Thanks again to all my super reviewers! I didn't think I would be able to
update before Christmas, but inspiration struck. Hope everyone is having a
great holiday season! SO many good stories out there for me to read! On
with the show!
Chapter 14 I Love You, You Hate Me
The pale pink paper fluttered to the floor. Could it really be? Arnold rubbed his eyes in disbelief...
Where was the last entry to her latest volume of poems? Helga flipped through the pages over and over, but to no avail. Her blood ran cold. Had someone purposely taken it?
The words on the page seemed to leap out at him. In unmistakable purple ink, he read of her utter hatred for him, and how she was only semi bearable towards him for Phoebe's sake. He was SURE she still had feelings for him, but it was right in front of him in black and white, or rather pink and purple. Helga despised him.
She paced the hard wood floor relentlessly. Okay, get ahold of yourself, Helga. There has to be a logical explanation for this...
The doorbell rang, and a bevy of felines and pig alike scrambled back through the door as Grandpa opened it.
" Oh, hello there, little girl," He answered robustly. " Are you here to see Arnold?"
The copper-haired girl smiled up at the octogenarian sweetly. " Why yes, I'm ever so certain that I need to return this book to Arnold. He loaned it to me ever so long ago, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I just had to get over here with it before I let it slip my mind again!"
The doorbell rang at a certain blue three-story walk up almost simultaneously.
" Eh, whaddya want, kid?" Big Bob forced out through gritted teeth. He was trying to be more genial for Helga's sake, but interrupting the Wheel was grounds for termination.
" Is Helga busy?" The dapper young man extended a slightly freckled hand. " My name's Bernard, Barnie to my friends. May I offer you this gift as a token of my appreciation for gracing me with your lovely daughter's presence?" He held a brown paper bag forward.
" Huh? What's this?" Bob opened the bag cautiously, as though afraid it would bite his hand off. His displeasure melted like snow at the sight of its contents.
" I took the liberty of purchasing only the finest snack foods available for late night television viewing. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous," Barnie smiled smugly at Bob's unbridled delight.
" Mr. Spanky's gourmet pork rinds, peppered beef jerky, and a six pack of Mega Jolt Yahoo soda! Kid, you have great taste!"
Arnold's eyes were red rimmed as he slowly descended the stairs at his grandfather's request. He couldn't believe Helga would say such mean things about him! His heart gave a funny leap in his chest as he spied the company at the foot of the stairs.
LILA.
That HAD to be the person who snatched her latest poem! It only made sense! Helga had specifically asked her to quit leading Arnold on if she wanted her to get Barnie back for her.
" She wanted a little insurance to make sure I kept my end of the bargain," Helga muttered, pacing all the quicker. " She knew it was only her word against mine if she spilled the beans to Arnold, but written evidence of my utter and complete devotion? She sure has me over a barrel!
" Olg-I mean, Helga! Get yer hiney down here, someone to see you," Bob bellowed from downstairs. Some things never change.
" What do YOU want?" Arnold grunted, his arms crossed defensively over his broken heart. Normally the sight of Lila would put him over the moon, that is, until he realized how much he truly cared for Helga. He'd been hurt by Lila's brush-offsbefore, but Helga's words were like a slow acting poison, each recollection more damning than the next.
" To return your lovely book, The Mean Witch and The Odd Headed Boy," Lila smiled, her lips gleaming with a fresh coat of strawberry scented lip- gloss. " I'm so sorry I was so late in bringing it back!" Lila fluttered her long lashed at him in apology.
" Whatever you're selling, I'm not buyin," Helga uttered fiercely, her blood curdling at the sight of Bob and Barnie acting all chummy. " Get outta here before I deck you,"
" Hey Hey HEY! That's no way to treat a guest, little lady. This here kid- I mean, young man, brought a gift and everything. Come sit in the trophy room, boy. My castle Es Su castle," Bob puffed his chest out proudly, escorting the smugly grinning Barnie past a fuming Helga.
" Thanks for returning the book Lila," Arnold mumbled, his head still hanging low. " I'm really not in any mood for company. Can you come back some other time?" He looked slowly up into her large green eyes.
" Why certainly, Arnold. To be just perfectly honest, I really only came to thank you for the lovely poem," Lila smiled shyly. " It was ever so romantic to leave it on my window sill, and with tulip as well, they are just my favorite flower of all time!"
" Poem? What poem?" Arnold's head snapped to full attention, his mind racing at the mention of poetry.
" Why yes, Our Helga is quite the little poetess," Miriam smiled as she filled the dishwasher. " She has been writing almost her whole life. She really does think of such beautiful phrases," she gushed dramatically. Yep, still on the wagon.
" Just how did YOU know I write?" Helga eyed her foe warily. She knew he has some crazy crush on her, but this was ridiculous. Anymore razzle-dazzle and Bob and Miriam would adopt him for sure!
" I volunteer in the office, and I sometimes help correct assignments. I've seen some of your work from Creative Writing class," Barnie smiled with a sly wink. " You do great work,"
Helga rolled her eyes. " Okay, whatever you say, Barnie. Could you PLEASE just leave me alone? I have no interest in you, none, CAPUT! Can't you just move on, or better yet, go back to Lila?"
" And I was going to beg Barnie to take me back, that is, until I read this," Lila replied to Arnold, holding out a soft pink envelope. Pink!
Arnold snatched it from her a little too eagerly, causing her to jump slightly. "Sorry," he murmured, ripping the plain pink paper from its sheath. He rubbed his eyes for the second time that night. PURPLE INK AGAIN??
******That's enough for today, sorry it's so short! It would have been much too long had I included all I want to cover with this aspect of the plot, so more juicy stuff to come!*****
Chapter 14 I Love You, You Hate Me
The pale pink paper fluttered to the floor. Could it really be? Arnold rubbed his eyes in disbelief...
Where was the last entry to her latest volume of poems? Helga flipped through the pages over and over, but to no avail. Her blood ran cold. Had someone purposely taken it?
The words on the page seemed to leap out at him. In unmistakable purple ink, he read of her utter hatred for him, and how she was only semi bearable towards him for Phoebe's sake. He was SURE she still had feelings for him, but it was right in front of him in black and white, or rather pink and purple. Helga despised him.
She paced the hard wood floor relentlessly. Okay, get ahold of yourself, Helga. There has to be a logical explanation for this...
The doorbell rang, and a bevy of felines and pig alike scrambled back through the door as Grandpa opened it.
" Oh, hello there, little girl," He answered robustly. " Are you here to see Arnold?"
The copper-haired girl smiled up at the octogenarian sweetly. " Why yes, I'm ever so certain that I need to return this book to Arnold. He loaned it to me ever so long ago, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I just had to get over here with it before I let it slip my mind again!"
The doorbell rang at a certain blue three-story walk up almost simultaneously.
" Eh, whaddya want, kid?" Big Bob forced out through gritted teeth. He was trying to be more genial for Helga's sake, but interrupting the Wheel was grounds for termination.
" Is Helga busy?" The dapper young man extended a slightly freckled hand. " My name's Bernard, Barnie to my friends. May I offer you this gift as a token of my appreciation for gracing me with your lovely daughter's presence?" He held a brown paper bag forward.
" Huh? What's this?" Bob opened the bag cautiously, as though afraid it would bite his hand off. His displeasure melted like snow at the sight of its contents.
" I took the liberty of purchasing only the finest snack foods available for late night television viewing. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous," Barnie smiled smugly at Bob's unbridled delight.
" Mr. Spanky's gourmet pork rinds, peppered beef jerky, and a six pack of Mega Jolt Yahoo soda! Kid, you have great taste!"
Arnold's eyes were red rimmed as he slowly descended the stairs at his grandfather's request. He couldn't believe Helga would say such mean things about him! His heart gave a funny leap in his chest as he spied the company at the foot of the stairs.
LILA.
That HAD to be the person who snatched her latest poem! It only made sense! Helga had specifically asked her to quit leading Arnold on if she wanted her to get Barnie back for her.
" She wanted a little insurance to make sure I kept my end of the bargain," Helga muttered, pacing all the quicker. " She knew it was only her word against mine if she spilled the beans to Arnold, but written evidence of my utter and complete devotion? She sure has me over a barrel!
" Olg-I mean, Helga! Get yer hiney down here, someone to see you," Bob bellowed from downstairs. Some things never change.
" What do YOU want?" Arnold grunted, his arms crossed defensively over his broken heart. Normally the sight of Lila would put him over the moon, that is, until he realized how much he truly cared for Helga. He'd been hurt by Lila's brush-offsbefore, but Helga's words were like a slow acting poison, each recollection more damning than the next.
" To return your lovely book, The Mean Witch and The Odd Headed Boy," Lila smiled, her lips gleaming with a fresh coat of strawberry scented lip- gloss. " I'm so sorry I was so late in bringing it back!" Lila fluttered her long lashed at him in apology.
" Whatever you're selling, I'm not buyin," Helga uttered fiercely, her blood curdling at the sight of Bob and Barnie acting all chummy. " Get outta here before I deck you,"
" Hey Hey HEY! That's no way to treat a guest, little lady. This here kid- I mean, young man, brought a gift and everything. Come sit in the trophy room, boy. My castle Es Su castle," Bob puffed his chest out proudly, escorting the smugly grinning Barnie past a fuming Helga.
" Thanks for returning the book Lila," Arnold mumbled, his head still hanging low. " I'm really not in any mood for company. Can you come back some other time?" He looked slowly up into her large green eyes.
" Why certainly, Arnold. To be just perfectly honest, I really only came to thank you for the lovely poem," Lila smiled shyly. " It was ever so romantic to leave it on my window sill, and with tulip as well, they are just my favorite flower of all time!"
" Poem? What poem?" Arnold's head snapped to full attention, his mind racing at the mention of poetry.
" Why yes, Our Helga is quite the little poetess," Miriam smiled as she filled the dishwasher. " She has been writing almost her whole life. She really does think of such beautiful phrases," she gushed dramatically. Yep, still on the wagon.
" Just how did YOU know I write?" Helga eyed her foe warily. She knew he has some crazy crush on her, but this was ridiculous. Anymore razzle-dazzle and Bob and Miriam would adopt him for sure!
" I volunteer in the office, and I sometimes help correct assignments. I've seen some of your work from Creative Writing class," Barnie smiled with a sly wink. " You do great work,"
Helga rolled her eyes. " Okay, whatever you say, Barnie. Could you PLEASE just leave me alone? I have no interest in you, none, CAPUT! Can't you just move on, or better yet, go back to Lila?"
" And I was going to beg Barnie to take me back, that is, until I read this," Lila replied to Arnold, holding out a soft pink envelope. Pink!
Arnold snatched it from her a little too eagerly, causing her to jump slightly. "Sorry," he murmured, ripping the plain pink paper from its sheath. He rubbed his eyes for the second time that night. PURPLE INK AGAIN??
******That's enough for today, sorry it's so short! It would have been much too long had I included all I want to cover with this aspect of the plot, so more juicy stuff to come!*****