Chapter 10:"The Blossoms of the Heart"
Helga pushed the doors of the cafeteria and sluggishly walked back to her friend Phoebe. With a heavy sigh, she plopped into her seat.
Phoebe blinked. "Is everything alright, Helga?" inquired her friend.
Helga poked her food with a fork and replied softly, "Yeah, I'm OK."
Helga does not look OK. I wonder what happened while she left…, Phoebe thought as she glanced at her food.
The two of them continued to eat there lunch. As they ate it remained, uncomfortably quite. Phoebe did not wish to ask Helga what had happened to her when she left, since she figured Helga didn't want to talk about it. And in which case, she was right. In the meantime, Helga became lost in her own mind, pondering what her next move would be. Doubt engulfed her, she was beginning of losing her confidence that she could be nice. It was hard for her to do, since she was used to pounding her fists and stomping around for so long, all of a sudden changing those ways was a difficult task. Still, she wanted to change, it was just hard for her to accomplish. And overcoming the impossible for Arnold is what Helga G. Pataki lives for.
¤+In the Cafeteria+¤
Riiiinngg!
Helga looked up. Lunch is over already? Boy, time sure flies when your moping around, Helga thought and threw away her lunch. Hey! What am I saying! I've gotta get this "Woe-Is-me" crap out of my head! I've gotta be nice! For Arnold and country!
Helga, Phoebe, and the others in the cafeteria, flooded out of the lunch room and went to their classes.
As Helga and Phoebe walked around a corner, Helga said, "Well, Pheebs, I think it's about time I put "Operation Kindness" into action."
Phoebe looked at Helga and said, "That's good, Helga, but how do you propose you start being nice?"
"I got it all figured out," Helga stated as they reached their classroom.
While Phoebe reached to open the door, Helga shoved her way in front of her and opened it for Phoebe.
"Thank you, Helga," Phoebe said.
Helga replied, "Yep. This is my plan. I'm going to be a temporary door-woman."
"I suppose that's a start, Helga. Well, I'll see you inside."
"Later, Phoebe."
Helga stood out there holding the door open for everyone in her class. As each one of her classmates went inside, she greeted them with, "Heya Stinkmister!"-"Hey Pinkboy, how's life treating ya?"-"What's cracking, Rhonda?"-"Hello, Li-la"- and other greetings like that. Most of the time Helga got a confused look, but some people thanked her. Like Lila, and Arnold. Lila thanked her with a perfect thank you and Arnold…
Helga stood out holding the door open and said, "Hey Arnold, how's it going? And Gerald, how's the family treating ya?"
Gerald gave Helga a confused look and Arnold replied with, "Well, I'm doing fine. Thank you Helga."
With a finger pointing pose pointed at Arnold, Helga said, "No prob, Arnold."
The two boys continued inside and went to there seats in the front row.
Arnold's side
"What was that all about?" inquired Gerald with his strange look of confusion still upon his face.
Arnold glanced at Helga, who was walking to her seat in back of them, and whispered, "I'm not sure. Today, Helga's been acting very strange."
"Arnold, strange defines Helga G. Pataki, "remarked the tall haired boy.
"Gerald…"
"I know-I know-I'm just saying. "
Arnold shook his head. I hope everything is alright with her. I mean, first this morning when she trips me, then when we bumped into each other in the hallway and she start acting really odd, and then, she hold the door for me and acts nice towards me, Arnold thought, smiling a little. Hmmmm, maybe I should talk to her when I get a chance.
Helga's side
Well, that worked according to plan. Now, to wait it out and see what happens next, thought Helga as she walked towards her seat. The pig tail girl sat in her seat and sighed. This is going to work! Its gotta!, she thought and glanced at her love, who sat in front of her.
As she glanced at Arnold she heard his friend say, "Arnold, strange defines Helga G. Pataki."
"What! I otta deck that tall haired little freak!", growled Helga, as she craked 'Ol betsy with her left hand. "Strange doesn't define me! The word that does is…"she paused to think and sadly thought, misunderstood.
While she thought, a middle-age balding man walked in. "Class, settle down class, "said Mr. Simmons , "I have some very exciting and special news!"
The whole class fell silent. What is he talking about? The whole class thought.
Mr. Simmons smiled and said, "As you all know, you will be going to the fifth grade in 1 month, so for a celebrative send off, I have ask the principal if I could-"
Harold waved his arms in the air and shouted, "Ye-ah! Were having a party! Ye-ah!"
"No, Harold, its even better then that," their teacher said with anticipation, "Were hosting a 'Play'!"
Everyone slouched back into their seats. Just another one of those 'special' plays Mr. Simmons always seems to host, the whole class thought, What we really should be doing is a party not some lame play….
"Well, what play are we doin'?" asked Stinky in his country folk tone.
Mr. Simmons pulled out a script form his teacher case and showed the name of the play: "The Blossoms of the Heart". "Were doing one of the most prestigious play ever written! 'The Blossoms of the Heart!' Isn't that exciting!"
Sid crossed his arms and said, "'The Blossoms of the Heart'?' It sounds like its going to be another mushy love story. When are we going to do a play without that cheezy love stuff!"
"Of course, 'The Blossoms of the Heart' is a 'special' romantic play, but it also has plenty of action in the ploy. You see class, 'The Blossoms of the Heart' is a wonderful play, set in present day, about two opposites in love," at this point you can hear the whole class groan…Its 'Romeo and Juliet' all over again!, thought the class, "The girl, 'Janice', comes from a Biker gang called 'Dark Thunder', and the boy comes from a wealthy family. Although they were born into different family's, when the two meet it was almost like love at first sight."
"Alright, this defiantly sounds like were doing 'Romeo and Juliet' again, "Harold said.
"Well, Harold, I guess you can say it is like 'Romeo and Juliet', but like 'Romeo and Juliet' the action in it speaks for itself, "stated Mr. Simmons.
"What action?"
"As the two secretly date, the leader of 'Dark Thunder' finds out about their relasonship and finds Kyle, the kind boy in love with Janice. The leader and Kyle engage in a brutal battle for a time, until Janice comes to stop the brawling. Then, the leader tells her, and I quote," he opened the script and powerfully said " 'Chose, Janice! You're either with us, or with him! But if you chose him, don't ever expect us to help you again!' So…" The whole class was completely and utterly silent. Everyone was interested in "The Blossoms of the Heart". Even Helga found herself interested. "Now, if you want to know what she choice is, then come after school to audition for 'special' parts of "The Blossoms of the Heart"."
Annoyed, the class agued, they where going to participate in this play.
