Helga:
I can't...I can't do it.
I can't sleep with you.
I can't sleep at all!
Helga turns away from Arnold and places her hands on her forehead and smooths out her hair.
She begins pacing back and forth.
Arnold:
Helga, no one is forcing you and your father...
He's not here. You're in my house.
It's safe here and no one is going to hurt you. I promise.
Helga:
It's all lies!
You're going to hurt me.
Is that it?
Is that why you invite me to sleep with you?
What are you planning??
What are your intentions with me, football head?
Arnold stands up from his bed.
Arnold:
Are you hearing yourself? I would never hurt you or anyone.
You're talking nonsense , but I know that it's only because you're dwelling on your past.
I'm not your father and the other boys at school aren't him, either.
We're your friends, Helga.
Maybe it's best that we don't sleep together.
You can go on my roof if you like, but please get some rest up there for me...
Helga:
This was a bad idea for me to come here in the first place .
I should've never came.
Why did I say yes?
Arnold:
Calm down, Helga.
Helga:
No, get away from me!
Arnold pulls Helga close to him and holds her hands.
He squeezes them.
Arnold:
Look at me.
Helga looks into Arnold's green eyes, but quickly looks away.
Please, look at me.
Helga slowly turns her head back to Arnold, who is smiling at her.
Arnold turns his head slightly sideways.
Now why is it so difficult for you to look at me? I'm no different than my picture on your locket that helps you feel better.
Besides, if I'm being too bold about this...
We accidentally slept together yesterday on my roof.
I don't think we noticed because we were getting ready for school.
Helga backs away from Arnold as she blushes pure red.
Helga:
I-I'm sleeping on your roof and YOU better NOT move. You're staying in your bed.
Arnold:
That's fine! Whatever makes you comfortable, Helga, but you can't deny that I made you feel better.
You're just hiding it.
Helga stares at Arnold, who isn't giving up his genuine smile towards her.
Helga:
Shut up, ya girly-looking shrimp. Got-ta bed.
Helga climbs up to Arnold's roof with him smiling at the sight of her.
He goes back in his bed and peacefully falls asleep.
The next morning, the kids freshen themselves up, and during breakfast downstairs, Helga kept looking at Arnold.
Helga:
(In her mind)
What's his deal?
We aren't even dating and he's acting like my Prince Charming or something.
Arnold...
What a sap.
What a nerd.
What a scrawny little loser.
And yet...
Oh, how I adore him!
His beautiful green eyes.
Green as the trees that dances with the wind.
A unique football shaped head that any artist in the world would love to replicate in a fine masterpiece.
Oh, how I desire to always be by your side and marvel at your beauty.
Phoebe:
Helga!
Helga comes back to reality and looks at Phoebe.
Helga:
What?
Phoebe:
The bus will be arriving soon and you haven't touched your food.
Helga looks down at her plate.
Helga:
Oh, right.
Soon the bus arrives and Arnold, Helga, and Phoebe run towards it.
They pay their fees.
As always, Helga pushes others to make way for herself.
Alright, one side, one side, morons!
Helga sits down and Phoebe sits next to her with Arnold in the front of the bus.
Arnold looks around the bus.
He turns around and sees Helga and Phoebe.
Helga:
What??
He walks in the back of the bus and sits next to them before the bus takes off.
Arnold:
Look around. Does it seem unusually empty in here?
Phoebe pushes her glasses up her face and looks around.
Phoebe:
Now that you mention it, it does seem rather empty.
I wonder if many students are sick today.
Helga sits back on her seat and crosses her arms.
Helga:
I wish the same for the teachers.
Arnold:
Even Patty isn't here...
I hope she's okay.
Helga:
Hmph.
Helga turns away from Arnold after rolling her eyes.
Rhonda:
Why worry about who isn't here so much, Arnold?
Arnold:
You're right, Rhonda. We should look at the bright side. Maybe the teachers won't give us much work to do if there's a ton of absent students.
Helga:
Hey, Rhonda. How is your black eye?
Helga makes an evil grin at Rhonda.
Rhonda:
Cleaned and covered with make up.
Rhonda turns around in her seat away from Arnold, Helga, and Phoebe and crosses her arms.
(Mutters)
Bratty bitch.
The kids arrive to P.S 119's High School.
They exit the bus and head inside the building.
The halls are more noticeably empty.
Arnold, Helga, Phoebe, and Rhonda enter their first period class with Mrs. Heather.
Arnold looks over to Helga with a smile.
Arnold:
You're going to be okay?
Helga:
Pfft. I'm gonna leave in the middle of the class.
Just you watch, football head!
Helga says as she walks in front of Arnold and finds a seat.
There were absent students that Arnold noticed.
Sheena, Nadine, and Lila weren't there.
Mostly girls were gone.
Arnold turns to an empty seat.
Arnold:
Hey, Gerald—
Arnold forgets that Gerald isn't there and quickly realizes.
He turns back around, facing the board.
He makes a big sigh.
Where is everybody?
A few minutes pass as Mrs. Heather continues her boring teaching.
Helga sneaks out the classroom without Mrs. Heather noticing.
Helga is in the hallway.
She walks to the ladies bathroom.
Helga:
Man, I can't wait for that stupid class to end.
Good thing I came prepared.
Helga arrives to the ladies bathroom.
She takes out her gaming device from her bag before entering the stall.
She looks up from her bag and immediately drops it on the floor along with her gaming device.
Helga screams loudly from the sight of what she sees in the stall.
Everyone in nearby classes hear Helga's scream.
Including Mrs. Heather's biology class, where Arnold became very concerned.
Phoebe:
That sounds like Helga.
Mrs. Heather steps out the class with all the students getting out their seats and running to the door to peek out in the hall.
Other teachers such as Mr. Foster came closer to the ladies bathroom , but didn't go inside.
Mrs. Heather enter the ladies bathroom, where she sees Helga sitting in the corner with a traumatized look on her face.
Her belongings were still on the floor.
Mrs. Heather:
What's wrong, Helga, dear?
I didn't know you left my class.
Helga didn't answer nor look at her, but Mrs. Heather had a feeling to check the stall that Helga was sitting across from.
She walks slowly to that stall and gently pushes it open.
There she sees the disturbing sight that made Helga scream.
Mrs. Heather screams as she backs away from the stall.
Other female teachers enter the ladies bathroom and take a peek inside the stall.
Everyone is truly disturbed by the scene.
Mrs. Heather:
My goodness. Somebody! Call the police and inform her family.
Dear god.
Mrs. Heather walks out the ladies bathroom.
There in that stall is a dead student.
Patty Smith hung herself in the last stall.
It is the stall where Helga was planning on playing her games in.
She was still sitting on the floor...
Looking into space.
She couldn't believe Patty, her enemy and rival was dead.
Even though they didn't like each other, Helga felt sad and sick.
She quickly gets up and runs to the trash bin.
She throws up.
Back in Mrs. Heather's biology class, Phoebe gets through her classmates that were hogging the doorway to the class.
She walks down the hallway with Arnold soon following behind her.
Phoebe:
Helga, please be alright.
Says Phoebe to herself as she rushes to the ladies bathroom.
Phoebe and Arnold arrive to the ladies bathroom that is blocked by teachers with expressions that look like they just seen a ghost.
Mr. Foster:
What are you two doing here?
Mind your business and get back to class.
Phoebe:
But I know my friend, Helga, is in there.
What happened to her?
Arnold:
Yeah, do you know? Can you at least tell us that, Mr. Foster?
Mr. Foster sighs and places his hand on his forehead in distress.
Mr. Foster:
How can I say this?
You're just kids...
Phoebe becomes extremely worried and agitated.
Phoebe:
How is Helga?!
Mr. Foster:
Helga is fine.
As for your other classmate, Patricia Smith...
Arnold:
Patty?
Mr. Foster:
Yes...she...
(Sighs again)
Helga found her in the stall.
Patty hung herself and she is now dead.
Arnold immediately turns to Phoebe and holds her arm as she almost fell from sudden shock of hearing the devastating news.
She began crying and Arnold tries his best to hold in his tears.
He continues to hold on to Phoebe.
Soon , but slowly ... everyone in the school got a hold of the sad news of Patty's death.
School ended early right after lunch because of her death.
Police cars were everywhere around the school.
Arnold, Phoebe, and Helga walked together without saying a word to one another.
Gunshots were being fired in the background, but the three kids seemed numb that they didn't run.
They continued to walk.
They make it to Arnold's boarding house, where Stella and Miles opened the door to let them in.
They knew of the news from the school after the school called them regarding it.
They didn't say anything to the kids as they saw it in each of their faces that they were not in the mood.
Arnold, Helga, and Phoebe settle in Arnold's room.
They didn't take out their homework.
They didn't unpack anything.
Phoebe laid on the floor with a blank look on her face.
Arnold sat on his bed with a blank look on his face while Helga laid her body on Arnold's remote control couch with her eyes wide open—staring into space.
It was just silence until an hour passes.
Helga breaks the silence.
Helga:
I'm so tired of being here.
Hillwood isn't the same like it was before, Arnoldo.
Welcome back.
It's only been the first unfinished week of high school and each day seems like there's something new.
Arnold:
They should just cancel school tomorrow.
Nobody is going to want to come back after Patty's death.
I don't understand...
Why would she...
I-I wish I done so much more to save her life. She was suffering in silence.
I knew I should've stayed overnight at the hospital with her!
Helga:
It's all my fault.
Arnold looks up at Helga.
Arnold:
No, it's not.
Helga:
Would you think for a second, football head?!
Me and Patty have been fighting each other ever since fourth grade. Each year that has gone by, we have gotten worse with each other. We were always fighting and even if she seemed tough and scary, she was nice and sweet and I killed her! I drove her to commit suicide right after that fight in the cafeteria , where you took that punch for me. I called her fat, a waste of life, and a huge mistake. Those were my last words to her! Don't you see?? I killed her, Arnold. I am a fucking murderer.