asked in unison. Jen opened her eyes to find three Dibs and three football-headed boys standing over her. Triplets of the old man bent over her a moment later.
"I'm fine." Jen replied as both boys helped her to her feet. She kept one hand pressed to her head, part from pain, part to keep her wig on. When she was standing, leaning against Dib, she closed her eyes tightly again.
"Are you sure you're alright?" The football head asked, sounding uncertain.
"I'm sure." Jen told him. She took a step away from Dib, stumbled and collapsed on the floor again.
"Jen!" Dib exclaimed. He knelt down beside her. She curled up against a wall and hid her face in her hands.
She was watching something in her mind. Kids playing stickball, a teacher who was actually NICE, people she didn't know but felt like she should, a door opening to a rush of animals.
"I don't know, Short-man..." The old man said. "I think you're going about this 'making new friends' thing the wrong way. Knocking them unconscious isn't the way I made friends when I was a boy. Not that I didn't try..."
"She's not unconscious, Grandpa." The boy told him, nervously. He turned back to Dib "Is she?"
"No, she's awake." Dib answered, glancing at the other boy, then returning his attention to Jen. "Jen? Can you talk to me?" He took her wrists and gently pulled her hands away from her face. She stared at her own hands a moment then looked up at him as if trying to remember who he was. In her mind, the pictures still played like a slide show of a past life.
"Dib?" She asked slowly, her voice small and childish.
"Yeah?" He replied. She smiled.
"I fell down!" She frowned and rubbed the back of her head. "And it hurt. Bad."
"Yeah... I saw that." Dib said sounding a little worried.
Jen's eyes shifted up to the football headed boy. She stared at him a moment. "I know you." She told him.
"I moved in down the street from you. That's where you've seen me." Arnold told her.
Jen looked at him and shook her head. "No...Owww..." She put her hands up to her face again.
"Maybe we should get her to a doctor..." Grandpa suggested.
"NO!" Dib exclaimed.
"Or we can keep her in the hall and hope she doesn't have a concussion." The boy's grandpa replied.
"Jen?" Dib asked again. "Are you going to be okay?"
Jen nodded. The pictures in her mind dissolved away, leaving a blank feeling in her mind. She took her hands away from her face and looked up at the boy again. "Yeah..." She said quietly, feeling slightly confused. "Yeah, I saw you yesterday."
"I'm Arnold." The boy told her, extending his hand out to her to help her up.
"Jen." Jen replied, taking his hand. Arnold pulled her to her feet. Jen stared at him a few moments.
"Is something wrong?" Arnold asked.
"What? Oh, no." Jen said, looking away quickly. She felt like she should know him. Her eyes settled on Dib. "Oh, and this is Dib." She added, motioning to her friend.
"Hi." Dib and Arnold said in unison. Arnold turned back to Jen.
"I saw you too." He told her. "You and a gold thing. Not to be nosey, but what was that thing? It seemed to like you."
'It liked Pooky's raspberry pie, too." Arnold's grandpa grumbled.
"Oh..." Jen fumbled. "That was....my.... toy. Yeah."
"Toy? I've never seen a toy like that before." Arnold commented.
"It's one of those new kinds. Robo-type. Ya know, like from Japan. They make a lot of high-Tec stuff in that country, lotsa robots and... smart stuff like that...yeah..." Jen was just rambling now, she knew it, but she just couldn't shut up.
"Oh, yeah, I've heard of that before." Arnold replied, not entirely sure that he really had. He looked at them with a slight suspicion. "So, why were you two watching us?"
"You're the second new kid we've gotten today." Dib replied quickly, saving Jen from needing to come up with another story. "We were curious."
"Oh!" Jen exclaimed suddenly. "Helga! I forgot about Helga! She's probably wondering where I went!"
Arnold's eyes widened slightly. "Helga?" He asked.
"Yeah." Jen nodded, "she's the other new kid."
"Helga.... Pataki?" Arnold asked, not looking too happy.
Jen and Dib looked at each other a moment then nodded at Arnold.
"Yeah, I think that was her last name." Jen said in surprise. "You know her?"
"Maybe." Arnold shook his head. "I hope not. She was a bully back at my old school... we didn't get along well, to say the least."
Jen smiled. "Well, this Helga's pretty cool. Come on, we'll introduce you two. Er, or RE-introduce you." Arnold nodded and began following Jen and Dib back toward the cafeteria.
"Well, see ya, Arnold." His grandpa called back as he began down the hall in the other direction, toward the door. "I gotta get back to the house to make sure your hair-brained grandmother hasn't gotten herself lost in the attic again."
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"Oooooo... uhhhhg..."
Helga ignored the groaning coming from the floor under the table, keeping her gaze on her locket and the beautiful face that filled it.
"Ugh." The sound of cloth sliding over the linoleum-tiled floor replaced the groans a moment later. Helga looked down and watched a light blue shoe pull itself away. She shrugged and went back to her locket.
"Oh Arnold...." She sighed quietly. "I wish you were here..."
"Hi, Helga."
Helga gasped, jumped a little, nearly dropping the locket, as Jen sat down across from her. Jen noticed the golden object in her hand.
"What's that?" She asked.
"This?" Helga looked down at it and quickly shoved it back in her hidden breast pocket. She looked up and scowled at Jen. "None of your business!"
Jen moved back on the bench slightly, a bit startled. Helga realized her mistake.
"I mean, it's nothing. It's just.... Something...something given to me by one of my friends back home." She lied. Jen didn't look completely convinced. She could tell when someone was keeping something back. She had plenty of experience in that field.
"So... which friend gave it to you?" Jen asked casually, just to see if she could maybe catch Helga in her lie.
"umm..... Pheobe!" Helga answered quickly.
"Hmm..." Jen hummed thoughtfully, watching Helga's face. "Say, did you ever meet a guy named Arnold?"
"ARNOLD?!" Helga yelped. "I mean... It rings a bell... faintly... why?"
"Helga?" Helga froze at the sound of her name being said by that all too familiar voice. She looked up over Jen's head to find her crush walking up behind the green girl, Dib walking beside him. But Helga really didn't see Dib at the moment.
"ARNOLD?!" Helga screamed. The surprise jarred her so badly she fell over backward off her bench. Arnold moved around the table and looked down at her in surprise, Helga stared back. Jen leaned over the table to watch and Dib walked around to stand a little behind Arnold.
"So... I'm assuming it's the same girl." Dib guessed. No one answered.
"Do you need help up?" Arnold asked politely, extending his hand to her. It took Helga a few more moments to come back to the real world. When she did, she didn't look happy.
"NO, I don't need your help, Football Head!" Helga growled. Arnold pulled his hand back slowly. "CRIMANY! I thought I had rid myself of you!" She went on as she pulled herself to her feet. "One of the few reasons I was GLAD I was moving was to get away from YOU!" Helga jabbed a finger at Arnold's nose. "I just can't get a break, can I? What are you doing? Stalking me?!"
Arnold's eyes slid away from Helga's glaring face to scan the cafeteria. Everyone who hadn't gone outside yet for recess was watching them. One green boy was watching with a bit more interest than the others were.
"I...didn't know you were here." Was all Arnold could say. Helga's eyes narrowed to small slits.
"Let's keep it that way." She hissed. "From now on I don't know you and you don't know me. Got it?" Arnold smiled slightly.
"Good idea." He said. Helga looked surprised a moment. "Let's start over. Like we just met."
Helga sighed and put her hands on her hips. "You just don't get it, do you?" She asked. "Let me sound it out for you. I...don't...want...ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!"
Arnold took a surprised, slightly hurt step back. A strange look suddenly crossed Helga's face. She glanced at Jen, then Dib, then back at Arnold. A moment later, she was sprinting toward the doors. A few tables away, Zim slipped out of the cafeteria, un-noticed.
A silence descended over the large room. Then, gradually, talking resumed and forks began clicking on trays again. Soon only Jen, Dib and Arnold were left in the silence.
"Same girl?" Dib asked, sure he knew the answer. Jen looked from Dib to Arnold, staying quiet. Arnold just nodded.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I really got nothing to say. I hope to get more done sooner.
~HelgaGP