Author's Note: Hey, it's been awhile! Well, I finally have a bit of time to give you chapter four! Hope you like it! Remember-I love reviews, comments, constructive criticism-all that jazz.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!-or any cartoon show for that matter actually, but I wish I did!
Chapter Four: An 8:00 Meeting
It was a nice morning, considering it was Monday. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and not a cloud in the sky. It made millions of people smile, taking away the Monday-I-gotta-go-to-work-or-school-today-oh-shit-blues.
But not for everyone.
Arnold smacked the snooze button on his alarm clock 4 or 5 times before he, with 100 resentment for Mondays, got out of his bed and started getting ready for the day. He squinted, the sun seemed too bright, the birds were singing too loud, his room seemed too cold. He stumbled around, half-awake, getting his clothes and heading into the bathroom to take a shower.
It wasn't until after he had taken a cold shower and woken up that he realized that today was not just any Monday, today was THE Monday, the Monday he was leaving work after his 8:00 appointment with Johnny, the Monday he would start his road trip to his high school reunion…with Helga.
Arnold groaned as he grabbed his two medium size suitcases and briefcase and headed for his car. He threw the two suitcases in the trunk, his briefcase in the passenger seat, placed his cell phone conveniently in a cup holder, grabbed his keys, and drove away, all the while thinking what had he gotten himself into.
It took about 20 some minutes to get across town today, and by the time Arnold got to the children's center he had already had enough of city driving for the day.
Arnold smiled slightly as he drove into the parking garage by the center, thinking that at least a good part of the way to Washington was countryside or small towns, and they would be able to avoid any large cities. Arnold had always been a city boy, but as the older he got, the more he relished and cherished the times he was able to break free from the city and enjoy nature, even if all it could be was Central Park on lunch break.
Arnold then grabbed his trusty briefcase and cell phone and headed for the center, each step thinking more and more about how in about 55 minutes or so, he would be blazing a trail to Washington state…with Helga.
He absentmindedly swung the doors open in the entrance to the center, not really watching where was walking…
BAM!
Arnold, had unfortunately, been so deep in thought, that he knocked over some poor woman who had been standing right by the doors.
" Wow, oh jeez. I'm awfully sorry! I was so lost in thought I wasn't thinking about what was in front of me! I-" Arnold began apologizing.
" It's not your fault. I shouldn't have been standing so close to the doors anyway. Besides, you weren't the only one lost in thought." The young woman answered back, a smile peaking through the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face.
" Here, let me help you up." Arnold grabbed her hand, and helped her off the floor, and the woman fixed her hair and skirt and blouse and grabbed her purse, which was also on the floor due to the fall.
Arnold stopped for a second, his eyes transfixed on the woman's face. He studied her for a minute. She was relatively tall, yet still about an inch or so shorter then he was, with long blonde hair that fell down about a few inches below her shoulders. She had sky blue eyes, which were giving him the strangest look at the moment, combined with a look of shock on her entire face.
" Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost or something!" Arnold asked her.
" It wasn't a ghost but IT was pretty darn close!" The woman said, tilting her head and blinking her eyes as if to see if she was dreaming.
" Well, what is it? Are you going to be okay?" Arnold reached out and touched her arm. He had to admit, something was oddly…familiar…about this woman. He had felt it the moment he had held her hand to help her up and had looked into her eyes.
The woman looked Arnold straight in the eyes, and slightly smiled.
" What, you don't recognize me, football-head?"
Arnold couldn't blink. THIS was HELGA G. PATAKI?
" Helga! I swear, I didn't recognize you! You look-you look-well, different!" Arnold dropped her arm and crossed his, now the one in shock.
" Well, it HAS been almost 10 years…" Helga said quietly, her voice growing soft and trailing off.
Arnold had completely forgotten the last 10 years. Before Helga had said anything, he had been back in the 10th grade, staring at the most beautiful girl he had ever known, thinking about how lucky he was to be with her.
Then reality had to, as they say, bite him in the ass and the present world settled in around him. He looked at Helga again. She looked just like she did in high school, except slightly taller, her hair was shorter, and she looked older, and thinner somehow. Her face was still the pretty face he had known in high school, except now it was a little gaunt and aged.
" I wasn't really expecting you until 9:00." Arnold broke the awkward silence that had developed, playing with his briefcase handle.
" Oh, sorry. After I talked to you on the phone, I was about to write it down in my planner when the phone rang again. It was Miriam, and we spent an hour talking and I completely forgot what time we agreed for today. I thought it was either 8:00 or 9:00 that I was supposed to meet you here, so I figured I should be here at 8:00 and be here early instead of show up at 9:00 and be here late, you know?" Helga said.
" Yeah." Arnold began counting the speckles on the floor tile. After about 15 seconds, he looked back up at Helga. " Listen, I have an appointment right now, that I should be going to, and I'll be in there for at least a half hour. If you want, there's a room with magazines and a TV right down-"
" Uh, Arnold? If you don't mind me asking, what sort of appointment is this?" Helga asked, a look of inquisitiveness on her sweet face.
Arnold looked at Helga. She was a mother. She had a son around Johnny's age. Maybe it was a good idea…
" Helga, you can come along if you want." Arnold smiled weakly, and started walking toward's Maureen's desk, his head feeling slightly dizzy.
" Are you sure Arnold? I don't want to intrude. But-I mean-I am a little curious to see what you do for a living, that I have to admit." Helga replied, a sheepish grin appeared on her face.
" Actually, I think it would be a good idea if you did come along. I think Johnny would like to meet you." Arnold reached Maureen's desk, and handed some paperwork to the receptionist, who, for today, Thank God, wasn't Maureen. The last thing Arnold needed was an interesting run in between Helga and Maureen.
" Who's-" Helga started.
" You'll see." Arnold said, and quickly got into an elevator that was closing and pulled Helga gently by the arm to hurry her along.
By the time they had reached the floor Johnny was on, Arnold was a little nervous, with no idea why he was. He knocked shortly on Johnny's door and held his breath.
A tall gawky looking kid with bushy brown hair and thick glasses opened the door, with a suspicious look on his face, studying the guy in the suit and the woman in the skirt.
" Yes? Who dares intrude? Who is this mysterious stranger-who-" the tall kid asked sarcastically, a big smirk on his face.
" Come on, Greg, you know me. Knock it off, I have a guest with me today." Arnold gestured to Helga who gave a petite wave.
Greg looked at Helga and then glanced at Arnold, moving his bushy eyebrows up and down.
" Seriously, Greg!" Arnold said, but a slight smile spread across his face. " Is Johnny C in there?"
Greg shrugged and opened the door, to reveal an even messier room then the first time Arnold had visited Johnny.
Johnny was on his bed, reading the latest Harry Potter.
Greg looked at Arnold, as if he had to explain the mess. " We were just doing our homework, experimenting with the laws of physics, by-"
Arnold chuckled, " by figuring out the velocity of a pair of boxers and briefs to see if one flies higher then the other by flinging it up in the air at an angle of 45 degrees? Sorry Greg, you used that last time I saw you and the room was a pigsty."
Greg's ears turned pink, and grabbed his favorite cap and waved goodbye to Arnold and Helga, " I'm needed-uh-somewhere."
Arnold turned to Helga, " Sorry about the mess-"
" It's all right, Arnold. 12-year old boys will be 12-year old boys. Believe me, I've seen boxers and briefs before-it's ok." Helga smiled and walked over to Johnny and sat next to him.
Arnold sat down on the other side of Johnny and began the whole spiel that should have taken place almost 25 minutes ago.
" Hey Johnny, how's it going?" Arnold began.
" Can you hold on for a minute? I'm almost done with this chapter." Johnny replied politely, and returned to his reading
Arnold smiled slightly, glad to see a kid so into reading.
" Daniel loves those books too. Literally, I can't get him down to supper some nights because he just has to find out what happens to Hermoine and Harry and Ron. They're his favorite books right now-last month it was Series of Unfortunate Events-he has been begging me to get book 12-it's the second to last one." Helga whispered to Arnold.
" Okay, done!" Johnny closed the book carefully, then faced Arnold. " So, what are you talking to me about today?"
" Well, I just want to make sure things are going okay with you and all, make sure you're not having any problems, with kids here or problems adjusting or whatever-you doing okay?" Arnold pulled out his trusty clipboard.
" Yeah, it's been kinda fun here, actually. Greg, is a big nerd but he's really funny and Peter's like his opposite, he's really good at football and karate, he's teaching me some moves." Johnny excitedly answered.
" That's good." Arnold said smiling, writing down on some evaluations sheets notes.
" Can I ask you a question?" Johnny quickly added.
" Uh-sure-what the heck?" Arnold said, smiling once again.
Johnny leaned in, cupped his hand, and whispered in Arnold's ear, " Who's the pretty woman? Girlfriend of yours? Your wife?"
Helga held back a slight laugh, she had overheard what Johnny whispered. Arnold's ears turned slightly pink, and shook his head no.
" Oh," said Johnny-"sorry Arnold."
" It's okay, John, it's okay." Arnold said, smiling.
After a bit more small talk and exchange between likes and dislikes, Arnold bid farewell and he and Helga headed out for the parking garage, after they quickly ran and got Helga's luggage-one large suitcase-from the lobby.
Arnold took his key and unlocked his car, all the while, thinking, Please, God, help me-and I'm going to need a lot of it, Arnold murmered silently to himself
Arnold put his briefcase in the backseat, and Helga climbed into the car in the passenger seat. Placing his cell phone in the cup holder, Arnold started his engine, fixed his mirror, grabbed his sunglasses, and started off for their 3-day road trip.
Hope you liked the chapter! Next chapter-Chapter 5: The License Plate Game-will be the entire first day of Helga and Arnold's road trip together-beginning exactly an hour or so after where this chapter ends. Remember-I love reviews! Any questions are also welcome-like plot holes or story line ideas or whatever.
