Prodigy

It was the ugliest office Bob ever seen in his life - and he saw many ugly offices since he lead his own company. The woman sitting behind the huge desk, deciding about the future of her students - behaving like she just escaped from some cheesy movie, like "Dangerous Minds". .

"A sophisticated teacher who can see the real faces of her students." But Bob knew the problem was, Miss Summers couldn't understand the complex personality of a comic book character, not to talk about real children. He was expecting, when will the teacher recommend a military career to Helga, the most sensitive, artistic person Bob ever knew.

"You're wrong Ms. Summers." - Bob said in an angry tone.

"Excuse me..." - the woman asked. It was unusual for a parent like Bob telling her she's wrong about a student, in her own office.

"It's mainly my fault, she behaves this way, but Helga has a lot more potential than you could imagine. If you ever took the energy to look behind her "Bully act"."

"Mr. Pataki..."

"She even fooled me. But that's not so surprising, I'm a simple businessman, but you are an educated pedagogue. I bought a school paper as I came in, there is an Anonymous poet writing in it regularly. Do you have any idea who is that?"

"Well, for you're information I'm pretty sure, the author of those fantastic poems is one of my head students, Lila Sawyer..."

"The cheerleader? I heard about her. She's just the kind of deep, meaningful person who's writing such popular poems and novels, and then she's hiding it was her." - Bob said as she stood up - "Sorry for you're time Ms. Summers, but I'm afraid you can't help me."

"Mr. Pataki, I don't know who do you think you are..."

"Me either Ms. Summers. Me either." - he said, as he left the office. He knew he probably pissed off the one person who can make Helga's life more miserable than it is already, but he couldn't help it. Maybe he will send a check to the school library, to settle this little incident.

He was just about leaving the school, when Helga stepped in his way.

"Hey Bob. I see you're busy." - she said. Bob hoped pretty much he won't meet Helga here. She took a long look on her daughter. While the other girls she saw walking on the corridors were almost ladies, Helga still looked like an angry little kid. She was beautiful of course - even in her baseball hat, and in her shirt, that was two sizes bigger that necessary. But not the way a girl her age should be.

"Helga.... Hello missy." - Bob said - "How you doing?"

"How "I" doing?" - Helga asked angrily. - "What are you thinking..." - Harold just ran to her, didn't let her finish.

"Helga, Mr. Boyle is looking for you all over the place. He says if you ditching class again..."

"I'm busy pink boy." - Helga said - "Nadine owes me, tell her to call Boyle to the phone right now trough the school radio. I'll be back in class when he returnes."

"Okay." - Harold said as he run away to find Nadine.

"What was that?"

"Listen Bob, this is my territory." - she said - "It's pretty hard to run this place, even without you're messing with me here.. Crimney, I thought we had a silent bargain - I don't disturb you at you're precious "Emporium" and you don't come here, unless you have to."

"I never said you can't visit me at the office..." - Bob said.

"No, you only said, "Leave me alone Olga, can't you see I'm busy?"- Helga answered.

"MR. BOYLE, PLEASE COME TO THE TEACHER'S PHONE, THERE IS AN URGENT CALL FROM YOU'RE FIANCÉ." - Nadine said trough the speakers suddenly.

"Wouldn't he suspect something, if there's nobody in the phone?"

"We're doing this to him on daily basis, convincing him, it's Wolfgang making prank calls, for being suspended. That guy has a lot to answer for too." - Helga said.

"You know, if you would try to be a little less Machiavellian, it would solve a lot of you're problems." - Bob said.

"Since when do you care about my problems." - she asked - "And most importantly, since when do you know who's Machiavelli? It was a question on The Wheel?"

"Listen Helga, you have every reason to think I'm a monster, or an idiot. But..."

"But what? Crimney Bob, leave a note for me on the fridge, I have to go to class..."

"Would you stop being such a pain in the ass?!" - Bob said angrily. It was the first time in his life he used such words with his daughter. He never cared enough, to be really angry with her - "Let me put it this way. This afternoon, you and I are going to spend some well needed quality time together, or I'll hang out here drinking coffee with you're teachers every afternoon!" - he said. Helga just stood there - her dad never behaved this... well, dad-like before. She hated the idea of a "Happy dad-doughtier afternoon" - the last one ended up in disaster. But for some reason, she didn't feel like opposing Bob - which was strange, because opposing Bob was like breathing for her.

"Okay." - she answered a little scared, and the she turned around, heading for class. Then she turned around. - "Where are we going?"

"Shopping. You're mother is not exactly in the condition to show you how a girl you're age should dress. Not to talk about other things." - he said. He never talked about Miriam's condition before - it was a number one rule in the family. And Bob wants to take her shopping? Mr. white-belt? How weird is that?

It came out Bob didn't only take her shopping, but to a really fancy place to make her hair and a beautician who took care of her skin.

"Crimney Bob, you really think I will let that strange woman touch my face?" - she asked. - "I don't need this stuff! You should have taken me a wrestling match or something, if you so wanted to be with me!"

"You're fourteen missy. This "rough little girl thing" was cute, when you were younger, but a girl you're age must care about how she looks. Trust me, he's gonna be all over you."

"Who?" - Helga asked as she raised her eyebrow.

"Boys. They're gonna be all over you." - Bob said.

"Whatever makes you happy." - Helga answered, as she sit into "The Chair".

Bob was right of course. Next day, they were all over her.

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Next: Enter Football-head

Bob has taken the first steps on his long journey in becoming a real father. Now Helga will have to make her steps, in becoming a woman, with the most unlikely guide.