Hey, hope you like this fanfic-I'm a rookie!
Disclaimer: Don't own Hey Arnold-but I wish I did!
Chapter One: The Invitation
A tired figure in his late 20s was slowly making his way up the stairs to apartment on the second floor. He was exhausted, for it had been another rough day at the office. Although he loved being a social worker and working with children, his job was still hard and trying at times.
As he entered his apartment, he set down his battered briefcase and bundle of mail on the kitchen table. He then went into his room and changed, all the while thinking about the day he had had…
flashback
Arnold hated going to the children's center. Although the people working there were so nice and friendly and full of love, it was still a place where kids came to escape abuse from their irresponsible parents, kids who's parents had died in a fire, leaving them alone in the world, even kids who's parents just abandoned them. Kids came here before they could go to a foster home, and it was Arnold's job to send them to a loving family. Today had been an especially hard day…
"Hey Maureen." Arnold smiled pleasantly to the receptionist at the front desk. She was quite a lovely woman, with a bright smile and twinkling eyes.
" Hey Arnold. Glad to see you. Who are you working with today?" Maureen asked.
" Johnny Caster. Age 9, 4th grade. Here's the info they gave me." Arnold said handing her a folder.
" Great. He is in Room 301 on the third floor. If his not in there he probably is playing videogames with the guys or something." Maureen said with another sweet smile.
" Thanks." Arnold continued on his way down the hall to the stairs… A knock was heard on the door. A small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes slowly got up and answered it.
" Can I help you?" The small boy asked him, kindly and politely.
" Yes, I'm Arnold, you're social worker. I'm here to interview you and set you up with a foster family."
"Oh, ok." The boy, who seemed a little shy, ushered Arnold in. " Sorry about the mess."
He giggled. Arnold smiled. Socks, a shirt, and even a pair of boxers littered the floor.
" It's not just me. My roommates Peter and Greg are messy too." Johnny sat down on his bed, and Arnold sat down on the bed facing Johnny's.
" So, Johnny, tell me a bit about yourself. Stuff you like to do, eat, play…that sort of thing."
Johnny was quiet, than spoke, " Well, I like to play videogames, and listen to music, and I like to eat pizza…" Arnold nodded, writing some notes down.
Then Johnny was quiet, looking very deep in thought. Arnold noticed this.
" John, is something wrong?"
" Do you know why I'm here?" He uttered so quietly it was barely a whisper.
" I wasn't given that information." Arnold admitted.
" I'm here," Johnny continued, " because they think…they think…"
" What?"
" They think my parents are dead." Johnny choked out, his eyes filling with water.
Arnold moved from his bedand sat next to Johnny, trying to comfort him.
Johnny continued on, " I…I was staying with a family not to far from here, cause my parents had gone on another trip, and…and I was having a pretty good time, until…until…I found out from this woman who came to the house that the very plane my parents had been on had crashed within a 100 miles of the airport. My parents didn't have a will or something like that so I was sent here because I don't have any close family nearby and they weren't sure who should take care of me."
Arnold was having a hard time from getting all choked up.
Not only did this boy look like him, but also he had had a similar tragic event happen to him, except he wasn't nine.
"Johnny," Arnold ventured," I lost my parents when I was a baby the same way: plane crash."
Johnny looked up at Arnold. " Really?"
" Really."
Flashback ends
Arnold shook his head and tried to forget about how his day had been, for the last thing he wanted to think about was how he had grown up without any parents. His grandfather had died around 8 years ago, and the only true family he was in contact with now was his grandmother. Who, at 99, still lived in the boarding house, along with Mr. Hyunh, his daughter, her husband, and their daughter Angela, as well as Ernie and Lola and their daughter Alyssa.
Arnold decided to check his mail, to try and keep his mind off of his day. Mostly bills, which was the usual case. Arnold sighed, just bills and a chance to win the Publisher's ClearingHouse Sweepstakes.
Then, something caught his eye. It was a small, dark blue envelope with gold lettering on it.
Shrugging, he decided to open it, wondering what it could be.
After the envelope had been torn away, he opened a nicely folded piece of paper with the same gold lettering.
It read:
Class of 2005
10 Year Reunion for P.H.S. 118
Saturday, June 27th, at 7:00pm at the lovely Hilton in downtown Hillwood-on 76th and Daemon Ave
Come visit with old friends!
RSVP at 1-877-342-6787 by May 31st
Ask for Rhonda
Arnold read it again, and then again,
Had it really been 10 years since he had graduated from high school? It seemed like only yesterday he had been running for student council and hanging with Gerald.
Arnold hadn't been doing much hanging out with Gerald lately though. Arnold had moved away from Hillwood about 6 years ago, right after college, and came to live here in New York. He had visited Hillwood maybe 4 times since then, but mainly to just see how his grandmother had been doing. He had been pretty good emailing Gerald, but he hadn't recently. Arnold didn't really have any contact with anyone from the "good 'ol days".
Arnold looked at the invite again, debating whether he would go or not or if he should just throw it out with the garbage.
While he was doing this, the phone rang.
Arnold walked over to the phone, checking the caller ID. He didn't recognize the number, but decided to answer it anyway.
" Hello?" He asked, unsure of who it could possibly be.
" Hey, Arnold? Is that you?" A small, quiet voice responded on the other end.
" Yeah, this is me. Who's this?" Arnold asked.
"Arnold, you sound so different, so…so…old!" The voice answered in surprise.
"Thanks," Arnold replied, somewhat sarcastically, " but really, who is this?"
" Arnold, its…its….Helga."
Arnold's jaw just dropped open.
" HELGA?"
Ooo, left ya hanging there! Just a little heads up, Maureen hasn't disappeared-she has a much bigger role in the life of Arnold then it seems, and we get to know Johnny better too. Well, I hoped you enjoyed Chapter One! And I hope you enjoy Chapter Two: The Talk on the Phone. Any reviews will be greatly appreciated!
