She was cold and wet. There was no rhythm or reason for this punishment. Maybe she had been a bit obnoxious as a child. Was that enough to punish her?
She looked over to the man who caused her so much pain, in more ways then one. He was laughing, hysterically. She had managed to block out the sound of his joyful laughter as she sat on the edge of the fountain plotting ways to kill him.
A hitman was top of her list.
It had all been very innocent.
They were walking after a wonderful meal. Talking, joking, reminiscing about past experiences. Well, the good experiences mostly. She said something about being ticklish. She was never really very bright when it came to things like this.
He had begun a full attack. She was crippling under the quick fingers. She pushed him away. Seeing her arm move he took a step back. Being a clumsy person made him trip and begin to descend into the fountain.
Any other man would have been a gentleman and spare the pride of their "date". Not him though. His hand reached out to grab something.
Something like her shoulder.
They tumbled into the chilled waters of Hillwood's upper-town park's fountain.
Furious just did not do her any justice.
She again looked at him still laughing it up. It was not funny. Not at all. She was cold, and wet, and her beautiful sleek hair was now curly and frizzy. Not that she really cared; it was the principle of the matter.
"Why do you always do this to me?" She asked. He looked at her, still laughing.
"Do what?" He was waiting for a witty, charismatic response, like "leave me high and dry?" Because he was ready and willing with "but you're not, you're low and wet." As he looked at her, he realized this wasn't any type of game.
Her lips were drawn in a tight line. Her eyes were watery and incased with fury. Her cheeks were slightly redden. He stopped laughing and was now awaiting death to come a callin'.
"This." She out stretched her arms.
"I'm sorry Helga. It was an accident." He said, on some level he knew that this was not what she was talking about. On some level, he knew this was what had to be talked about.
"Arnold…" Helga paused, looking up at the sky thoughtfully. "Why are you doing this to me? I mean, I know that you and Riley on some wavelength or another need each other. But why do you keep having to involve me?"
This had to be some kind of test. Damn him for not being good with tests. "Helga… you're his mother, how can I not involve you."
"No. No, you're not just involving me you are involving me." Helga shook her head. Damn her for being the one who could use words to get back at him. "You're not just turning this into a parent plus a parent equals a child. You are trying to create some type of family. Helga plus Arnold plus Riley equals a family. We're not a family. We can never be a family." Helga said. Arnold looked at her.
The thought had been in his mind. He did want a family. He looked over at Helga. In some twisted idealistic way, he knew that somewhere along the line he's meet up with her again. He had no clue it would be this complicated.
"Admit it. Had it not been for Riley, we would not have gotten this far." Helga said. Arnold looked at her. He could imagine her sitting in a fluffed out leather chair using the exact tone and similar words to one of her patients as she doodled in an expensive notebook.
"I can't admit that Helga. Because I don't know if it's true or not." Arnold looked at her, hoping to catch her off guard, to salvage himself. But her lips were still in a line and her eyes were calm. He mused she was like the eye of a storm.
"It's true." She nodded her head curtly. She looked so convinced. Arnold noticed the quiver in her lips, the tremble in her hands, and the way her shoulders feel, just enough to make it hurt.
"Helga…"
"No… you were right." Green eyes again became clouded. "It was a mistake."
"What was?" He had always been the densest of them all.
"That night." Helga hissed, as if there were millions of people listening to them.
"Look, you're mad, I get it. I'm not sure why but—"
"I'm angry at you, ok? I'm angry with myself. I'm angry that I was stupid enough to let you fall into my arms. If there was ever a thing I would take back…" She stopped herself. It wasn't true. She as mere seconds from renouncing her child. She didn't want to do that.
"I'm sorry I took it away from you." Arnold sighed. "I was just so afraid of what it all meant. You were my first time."
Even now, she thought, he could still talk about it casually.
"Guess what, bucko? It was my first time as well." Helga stood up. She didn't know how it got this far or what she meant to say. But screw it.
"Helga!" Arnold grabbed her hand.
Blue eyes crashed dangerous with green eyes.
"Look… ok. I love Riley. I know it sounds illogical and premature. But that kid is everything I've wanted since I was five. He's home. He's family. He's from me as well as you." Arnold's grip tightened as Helga tried to pull away. "You were the most beautiful girl in the school. Long blonde hair, legs for miles, a body to die for. And yet, in my rush to obtain my obsession for so many years, I forgot to see everything else you were. Smart, charismatic, strong, loyal, endearing, an enigma with an infinite amount of answers. But they never fitted you, did they? Never. Look at you… you're successful, charming, a wonderful mother and friend. Tell me how I could not have involved you? So far, after oh so many years, I hate to sound unpractical and premature, but you were the best thing to step back into my life."
Helga looked at him. She averted her eyes.
She was so tired of loving him, only to get hurt again.
It was some screwed up joke.
"I'm going home." Her voice was calm. Blue didn't meet with green, unnerving a reeling Arnold.
"Helga—"
"I get it Arnoldo. I do. But you have to get this," She turned sharply, snatching her hand from his. "I did not wait for you. I never had a real boyfriend or got remarried because I couldn't. I did not come back to Hillwood to see you. Hell, if I had it my way you wouldn't have even known I was still alive, much less that I had your child. So, whatever little game you're playing, I refuse to be involved. I'm no longer waiting for you to notice me. It's not about you anymore."
She turned around and began heading out of the park.
"Where are you going?" He shouted after her.
"To find myself a taxi!"
She had walked out of the huge dinning room to find the bathroom. She wanted to check her hair and make-up. Some how the materialistic value of prom even managed to take control of her.
"You slept with him? Like actually slept with him?" She stopped dead in her tracks as the voice filled the empty hallway.
"What's the big deal?" Another voice shouted.
"You. Cheated. On. Me." The first voice said, slowly and clearly. Almost like he was speaking to a dog. This made her laugh.
She walked a little further and looked around the corner to see Hillwood's second runner-ups for prom queen and king. Arnold and Lila.
"It's not like it meant anything!" Lila shouted. Arnold's eyes were ablaze.
Helga watched with interest.
"That's not the point!" Arnold screamed. Helga took a step back. She never, ever saw him so mad.
"Don't scream at me!" Lila said, and then did what anyone, well with her manipulative skills, would do. Cry.
"Lila… I hardly doubt that you're the one really hurting!"
Lila looked at him, tears subsiding as anger rose. "Fck you."
"Back at ya!" Arnold said. Lila stormed off back towards the banquet. Helga figured the little Barbie doll was going to go cry in the arms of her friends. They would all tell her it was not her fault that Arnold was to blame.
Her attention was turned back to Arnold who was sitting with his face in his hands. To the untrained eye he looked ready to fall apart. But there was something there.
"Arnold?" He looked up and stared at her. He put his face back in his hands.
"How much did you hear?" He mumbled.
"Oh, enough."
Silenced incased them.
"I guess I won't be needing that hotel room." Arnold chuckled slightly more composed. Helga smiled sadly and sat next to him on the couch that was in the lobby area.
"Are you ok?"
"Huh?" He looked at her. "Yeah, yeah, I mean, come on."
Helga nodded a bit. "You deserved better."
"Yeah, I question that sometimes." He sat back and stared at the ceiling. "I thought I had a winner, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know." Helga sighed.
"You owe me a dance." He laughed. Helga smiled a bit.
"Yeah, I know."
That jerk.
Helga sat on a bench waiting for a taxi to drive by, or a bus, or anything really. She placed her face in her hands as she took a deep breath.
How the hell did that just happen?
She lifted up her head and stared at the starry sky. "Are you laughing yet? Is it funny enough for you?"
She sighed as she looked at the ground.
Everything she wanted to say never came out. Like how she was happy Riley now had a father. How she loved it when he looked at her and smiled. Whenever he was near she had butterflies. How she hasn't had butterflies in a long time. Since she was five, she's loved him. As she got older she became realistic and loved him for everything he wasn't.
But no, she had to tell him that she was pretty much done with him. She wasn't though, far from it. She just couldn't trust her heart to him again.
She looked back and sighed. Just like that night so many years ago he wasn't coming after her.
In a perfect world… he would have followed her.
Helga looked at the various trinkets of the hotel room. Arnold decided he was going to sleep over at the hotel instead of going home to random questions.
He explained it was never good to go home and tell you're family you broke up with your girlfriend during prom because she's a slut.
Helga agreed.
She smiled as he laid on the bed, his shoe was kicked off near the door and his tie was thrown on a chair near by. Helga smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Sid had gone out with Harold and Stinky, some senior joke or something. Gerald and Phoebe where probably in their own hotel room, away from the cruel fate of the world.
Now it was just Helga and Arnold.
"You didn't have to stay if you didn't want too. I mean… it's not like you owe it to me." Arnold said, not taking his eyes off the ceiling.
She really didn't owe it to him. Not at all.
"I wanted to save the mini fridge." She shrugged.
"Thanks."
Helga smiled and leaned back a bit, staring at the serene look on his face. Arnold shifted his eyes and smiled as they landed on her pretty face.
"What?" He asked, almost amused.
"Nothing." Helga shook her head. "Does it still hurt?"
"Yeah." Arnold shook his head. "I'm surprised."
"You didn't think it hurt?" Helga asked, slightly shocked.
"No, that you haven't told me "I told you so" yet."
"I wouldn't kick a dog when he's down." Helga smiled.
"Thanks." Arnold laughed.
Helga smiled. She began to stare at the opposite wall when she felt something behind her. She leaned back and relaxed as his arm supported her.
"It really does mean a lot to me that you stayed. I mean, we're not like real friends or anything. I wouldn't blame you if you left now."
Helga stared at his lips. They looked so soft and so inviting. She looked him in the eyes and smiled. "I'm ok."
Arnold smiled as she stared into her beautiful face. When did this little ugly duckling become such a swan? His eyes moved along her face. Somewhere at some point of time Helga had took a change from Bob to Miriam. She even slightly resembled Olga. Except her eyes. Arnold stared into her soft eyes. They were bluer then blues. He tried to compare her eyes to something, but not even the heavens would do her eyes justice.
"You're so beautiful." He whispered hoarsely.
Helga only saw his lips move. She had wanted this moment forever. She moved up closely and kissed him.
It was soft and timid.
Arnold was surprised but didn't deny this feeling. Her kisses were so innocent and fresh. Unlike Lila, hell nothing like Lila.
He didn't hesitate to deepened the kiss, and Helga wasn't ready to let go of a childhood dream.
Who cared if he was heart broken and she was living out a fantasy?
For that night, they were the only ones in the world.
Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Helga sighed as she relaxed in the warm cab. The driver was currently telling her about his failed marriage and his two kids.
Like any decent psychiatrist Helga was mumbling all the right response.
She was happy to return to the Johanson estate.
She opened the door and then locked it.
As she turned back around a small figure stood at the bottom of the stairs. Helga's heart instantly sunk. He was sitting, smiling, one of his smiles, contently waiting for his mother to return.
"Riley it's way past your bedtime." Helga lightly scolded.
"Did you two kiss? Are you getting married?" He asked excitedly.
Helga looked at him and shook her head. "Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."
She kissed him lightly on the forehead and then sent him off to bed.
He looked at her, slightly hurt, but followed her orders.
Helga shook her head and walked into the kitchen to make herself some tea. She stopped as she saw Phoebe sitting at the kitchen table in a bathrobe.
"I'm assuming that means it didn't go well."
Before there are random acts of violence thrown towards me, I promise… PROMISE to have the second part up either tonight or tomorrow morning. There will be no like day in between. I promise I will not make you wait until Monday. So please, please, please, don't go all Kung-fo on me. NOW… yes this is a bit more angsty chapter, but all will be made sense of in the next part. I had to shed some light on the Prom Night. Helga and Arnold were both in a different reality. Arnold needed comfort and Helga wanted her fantasy. I felt adding more would have been too much. SOO there will be a part 2 that will be… "happier". So no attacky Danielly... I think we'll all be much happier with Part 2… Also… THANK YOU!!!! For all those who review, your opinions and everything mean sooo much to me :) Alright… I hope you enjoyed. Next part will be out later tonight or tomorrow morning. Ok? No waiting till Monday.