Somewhere in Between

By: Broken Shadow Dragon

Chapter 3:

Helga walked slowly toward the double red doors. Arnold jogged up beside her, "Hey Helga I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you at lunch today."

"It's all right. Hey um can I meet somewhere tonight?"

"Sure, where?"

"The Vacant Lot. Frankie's going out with his friends tonight, so I'll have some free time. I'll be there around 8:00. Sound good?"

"Yeah that's fine."

"Okay I gotta go. Frankie's waiting. See ya tonight."

"See ya."

Arnold spent the rest of the day in a daze. He couldn't wait for this meeting with Helga. At 8:00 on the dot Arnold and Helga met each other at the same time in front of The Vacant Lot. Helga pulled her small windbreaker around her shoulders, "This place has a lot of memories, huh?"

"Yeah…" Arnold put his hands in his pockets, "So uh what's up?"

"I lied to you today. Frankie did hit me."

"I figured as much."

"I want to get out but…well...I can't."

"Why?"

"He threatens to kill me if I ever left him."

"That could be a problem. Why don't you talk to your parents?"

"They don't want to listen to me. Besides they can't protect me from Frankie."

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"Frankie started hitting me a year after we started dating. I brought Frankie to meet my parents when I was 16. Let's see we started dating when I was 15…so yeah I was still 16. Anyway my dad told me we had to break up right there in front of Frankie. He hated Frankie and he wouldn't tolerate me dating him. But once we were alone Frankie pinned me against a wall and said if I ever tried to leave him he would kill me. That happened four months before our junior year ended. And after I turned 17 at the beginning of the summer I moved in with him."

"That was what 6 months ago. Surely they have changed by now."

"I don't know Arnold."

"It's worth a shot. Come on." He took her hand and led her to her parents' house.

"Arnold, are sure this is a good idea?" she asked as he rang the bell.

"Too late to turn back now." He said. The door slid open and Miriam appeared.

"Mom…"

"Helga…oh sweetie is it really you?" she asked pulling Helga into the light of the hallway, "Oh my baby look at you…what happen to your face?" she asked touching Helga's lip.

She pulled from her mother's touch, "Sorry it's still kinda tender."

"What happened to you?"

Helga opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by Bob's voice, "Miriam who is it?"

"It's our daughter B."

"I thought Olga wasn't coming home for another 2 weeks."

"No B our other daughter, Helga"

Bob stepped into the hallway light, "I don't have a daughter named Helga."

"Bob please."

"No mom it's ok. I didn't expect to be welcomed here anyway. I gotta get home. I've got some homework to finish." She turned and walked out the door with tears in her eyes.

"Bob…why did you do that?" Miriam demanded.

"She picked that boy over us Miriam. She's not my kid anymore."

"Did you even see her face? Bob that boy had to have hit her. Just like I suspected."

"Well it's not our problem. She doesn't live here anymore." With that Bob disappeared upstairs.

Helga marched down the sidewalk frantically wiping her tears away, "Helga…wait up" Arnold caught her arm and stopped her. "Calm down."

"I told you this was bad idea." She said.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you there."

"No it's not your fault. My dad…Listen I gotta get home. Frankie's gonna be back soon. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and walked toward her apartment.