Deceit, Treachery, and Lies - Part 2
It took a while, but Arnold and Helga gradually got more and more comfortable around each other. Helga even began to forget that she wasn't really pregnant since she was so wrapped up in the whole idea of it. Arnold had finally broke it to his grandparents that he wasn't going to college anymore, but he told them it was because he'd had a change of heart. And in a sense, he had. Each day he became less and less annoyed that he was waking up a husband. He no longer cared that he couldn't date anymore, and he could barely even remember ever wanting to go to college. His first big shocker was when he woke up one morning with his arms wrapped tightly around Helga, and it just felt...right. Anytime it had happened before, the two would break apart abruptly, blushing and muttering about 'getting ready for the day' and 'needing to use the restroom' and such.
That one morning though, Helga was still sleeping. A small smile graced her face as she dozed peacefully, and Arnold could only stare down at her in wonder. How had he gotten so lucky? Weren't these types of things supposed to ruin your life? The two were pretty well off, too. Arnold had gotten a job for a local newspaper, plus they were still living in the boarding house for now. Helga had tried to get a job too, but Arnold promptly refused, saying she needed to rest in the upcoming months.
Arnold smiled and brushed some hair back from Helga's face, planting a kiss on her forehead. That was the most they had done in the month and a half that they'd been married; a small kiss on the forehead here, a hug there, none of the activities that most newly weds participated in, but they were content all the same.
Helga yawned slightly, her eyelids fluttering as she began to awake. She rubbed her palm across her eyes before finally opening them fully. She was greeted with the sight of Arnold looking down at her, smiling.
"Morning, sunshine," he said, his smile widening. Helga grinned. She still wasn't used to waking up next to him everyday. Or wrapped up in his arms either, for that matter.
"Hey," she greeted softly. She glanced over at the clock, and sat up quickly. "Arnold, you're gonna be late for work if you don't get up." Arnold shrugged.
"I was too comfortable," he replied, pulling Helga back down into the bed. His arms quickly found their place around her waist again, but this time he rested his hands on her lower stomach. Helga's heart nearly skipped a beat. "Do you think it's a boy or girl?" he mused quietly. "I hate calling the baby and 'it.'" Helga frowned, placing a hand over his.
"Dunno," she replied. They had these types of conversations every so often, and it was at these times that Helga hated their marriage. She felt like they were living a lie, which WAS true. She knew she loved Arnold, as she always had, and while he seemed to be getting used to having her around, Helga knew it was only because he was taking up the responsibility of being a father. In any other situation, he wouldn't have married Helga. He'd married her because he'd felt he'd HAD to, and Helga hated that. That, and then there was the fact that one of these days, she was going to have to tell him that there WAS no baby. And then what? "Come on," she said, patting his hand. "We need to get up." Arnold sighed, but released her.
"So what're you going to do today?" he asked, pulling a shirt out of his closet. Helga shrugged.
"Phoebe and I are going shopping for baby clothes. We aren't going to buy anything yet, though. I don't know if we could afford it, plus I figured we should wait until we know the gender of the baby." Arnold nodded.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He disappeared down the stairs and into the bathroom while Helga got herself ready for a day at the mall. A few minutes later, he came back up to grab his wallet. "I'm going," he said, leaning down and giving Helga, who was sitting in front of his computer and staring at the screen, a kiss on the cheek. He was almost out the door when Helga stood up and called out to him.
"Arnold!" she said, almost nervously. He turned around in the doorway and sent her a questioning look as she approached him. She didn't look at him as she tightened his tie and smoothed out any wrinkles in his shirt, feeling very much like the wife she was playing. She paused suddenly, resting her hands on his chest and sighing. Then, reaching up to cup his face, she pulled him down to her, kissing him passionately for the first time (that she could remember) in years.
It took a second for him to respond, but he did willingly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Finally, almost a full minute later, Helga broke off the kiss.
"Well," she said breathlessly. "I'll see you tonight, football-head!" Arnold smirked at her.
"Tonight," he replied, and turned and headed down the stairs. Helga stared after him for a second, before turning to look around his room. It hadn't changed much since the fourth grade, and Helga suddenly felt claustrophobic. She almost longed to back at her house, walking in spacious rooms that weren't surrounded by other boarders, in her own bed-
No. She had brought this on herself. This was what she WANTED.
...Right?
"I have GOT to get out of here," Helga mumbled, before she grabbed her purse and practically fled out the door.
She met Phoebe at her house, where the petite Asian girl was already waiting on her steps.
"Greetings, Helga!" she called out cheerfully, giving the taller girl a brief hug.
"Hey, Pheebs," Helga said in reply. She smiled at the other girl. "God, it feels good to get out."
"What? I thought you'd be glad that you finally got 'Ice Cream,'" Phoebe said teasingly as the two girls set off towards a shopping center.
"Oh, I am, trust me. It's like a dream come true...which is why I'm worried."
"Well what for, Helga?" Phoebe asked glancing at the girl.
"I'm afraid that one of these days...I'm going to wake up," Helga admitted. 'That, or it'll turn into a nightmare,' she added in her mind. Phoebe smiled.
"Well, I can assure you, Helga, this isn't a dream. You're living reality." Helga sighed and rubbed her arms.
'Yeah,' she thought silently, 'and reality's gonna come back and bight me in the ass...'
Hours later, after the girls had eaten lunch, reality made the first of its attacks. Helga had never been one for pre-menstrual cramps, so she was briefly surprised when she saw the bloodstains on her underwear when the two took a bathroom break. Completely forgetting that pregnant women didn't GET their period, she made one HUGE mistake.
"So Helga, have you and Arnold thought of any names for the baby yet?" Phoebe asked from the sink where she was washing her hands.
"Um...no, we haven't really...talked about it," Helga replied vaguely, only half-listening as she searched through her purse for a tampon. "Hey Pheebs? You wouldn't happen to have a tampon with you, would ya?" she called through the stall. As this wasn't an uncommon conversation for women to be having, Phoebe thought nothing of it at first.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure I do," she replied, digging through her own purse until she found one. "Ah, here you go," she said, sliding it under the stall door. Helga let out a relieved breath.
"Phew, thanks, Phoebe, you're a lifesaver."
"Always have one handy!" Phoebe replied cheerfully. It wasn't until she heard the flush of the toilet and saw Helga coming out of the stall that it hit her.
Pregnant women didn't hit THAT time of the month.
Phoebe paled, watching Helga closely as she washed her hands.
"Helga?" Phoebe asked nervously as the said girl started to leave the bathroom.
"Yeah, Pheebs?" Helga replied, glancing back and smiling at her friend. She paused as she noticed how anxious Phoebe looked. Phoebe walked over to where Helga was standing and pushed the door closed again, flipping the lock so that no one else could come in. "Phoebe, what's wro-"
"Helga, could you tell me WHY you needed a tampon?" the petite girl cut in quickly, crossing her arms and staring up at her blonde friend. Helga mirrored the stance, raising an eyebrow.
"Why do you think, Phoebe? I-" Helga cut herself off, suddenly realizing exactly what she'd done wrong. "Oooh..." she said, dropping her arms to her sides. "Shit... Uh...eh-heh, well, Phoebe, you see, um..." she trailed off, laughing nervously.
"How could you?" Phoebe whispered vehemently, narrowing her eyes. "Helga, of all the low-down, dirty, ROTTEN things...I can't believe you! Did you LIE to him! To all of us? You were NEVER pregnant, were you! Helga Geraldine Pataki, pregnancy and marriage are NOT something that you can just play around with! You know that!" By this point Helga had lowered her eyes to the ground and was hugging herself slightly.
"Phoebe...Phoebe I-I don't know why...I just...I don't know! I don't know why I did it! At the time I thought maybe I could get away with it, but...but I don't know what to do now! I didn't mean for it to go this far, honest. I mean, I did WANT it to go this far, but I didn't think it would happen! Phoebe, when I told him I was pregnant that morning, I had NO IDEA that we'd be married by that afternoon! And then everything happened so fast and- DAMN IT! I'm sorry!" Helga cried, nearly bursting out into tears. "I've tried to tell him, but every time I start to, I remember everything that he gave up for me and then I feel horrible and I can't go through with it! I just...I can't," she said brokenly, falling to her knees on the bathroom floor. Phoebe looked down at her, but didn't offer any comfort.
"Helga...you know, I can't help you with this. I really don't have any words of wisdom for something of this extremity. I just...I can't believe you would do that! To ARNOLD! Helga, you've completely wrecked any future that he might have been planning, and it's too late NOW for him to decide to go back to college. You screwed up big time with this one. I don't know what to tell you." Phoebe paused for a second, unlocking the door. "I'm hurt, Helga. To think that you lied to me, to HIM, it's just...I can't even put it in words. I thought we were friends, and then you go and pull a stupid stunt like this! You're messing with peoples' LIVES! This isn't fourth grade anymore!"
"Phoebe, I am SO sorry," Helga whispered, not able to look the girl in the eyes.
"Don't tell me, you need to tell him," Phoebe replied, opening the door. She closed it again, only a second later. "You know...I'm leaving the day after tomorrow," she said quietly. "I would prefer if...if maybe you DIDN'T come over to say goodbye. Maybe when Thanksgiving break comes, I'll be able to talk to you, but..." She sighed. "Just...you need to tell him, Helga, and sooner than later." She opened the door again, glancing back at the blonde on the ground. "I'll see you in a few months, Helga." And with that, Phoebe walked out of the bathroom, leaving Helga sitting on the floor.
Helga didn't leave the bathroom for a long time after that. She sat in one of the stalls, her feet propped up against the door, trying over and over again to think up a plan, but nothing would come to her. When she finally left the mall, it was well into the afternoon. The temperature had dropped a little, and Helga could see her shadow stretched far out in front of her as she made her way home. To HER home. It was about time she faced her parents.
"Mom, dad? I'm home!" Helga called out as she entered the house. She could hear the T.V. vaguely, but she didn't hear her dad yelling at it. "Bob? Miriam? Hello? Is anybody home!"
"Helga, honey, is that you?" her mom said in that slurred voice of hers, stumbling into the hallway. "How was your day at school?" Helga frowned.
"It's the beginning of AUGUST, Miriam. I graduated from high school almost two months ago," she said flatly.
"Oh...oh that's right. I knew that," Miriam replied, blinking rapidly.
"You didn't graduate," a new voice said, as Big Bob entered the hallway, chewing on a chicken leg. "You're only sixteen, you're too young to graduate." Helga's frown deepened.
"I'm eighteen, BOB."
"Eighteen? Olga, you're not eighteen!" Helga sighed agitatedly.
"It's HELGA, Bob, and yes, I AM eighteen."
"Well in that case, shouldn't you be at college?"
"No dad, I'm-" Helga paused, rethinking something over in her head. "I mean, yes, I AM going to college. That's why I'm here, to pack my stuff!" Bob grunted, heading into the living room to watch his wrestling show.
"That's great, Olga. Mail us your grades or something. No! No, hit him with the left! Oh, come on!" he finished, yelling at the T.V. Helga's fists clenched at her side.
"It's HEL- oh, forget it," she mumbled, turning around to leave.
"Have a good year, honey," Miriam called after her. "Write to us!"
"Yeah right," Helga muttered after she'd closed the door behind her. She hugged herself, staring out at the streets as the lamplights started turning on. She suddenly felt very, very alone. Before, she'd always known that at least Phoebe would be there for her, but at the moment Phoebe was so mad with her that she couldn't see straight. Not that Helga could blame her. "I wonder if my HUSBAND would be worried if I came home late," she said sarcastically. "I don't deserve him..." Slowly she trudged off down the streets, keeping her head low.
"Hey look, it's Helga!" she heard a low, southern drawl exclaim from somewhere to the side of her. She paused, glancing up.
"Helga, wait up!" This time it was Sid yelling at her, as he, Stinky, and Harold crossed the street quickly to catch up with her.
"Where ya going, Helga? Your house is that way," Harold pointed out, walking alongside the blonde.
"How very observant of you," Helga muttered. "I'm going to Arnold's," she continued, carefully hiding her left hand so that none of them would see the simple, gold band on her wedding finger. She and Arnold hadn't told any of their friends about their...situation.
"Arnold's?" Stinky asked, scratching his head. "Watcha goin' to Arnold's fer?"
"Because I FEEL like it, what's it to ya?" Helga ground out, glaring at the tall boy that had been her prom date.
"Gosh, I was jus' askin'." Helga sighed.
"Sorry, Stinky, I'm just a little stressed out right now."
"Hey Helga, did you hear that Arnold decided not to go to college?" Sid asked from behind her. Helga cringed slightly. "He won't tell us why."
"Maybe he just decided to change his plans," Helga suggested lamely. Sid shrugged.
"Whatever. I think he's crazy. I'm leaving this hellhole next week. That's the earliest I can."
"Hey! I have to stay in this place you're calling a hellhole, you know!" Harold complained, crossing his arms. He hadn't really been accepted at too many colleges, so he'd opted to keep his job with Mr. Green.
"Yeah, Sid, me too!" Stinky added, glowering at the shorter boy. "My pa needs my help." Helga cast her eyes downwards.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said quietly, as they finally arrived at Arnold's stoop. Glancing up at it, she could have sworn she saw a bunch of little fourth graders all huddled around, listening to one of their friends tell an old urban legend. Tears pricked her eyes as the vision faded away, and she vaguely noticed that the other three behind her had paused.
"I thought you were heading off to college, Helga," Sid said, sitting on the brick siding of the stairs.
"I was," Helga replied, glancing skywards. "But due to certain circumstances, my plans changed." The three boys blinked.
"Certain...circumstances?" Harold asked, leaning against the wall. He smirked. "Gee, Helga, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in some sort of trouble. You didn't get yourself knocked up or something, did ya?" he said tauntingly. His smirk immediately fell when Helga didn't retort with a nasty comeback. His, Sid's, and Stinky's eyes widened considerably.
"Helga-" Stinky started to question, but Helga cut him off.
"No, I'm not pregnant," she said, almost sharply. She turned slightly, to glance at them. "Things changed, that's all." She looked up towards Arnold's room, and then back to Sid.
"I'll try to come by before you leave, Sid. I'll see the rest of you around sometime I'm sure, unfortunately," she muttered, smirking a bit. The boys relaxed immensely at this small sign that she was back to normal.
"Later, Helga!" Sid called after her, as she closed the door behind her. She sighed heavily, leaning against it for a minute before she headed upstairs. Exhausted by the day's events, she flopped onto the bed, and promptly fell into a light sleep. That was how Arnold found her about an hour later when he came home.
"I told her she needed to relax more," Arnold sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. He rested his hands on her shoulders, massaging them slightly. "Helga," he whispered, continuing on when she groaned a little. "Get up honey, you need to eat." It didn't escape him that he'd called her "honey." He seemed to be doing that more and more lately, not that he was bothered by it. He was slowly beginning to like the idea of spending the rest of his life with Helga. He'd long ago accepted the fact.
"Arnold?" Helga asked wearily, turning on her side so that she could see him.
"Long day?" he asked, smiling at her.
"You have NO idea," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. "Did you say something about food?" she asked sheepishly. Arnold grinned.
"Yep," he replied, sweeping her off the bed and carrying her to the door. Helga shrieked slightly before laughing, punching him playfully on the shoulder.
"I can walk on my own, you know," she grumbled out indignantly, though she was smiling. Arnold returned the smile.
"My family needs their rest," he replied, shifting her in his arms and spreading a hand over her stomach. He seemed to be awed by the fact, even now, that something he had helped to create was growing in there. Helga's smile dimmed.
"Right," she said quietly, as he carried her down the stairs. "Your family..."
& & & &
About two and a half weeks later, Helga, who still hadn't found the courage to tell Arnold anything, awoke to find the other side of the bed empty. Briefly confused, she sat up quickly and glanced around. Realizing that it was already 10:30, she figured that Arnold was already at work. A thumping outside the door alerted her to the fact that someone was coming up the stairs in a hurry, and she glanced to the door as she waited for the person to come in.
"Helga, you awake yet?" Arnold called out as he burst through the door. Helga raised an eyebrow.
"Well if I wasn't, I would be now," she replied, grinning at him before it turned into a frown and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be at work?" Arnold shook his head.
"Change of plans," he muttered, pulling out a suitcase from his closet. "Ernie's older brother had a stroke last night, so my grandparents, Mr. Huynh, and I are driving out with him to go see if he's ok. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but I got a week off from work, so it shouldn't be anymore than that." He paused for a second as he began pulling clothes out of his drawers and throwing them into the open suitcase. "We're leaving in an hour or so," he glanced up at Helga, "and you're staying with Gerald." Helga's eyes widened.
"Gerald! What for?" she cried, finally climbing out of the bed.
"The Kokashas are the only people staying here, but Mrs. Kokasha works all day, and I don't want to leave you here with Mr. Kokasha," Arnold explained.
"Look, Arnold, I can take of myself, you know," Helga ground out, crossing her arms as she glared at the blonde.
"Yeah I know," he said, almost breathlessly from all the running around, as he stood up. "But I would feel much better if I knew you were in good hands," he finished, kissing Helga briefly on the lips. "Please? For me?" He sent her a puppy-dog look, and Helga instantly melted.
"Fine," she grumbled, turning away and pulling out her own suitcase. "I'll stay with hair-boy. Shouldn't he be gone by now, though?" Arnold, done with his packing, sat in the chair by his computer as he watched Helga.
"Gerald's going to college in the city, remember? He has an apartment outside of campus, and he's already moved in because he wanted to get away from his folks or something. But his roommate won't be there for another two weeks."
"Oh, so I'll have my own room?" Helga asked, closing the suitcase and snapping the locks in place.
"Yep," Arnold replied, standing up. "Ready?"
"Well, I kind of need to change first, but other than that, yeah." Arnold paused, looking over Helga as she stood there, hair disheveled with her nightshirt all twisted around. He grinned.
"You look fine to me." Helga glared at him.
"Well if you like the idea of your wife going to your best friend's apartment in nothing but her pajamas, then by all means, I'm ready to go," she said, smirking at him. Arnold blinked.
"Actually, you know what, I think you have plenty of time to change." Helga smiled.
"That's what I thought," she said over her shoulder as she headed off to the bathroom.
Hours later, Helga was sprawled out on the couch in Gerald's small living room, idly flipping through the channels on T.V...all twelve of them.
"Gerald, are you aware that you don't have cable?" Helga asked, sighing agitatedly. Gerald was sitting sideways in an armchair beside the couch, his legs thrown over the side. He held up a book he'd been reading.
"Why do you think I have this?"
"This sucks," Helga muttered, clicking the T.V. off and laying down completely on the couch, an arm thrown over her eyes. "What am I supposed to do for a week? I can't believe he stuck me here with you, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself." Gerald cast the blonde girl a glance, before shutting the book and standing up to stretch.
"I'm just doing a friend a favor, I didn't ASK for you to be here," he mumbled, walking into the kitchen. Helga could hear him shuffling around before he spoke up again. "I'm askin' now, in case I have to go shopping or something. Are you hungry for any weird sorts of food? You know, grapes dipped in nacho cheese, chocolate covered pickles, macaroni and strawberry jelly...?" He trailed off, sticking his head out the door just in time to see the face that Helga made.
"Eww, what do you take me for, hair-boy? Yeesh, I don't think I'd EVER be able to eat whatever you just named, pregnant cravings or not." Gerald smirked.
"Juuuust wondering," he quipped. "In that case, we're having pizza for dinner. Sound good?"
"Sounds fine," Helga replied, eyeing Gerald as he came back out and sat in the chair again.
"Can I ask you something, Helga?" he asked after a minute. Helga stiffened for a second, afraid of what he might ask, before replying.
"You just did," she said sarcastically, picking up the remote control again. She didn't turn on the T.V. though. Gerald cast her an amused glance.
"Helga G. Pataki, that is one of the most overused idioms there are. I'd think that YOU could come up with something better than that." Helga grinned lightly.
"Yeah well, I didn't realize you were an expert on such things."
"...What does the 'G' stand for in your name?" Helga blinked.
"THAT was what you wanted to ask me?" she asked incredulously. Gerald shook his head.
"No no, just wondering." Helga frowned.
"You'll laugh if I tell you."
"I'll try not to."
"It's stands for Geraldine..." Helga glared at her fellow classmate as he snorted and started chuckling. "Well, you certainly didn't try very hard," she muttered.
"S-sorry," Gerald got out through his laughter. "That's kind of ironic though."
"Tell me about it."
"Anyway, what I wanted to ask was if you were upset about having to give up college?" Helga pursed her lips, glancing towards the ceiling thoughtfully.
"Hmm, well, I guess I WOULD be if it meant I had to stay at home with my parents," she finally replied. "I mean, half the reason I wanted to go to college in the first place was to get away from them," she said bitterly. Gerald frowned, before looking away.
"I know they haven't been the greatest parents for you, Helga, but all the same, they can't be THAT awful. I mean, they've come through for you in rough times. You know, saving Mighty Pete, the neighborhood, and then there was that whole deal in the sixth grade with your mom..." He trailed off there, not able to think of anything else, while Helga continued to look at him expectantly.
"That's true...but...once I hit high school, I guess they figured I could live on my own. I had to get my own meals, buy my own clothes. They gave me money, but that was about it," Helga said, sounding almost depressed. She closed her eyes briefly, before opening them again and staring straight ahead at nothing. "Did you know...I went back home, a couple of weeks ago...my mom...she asked me how my day at SCHOOL was," Helga said harshly, her eyes taking on a glossy appearance. "They didn't even realize I hadn't been living in the house for TWO. FUCKING. MONTHS. My dad doesn't even know my NAME. I refuse to tell them about Arnold and I, because that would just be one more disappointment to add to their list. One more reason why OOOOLGA is so much better than ME!" she choked out through a sob. She was taking deep breaths, as if to calm herself down, refusing to let any tears fall. "I hate them, Gerald," Helga whispered, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "I really do. And it hurts."
The room was silent for a few minutes, as Gerald took in all that Helga had said. He didn't make any comments, he just offered her silent comfort as she rubbed her eyes wearily. When she seemed to calm down completely, he spoke.
"Hungry?" Helga laughed shortly, looking at him. He smiled back at her.
"Yeah," she whispered, following him to the kitchen. She could only think of one thing as she stared at his back, and it was a slightly disturbing thought. 'Other than Phoebe and maybe Arnold, he's the only I've ever told about my feelings towards my parents... And unlike Arnold...he DIDN'T try to convince me to make up with them. He just let me be...'
& & & &
Four nights later, Helga was nearly on the verge of insanity.
"There is NOTHING to do around here!" she grumbled to herself, pacing the bedroom she was staying in. "Arnold doesn't want me outside alone because I supposedly 'don't know my way around this part of town,' Gerald doesn't have cable, I've already read five books since I got here... And here I am, TALKING to myself to pass the time! This. Is. Pathetic! Crimeny!" She threw herself onto to the bed and glanced at the clock. 5:30. "Gerald should be back from his job in a few minutes. Thank God," Helga grumbled. "Whoo, didn't think I'd ever be glad to see HIM."
Not a minute later, Helga heard the front door open and then slam shut. There were shuffling sounds coming from the hallway, and then she heard someone stomp over to her door.
"Bad day?" Helga asked from her position on the bed when Gerald appeared in the doorway. He smirked.
"You have NO idea," he muttered. Rubbing his forehead, he asked, "Does Chinese take-out sound ok tonight? I don't feel like cooking."
"Yeah sure, sounds great," Helga replied, sitting up. "I'll pay tonight."
"You have money?"
"Of course."
A little while later, several empty white boxes were scattered across the kitchen table where Helga was still sitting. At the moment, she really didn't feel like cleaning up their mess, and Gerald had disappeared somewhere.
"Want something to drink?" Oh wait, he was back. Helga glanced up at him as he walked back into the kitchen carrying a bottle of something in his hand. She looked closer at it, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was.
"Oh my God, alcohol! Thank the Lord!" she exclaimed, reaching across the table to grab the bottle of tequila. Gerald immediately yanked it out of her reach.
"Nuh-uh, this is NOT for you. Pregnant ladies aren't supposed to drink alcohol. That's the one sure thing I know about pregnancy. I was wondering if you wanted another coke or something..." He trailed off, chuckling at Helga's glowering look. Turning to a cabinet above the sink, he pulled out a shot glass and set it on the table. Then he got two cokes and put one next to it, while he waved the other one at Helga. "Want it?" She snatched it out of his hand with one hand, using the other to flick him off.
"You suck," she growled out, taking a huge gulp from the carbonated beverage. Gerald ignored her.
"I felt the need for a light buzz tonight," he commented idly, pouring himself a shot.
'Light buzz my ass,' Helga thought, grinning evilly as he downed the shot. "What's your record?" she asked innocently, as if trying to make conversation. Gerald shrugged.
"Dunno, I've never really kept count."
"I think I can last up to about seventeen, anymore than that and I really can't remember what's happened, so I don't know what I can really do."
"Seventeen!" Gerald sputtered, glancing at Helga doubtfully. "I don't believe it." Helga shrugged.
"It's true. What, don't think you can do it?"
"Naw, I can do it. Or I'll pass out trying anyway," he said playfully, downing another shot. He shook his head quickly, blinking twice. "Man, strong stuff," he mumbled. "Ok, here we go!" Helga just smiled as she watched him.
Nine shots later, Gerald was sporting that buzz that he had originally been aiming for. And Helga just kept goading him on.
"No no," he mumbled as Helga poured him another one. "Thas 'nough f'me," he slurred out. "I have work t'morrow."
"No you don't," Helga said cheerfully. "You tomorrow off." Gerald glared at her.
"Well, why aren't YOU drinkin'?" Helga smirked. Bingo.
"Ok, I will," she said, and drank down the one she'd already poured. Gerald nodded approvingly.
"Thas better," he said, and drank another one himself.
"Tell me about it," Helga mumbled, smirking as she continued to get herself drunk. This was just what she needed to get away from her troubles for the time being.
Or maybe not...
& & & &
The following morning, Helga awoke with a strange sense of déjà vu. She had a pounding headache and again, the lights seemed too bright.
'Oh great, did I get drunk again?' she asked herself in her head. She couldn't quite remember where she was. 'Probably slept with someone again, too,' she continued to think as more memories came back to her...mainly the ones about telling Arnold she was pregnant. Groaning slightly, she tried to get up, only to find that something was holding her down. Glancing down, Helga noticed there was a chocolate brown arm firmly latched around her waist. Helga paled. 'Oh no...' she thought as she followed the arm to a bare chest - 'No, no, no, no...' - and then up to the face of its owner. Her eyes widened. "FUCK!" she yelled, loud enough to wake her sleeping partner. "Damn it! Gerald, Gerald wake up!" she continued yelling, slapping his shoulder lightly, even though he was already staring up at her bewilderedly.
"Helga!" he exclaimed, sitting up quickly and snatching his arm back from her as if it was on fire. "What...what happened!" Helga vaguely noted how differently he handled this than how Arnold had, but that was the least of her worries.
"What do you think!" she yelled right back, not bothering to cover herself up. She crossed her arms and glared at him, but then winced as the pounding in her head came back full force. She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to say something, cutting him off. "No more yelling, please." Gerald frowned slightly.
"I'm all for that," he mumbled, holding a hand to his own forehead. An uncomfortable silence settled on the two for a few minutes while they each tried to collect their thoughts.
'Why does this always happen to me?' Helga thought despairingly. 'I just wanted to get a LITTLE drunk, not go and have sex again! Or...lose my virginity, might I say...' That thought scared her. As she and Arnold never had remembered exactly what had happened that night, she wasn't sure if they actually HAD slept together. And as she had mentioned to Arnold, she hadn't been sore the following morning. This time however, there was a distinct pain between her legs. Nothing too bad, but it made all the difference in the world. She glanced at Gerald sharply, just as he was glancing at her, and both quickly looked away.
"I canNOT believe that I just slept with my best friend's PREGNANT wife," Helga heard Gerald mumble.
"Gerald," Helga said shakily, waiting for him to look at her. "Here's the deal. We are just going to put this behind us. It NEVER. HAPPENED. Got that?" Gerald nodded quickly.
"Of course, of course... wait, what never happened?" he said, trying to sound at ease with the situation. Helga smirked.
"Exactly."
& & & &
Even if they'd promised to put it behind them, you can't exactly just FORGET something like that. So the remainder of Helga's stay with Gerald was spent mainly in tense silence. Helga even forced herself to watch what little there was on T.V. And when Arnold came by to pick her up two days later, she didn't think she'd EVER been so happy to see the boy.
That is, until she remembered that in no more than a month she would have to tell him the truth.
All things considered, life went on normally for most of that month. Then all of a sudden, reality decided to rear it's ugly head again, this time with a full-scale bombardment.
Helga had skipped her period...for REAL this time. More nervous than she had ever been in her life, she went to the nearest drugstore and spent another fifteen dollars on the supposedly most accurate pregnancy test on the market. And then one day when Arnold was working, nearly a week later, she finally worked up the courage to use the test.
To her absolute horror and dismay, it came out positive.
More nerve wrecked than before, she could only sob brokenly on the floor for a good hour. She figured her hair was turning gray by this point, and she wasn't even past twenty yet!
Deciding that her life was probably over as of now anyway, she figured damaging two more wouldn't do much harm. So she headed out the door and caught the nearest bus to Gerald's apartment.
At first, she thought she might have had the wrong apartment when a tall man with long brown hair held back in low ponytail answered the door. The man looked Helga over briefly before speaking.
"Well, you're too pretty to be here to see me," he said cheerfully, and then called over his shoulder for Gerald. Helga realized that this must have been his roommate. She smiled slightly at him and held out her hand.
"Name's Helga." He accepted her hand, and shook it with genuine friendliness.
"Brad."
"Nice to meet you, Brad," Helga said, pulling her hand back.
"Heh, pleasure's all mine." Helga had the decency to blush lightly before Gerald finally showed up.
"Who is it?" Helga heard him ask.
"Some chick name Helga," Brad answered, turning away from the door. "Later!" Helga didn't get the chance to answer because Gerald suddenly stepped into view.
"Helga?" he asked worriedly. "Is something wrong? Where's Arnold? You know he doesn't want you out alone. Especially when you're what, almost four months along?" he continued, smiling warmly. Helga frowned and rubbed her left arm nervously.
"Actually, Gerald, I'm barely even a month along," she said flatly, refusing to look him in the eye. She could tell by the tone of his voice though, that he had no idea what she was talking about.
"Huh?" Helga sighed, looking up at Gerald with watery eyes. She berated herself silently, wondering when she'd begun to cry so freely.
"Gerald, I was never pregnant to Arnold, I lied to him," she told him bluntly. Gerald's eyes shot wide open.
"WHAT!" Helga began to wring her hands.
"Well...oh God, it sounds so stupid now. I can't believe I ever thought I could get away with it," she mumbled, growing hysterical. "I've been in love with him since pre-school, Gerald! After prom, it just seemed like the perfect chance to finally get him- oh, I don't know! It doesn't even make since to ME anymore!" she cried. "Phoebe already found out, and now she hates me...please, Gerald, I never thought I would say this, but I NEED you right now. Don't go running away on me..." Gerald eyed her with something that looked close to disgust, but gradually his eyes softened slightly. He grabbed her wrist.
"Come on," he mumbled, pulling her down the hallway.
"Wh-where're we going?" Helga asked, attempting to calm herself down.
"We're going to tell Arnold," Gerald replied shortly.
"What! B-but...now?"
"Yes, now. You need to tell him that you lied to him, Helga, and that you're pregnant now with-" At that he paused abruptly, slowing to a stop and staring dazedly at nothing in particular. "...pregnant with..." he mumbled, glancing with wide eyes towards Helga. "Is it..." he swallowed before speaking again, "is it mine?" Helga nodded slowly, and Gerald groaned, closing his eyes tightly.
"Fuck," he whispered. "He'll never forgive me..."
"I'm so sorry, Gerald..." Helga said, her voice just as low. He just yanked on her arm to get her walking again.
"Let's go," he muttered. Helga nodded, keeping her head down. To her surprise, Gerald took her back to the boarding house instead of to Arnold's office.
"Why are we here?"
"It would probably be better to tell him here, so he doesn't go ballistic on the job and get fired," Gerald answered darkly. Helga swallowed, sitting down on the bed in Arnold's - their - room.
"Right," she whispered. They sat in silence for a full two hours, waiting for Arnold to get back. When the blonde boy finally entered the room, he noticed right away that something was wrong.
"Gerald!" he exclaimed, smiling a little. "What're you doing here?" Gerald didn't answer, he just nodded his head towards Helga. Arnold turned towards her.
"Hey honey, what's wrong?" That finally broke the dam, and Helga burst into uncontrolled sobs of anguish. Instantly worried, Arnold rushed towards her and kneeled in front of her. "Helga, what happened? Is everything ok?" he asked quickly, resting his hands on her shoulders. Across the room, Gerald sunk lower into the computer chair, crossing his arms. Helga, desperately trying to quell her cries, tore herself out of Arnold's hands.
"Arnold, just...just stop!" she sobbed out, burying her face into her arms. Arnold stared at her, uncertain what to do.
"What'd I do?" he asked warily, glancing at Gerald, who only turned away.
"I'm not pregnant, Arnold!" Helga finally exclaimed, feeling strangely relieved to have that off of her chest. "Don't you get it? I LIED to you! I was never pregnant, I don't even know if we had sex in the first place," she continued miserably, lifting her tear-stained face to meet his wide eyes. She sniffed, her tears finally slowing. "I...I-"
"You're NOT pregnant?" Arnold broke in, his eyes searching her face for some sign that this was all a big joke. "Helga...what...I don't understand," he said finally, backing up a step.
"I'm sorry, Arnold," Helga said, hiccupping in the middle of her words. "I...I tricked you... At first I was hoping you would eventually learn to love me, and...and I could pretend to have a miscarriage or something...but then we eloped, and everything got so complicated... I am SO sorry..."
"Helga..." Arnold paused for a second, his eyes hardening. "How...how could you do that! You made me give up the one chance I had to actually do something with my life. I had PLANS Helga, and none of them involved you at first! But I cared enough to change them, and then you go and throw it in my face! I don't believe it!" Helga looked away.
"It's not even October yet, Arnold, you can still enroll at the college in the city...they would accept your application," she said softly. "I...I'm sure that in no time, you'll be back on track..."
"That's not the point, Helga," Arnold bit out harshly. Helga winced, but continued.
"And we can get a divorce easily. It's just a bunch of papers that need to be signed." She still wasn't looking at him, so she didn't see Arnold look at her painfully.
"I didn't say I wanted a divorce," he said quietly, looking at her seriously. She snapped her back to stare at him in shock, some hope filling her...before Gerald coughed suddenly, and she was slammed back onto earth.
"You will," she said, looking away again, "when I tell you the rest of it." Arnold's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The rest...?" Helga nodded, but Gerald started the story for her.
"When you were with Ernie a few weeks back," he began, staring at the ground, "I...we...well, I decided to have a couple shots one night, because I'd had a bad day at work..." He trailed off, glancing through the skylights above. "I didn't let Helga drink anything though, because I knew - or I THOUGHT - that she was pregnant." Helga picked up the story here.
"But I wanted to get drunk, to get away from my problems, if only for the night," she said miserably. "So I waited until he was buzzed before I got trashed myself." Here she finally looked up, meeting Arnold's knowing gaze. "We woke up the next morning in the same predicament that you and I were in."
"Only this time..." Arnold began, sighing and closing his eyes. Helga nodded.
"Only this time I actually AM pregnant," she whispered sullenly. She heard Gerald release a huge sigh from across the room and Arnold gulped. "I just found out today. Arnold...I don't think you and I did anything at all, actually. My guess is that we probably began too, but were too far gone to actually accomplish anything." Both Arnold and Gerald's eyes shot to her.
"What makes you say that?" Arnold asked. For some reason, he didn't seem too upset. Helga shrugged.
"Girls have a way of knowing, especially if it was their first time," she said simply. Arnold nodded, suddenly remembering when she had mentioned 'not being sore' or something. Gerald, on the other had, made a sound of disbelief.
"You mean you lost your virginity...to ME?" he asked, eyes wide. Helga smirked slightly, nodding.
"Ironic, eh?" Gerald only groaned and buried his face in his hands. "You...you don't seem very upset," Helga said to Arnold. "Are you ok?" Arnold shrugged, sitting down next to her, but a safe distance away, on the bed.
"I'm a little shocked...but I guess that all of this is really no one's fault. Well, other than you LYING to me, but that was only four months out of my life, no biggy." Helga stared at him disbelievingly.
"What do you mean, no one's fault?" she asked uncertainly. She'd certainly thought it was all her fault. Arnold smiled a little.
"Well...let's just say that we can learn one thing from this whole mess: Drinking...is BAD." Gerald snorted at that, and even Helga let a disbelieving chuckle escape her throat.
"Arnold, you are amazing," she said, scooting closer to him and leaning her head on her shoulder. "Even after all of this, you still manage to look on the bright side." Arnold shrugged.
"Well-"
"We know, we know," Helga cut in.
"Somebody has to," Gerald finished. All three glanced at each other and laughed a little. At least the tension in the room was finally dispersing.
"I think I'll do what you said, Helga," Arnold said, glancing down at the blonde on his shoulder. "Enroll at the college in town."
"And what about this?" she asked, holding up her left hand so that he could see the gold band on her finger. Arnold looked at the ring thoughtfully.
"We can deal with that later," he finally replied. Helga just sighed.
"Whatever, football-head," she mumbled affectionately. "I'm not staying here anymore though. I guess it's finally time to break the news to my parents."
"Yeah well, that whole situation is Gerald's problem now," Arnold said, glancing at the said boy. Gerald blinked. "You're gonna be a dad, Gerald!" he said excitedly, mimicking Gerald's words from all those months ago. Gerald swayed slightly in his seat.
"Ooooh...my dad's gonna KILL me..." Helga chuckled bitterly.
"You think YOUR parents will be mad..." she trailed off.
"I'll go with you when you tell them, if you want" Gerald offered, glancing off to the side. Helga smiled at him.
"I would really appreciate that, Geraldo." Gerald returned her smile.
"Gerald...would you stop staring at my wife like that?" Arnold spoke up. He had an amused light in his eye though, and it was easy to see that he was teasing them. Helga broke their gaze, blushing lightly.
"I'm glad you're not too upset, Arnold," she said, sitting up. "And I really AM sorry." Arnold waved her off.
"I'll get over it."
"I can't believe that after all this, I'm actually going to have a baby," Helga commented, searching around for her shoes. "I'm actually kind of excited. Maybe I'll be able to take some night courses or something, after it's born."
"Helga?" Gerald asked suddenly, somewhat warily. "I don't have to drop out of college...do I?" Helga blinked.
"Of course not, hair-boy! Geez, you'll be in town anyway. I'll call you if I ever need you or something." Gerald nodded, looking relieved. "Well boys, I best be off." She walked over and gave Arnold a quick peck on the cheek. "Gerald, you coming? I'm gonna tell my parents now, while I still have the courage to do so." Gerald nodded.
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Helga nodded and walked out the door.
"Later, Arnold! I'll come by sometime soon to get my stuff." Arnold nodded and waved at her as she left. He shook his head slightly. That was just like her, to get over something that quickly. She was strong, that was for sure.
"Arnold?" Arnold glanced up at his best fried, noticing that he looked a little worried.
"What is it?" Gerald sighed.
"Thanks for being so understanding, man." Arnold smiled.
"That's what friends are for, right?" he replied, holding out his hand. The two did their secret thumbshake, sharing a smile. "...Take care of her, Gerald." Gerald blinked.
"Heh, unlike you, I don't plan on marrying her just because she's gonna give birth to my kid. This is Helga Geraldine Pataki we're talking about, you know." Arnold smiled lightly, shaking his head.
"She'll grow on you," he warned, smiling almost sadly, before glancing up sharply. "Did you say Helga GERALDINE Pataki?"
& & & &
Gradually, the long summer days shortened and passed on, turning into months. The months rolled by, turning into years, and in no time at all, five years had passed. Arnold and Helga had gotten their divorce only a month or so after the whole fiasco had happened, and she had given birth to a beautiful bronze-skinned baby boy six months after that. When Phoebe came back that Thanksgiving, needless to say she was shocked that Helga was actually pregnant. The two of them sat down and had a long talk, and before the end of the night, they had made up. They still kept in touch through letters, the best of friends until the end. Arnold did take up Helga's suggestion and enrolled at the college Gerald went to. The two graduated four years later, as good of friends as they had ever been as well. Alongside all of his schoolwork, Gerald had also taken up a parental role for his son. He went by to see him and Helga quite often, as did Arnold. Since Arnold had been named godfather, the three were around each other all the time, and gradually formed their own strong triangle of friendship.
But it was on one particular day, those five years later, that two of them took their friendly relationship one step further.
With her son as ring barer, Helga proudly walked down the aisle of the church. Her mother was sitting in one of the front pews, already having used up a whole box of tissues. Her sister and Phoebe, decked out in their bridesmaid dresses, were waiting at the other end of the lane, smiling widely. Most of her other classmates were scattered throughout the church. Glancing to her side, Helga's smile softened as she looked up at her father. He was escorting her down the aisle, a proud smile playing on his lips.
Helga took one last deep breath, before looking towards the best man, the third from their little triangle. He sent her a wink, grinning widely.
Finally, Helga set her eyes on her soon-to-be-husband, and chuckled a bit. He smiled back at her, causing Helga's own smile to widen further as her eyes sparkled. Who would have thought...she and he...even after all they'd been through...
It was amazing, Helga decided, how things could begin in such a mess, and yet end so perfectly.
FIN
I'm posting who I think she ends up with next, but it's an open-ended story, so it's really up to you:)
-Maxine