Chapter 7: Acting No More

If Helga had been a little cold toward Arnold before, it was nothing in comparison to how she was acting now. English class was hell, not only because Mr. Broddenham had a smug look on his face for making the potentially brightest student in his class retake a tesk, but because Helga had to retake the test. She had been in the hall since before school started, and was still out there. Mr. Broddenham was talking to the class with a sort of air one would not normally obtain having just forced a genius to retake a test.

"So, who really understands Mr. Cummings anyway?" Mr. Broddenham drawled. "He wrote his poetry so that no one could understand it, simple enough. That's why it's so damn popular."

"But, sir…"

"No, Miss Hyerdahl, don't you understand? That's the so-called 'genius' behind Cummings, complete mumbo jumbo." In that moment, Arnold saw what Helga had seen in their professor since the first day of the term…something he and the rest of the class had failed to notice.

"Who can tell me the meaning of Buffalo Bill's Defunct, huh?" Mr. Broddenham slapped a transparency onto the overhead and turned it on, illuminating the magical words onto the whiteboard. "Who can honestly tell me what Mr. Cummings is saying?"

"Helga could," a strong voice came from the middle of the classroom. Mr. Broddenham looked beyond shocked.

"Arnold, Miss Pataki clearly doesn't know what she's talking about…"

"Of course she does, you just don't have an open mind to her opinions."

"Well if we're going to talk about open minds, I'd say she's lacking one too."

"She never said you were wrong, she only disagreed with your points." This was Phoebe who chimed in. Arnold smiled in her direction for the support and then added, "I think you're the one who doesn't understand the content, Mr. Broddenham."

The class went silent, even the usual cricket in the corner could not be heard. Arnold had just done something serious…talking back to a teacher like that. That deserved punishment, no…it deserved a failing grade. Instead, Mr. Broddenham walked in front of Arnold's desk and looked him deathly into the eyes.

"You dare to take a stab at the poem?" Arnold glared back with equal fervor. What he didn't see was Helga poke her head into the room to see what all the commotion was about.

"Yeah, I do." Mr. Broddenham waved his hand a bit nervously toward the print on the wall. Arnold stared long and hard at the words once written by a famous man…words that few understood, and that he would need to understand within the next few moments.

"Care for me to read it aloud to you, Arnold?" The teacher asked smugly.

"If it helps you." Mr. Broddenham sneered and walked to the back of the classroom.

Okay,

Buffalo Bill's

defunct

who used to

ride a watersmooth-silver

stallion

and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat

Jesus

he was a handsome man

and what i want to know is

how do you like you blueeyed boy

Mister Death

So Buffalo Bill is the character, he seems to be recallingt a showdown, and he…

Arnold got excited, he knew what it was about…

"Well, Mr. Broddenham, it's simple enough to assume that Buffalo Bill is the narrator of this poem and that he's reminiscing his own life and death…" The teacher's jaw grew slack…this was obviously all coming together for him now.

"Buffalo Bill is telling the reader how good of a rider he was, how good of a shot he had, and was wondering how he died after being able to escape death so well…" Helga was beaming from the doorway.

"I get it now!" Someone from the back shouted. Everyone around Arnold started whispering and making comments about the poem while Mr. Broddenham stood slack in the back of the room as the bell rang and people filed out. As Arnold was leaving the room with a few pats on the back, Helga stood up and stopped him from leaving.

"Hey, uh…football head…" he looked shocked for a moment and she looked down at her feet. He wiped the look of shock off his face and smiled to encourage her. "That was some good thinking you did in there, put that bastard of a teacher in his place."

Arnold smiled warmly. "Thanks, Helga." She thumped him on the back and smiled back.

"You'd better not be late to the show tonight, Arnoldo." Arnold only laughed.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He started walking away, completely elated from her words. Praise coming from her, it was rare, and he wanted to remember it for a long time to come.

"Hey Arnold!" Someone called from behind him. When he turned around, Phoebe Hyerdahl was running to catch up with him, a large grin on her face.

"She couldn't believe you stood up for her like that, Arnold…" He looked down at his feet. "No, really! Granted she was surprised that you knew so much about English, but she was really proud of you, Arnold. All you need to do is gain her trust." He nodded in agreement. What Phoebe didn't know was that he had a plan, something that was fool proof, and wouldn't fail again.

Arnold looked down at his left arm that was finally free from the cast and marched on into the day.


"Phoebe, what the hell am I doing?" Phoebe looked up from her lunch to throw an inquisitive stare in her direction.

"What do you mean, Helga?"

"I mean, why is this so hard for me? I love Arnold, he said he loved me, so why can't I just let him love me?" Phoebe set her cup of tapioca pudding down and adjusted her glasses.

"It's a simple method that Freud explained some time ago about the subconscious…"

"English, Phoebe."

"Right. Basically, because you didn't have a good relationship with your own father or mother, it is hard for you to trust people well enough for them to get close to you. By no means are you doing it intentionally, but instead you are subconsciously protecting yourself from getting hurt emotionally. Your subconscious has decided that it would suffer less from pining for him than from breaking up with him…"

"Wait wait wait, Phoebe, you're jumping the gun here, breaking up with him? We haven't even started going out yet."

"Yes, but that is how your subconscious is working. It plans ahead to prevent potentially harmful events in the future. That is what makes you a very sensible person, Helga. Your subconscious is always prepared. Some people have no inner mind and instead throw themselves at whoever is around, ultimately getting hurt in the end. You could say your parents' neglection in your earlier years helped build this block in your mind."

Helga couldn't even say anything…she could only sit there and stare at Phoebe, her half-eaten sandwich limp in her hands.

"Those sons of bitches."

"Look, Helga, I know it's a lot to handle, love and everything, but it's also something you're very capable of doing."

"Wait a minute, Phoebes, when we started this whole thing, you told me to work on the play so that I could get over Arnold, and now you're telling me to go for it?"

"Previously I wasn't sure of his intentions toward you, but after having discussed the situation thoroughly with him…"

"Woah woah, wait a minute…you talked to HIM about this?"

"You said it yourself, Helga, he all ready knows…in fact, you all ready know. I don't know why you're worried that I talked to him about this."

"I-I don't know, I just…"

"I know."

"So he definitely said…"

"Very much so."

"I see." Helga got up, leaving her half-eaten sandwich on the table and walked out of the lunch room, leaving Phoebe to sit in the middle of the lunch room by herself. Seeing this opportunity, a dark-skinned man with tall hair sauntered over to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek, though lingering there for a while. Phoebe smiled.

"Hi Gerald."

"She fuck him yet?"

"No."

"Man, that girl's gotta lighten up. Arnold's a wreck."

"Where is he?"

"In the auditorium." Phoebe smiled.

"Good, because I think that's where Helga's headed right now."


Arnold needed a break from everything, from everyone…but especially from her. The girl who had once bullied and tormented him mercilessly was now driving him insane. He couldn't handle her mood swings…he needed some peace and quiet, and a place that reminded him of her.

That's how Arnold found himself in the auditorium of their high school.

Arnold looked around the large room; looked at the scenery all ready for that night. He could almost picture himself onstage, speaking the words of Oberon in a proud voice, but Sheena was not his Titania, oh no. It was Helga…

Titania, the fairy queen of Oberon. He wanted more than anything in the world to ask Sheena to bow out and let Helga play the part, if only tonight.

Suddenly, the doors to the auditorium burst wide open and a frazzled looking Helga came bursting in, not even seeing Arnold sitting on the side of the darkened stage.

"Why do I do this to myself?" Helga cried, much like she did in her ranting days. "Why must my subconscious torture me so?" Arnold wanted to speak, but instead he let her get out whatever was on her chest.

"So what if he loves me back and my deepest dreams are finally surfacing? My heart is shattering into a million pieces just thinking that he loves me. Why do I resent love so much, yet need it so desperately? Of course, I'd love to think we could love each other and leave it at that, but love is not all there is…how could I live if we broke up…"

"Then we'd never break up." Helga looked up, startled, and traced the voice to Arnold, who was walking toward her. "Helga, I love you…what else do you want from me?"

"A-arnold?"

"Helga, this scares me too, but I'm more scared with how much I love you." He was nearing her.

She was backing up. "I could never live if something happened, you know that, right?"

"I know, but wouldn't you be happier if we both felt love together?" He could almost touch her.

Her back hit the wall behind her. "I would never breathe again, I would die from horror, from shock…"

"We could be happier if we shared everything, instead of keeping it inside…" Arnold put his hands on her arms.

Helga tensed up, but relaxed with a shiver as he massaged her arms. "I can't fathom it, your love for me when it's been unrequited for so long, Arnold." He let go of her arms and stared at her. "All my life, any love I've harbored for anyone, especially the love I've felt for you, has never been returned. It's so much easier for me to love from afar…it's safe and I can predict it. Hearing that you love me, I wonder if it's real, or how long it could last…"

"This is forever, Helga." He grabbed hold of her arms again and gave her a small shake. "This is it for me. I could never love anyone this much, not even if you died…I could never search for anyone else. The day you die, I die." His eyes were leaking tears. It scared her, to see him worked up like this…to see the reflection of passion in his words. She almost felt as though she had said them herself.

This made her cry along with him. For the first time in her life, Helga Pataki pulled the sobbing form of her undying love into her arms and let him weep on her shoulder. She joined him as they sank to the floor together, merely holding each other in silence.

"If-if we got together, I'd never be able to part from you." Arnold lifted his head from her shoulder.

"We'd never break up…"

"No, I don't mean that…I mean I'd never be able to be apart from you." She looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her in this moment. "Being away from you would kill me. I'd be too clingy."

"I'd be the same way."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. Helga, I would kill men that kept me away from you." Arnold never talked of murder, no. He was a Samaritan, a good man. A man that promoted peace in the world and solved problems. Benevolent, in many opinions, but Helga now thought of him as primal; animalistic. He was now like her, the passion in his love for her driving out all reason and sense.

So she acted on instinct, pushing him to the floor and encasing him with her arms, straddling him on either side. Before he could get a breath out she kissed him with all the energy she had. Gathering up anything left in him, he pulled her body flush against his and gave her exactly what she wanted. It wasn't enough, for either of them. They needed something…something more. For the moment at hand, they simply kissed and let electricity pass through and bond them tighter. This was until, electricity wasn't enough, and something more was ensued. Phoebe and Gerald found them like this, groping and utterly oblivious to an audience quite relentless to view much more. They left Arnold and Helga in the auditorium to work out their differences…or rather, similarity, with wide eyes and pale skin. A discussion was necessary…later of course. For now, Phoebe and Gerald walked on to class, leaving the awkward topic for another time.


It was opening night. Not a seat was empty. Everyone in the school wanted to see the wonder Helga Pataki herself had ingeniously pulled together. Even William Thornstock, the stuffy Hollywood director had gotten clearance from his doctors to attend the play. Of course, he was expecting a complete mess of lines that had once been Shakespeare. He wasn't aware that a young woman was soon to blow years of work he had done with actors right out the window.

The lights dimmed, and a single spotlight focused on a center point in the middle of the stage. Arnold pulled his lips from Helga long enough to mumble something incoherent.

She laughed as he ran his lips along her neck. "What did you say?"

"I think you're supposed to go on." Helga looked up at the stage.

"Shit."

"I love you," he mumbled as she ran onto stage, looking quite dishevled and puffy-lipped from where he had just ravished her. It made him smile.

Helga took a few deep breaths to steady herself and try to remember what she was supposed to say. "Thank you, everyone for coming here tonight." She was almost speechless to see the house packed. "This show has been a surprise for me, and has fallen into place just in time. Things were a bit rocky at first, but everything worked out in the end." Arnold smiled.

"Yeah, I have nothing more to say, so I'll let the actors speak for themselves. Enjoy the show." Everyone clapped as Helga exited the stage and made her way into the audience. The curtains pulled back to produce a brilliant set, feeling as though every member of the audience was pulled into it. Then, it started.

"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man revenue."

Though the language was confusing, the audience could relate; could understand every word as though they spoke the Shakespearian language each day of their life. Helga had taught the actors to tell their message instead of speaking it. When Arnold came on stage, the whole world stopped as Helga took in his beauty; the handsome figure that she could call a part of her own. The salient young man, was now the man who loved her.

"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania." Arnold walked across the stage, glittering in gold fabric and sparkles, looking much like a fairy. He was to speak these lines to Titania, but he sought Helga out in the audience and fixed his gaze on her.

Arnold performed most magnificently…in Helga's biased opinion, he was the best one out there. Someone who had surprised her, was Curly, who fit his part most perfectly.

"About the wood go swifter than the wind," Arnold was gesturing wildly.
"And Helena of Athens look thou find:
All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer,
With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear:
By some illusion see thou bring her here:
I'll charm his eyes against she do appear."

"I go, I go; look how I go,
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow." Curly hopped on the bicycle Helena had carelessly dropped and rode off stage to the audience's chortling. Helga noticed that even Thornstock was laughing.

As the play was nearing to a close, Helga saw something out of the corner of her eye that surprised her beyond all belief.

Mr. Broddenham had walked into the theater.

Curly was the last person on stage, and he looked into the audience, at no person in particular. He just looked to the people.

"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."

He laughed manically and ran off stage. At first, not a person knew what to say. Suddenly, a single person could be heard applauding. All eyes turned to the sound to see William Thornstock in tears, clapping as though his life depended on it. Slowly, the people around him began to clap as well and Mr. Broddenham walked over to Helga.

"Stand up, Pataki." Helga looked at him quizzically, but obeyed. As she stood up, the applause grew as all the actors came out on stage and cheered Helga. Her smile broke out into a grin as she started to turn pink in the cheeks. The applause turned into a roar of approval as the audience and actors cheered for Helga. She looked up to the stage and saw Arnold doing nothing but smiling at her. That smile meant everything to her. Looking around, she took in the moment that began her road to success…the first thing she had done in her life to receive praise. A few tears escaped her eyes and she sat down, as to prevent herself from fainting.

Mr. Broddenham took her by the arm and escorted her from the theater as people followed, asking her question upon question about the play. She stood there for the longest time answering them and accepting praise. It was a strange experience for her, people actually telling her that her work was acceptional.

"Helga! The performance was even more wonderful than I had fathomed!" Phoebe came running from back stage and drew Helga into a big hug. Helga laughed and hugged her friend back.

"Thank you for making me do this, Phoebs."

"Anytime, Helga."

"Don't I get a hug?" Helga let go of Phoebe and turned around. There was Arnold, still dressed in glitter and gold. She smiled and threw her arms around him, not only hugging him deeply, but kissing him deeper. A few catcalls and whistles were thrown out, but for the first time, Helga did not care. She would not allow herself to be embarrassed. For the first time in her life, she was happy. The man she loved was contentedly in her arms and loved her back. The magic she had dreamed of nightly had finally come true.

There's a place in our lives where all insanity seems reality. For Arnold and Helga, that was this moment. Where insanity turns into passion and love, and it all seems to be a dream. Every moment is spent wondering whether this life is just a dream, or if reality can truly be just as wonderful. We all wonder, at one point in our lives, if insanity, is equal to love. Helga Pataki will say that her life is wildly insane as all the oceans of the world calm and she can swim in the pools of love, finally accompanied by another.


Wow…that's the end…It was a good run and I loved writing this story. I've been thinking of a sequel...if I get enough reviews, I will write one. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and please visit my other stories. :) Until I write again,

C ya l8ter!

Arnoldnhelga4eva