Responses to reviews:
Esmeralda: I think part of the problem in my previous series was that I kind of rushed it a bit. Perhaps if I had written a few more episode stories of their friendship cementing further it would have made it more convincing, as well as perhaps Helga not giving Rodrigo such a hard time.
The Arnold in this story is a bit more selfish than the teenage Arnold in my other story who had the unfortunate choice to be with either his parents or remain with Helga. It wasn't an easy choice.
But, we shall see if this Helga's plan will work or not ;)
Guest: Lol, Arnold has his faults like everyone else and I wanted to show it where it can be most explicit; his willingness to help others. I think it would make a great Season 6 episode, assuming they make it through...
Saturday evening…
It was a little bit before 7pm, but Helga and Rodrigo had already arrived at the stadium. The weather was now turning cold, so the pair had to wear thick coats and hats.
As they entered the building, Helga began to recur memories the last time she was there; back in the fourth grade when she missed the bus during a field trip with Harold. It was a very unpleasant, but ultimately good ending memory, but still one she preferred not to remember. Thankfully, her return is going to be more enjoyable. At least she was with someone whom she could tolerate.
Upon entering the building, Helga went to find their seats and made sure there was no 'confusion' while Rodrigo went to get the snacks.
"Finally you made it." She said as she snatched her snack from his hand. "The match is about to start. What took you so long?"
"Sorry Helga." Rodrigo apologized as he sat down on his seat. "There was a long line up at the snack bar."
Helga frowned at him, still irritated. But then remembered why he was there with her.
"It's alright." She casually said to him. "Just watch back and relax."
"Thanks, but I can't relax now." Rodrigo anxiously said. "My favorite wrestler might appear at any moment and I'm dying to see him!"
Helga had no interest in knowing who his favorite wrestler was, but since she was 'trying' to be his friend, might as well humor him.
"who's your favorite wrestler?" She asked him as she took a bite out of her snack.
"The Icer." Rodrigo replied.
"You're kidding." A surprised Helga said as she sat up. "That's my favorite wrestler!"
"Really?" Rodrigo asked, equally surprised.
"Yes!" She said. "He is so Machiavellian!"
"Not to mentioned unpredictable! You never know what he might do." Rodrigo excitedly added. "He can wiggle his way out of almost any bad situation and still come out on top!"
"I know, that's why I love him!" Helga remarked. "I don't get why he is so hated. He is so smart and cunning and he makes this sport exciting."
"Precisely for those very reasons." Rodrigo explained. "He has no allegiance to anyone other than himself and takes advantage of people in order to achieve his goals. People don't like that."
"What's so bad about that?" Helga asked. "It's what made him a six-time champion."
"Yeah, but I think he rubbed off a lot of people the wrong way." Rodrigo explained. "It's only a matter of time before he eventually gets on everyone's bad side."
"That maybe so." Helga said. "But I'm confident he will be able to weasel his way out of that."
"GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The Ring Announcer finally spoke.
"It's starting!" Helga exclaimed and both pre-teens soon diverted their attention back to the ring.
The crowd also took their seats and let our a roaring cheer as the Announcer initiated the start of the event.
Several hours later…
"Wow, what a great night!" Rodrigo excitedly exclaimed as he and Helga has just arrived back into the neighbourhood and were walking home.
"I cannot believe the Icer managed to form an alliance with the Undertaker!" Helga added. "Those two hate each other."
"I know! Who would have thought!" Rodrigo exclaimed. "It's the first time in history that they partnered up and we were there to witness it!"
"Thank you, Helga." A grateful Rodrigo said to her. "Really, this is going to be a night to remember."
"Glad you enjoyed it." Helga said with a smile. "Thanks for the snacks." She thanked him.
"It was the least I could do." He said.
"You know" She continued, "hanging out with you isn't too bad at all." As she gently gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
"Thanks." Rodrigo accepted the compliment. "You aren't too bad yourself."
"Don't get sarcastic with me, bucko." She quickly snapped at him.
"I wasn't." Rodrigo just calmly replied. "I was being serious."
"Really?" Helga asked, being a little surprised, but still suspicious.
"Yeah." Rodrigo replied. "I had a good time hanging out with you tonight."
That made Helga a bit unsettled. She had never heard of anyone flat out saying they enjoyed her company. Usually it was the opposite, or so she thinks.
"Well, thanks." she somewhat sheepishly said.
Just then, the two came across an intersection.
"Well Latino Boy," Helga than said to him, "I'll see ya later." and began to head back to the beeper store..
"I'll walk you home." Rodrigo offered. "It's very late-"
"No!" Helga instantly shouted him, prompting Rodrigo to stop. "I mean uh, no thanks." She then calmly but firmly said. "I'm a big girl, I can walk home by myself you know. And remember what I said, this is not a date, so you don't need to be all gentlemany with me."
Helga was not completely lying when she said that. Having always been independent, she disliked being patronized in any way. She wouldn't even tolerate that with Arnold, at least in most cases. However, there was still the little issue of where she lived. She was in no way going to allow Rodrigo to know her living condition. That, she was willing to keep a secret by any means necessary
Rodrigo on the other hand was not so sure about letting Helga walk home so late at night. However, not wanting to upset her, he relented.
"Well, okay then." He said. "Night." And began to head home.
"Hey." Helga then called out, prompting Rodrigo to stop and turn around.
"Wanna hang out sometime during lunch recess?" She asked. "Football Head's probably gonna be busy again, so my schedule is free."
"Sure." He accepted with a smile.
Helga also smiled.
"See ya on Monday." She said as she then turned around and headed home. Rodrigo waved at her before then proceeding to head home.
Helga continued walking home in silence. She waited until she was far way from Rodrigo.
"Well, tonight went easier than I thought I would go." Helga proudly said with a smirk. "Rodrigo didn't turn out to be such a immature bore. He was rather quite pleasant to be around with. This'll make my plan proceed more smoothly. I just need to keep this up for a little while longer and Arnold will soon come crawling back to me."
Helga than stopped, looked around to see if the coast was clear before taking out her locket.
"Oh my love," She swooned as she romantically glanced at the picture of her beloved, "Soon, I will wank you away from the clutches of the plebs and bring you back to my arms. We have become one, only to be separated by the Fog of Despair. But fear not by love, for I will win lack your attention and affection, even if I do have to commit a little evil, tis only for the greater good. When love is at stake, what can go wrong?"
Monday...during lunch recess…
Helga has just gotten out of the building and was waiting for Rodrigo at their pre-agreed spot for not even a minute when she saw him approaching her.
"Hey Helga." Rodrigo greeted.
"Took you long enough." She sneered. "Now what did you want to do?" She asked.
"Sit around and talk?" Rodrigo suggested.
"Nah." She declined. "Did too much of that already in class. I'm more in the mood for some sport. It'll keep us warm."
"Okay." He said. "How about a Hand Ball game?" He suggested.
"That'll do." She said.
Despite the weather being cold, it had not yet snowed, so it was still possible for throw a tennis ball from the ground to the wall.
Rodrigo quickly went over to the bag of balls and grabbed a tennis ball and headed back.
"Just so you know," Helga said as she readied herself. "I'm not going to go easy on you. But in the spirit of sportsmanship, I'll let you go first." She smirked.
"Thanks." Rodrigo said. "That makes it easier for me because I wasn't going to go easy on you either." He smirked back.
Rodrigo readied himself and threw the ball, which landed on and skipped the ground before hitting the wall and back. However, he did it so fast that Helga didn't even see where the ball was bouncing back and missed it.
"Of!" She grunted as she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
"I believe it's your turn now." Rodrigo remarked with a smirk.
Helga looked at him and frowned, but then smiled at him.
"Well played, Latino Boy." She said as she got up and went over to get the ball. "Now let's see if you can catch this!" And she quickly threw the ball, skipped on the ground and then hit the wall and bounced back to Rodrigo so fast, that the Latino Kid didn't have time to react, giving Helga one point.
Helga said nothing and just smirked at him as he went passed her to get the ball.
Seeing the competition intensifying, Rodrigo smirked back, cracked his knuckles and readied himself for round three.
*RRRRiiinnnggg*
After almost 45 minutes, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess and for the afternoon classes to start. All the students began to hurriedly put away their sport gear and go back inside. Helga and Rodrigo were no exception. They had just completed their latest round before hearing the bell.
Initially the two began to track how much point each earned. But after a while, it became irrelevant as the two began to simply enjoy themselves. Nevertheless, Helga won the last round and so she declared herself the victor, much to Rodrigo's chagrin.
"Cheer up, Latino Boy." Helga said to him, "It's not bad losing to number #1."
Rodrigo initially just frowned at the remarked, but ever the mature person, he let go of his wounded pride.
"You're right." He said to her. "Congratulations."
"Hey, for what it's worth," Helga then said as they went inside the building, "you weren't bad at all. You gave me a good run for my money."
"Glad to hear I at least accomplished that." He remarked with a chuckle. "But I still would have beaten you had I not tripped on that stupid pebble." He insisted.
"Tomato, tomato." Helga just remarked. "But if you are so confident, how about a rematch then?" She challenged him.
"You're on!" Rodrigo quickly accepted.
"Same time tomorrow?" Helga asked.
"Tomorrow." He replied.
The next day…
School had ended for the day and the all the kids and teachers eagerly got out of the building as they headed for home. Among them were Rodrigo and Helga who both left the building together.
"Hope you aren't too mad for losing to me today." Rodrigo inquired.
"You were counting?" Helga asked. "I was too busy just trying to keep up with you! You really gave me a run for my money today! Sheesh! I got all sweaty from that game."
Rodrigo just chuckled.
"Anyhoo," Helga said, "I'm gonna go to the arcade later today and play that new shooting game that just came out. Wanna come with?" She asked him.
"I can't." Rodrigo groaned. "I gotta help my folks with a few things. Will you take a rain check?"
"Sure." Helga replied. "Tomorrow after school?" She asked him.
"I'm free then." Rodrigo replied.
After agreeing, the two then proceeded to quickly get to the bus to catch it and head for home.
The next day…
After school ended, the two went home to freshen up before meeting up. But there was another reason. Helga did not have enough money and so had to scramble by looking for any coin lying on the ground, bus, or at school. It had become an ever more frequent, humiliating ritual she was obliged to perform. Her parents were increasingly losing money, so there was no way she could have asked from them.
She didn't just invite Rodrigo as part of her plan. She wanted to play too. But as she prepared herself for hanging out, a concern soon began to take shape.
"Why did I really invite him today?" Helga asked herself as she looked at the mirror.
All day, Helga had been having this funny feeling. It wasn't a negative feeling. Rather it felt kind of pleasant? As the day worn on and got closer to when they were scheduled to meet up, Helga began to feel this pull, or rather this want to hang out with him. As their meet up time got closer, it only made her more excited.
"Am I starting to like him to want to hang out with him?" She asked herself. "It can't be though. This is just a ploy to get Arnold back. That's all. H-He means nothing to me."
That thought alone caused Helga to feel guilty about what she was doing to Rodrigo.
"Oh crminey!" She exclaimed with worry. "That must be it! Why else would I be excited to see him?"
"Wait. Does that mean I'm...falling for him?" She worriedly asked herself as she gulped.
There was no way that could be right. It's impossible! To proof this, Helga closed her eyes and looked deep within, trying to get a sense of what she was feeling. There was definitely something, of that she was sure. But she didn't know how strong it was or what she really felt for him. After looking deep within for a little while,
"Phew! I'm not falling for him." Helga sighed with relief. "But it does mean that I enjoy hanging out wit him as a...friend!"
Helga groaned at the revelation. This was not part of the plan at all. She had no desire to be friends with anyone. Well, she used to not have any desire to.
"No!" She exclaimed as she banged on the bathroom sink. "I cannot fall into any such temptation. I didn't invite him because I want to be friends with him. I'm doing this to get back at Arnold for sidelining me and to get him back. I'm doing it to save my relationship!"
"Yes," She continued to convince herself, "That's what it is. Rodrigo is just a means to a end. Arnold is my end, not him. This is all part of the plan."
Despite her attempts at convincing herself otherwise, she couldn't do away with the guilty she was feeling for using the Latino Kid like that.
Just then, her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone started vibrating. Helga looked at it and saw that it was Arnold.
"Gino's Pizza. How may I take your order?" She answered the phone.
"Hi Helga." Arnold respond, knowing that it was her.
"Ah dang it." She complained. "Couldn't do it a third time eh?"
"Nope." Arnold answered. "I learned my lesson."
"Took you long enough." She remarked. "Now quickly spit out; what's on your mind? I haven't got all day you know."
Arnold responded. "Right. I called because I wanted to see if you want to hang out tonight?"
"Tonight?" A surprised Helga asked.
Arnold replied. "Yeah. Believe it or not, I'm free. I wasn't bombarded by so many people today."
Helga was indeed surprised by this revelation. But she stuck to her plan.
"Loved to Football Head, but can't tonight." She casually answered him as she examine her nails. "I'm hanging out with Rodrigo tonight, believe it or not."
"Oh." A surprised Arnold said. "You sure are spending a lot of time with him." He remarked.
"You got a problem with that?" Helga suspiciously asked him.
"No, no. Not at all." Arnold replied. "I actually think it's great that you are making friends."
"Don't patronize me, Arnoldo." She warned him. "I'm only hanging out with him because he keeps me entertained while I wait for you to end your 'shift' as Hillwood's Buddha."
"Well I'm free now." Arnold pointed out with some eagerness in his tone.
"Yes, but it would be rude of me to cancel on him at the last minute, wouldn't you agree?" Helga sneered.
"Well I guess." Arnold relented.
"Great." She said. "Well I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta go and meet up with my 'date'." She teased him. "Toodles."
And with that, Helga hanged up on him without even waiting for him to respond and left the beeper store bathroom.
Arnold meanwhile was left hanging on the receiving end as the phone call went dead and wondering what had just happened.
"I'm going out!" Helga yelled to her parents as she grabbed her coat and hat. "Not that you would care." She resentfully muttered to herself.
Miriam was fast asleep on the couch, while her father was in his office, trying to make sales calls for his latest discounted beeper prices; 90% off. Hence neither of them heard her.
Not that it mattered to her. Helga didn't wait for a reply and quickly left the store as fast as she could. With the way things were going, she would use any excuse to get out of there. Luckily that evening was going to be fun so she ran across the parking lot to meet up with Rodrigo.
Rodrigo had already arrived and was waiting for her. The weather had turned cold, so he opted to wait for her inside the arcade, but stayed close to the entrance door. Soon enough, he saw someone step in. It was Helga.
"Hey." She greeted him.
"You're late." He coldly remarked.
"Excuse me?" A surprised Helga asked, not taking too kind to that remark. "Look who's talking." Helga countered with a frown.
Before she could berate him however, Rodrigo, began to laugh.
"Ha ha ha! I know, ha ha." Rodrigo laughed. "I just wanted to say it and see what it felt like."
Helga didn't laugh and just rolled her eyes. But she got the joke.
"Yeah, yeah." She said to him. "Quit stalling. Let's go and play some games now. I'm dying to try out the new shooting game."
"Me too." Rodrigo agreed and both headed straight for it.
The duo had to wait for a bit before it became vacant. But soon enough, the two kids in front of them left and they quickly got on, paid the fare and it soon began. It was a new horror type of shooting game. It entailed going into a haunted house and shooting at any ghosts or monsters they came across. Getting into positions, the duo soon began to shoot at anything that moved.
"Watch out!" Rodrigo cried and blasted a werewolf that had approached Helga while she was busy, killing it and thus saving her to continue."
"Thanks!" She thanked him and quickly continued to shoot away.
The two continued playing, moving to the next level, although each new level became harder to beat. More and more ghosts and monster popped up, making it harder for the two to not get overwhelmed. Incredibly, the two realized that they made a good team. They not only had each other's backs, but even strategized together on the spot.
"Don't lose sight of that big ghost!" Helga ordered Rodrigo. "He's the boss."
"I got'em." He said as he shot away at it, while Helga kept the smaller ghosts as bay.
Their teamwork paid off. Keeping the momentum, they continued moving up to the next level until finally,
"Ah dang it!" Helga frustratingly cried when a zombie thrashed at her character, killing her.
"You're out?" Rodrigo asked he continued to shoot away.
"Yeah, I'm done." Helga answered as she pouted.
"I'll avenge you!" He cried out as he directed his shooting gun at the zombie that had killed Helga and began to mercilessly shoot at it.
Helga initially didn't take his word seriously, but as she as looked on and saw Rodrigo's shooting, she realized just how committed he was. Trying desperately to keep the ghosts at bay, he kept shooting at the zombie whenever he could.
"Whoa, you got him!" A surprised Helga said and he finally shot his head off.
"Yeah!" Rodrigo said, but then saw a new swarm of ghosts, followed by a ghost boss.
"Oh no!" Rodrigo exclaimed when he saw them.
"To your right, quick!" Helga warned him.
Rodrigo quickly reacted and shot the ghost just in the nick of time. He then shot another one, then another, then another.
"There's a ghost behind you!" Helga warmed him, allowing Rodrigo to quickly react to him.
With Helga's help, Rodrigo managed to survive the first wave of ghost, allowing to start shooting at the boss.
"Don't let up!" Helga said to him. "Remember, he moves around fast!"
"I know." Rodrigo said as he tried to aim and shoot fast. "Let me know if you see any ghosts."
"They're coming." Helga quickly said. "To your right and left."
"Rodrigo quickly reacted to his flanks, but the ghost boss saw his move and with one thrash, killed Rodrigo's character
"Game Over!" The arcade game said.
"Aw man!" Rodrigo groaned when he realized what happened. "We were so close."
"We?" Helga asked. "You mean you. You were the last one standing."
"What are you talking about?" Rodrigo said. "I never would have made it this far without you. Even after you died, you still helped me."
"Hm." Helga thought about it. "I guess you're right. You know, we make a pretty good team."
"Totally." Rodrigo agreed.
"Alright, well that was fun." Helga said, let's try another one.
They then spent the next while trying out some of the other arcade games. Much of the games had a team option and seeing as how the two did well together in the first game, they opted to team up again. Much to their surprise, the first time wasn't a mere coincidence and the two once again showed just how much they can accomplish if paired out.
Rodrigo in particular was surprised at how easy Helga just accepted him as a teammate. He had seen several times that she doesn't fare well in a team. Mostly she just orders people around. It was not common for her to be part of an actual team unless she was its head.
Helga in turn was also surprised at how she just let him be her partner without issue. She had a hard time trusting people and so always preferred to take control and boss people around. It was just how she protected herself. Rodrigo would have been no exception, except she didn't have this fear or suspicion to want to take over. She wasn't sure how or why, but somewhere along the way, Rodrigo somehow proved to her that he can, at least be trusted to help her win a few arcade games.
Regardless, she just shoved such thoughts aside and continued with her night.
Despite working well together, two also played games that prompted them to play against each other. This revealed another surprise. Seeing how good Helga is, Rodrigo didn't go easy on her. Helga did the same. The result was that Rodrigo won in some games, while Helga won in others. What surprised both teems was just how well Helga took whenever Rodrigo won. Helga hated losing and always showed her displeasure when she lost. Although she wasn't happy that she didn't win, she showed great maturity and just congratulated him. Maybe it was Arnold influencing over her behaviour, or maybe it was Rodrigo's maturity as he never gloated his victory at her face. Whatever the case, it was another thing that Helga noticed.
Eventually, the two had to stop playing, but not because it was getting late. Helga had run out of money.
"Dang it!" Helga exclaimed in disappointment when she reached into her pockets. "I'm all out of quarters."
"I still have some." Rodrigo said. "Here." As he offered some of it.
Helga however refused.
"Nah, don't worry about it." She declined.
Rodrigo wasn't blind. He noticed how disappointed Helga was on not having any more change and as much as she wanted to accept, he quickly realized that she was too proud to accept help. This only served to confuse him.
Why did she bring so little change then? He thought.
Rodrigo had a bunch more money and could have continued playing for a while. However, not wanting to sideline Helga,
"Okay. You hungry then?" He suggested. "All that playing made me work up an appetite. How about we go get something to each? My treat." He offered.
Helga was indeed also hungry, but she was not at all enthusiastic about accepting anyone to pay for her meal. She would only tolerate that from Arnold. But considering there was nothing decent back home and since this could be the only real dinner she could have,
"Well, since you're offering." She casually pointed out. "I'm not going to say no to free food."
The two pre-teens then proceeded to head out of the arcade and went to a small joint that served fast food. Helga wasn't just hungry. She was starving. But she also had to be 'considerate' and not take full advantage of Rodrigo's offer. After all, this was all still part of her plan. Hence she simply ordered a small burger and fries. Rodrigo had the same.
"So wait a minute." Helga said as they ate their meal. "You're telling me that you're also into the horror genre?"
"Yup." Rodrigo replied. "Personally I prefer action movies. I only go to see horror movies if I want to a good laugh."
"Explain." An intrigued Helga asked as she took a big bite out of her burger.
"I just don't see the scary side of those movies." Rodrigo explained. "Half the time I try not to laugh when I see the scene where the monster or some alien is about to appear and devour the characters. It's just so cliché."
"Oh I hear yeah." Helga agreed. "Even the excitement from seeing the latest Evil Twins is starting to wear-off."
"Does Arnold like the same movies?" Rodrigo asked.
"Yeah, he does." She replied. "We go every now and then. He used to go a lot with Gerald back in the old days."
"So you went with Phoebe before you and Arnold hooked up?" Rodrigo asked as he ate some fries. "I didn't know Phoebe was into those movies." He assumed.
"Pfft! Yeah right." Helga said. "I wish she was into it. Would have been better than going alone."
"Really?" A surprised Rodrigo said. "There wasn't anyone you could have gone with?"
"Hey, I wanted to go alone, alright?!" Helga then suddenly snapped at him, as she became very uncomfortable in being reminded of those those lonesome times. But, she almost immediately back down. "Besides even if I asked, it's not like anyone would have gone with me. In case you weren't yet aware, I'm not the most easiest person to be around with."
"You don't seem to be such a terrible person to be around with to me." He pointed out. "And before you get into it, this includes the first weeks when I started in P.S. 118. I think you and I would have gone along quite well from the beginning if it wasn't for that, 'misunderstanding'."
"Hey, quit your flirting!" She again snapped at him. "Remember that I'm spoken for."
"I wasn't flirting, Helga." Rodrigo just calmly responded. "It was just an honest compliment."
Rodrigo wasn't at all intimidated, nor annoyed by Helga's resilient loyalty to Arnold. Quite the contrary, he was impressed by that, if not found it admirable. But not wanting to pass on as if he was flirting with her, he didn't say anything else.
Helga meanwhile was a bit surprised by this remark. Even after what she did to him, he still had the opinion that they could have gotten along well. Helga wasn't sure if he really meant it, or if he was attempting to play some sick joke.
"Well tell that to everybody else." She instead said. "Everyone, especially Arnold, always tells me that I need to be more 'nice' or be more 'polite'. Maybe I would be nice and polite to them if the whole world can just back off for a moment and let me have some peace!"
Helga then immediately went quiet when she realized what she just uttered. To her almost horror, she unintentionally blurted out a big clue about why she is always so angry all the time. Not wanting to make things personal, the blonde girl just hoped Rodrigo wouldn't inquire about it.
Rodrigo meanwhile did recognize the big clue Helga just uttered out, but then also recognized that her uttering it made her uncomfortable. Hence, not wanting to ruin the moment, Rodrigo chose not to inquire about it.
"But, Arnold does have a point Helga." Rodrigo said. "But as I told you before, it takes two to tango. And you're right that there are some people who just don't deserve you being nice and polite to and aren't worth your time. No names will be mentioned." He smirked. "So don't feel too bad if you can't get along with everyone."
Helga felt utterly relieved when Rodrigo didn't question her further.
"Thanks." She said. "At least you get me. Can't say the same about Mister Goody Two-shoes."
"Arnold's still trying to get you to be nice without seeing your point of view?" Rodrigo asked.
"Yup." She replied. "But it's a work in progress. Speaking of being nice, you finally managed to control your anger?" She asked him.
"I don't have anger issues." Rodrigo firmly replied, but then his confidence waned to show his more vulnerable side. "But I do have this extreme sadness that I have a hard time controlling. I think grown-ups call it depression."
"Explain." Helga asked.
"Well," Rodrigo began to explain. "I came from a poor country. I saw poverty and misery at all levels and it shocked me how bad some people have it. But, I always thought that, so long as I had my family, that part of the world would never touch me. It wasn't until my grandpa died and when my relationship with my grandma soured that I began to feel that misery as well. My family wasn't poor, but when my grandma and then extended family began to push me away, I felt like I was because I lost a good chunk of what made my life so, rich and happy I guess. I used to think about it a lot, but that only made it worse for me. So, the only option left is to move on. It's really the only thing left for me at this point."
Helga was shocked by this revelation.
"...Have you?" Helga asked. "Managed to move on?"
Rodrigo just sadly shook his head.
"Wow…" A sympathetic Helga said. "That's rough. How often does it occur, this depression?"
"It comes and goes." Rodrigo replied. "It's not really serious, but it can make everyday tasks challenging at times.."
"I'm...sorry to hear that." A moved Helga said with a sigh. "I...understand how you feel."
Rodrigo then glanced at her,with a surprised look.
"You're parents?" He dared to bring it up.
Helga just sadly nodded.
"It's not just my parents." Se said. "A lot of it's got to do with my sister."
"Oh." Said Rodrigo, unaware that she had any siblings. "Younger?"
"Pfft! I wish!" She exclaimed. "Everything would have made more sense. But no, she's my older sister and my parents' favourite."
"Excuse me?" A stunned Rodrigo asked. "What do you mean by favourite?"
"I mean it exactly what the word 'favourite' means." She said. "The reason why they ignore my very existence is because they devote all of their time and energy on to my sister. They worship the very ground she walks, showering her with all the love and attention while forgetting that I am even in the same room!"
Rodrigo could not believe what he was hearing. It was such a dreadful realization that he was having a hard time accepting it.
"What exactly is it about your sister that your parents love?" He asked.
"Hm, take you pick." She angrily said. "Practically in everything. She's a straight A student with a 'deep' desire to 'help' the less fortunate, she's beautiful and very courteous, can do pretty much everything from playing the piano to knitting."
"And that justifies them ignoring you all the time?" A now visibly upset Rodrigo asked.
"To them it does." She said.
"And your parents expect you to be like her?" Rodrigo asked, remembering what she said before.
"Pretty much." She responded.
This was all either very surreal, or just some sort of a sick joke. Rodrigo was still not able to accept the way Helga's parents treat her. This was beyond simple neglect and it was making him not only angry, but also sick.
"If it's okay," He politely asked her. "Can you please give me a few specific examples on what exactly they do to you? Or not do to you?"
Helga recognized that Rodrigo was having a hard time picturing her situation, but that was his problem. Normally she would not take too kindly on random people asking about her private life. She had always kept that part of her life from the public and she would have done everything in her power to keep it that way. Rodrigo was no exception and she would have angrily told him that it wasn't his business, had he not considerately asked for her permission. Besides, this was all still part of her plan.
Helga took a deep breath before diving deep into her painful life.
"When I was three years old," She began. "I had to start pre-school. But instead of my parents taking me there, they were too preoccupied praising Olga at how gifted she is at playing the piano. My sister is a lot older than me by the way. She was about 15 years old when I was three. Anyways, I tried to tell my dad that I had to go to pre-school, but all he kept telling me was 'later' and to go somewhere else. This doesn't even include him not calling me by my name."
"What did he call you?" Rodrigo asked, fearing what the answer was.
"He kept calling me my sister's name." She angrily, but also with a strong hint of hurt, replied, much to Rodrigo's outrage.
"Anyways," She continued, "Not being keen on not getting a decent education, I grabbed my lunch and took myself there, only for it to start pouring rain, losing my lunch to a stray dog and almost getting lost."
"Did you make it?" Rodrigo asked.
"Yeah, I did." She said. "Barely."
Helga intentionally left out the most crucial part of the whole story; meeting Arnold. She was not yet ready to tell him how she met him and what the Football Heads means to her. That and it really wasn't his business.
"That's just one example how they win the award for the world's 'greatest' parents." Helga then sarcastically remarked. "Olga isn't some innocent bystander. She also plays a big role in making my life more hectic than it already is. Like when I had to go to pre-school, I know Olga heard me and yet she completely ignored me just so she can continue to be their golden child. Talk about for being a big sister. Pfft!"
"Which brings me to her." Helga continued. Rodrigo by this time got the point and wanted to tell Helga to stop. Already repulsed by her parents behaviour, he dreaded to know what damage did Olga do to her. But, either from being too much in shock, or slightly curious, he remained silent.
"Olga had always said she cares about me and wants to be there for me." Helga said. "I would believe that, if she actually took the time to listen to me and reflect on the things that she did to me. Like this one time in the fourth grade, Olga somehow managed to be a student teacher in our class. I don't know what she was on, but she ended up blurting something about me so personal in front of the whole class!" She angrily shouted as she banged on the table, startling Rodrigo.
"I'm not going to reiterate what she said, but you can probably guess that it was very humiliating!" She continued. "And I'm not talking about something that ruined my rep. Oh no. It went far beyond that. It was outright humiliation!" She again banged the table with her fist.
Rodrigo didn't know what Olga blurted, but he could clearly see that whatever she said, Helga was not only hurt by it, but took it very, VERY personally.
"So there you have it." She concluded as she calmed down and sat down. "You get the picture now?" She asked him with a frown.
Rodrigo however, just sat there in silence. So shocked he was by what he heard, that his entire body refused to move, afraid that it might somehow make her situation worse.
"Hello! Earth to Latino boy!" Helga called out when he didn't answer. "Did I break you or something?"
Pretty much. He thought.
"Sorry Helga." Rodrigo finally uttered something. "It's just that, it was a lot to take. I'm...really sorry you are going through this."
"Hey, I only told you so we can be even!" Helga snapped at him, not liking on him pitying her.
"Right, right." He agreed, not wanting to upset her.
"And you better not tell anyone about any of this!" She warned him.
"I won't." He promised. "You have my word. Thank you."
"For what?" Helga asked.
"For trusting me enough to share this with me." Rodrigo replied. "It's not something I take for granted."
Helga was a bit intrigued about that. She actually didn't know why she told him. It sure wasn't because she wanted to share personal things with him. No. It had to be something else. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something with the way he handled himself and situations encouraged her to gave this kid a try. If she didn't know any better he reminded her of someone…
"Whatever." She dismissively said as she got up. "Anyway, it's late. I gotta get home. Not that my parents will notice, but I don't want to take the risk.
"Right." Rodrigo agreed and also got up.
The two walked out of the restaurant and headed home. It was now getting dark. The change in the season shortened the daylight, giving more ground for night to starting consuming the city. There was just enough daylight for the two to safely head home. After some time, the two made it to the intersection.
"Well, thanks for the invite Helga." Rodrigo said to her. "Have a good night."
"Later. Don't say I didn't do you any favors." She said as she waved back and headed home.
As she continued to walk, Helga began to feel a bit unsettled. She initially tried to push it away from her thoughts, but it kept returning with a vengeance each time. If she had to put her finger on it, it felt like...guilt.
"Why do I feel bad?" She asked herself. "I had a good time tonight. Was it because I had to re-live my childhood trauma? That can't be it. I've had no problem when I told it to Dr. Bliss, so why would it affect me now?"
Helga continued to think about it as she headed home.
"Could it be...Rodrigo?" She asked herself. "Oh man." She worriedly groaned. "I must be feeling guilty for using him like this! That means I'm starting to like him. Not 'like' like, just like. Drats, I'm getting too close! This was supposed to be strictly business, which would be fine except...he doesn't know that. Oh curse you guilty conscious!"
'Alright, don't panic Helga." She tried to calm herself. "The solution is quite simple; just take a break from him. A few days away and you should be all good. Yeah, that's what I need. Once I sever any emotional ties with him, I can go back to my plan, which so far is working."
Feeling a bit better, Helga quickly made her way home as fast as she could, and planning the next few days to distance herself away from the Latino Kid.
Alright! That's it for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it.
So, the cat is finally out of the bag; Rodrigo suffers from depression or at least depressing-like symptoms. In my previous stories I had hinted that Rodrigo has anger issues, similar to Helga. But I also pointed out that that anger stems from a traumatic, sad childhood with his grandma and extended family. I initially wasn't sure which symptom Rodrigo has, or if he should have anything at all. But after some thought, I decided to add this to his personality. You could say that Rodrigo is on similar grounds with Lila who we all know also struggles with depression.
But unlike with Lila, Rodrigo has more in common with Helga as he is also find people to be untrustworthy, at least in some situation.
You will find out just how bad this is in my other future stories about him. There, you will Rodrigo similar in my previous stories; at his best and at his worst.
