A/N: Honestly, every time I look at my outline so I know what the heck to write I'm shortening this story. But it's for the better, I promise ~_^.
Disclaimer – Same as the last twenty-six chapters. I don't own Hey Arnold!
Where to Begin
Chapter 27 – Hell Girl
Monday, it seemed, had to come.
Helga figured it would violate some law of physics if it never did, and she did not want to mess with those consequences on top of the problems she already had. The joy of winning sectional long subsided with the threat of her parents' return and the dread of school and most likely a run-in with Jake, the cheating bastard, as Helga now affectionately called him. May all cheating men burn in hell.
She slept poorly the night before, ignoring Arnold, Callie, and Phoebe's calls. She did not want to talk to anyone, so she spent most the evening curled up in a ball on her bed, crying as she stared out the window and petting her cat. She cursed herself for it, in the morning, for she did not want to look so sloppy when she went to school. She wanted to look like a knockout, like the whole situation had not fazed her in the least bit.
She hopped into the shower shortly after five, hoping to drown, but finding no such luck. She spent the next two and a half hours primping herself, again ignoring the phone (she got so sick of the ringing she finally unplugged the it). She smiled grimly at her reflection as she headed out the door; she was made-up, yes, but it looked like she was naturally this beautiful at seven fifteen in the morning without the least bit of effort. She groaned loudly and slammed the door shut.
The good thing about waking up at the crack of dawn is you get to school before anyone else. The halls of West Hillwood High were oddly vacant. Helga went to her locker, grabbed her books, and went to the library where she sat in the corner to read Nine Stories.
"There you are. Pheebs and Arnold've been looking all over for you."
Helga looked up and glared at Gerald. "What the hell are you doing in the library?" She laughed glumly. "I didn't even know you could read."
Gerald rolled his eyes. "I had to return a book, and I saw you back here." He sat down and looked at her sympathetically. "Hiding out?"
"What do you think, Sherlock?"
"Helga, I'm trying to help, so will you try to refrain from biting my head off every two seconds?"
Helga blushed. "Sorry."
Gerald nodded. "It's okay. How have you been holding up? Arnold wouldn't say much."
She returned to her book. "Terribly." She sat the book down. It was not worth the effort to concentrate on it and evade Gerald's questions at the same time, especially since Gerald had a tendency to be just as persistent as Arnold. She looked him straight in the eye. "Gerald, I'm at the end of my rope. I can't take much more."
Gerald smiled at her. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."
She sniffed. "What makes you say that?"
"Think about it, Helga. The whole pain thing of losing Jake will pass. You've got to admit you were never that serious about him. And he'll still be there in the end."
She looked at him, blinking uncomprehendingly.
"Just something to think about. C'mon, I'll walk you to class and beat off any assholes, what do you say?"
She grabbed her stuff, still thinking about what Gerald had said.
¤ ~ ¤ ~ ¤
Thank goodness this day's almost over, she thought as she stepped out of the locker room. She had been the last one to leave, hoping to have missed the boys, whose practice ended at the same time. She sighed. She had been lucky all day to have avoided Jake as much as she had. She only saw him twice, both right before she slipped into her classroom with out acknowledging he even existed. It was almost as if he was looking for her. She shrugged. What did it matter anymore? She was through with him; the thought of Jake Richardson made her sick to her stomach. Unfortunately, she had been sick quite often today. It seemed as though unless she was completely absorbed in a task, all she saw when she closed her eyes was Jake and Lila on the bed at Matt's house. I'll have to shoot myself here soon if that image doesn't fade. At the moment it was the only practical and fast solution to such a problem.
"Well, isn't it my favorite little beauty queen?"
Helga stopped dead. She had just about made it to the double doors leading out to the parking lot, but if she had been paying attention she never would have came this way. Jake was staring at her, his face emotionless, half obscured by a head of long, auburn hair. Well, this'll be ugly. Should've known with my luck I'd not only have to deal with both of them, but I'd have to be alone as well. "Well, isn't it my favorite little porn couple." She smiled sweetly as she moved closer to the door. "You two were putting on quite a show the other night."
"You should've stayed," Jake said silkily, sliding over to block the door, leaving Lila standing awkwardly on the side. "You could've joined us."
Helga barely resisted the urge to throw up. "Right, Jake, like any self-respecting girl would ever have a threesome with you. However, your luck might change if you find someone just like Lila; big boobs, no brain, and a problem with keeping her legs closed."
His lip curled. Lila, however, was pissed. "You bitch!" she cried, on the verge of tears.
What the hell does she have to cry about? Helga vaguely wondered, but Jake took care of shutting her up for her.
"Oh, give it a rest, Lila. She's right."
Helga turned her attention back to the boy in front of her. "What exactly is it you want?"
His expression softened. "I just wanted to talk to you."
She sneered. "Well, sadly the feeling's not mutual." She crossed her arms. "Jake, would you please move?"
He seemed more determined than ever, his cool manner all but gone. "Helga, please, I have to talk to you."
She feigned surprise. "But Jake, we already talked at Matt's house," she said in a high-pitched voice. Her voice returned to normal. "Quite loudly, if you don't recall."
"Helga, please." He reached for her hands.
"Don't touch me!" she cried. "I've told you everything I want to tell you. I have nothing left to say, and if you were too stupid to infer it, we're over!"
He held his arms out in desperation. Lila was crying by now. "Helga, I made a mistake—"
"Mistake? Our whole relationship was a mistake, Jake!" She turned on her heel, determined to get away from him. "I'm finished talking about this, and I'm finished with you."
He grabbed her and spun her into his arms, pulling her lips up to his own.
Lila bawled in the background.
Helga had forgotten just how strong Jake was, but she managed to push him away from her, hitting him with as much force as she could muster. "Jake, STOP IT! You fucked up, pun intended. It's not my fault, so deal with it without me!"
"Helga, would you just listen to me?" he cried, just as another voice fill the air already crowded with Lila's bawling, Helga's screams, and Jake's shouting.
"LET HER GO!"
Jake looked up from Helga, whom he was holding by the wrists. Helga could practically feel her arms being bruised. "Arnold!" she cried.
"Oh, if it isn't the little knight in shining armor? This doesn't concern you!" Jake thundered, tightening his grip on Helga.
"Arnold! Oh, Arnold! Please, please help me!" Lila whimpered. She was now crouched down in the corner, looking like a lamb about to be slaughtered.
He shot a dismal look at her, and turned his attention back to Jake and Helga. "I said let her go."
Jake looked down at Helga. "Can we ever have a moment alone?" he hissed.
"Depends. Does Lila count, my dear?" she hissed.
He twisted her arms, causing Helga to cry out in pain. "Let go of me!"
"JAKE!" Arnold cried, afraid of what Jake would do to Helga if he got closer. He had completely lost it; there was no other explanation.
"FOR THE LAST TIME, THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!"
Lila's sobs were deafening. "Shut up!" the two boys screamed together.
Jake laughed. "Looks like we finally agree on something."
"Why are you doing this?" Arnold demanded.
Jake didn't respond. He was staring at Helga with a dazed look in his eyes. Had she not been blinded by tears, she would have noticed.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"
His head snapped up. "Because I'm trying to get the girl I love back."
Helga's heart stopped. "Love?" she asked. Good Lord, he has gone off the deep end.
He loosened his grip on her drastically, mistaking the tone of her voice as caring. "Yes," he whispered, staring intently into her eyes.
Helga dropped to the floor, her arms sliding out of his grip. She scooted herself backwards, stopping as soon as she hit Arnold's legs.
"Helga, didn't you hear me?" Jake pleaded.
"DON'T talk to her," Arnold hissed.
"Helga, please…" he started walking towards her.
"Arnold…"
"What do I need to do to make you understand?" Jake asked, a hardness coming back into his voice. He reached for Helga, but Arnold was quick to react as Helga screamed. For the second time in four days, he hit Jake Richardson.
Jake fell to the ground in a heap. Again, he was not expecting that out of the usually calm and passive Arnold, but he seemed to change personalities quickly whenever Helga was in danger. He glared at Arnold as he helped Helga up. "Helga," he whispered, but his head was pounding too much.
"Are you okay?" he asked, but she was shaking far too much to answer.
He followed her as she went to the door. Lila's eyes were wider than ever, but she had finally shut up a bit after Arnold slugged Jake. She looked up at him, fear and desperation filling her blue eyes.
"You take care of him," he snapped at her. He felt no remorse as she again burst into tears. She was as much at fault as Jake.
Gerald, who had been waiting in the parking lot for Arnold, ran over to them. "What took you so long?" he asked Arnold before setting his eyes on a still quivering Helga. "And what's wrong with her?"
"We, uh, just had a run in with Jake," he said simply.
"WHAT? Did he attack her?"
"Uh, yeah, but—"
"ARNOLD!"
"It's okay, I hit him—"
Gerald groaned. "Aw, Arnold, you call that okay? Damn, man, you're gonna get busted for fighting on school, then we'll all be in a whole heap of trouble."
Arnold rolled his eyes. "Gerald, I didn't beat him to a pulp, although the thought has crossed my mind on a number of occasions…"
"Arnold, that doesn't make it any better!"
"I was protecting a fellow student, okay?" he pleaded as they reached Helga's car. She was still shaking uncontrollably.
"Aw, shit, he really has lost it, hasn't he?"
Arnold shrugged as he opened the door for Helga. "I suppose…"
"You suppose?" His face became fearful. "Arnold, you aren't leaving her alone tonight, are you?"
"What? Why do you say that?" he asked as he shut the passenger door.
"Because, if Jake's willing to attack her at school, who's to say he won't at her house?"
Arnold looked blasé. "Gerald, get a grip. Jake just lost control of an argument. Helga probably touched a nerve or ten. She's known to do that. Jake's not murderous, he's just…obsessive." He stopped, realizing that one was not much better than the other.
Gerald was dismayed. "You have got to be kidding me! Arnold, you can't leave her alone tonight!"
"Gerald, please, I'm probably the last person she needs, or wants, babysitting her. I'm just going to drive her to work—"
"You're going to make her work?"
Arnold scowled. "I said I'm going to take her there. If she's up to working, than she will. If she's not, she's not. As for tonight, her parents are due home sometime early this week. They can look after her."
"Oh, yeah, fat chance, Arnold! That's like switching your punishment from the gallows to the guillotine! Either way, you die!"
Arnold crossed his arms. This is getting old. "Gerald, nothing, I repeat, nothing is going to happen to Helga tonight, other than she might drop a cappuccino on some guy's head, to which I say he probably deserved it for ordering the drink in the first place."
Gerald glared at him for a moment before admitting defeat and returning to his own car. "I'm assuming this means you don't need a ride."
Arnold rolled his eyes. "Very good, Sherlock."
Gerald's eyes narrowed even more. "You better be right."
Arnold yawned. "I'm tired, so you know what? If Helga does get in any danger tonight, I'll have her call you."
Gerald gave him one last pleading look, and turned without looking back.
"If that's not enough proof he cares about Helga, I don't know what is," he muttered. He was slightly disturbed that he was so calm about the whole situation, but drama seemed to be the norm lately, he could not help but be jaded. He climbed into the car and started towards the Oleander café. "How you feeling?"
He was surprised to see Helga was dressed in her uniform, her hair pulled back in a clip. Before she was in sweats and a sweatshirt, her wet hair soaking through them. Damn it, he could not help but think. She had changed while he was arguing with Gerald. Bad thought, bad thought, but he still could not help from smiling.
"Fine, smiley," she snapped.
He looked at her wrists. Little bruises shaped like fingerprints were beginning to appear. "Right."
She followed his gaze and blushed. "Keep your eyes on the road."
He shrugged and turned the radio up.
"Thank you."
"Huh?" he turned the volume back down.
"I said thank you."
Arnold bit his lip on accident. "Oh. No problem."
She eyed him carefully. "Are you stalking me?"
He scoffed. "Helga, after all that you think I'm the one stalking you?" He paused. "That reminds me, if anything funny happens tonight—"
"I agreed with you when you were fighting with Gerald." She laughed grimly. "You two seem to've switched places. Phoebe better keep a better hold on her man."
Arnold blushed until he was sure his face really was on fire. Luckily it was dark enough Helga did not notice.
"She apologized to me today about what she thought of the whole mess. She said to pass along the message."
Arnold frowned. "Why didn't she just tell me?"
Helga played with her nails. "I think she was afraid of your reaction. She really does feel bad about how she treated you."
Pause. "She told you everything?" he asked slowly.
She bit her lip in thought. "Mmm, pretty much."
And just when my face was beginning to feel like normal, he thought grimly as he flushed again.
"Anyways," she said loudly. "I'm glad you've taken a keen interest in my whereabouts lately."
He said nothing.
"Arnold?"
"I heard you, Helga. I heard you." He banged a fist on the steering wheel. "What happened to when we could just talk about the stupidest stuff and that was all right?" he asked, frustrated as he pulled into the employee parking lot.
She got out and took the keys from him. "Things change."
They certainly have, they both thought.
¤ ~ ¤ ~ ¤
Only and hour and a half more and this horrible day will be over, Helga thought happily as she skipped up the stairs to her house. The sky above was threatening rain, but it was still dry. Helga breathed in deeply. She loved the smell before rain. Work had run over a bit, but she was so happy to be home she did not notice the light on in the window.
She hummed softly as she fumbled with her keys. She was going to take a long, hot shower and then go straight to bed. Screw the homework, she thought as she put the key in the lock, only to find out she did not have to; it was already unlocked.
Her blood ran cold. Arnold's words rang clearly in her ears. "That reminds me, if anything funny happens tonight—"
Her reply was also clear. "I agreed with you when you were fighting with Gerald." Basic translation: Back off, nothing will happen. There was no worse feeling than having to eat your own words.
She caught sight of the ugly purple circles on her arms. Oh, shit. She swallowed hard, and while keeping a firm grip on her key ring, she slowly opened the door. "Hello?" she called, her voice amazingly strong considering her entire body was shaking.
"Oh, Helga, there you are. Your father and I were worried sick," Miriam said as if she had just found her missing earring. Except she might be more excited about that than seeing her youngest daughter for the first time in a week and half.
"Yeah, and why's this place a mess?" Bob grumbled as he walked passed. "A week and a half alone. You'd think she'd use some of that boatload of free time of hers to clean up around here."
"I've been busy, Bob," she spat through gritted teeth, not that he would stick around to talk to her anyways.
"There's my baby sister!" Olga cried in her annoying falsetto voice, hugging Helga tight enough to squeeze the life out of her (a welcoming thought, actually. Helga half wished Olga would squeeze tighter and just get it over with). "Ooh, you get prettier and prettier every time I see you," she said, lightly tapping the end of Helga's nose as she pulled away and set off in her father's direction.
Just not as pretty as you, Helga thought loathingly.
"Helga!" Eric, her brother-in-law, cried as he hugged her. As usual, he was the only one who seemed genuinely happy to see her. "I got you something to make up for missing your pageant."
"Oh, thanks," she said dumbly, taking the small square package. He was too sweet; she could not help but adore him, although he had a tendency to forget she was sixteen, not six. Here's one boy who's dying to be a father. "How'd you know?" she asked as she opened the package. She did not have the heart to tell him she already owned the All-American Rejects CD. She would just have to give it to Phoebe or Arnold.
"I remember you humming it at Christmas," he said, beaming at her. Helga smiled, thankful his teeth were not any whiter or she would be blind. She hugged him again before he left to join the others.
"I got you something to make up for missing your pageant," his words echoed in her head as she put her things in her room. Not "We got you something…"
I always said he was too good for her.
She went downstairs into the living room. In spite of herself, she was very interested to hear about her parents' trip. This better be good, she thought as she leaned against the doorway.
"Oh, Helga, there you are!" Olga cried.
"You just keep losing me, eh, Olga?" she muttered softly. Wish I could lose you all.
"Now you can hear all about our trip!"
"Oh, please, I've been dying to hear about it."
Only Eric seemed to catch the sarcasm. He was bewildered as he looked from his wife to her sister.
"Oh, I can't believe we did so much!" Olga shrieked.
"I know, dear. It was a wonderful trip," Miriam said, sipping her coffee and looking like she desperately needed a drink.
"One of the best, but anything would be the best with you, Olga," Big Bob continued as he cracked open a beer. Miriam gazed at it longingly.
Helga felt like throwing up. And I was angry they were gone? She turned to leave, tired and fed-up.
"Didn't I tell you it would be tons more fun than that dingy pageant?" Olga squealed, clapping her hands like a two-year-old.
Helga was floored. She did not hear anything else; the blood pumping in her ears blocked everything.
Eric caught a glimpse of Helga. After a moment, he put two and two together. "Olga, dear," he said lowly.
But it was too late. Helga had already run out.
A/N: What's wrong with the spacing in this joint? Later days.