*****It's that time again, to update my main story! Hope you all liked my
one shot "Bright Lights" in the mean time. A special thank you to Demile
who read and reviewed the whole story at once, you are TOO kind!! Just so
everyone knows, I was aware that I ended the last two chapters with the
exact same line, there was a reason for that. Hope you all like this one,
as the story is coming to a close in the next four chapters or so.
On with the show!!
Lost in Translation (not to be confused with the movie of same said title)
The carriage slowed to a stop in front of the south gate to Tina Park. The elderly lady with the Revolutionary war uniform and the mismatched hair don't poster child of a preteen stepped lightly from the polished red contraption.
"No charge, Grandma," Ernie smiled, his voice gravelly and low. He winked and tapped the reins lightly. "Giddy up!"
He pulled away, leaving the two vastly different women side by side. A strange silence engulfed the two, but Gertie broke it first.
"That was a lovely carriage ride, Eleanor. I am so pleased to have spent the afternoon in the first lady's presence," Grandma smiled genuinely. She linked her arm in Helga's resistant one and dragged her towards the exit.
Helga fell into step momentarily. "No problem, G.W.," she deadpanned, referring to Gertie's George Washington moniker of the day.
They walked silently for a few feet until Helga became acutely aware of a sense of foreboding. One swift glance and her fears were confirmed.
They were directly in front of the boarding house.
"Now you must come in for rations. There's plenty to go around camp," Gertie insisted, dragging Helga once more.
"Oh no you don't, I mean, there are the SOLDIERS to think about, and uh, I have to go. Official White business, you understand," Helga stammered, her sense of urgency growing with every step. The last person she needed to run into in this get up was-
"Arnold!" Gertie smiled, saluting her grandson with her free hand. Helga went white at the sight of him.
Arnold paused too, his eyes wide with surprise. He too looked pale, but his lips finally parted.
"Hi Grandma....hi Helga," he answered hesitantly. Not only was Helga a walking fashion disaster, he was also very confused and tentative about his new found feelings about her as of late.
"Hey Arnoldo," Helga shot back, her arms crossing involuntarily over the putrid shirt that hung stiffly against her narrow shoulders. "I was just escorting the first president home before she drafted anyone," Helga muttered, her eyes downcast.
Gertie smiled maniacally. "It's off to Valley Forge with me. Blasted French are never there when you need them," she rambled as she entered the front of the boarding house, leaving the odd couple in an awkward silence.
"Well, I guess I should be going," Helga started first, rubbing her arm lightly. She took a step forward in response.
"Helga, wait" Arnold stepped in front of her path, his eyes locked on to hers.
Her breath caught in her throat. Arnold didn't want her to leave?
"Here, hold on a sec," he stuttered, pulling a light blue handkerchief out of his pocket. Without another word, he gently lifted the said cloth to her face and delicately wiped the charcoal tinted rings from around her eyes, looking intently into her crystalline blue orbs as he did so.
Time seemed to stand still for the 30 seconds or so as he continued his task, gently transforming her face into the recognizable Helga G. Pataki. She stood stock still as he did so, not daring to let a breath escape her lips for fear of the moment ending. All she could feel was the warmth of his fingertips beneath the sweet smelling cloth that moved in circles around her face.
She closed her eyes now, and felt herself take a step closer to him. She could smell his fresh clean scent as a result, and remained uncharacteristically silent.
"What are you doing Arnold?" a high pitched feminine voice assaulted his ears, causing him to drop the handkerchief like a hot coal.
Lila stood behind them, her hands on her hips in a jealous stance. "I thought you were going to escort me to the docks this afternoon for whack-a- mole," she pouted, her eyes glittering like ice cold tundra.
"Docks? I never said I was taking you to the docks, Lila. What are you talking about?" Arnold glared slightly at Lila's presence, while simultaneously glancing at Helga, wondering what her reaction would be.
"Yes the docks, we talked about it yesterday silly," Lila eased up a bit, staring daggers at Helga the entire time.
"He's all yours, chicky," Helga muttered, pushing past Lila roughly. Her beehive was becoming limp from the hazy air and it drooped in heavy rivets of blonde across her shoulders.
"Wait, don't go Helga," Arnold rushed to stop her, only to feel a small hand encircle his wrist rapidly.
"Let her go," Lila smiled sweetly, her eyes bitter with envy. "We have PLANS,"
"What are you talking about? If this is about that poem, I told you it wasn't me," Arnold peered over her shoulder as Helga disappeared from sight.
"I know you said it wasn't you," Lila pouted. "But couldn't it be possible that you are just ever too shy to tell me the truth?"
"I told you the truth. Please, I have to talk to Helga," Arnold struggled to free himself gently from her grasp without being too rude.
"About what, your secret keychain?" Lila released his wrist, her voice barely above a whisper. She wore a thin mask of satisfaction at her own words, watching with delight as the blood drained from his face.
"I will ask you one more time, what are you doing here?" Barnie's placid yet angry voice carried across the late afternoon breeze.
"Barney, I thought you were going home," Lila replied through gritted teeth. She smiled like a person in pain as she slowly turned in his direction.
"Okay, this is just getting weird. What are you both up to?" Arnold crossed his arms, his eyes half lidded in irritation.
"Well I don't know about Miss Cranky Pants here, but I was coming to retrieve my date," Barney spat to no one in particular. He refused to make eye contact with Arnold as he spoke.
"I am NOT cranky, and I highly doubt Helga was on a date with you," Lila responded, her face flushed with anger.
"Helga? On a date with you?" Arnold's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, a vast chasm of pain engulfing his spirit. "Yes a date. That is, until your loony grandmother interrupted us," Barney sniffed, his eyes directed at Lila.
"Don't you ever call my grandma anything," Arnold growled uncharacteristically, his hands balling themselves into fists without thinking.
"Oh puh-lease, Arnold. I have no desire to fight you," Barney muttered, but he backed away slowly at the sight of his balled mitts.
"Look, Barney, LILA, I have no idea what's going on here, but I have to go talk to Helga, regardless of who's she supposed to be dating or who interrupted who's plans," Arnold turned on his heel, ready to make for the bus stop.
Then he heard it.
"I told you he loved her,"
********Sorry this one was short too. I think it was longer than the last few I put out, but not sure. R/R let me know what you thinks!!
On with the show!!
Lost in Translation (not to be confused with the movie of same said title)
The carriage slowed to a stop in front of the south gate to Tina Park. The elderly lady with the Revolutionary war uniform and the mismatched hair don't poster child of a preteen stepped lightly from the polished red contraption.
"No charge, Grandma," Ernie smiled, his voice gravelly and low. He winked and tapped the reins lightly. "Giddy up!"
He pulled away, leaving the two vastly different women side by side. A strange silence engulfed the two, but Gertie broke it first.
"That was a lovely carriage ride, Eleanor. I am so pleased to have spent the afternoon in the first lady's presence," Grandma smiled genuinely. She linked her arm in Helga's resistant one and dragged her towards the exit.
Helga fell into step momentarily. "No problem, G.W.," she deadpanned, referring to Gertie's George Washington moniker of the day.
They walked silently for a few feet until Helga became acutely aware of a sense of foreboding. One swift glance and her fears were confirmed.
They were directly in front of the boarding house.
"Now you must come in for rations. There's plenty to go around camp," Gertie insisted, dragging Helga once more.
"Oh no you don't, I mean, there are the SOLDIERS to think about, and uh, I have to go. Official White business, you understand," Helga stammered, her sense of urgency growing with every step. The last person she needed to run into in this get up was-
"Arnold!" Gertie smiled, saluting her grandson with her free hand. Helga went white at the sight of him.
Arnold paused too, his eyes wide with surprise. He too looked pale, but his lips finally parted.
"Hi Grandma....hi Helga," he answered hesitantly. Not only was Helga a walking fashion disaster, he was also very confused and tentative about his new found feelings about her as of late.
"Hey Arnoldo," Helga shot back, her arms crossing involuntarily over the putrid shirt that hung stiffly against her narrow shoulders. "I was just escorting the first president home before she drafted anyone," Helga muttered, her eyes downcast.
Gertie smiled maniacally. "It's off to Valley Forge with me. Blasted French are never there when you need them," she rambled as she entered the front of the boarding house, leaving the odd couple in an awkward silence.
"Well, I guess I should be going," Helga started first, rubbing her arm lightly. She took a step forward in response.
"Helga, wait" Arnold stepped in front of her path, his eyes locked on to hers.
Her breath caught in her throat. Arnold didn't want her to leave?
"Here, hold on a sec," he stuttered, pulling a light blue handkerchief out of his pocket. Without another word, he gently lifted the said cloth to her face and delicately wiped the charcoal tinted rings from around her eyes, looking intently into her crystalline blue orbs as he did so.
Time seemed to stand still for the 30 seconds or so as he continued his task, gently transforming her face into the recognizable Helga G. Pataki. She stood stock still as he did so, not daring to let a breath escape her lips for fear of the moment ending. All she could feel was the warmth of his fingertips beneath the sweet smelling cloth that moved in circles around her face.
She closed her eyes now, and felt herself take a step closer to him. She could smell his fresh clean scent as a result, and remained uncharacteristically silent.
"What are you doing Arnold?" a high pitched feminine voice assaulted his ears, causing him to drop the handkerchief like a hot coal.
Lila stood behind them, her hands on her hips in a jealous stance. "I thought you were going to escort me to the docks this afternoon for whack-a- mole," she pouted, her eyes glittering like ice cold tundra.
"Docks? I never said I was taking you to the docks, Lila. What are you talking about?" Arnold glared slightly at Lila's presence, while simultaneously glancing at Helga, wondering what her reaction would be.
"Yes the docks, we talked about it yesterday silly," Lila eased up a bit, staring daggers at Helga the entire time.
"He's all yours, chicky," Helga muttered, pushing past Lila roughly. Her beehive was becoming limp from the hazy air and it drooped in heavy rivets of blonde across her shoulders.
"Wait, don't go Helga," Arnold rushed to stop her, only to feel a small hand encircle his wrist rapidly.
"Let her go," Lila smiled sweetly, her eyes bitter with envy. "We have PLANS,"
"What are you talking about? If this is about that poem, I told you it wasn't me," Arnold peered over her shoulder as Helga disappeared from sight.
"I know you said it wasn't you," Lila pouted. "But couldn't it be possible that you are just ever too shy to tell me the truth?"
"I told you the truth. Please, I have to talk to Helga," Arnold struggled to free himself gently from her grasp without being too rude.
"About what, your secret keychain?" Lila released his wrist, her voice barely above a whisper. She wore a thin mask of satisfaction at her own words, watching with delight as the blood drained from his face.
"I will ask you one more time, what are you doing here?" Barnie's placid yet angry voice carried across the late afternoon breeze.
"Barney, I thought you were going home," Lila replied through gritted teeth. She smiled like a person in pain as she slowly turned in his direction.
"Okay, this is just getting weird. What are you both up to?" Arnold crossed his arms, his eyes half lidded in irritation.
"Well I don't know about Miss Cranky Pants here, but I was coming to retrieve my date," Barney spat to no one in particular. He refused to make eye contact with Arnold as he spoke.
"I am NOT cranky, and I highly doubt Helga was on a date with you," Lila responded, her face flushed with anger.
"Helga? On a date with you?" Arnold's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, a vast chasm of pain engulfing his spirit. "Yes a date. That is, until your loony grandmother interrupted us," Barney sniffed, his eyes directed at Lila.
"Don't you ever call my grandma anything," Arnold growled uncharacteristically, his hands balling themselves into fists without thinking.
"Oh puh-lease, Arnold. I have no desire to fight you," Barney muttered, but he backed away slowly at the sight of his balled mitts.
"Look, Barney, LILA, I have no idea what's going on here, but I have to go talk to Helga, regardless of who's she supposed to be dating or who interrupted who's plans," Arnold turned on his heel, ready to make for the bus stop.
Then he heard it.
"I told you he loved her,"
********Sorry this one was short too. I think it was longer than the last few I put out, but not sure. R/R let me know what you thinks!!