Hey guys. I am back by popular demand. You all wanted a second chapter, so here it is. Please review and tell me if anything doesn't make sense in this chapter, because I wasn't quite planning on writing it, and it might be a little, you know, unfavorable. But, for the sake of my fans, it is being written. So, without further ado, here it is.
A/n: I know very little about figure skating moves; what they're called, how they're done, or how difficult they are. Please forgive the sparse descriptions of said moves within this chapter. Thank you very much.
Anyway. On with the story
Later that night, Arnold walked home dejectedly. It was official. Lila had dumped him for another guy, some asshole in the senior class.
"You never have time for me anymore." She had said.
"I love him." She had claimed.
Arnold sighed. He didn't really care much, really. Their relationship had been on the rocks for a while now, ever since hockey had started taking up all of his time in sophomore year. Arnold looked up at the starry skies and sighed again. The stars above his head twinkled merrily and they depressed him even more. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and pulled the collar of his coat up over his chin and nose to ward off the cold wind that started blowing. It was only the end of November and already the snow was a few inches high. In preparation for the Christmas holiday, the storeowners had strung lines of white lights through the small trees that lined the sidewalks. As he walked under these very trees, Arnold wondered what he had done to deserve this. He tried to make a list and failed. He didn't notice where he was until he heard music. He looked up and realized that he was standing in front of the down town ice rink. The huge lights were decorated with giant candy canes and snow flakes. Arnold looked across the ice, expecting to see a large crowd of people skating around, and was surprised to only see one person skating around the ice. A girl who was currently skating around the ice backwards was the rink's only occupant. Dressed in jeans and a grey sweatshirt that hung down to her knees, the girl's arms were spread out for balance. Her gloved fingers were splayed out, and her striped scarf whipped out in front of her as she moved. Arnold came over to the edge of the rink and leaned against the board to watch as she skated to the music.
Am I more than you bargained for yet
I've been dying to tell you anything you want to hear
Cause that's just who I am this week
Lie in the grass, next to the mausoleum
I'm just a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song
(A notch in your bedpost, but you're just a line in a song)"
She skated around and jumped into a spin.
"Drop a heart, break a name
We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team"
"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
She spun around into a small tight circle close to the ice
"Is this more than you bargained for yet
Oh don't mind me I'm watching you two from the closet
Wishing to be the friction in your jeans
Isn't it messed up how I'm just dying to be him
I'm just a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song
(Notch in your bedpost, but you're just a line in a song)"
She did another jump.
"Drop a heart, break a name
We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team"
"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
"Down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
As the music slowed down, so did the girl. She skated around the ice with one skate in the air, as she leaned forward on the other.
"We're going down, down in an earlier round (Take aim at myself)
And Sugar, we're going down swinging (Take back what you said)
I'll be your number one with a bullet (Take aim at myself)
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
"We're going down, down (down, down)
Down, down (down, down)
We're going down, down (down, down)
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
"We're going down, down in an earlier round (Take aim at myself)
And Sugar, we're going down swinging (Take back what you said)
I'll be your number one with a bullet (Take aim at myself)
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"
As the last phrase was said, the girl did another triple jump. Arnold applauded the girl's performance. The girl jumped at the applause and looked over in his direction. Then she skated over. It wasn't until she was standing right in front of his that he realized who it was;
"Helga? I didn't know you knew how to figure skate!" He said, startled.
Helga grinned. She brushed a few stray strands of her blonde hair out of her face and behind her ears.
"I didn't know you liked to watch."
"Well, I uh…"
"I was just kidding around, Arnold."
"Arnold? No football head, or Arnaldo?"
"That was when I was pissed at the world."
"Really."
"Yeah. SO, what brings you all the way down here?"
"I was just walking by, and I saw you skating around, so I came over to watch."
"Hmmm, you don't seem like the 'just walking by' type. There's got to be a reason why you were here and not somewhere else."
"You want the truth?"
"Truth is good." Helga said. She skated over to his right side and leaned against the boards. He leaned her chin on her fist and looked at him intently.
"I have no idea why I am compelled to tell you this, just so you know."
"I'm told that I'm a good listener. Maybe that's why people are so willing to spill their guts to me."
"Whatever. Anyway, Lila just left me for some idiot in the senior class."
"Oh, harsh."
"Yeah. I'm in this particular part of town because the I hoped that the ride on the subway and the lights would, you know, help. But they didn't do their job, I guess. I'm still totally bummed out, but not for the reasons I'm sure you're thinking of. You see, the thing is that I don't care that she dumped me for some reason. I know I should, but I really don't care."
"Why are you bummed out then?"
"I really don't know."
"Hmmm. May I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything."
"Did you love her?"
"I thought I did, but now, well, now I'm not so sure."
"I'm not a love doctor, but I would say that if you don't care that she ditched you, then you didn't love her as much as you thought you did."
"You're probably right."
"For once, I wish I wasn't."
"Why is that?"
"Because sometimes the truth hurts."
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault. It was a long time in coming anyway. I was trying to think of a nice way to break up with her, but she beat me to the punch."
"Again, I'm sorry."
"I don't want to be pitied."
"I don't pity you."
"Thanks."
"Hmmm."
A moment of silence passed between them. Then, Helga stood up and said
"Hey, you want to skate with me?"
Arnold looked up at her for a moment, and then broke out into a smile.
"Sure. Why not?"
A note from the worm
Ta-da! What do you think? Is it as good as chapter one? If you're wondering, I'll touch on the whole adoption thing next chapter. Please forgive me for not putting it in with this one, but I needed a plan for next chapter. I'm hoping that chapter four will come to me while I'm in the process of writing chapter three, which, as of right now is dubbed 'Helga's Story'. Tune in next time!