DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO CRAIG BARTLETT AND NICKELODEON!
OBVIOUSLY if a character appears in this story that is not from the show it's my own filler character or whatever.
Chapter 8:
Arnold woke up before his alarm this morning. He sat up in bed and rubbed his forehead trying to wrap his head around his own thoughts. He'd been feeling like shit the entirety of last week and now it seemed tenfold and it was only Tuesday. To top it off the Prom was this week and he didn't arrange a ride for him and Lila. It was supposed to be something awesome and Gerald and he were going to go half on it, but a family reunion caught him by surprise and they are all driving to Georgia on Friday morning.
He got out of bed and staggered over to his computer and decided to just rent a nice car. Lila wouldn't mind right? Loading it up he made his way to looking through the surprisingly large abundance of rental places in the area. After clicking a few he grew irritated and suddenly growled aloud, just picking anything at that point. Setting up the date and time he'd pick up the vehicle. "Well, one issue settled, if only the other one was so fixable with a few clicks of a mouse." A low groan escaped him as he sat back in his chair, rubbing at his face. He had been avoiding Helga. It wasn't like it was too far from what he did as a boy, but now, just didn't seem as second nature. He found himself looking in her direction when he heard her voice, or if someone called out her name, or simply if he saw something pink in his peripheral, she didn't even wear pink hardly at all last week.
"I'm losing my sanity… Looking for the number one bully of my life." He closed his eyes resting his arm over his face. "Get it together…" He'd just have to do a better job of avoiding her.
X-X-X-X-X
Helga couldn't tell anyone what she saw, she could barely believe it herself. Well in a way she could, but the idea that not only did Lila have the man of Helga's dreams, the man she'd do anything to be with, but she was playing him like a fool. "A big football headed, fool." She whispered to herself. Her mind was aflutter with confusion, but she had to let Arnold know. She couldn't keep something like this from him. Or at least, she'd try to. As if he had a sixth sense for her presence he made himself scarce whenever she drew near. It was hard enough to bump into him all day Tuesday. Anyone would ask why not just ask him at his house? That would be just perfect except she was more than sure Arnie was still there. She didn't know for how long but she saw him entering Arnold's when she went to confront him at home.
"My life is just all sorts of fantastic." Sighing she sat down in her usual spot at lunch. Patty and the others were grabbing their lunches still, Phoebe was with Gerald, but Rhonda however wasn't here today, saying she had someone to meet up with. Looking around the cafeteria she caught Arnold and Lila, the skank was holding onto his arm, laughing like she hadn't a care in the world. She should just march over there and tell him what a fool he's been. Lila looked her way and smiled innocently before turning back to Arnold, Helga could feel her blood boil. Wait, maybe that's who'd she confront first? That trollop and put her in her place.
"What's wrong Helga? You look like someone just spat in your pastrami. Helga looked up to see Patty smiling down at her. Harold, mostly sat with Sid and Stinky, Brainy was also with them, he was like their unofficial extra now that he got medication to ease his obsessive compulsive snooping. Apparently Helga wasn't the only one he was spying on, constantly.
"Just thinking about stuff…" Helga drifted off again as Patty sat down. It seemed it was just them today as they spotted Nadine and Sheena heading over to Eugene, Katrinka and some of the other kids from school. They were mainly around when Rhonda was, but they were still in the close friends group for Helga.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Patty finally asked, resting her head in her hand as she toyed with the slop-like gruel on her plate. "I know your real reason for being so down and I wish you didn't stick me in the same group as the others. I already know you like Arnold." She whispered the last bit and Helga choked on her water. "You're a little obvious, and lucky everyone else is fooled by your 'Bitch-itude'." Patty laughed, Helga just proceeded to slide down her chair in embarrassment. Too many people were knowing her feelings for Arnold lately. Just. Not. Arnold.
"Criminey, I'm starting to wonder if it's even a secret anymore." She huffed. In the past 2 years, Rhonda, Olga, and Patty have all learned about her love for Arnold. Not cool.
The bell for lunch rang eventually and Helga figured it was as good a time as any to corner Lila. As if her luck was somehow getting better, she spotted the red-head leaving Arnold and heading to the restrooms. Gritting her teeth, Helga prepared for the confrontation. She entered the bathrooms, the other stalls were vacant, just the one that Lila was in was closed. Perfect.
"Oh Helga, I'm ever-so surprised to see you he-" Lila was cut off by Helga's obviously angry expression. "Is there something the matter?" Lila straightened herself and stared back at Helga.
"I saw you with Arnie, you tramp." Helga growled. Lila looked startled at first but soon enough she was calm and collected.
"Oh, have you? I guess you haven't told your, oh-so precious Arnold then." She smiled, making Helga's hands ball into fists. "Of course you wouldn't have, as if he'd believe you. Not when I have him wrapped around my finger ever-so tightly." Lila purred.
"W-why are you even doing this?! What in the years I've known you, have I done to deserve this never ending nightmare of you using Arnold!" Helga cried out, though she did monitor herself, given, they were still at school.
"You really don't remember, pity. Well then Geraldine, let me remind you." Lila stalked forward, but Helga stood her ground, she was the main bully, she wasn't going to back down to some female who was scrawnier than herself. "We met before we were nine, but it must have just been an insignificant event to you. To me however, it was… mortifying."
"What are you blabbering on about?" Helga groaned.
"My father had been visiting with family in Hilwood when I was 4, trying to get help supporting our farm. He left me in a pre-school since there weren't any day-cares, not any ones he trusted anyway. He was ever-so lucky the teachers agreed I could stay." Lila's eyes glazed as she recalled the memory. "I was just minding my business when some little girl in pink ran into me, and I fell onto the ground, my new sun dress got scraped and ripped as my knees hit the cement. The white was spotted with muddy prints from some of the children playing in the sprinkler."
"This is all over a dress? Since I'm assuming I'm the little girl." Helga growled, feeling her hate boiling. Lila was toying with her entire reason for living over a fucking white sundress?!
"No you fool!" Lila seethed. "That dress was from my mother, my dead mother! And you soiled it! What was oh-so worse, when I sat there, sobbing my eyes out you looked down at me, and you told me serves me right for being in your way!"
Helga winced, she could honestly say she didn't remember that, but it sounded like her at the time. She grew softer as she got older, which was probably backwards. "I… I was 4, this is still ridiculous, plus, you can't punish Arnold for something I did!" Helga complained and Lila only grinned.
"Oh but Helga, Arnold is your white sundress and I plan to destroy it ever-so thorou-" Katrinka walked in at that moment, her eyes wide with confusion as she saw, Lila and Helga pretty much standing in one another's face. The pair turned to her, Lila instantly looking attacked and Helga just stood there confused.
"Helga! What are you doing to Lila?!" Helga almost fell over, in fact she still felt as if she might when Katrinka was suddenly blocking Lila and ranting on and on about how she should grow up and stop bullying people. The small bathroom was swiftly making Helga claustrophobic.
"I need to go anyway." Helga managed to say, Lila was right, even if she told Arnold, he wouldn't believe a thing she said. She'd waste her breath. As the truth sunk in, she felt her heart hardening to the situation. It's just never going to be an 'I and Arnold', and I should accept what it is, as well as his choice in partners. Wiping the tears that had gathered, Helga sped off to her next class.
X-X-X-X-X
After school was out, Arnold didn't have much to do, Lila was busy and Gerald was with Phoebe. On his way to the arcade he went to turn a corner, walking right into someone. "Oh, sorry, I didn't se-" Arnold froze up when he saw that the person he walked into was Helga. Crap. He was careless. He was just stuck, looking at her as if just waiting for her to give him his verbal lashing, or waiting for her to cry, or waiting for anything she was going to throw at him, he didn't know anymore, just looking at her already sent his mind into a frenzy.
"Sorry." Was all she said as she vanished around the corner he was coming from. Leaving him more dumbfounded than all the other confusion. She scurried away so fast it was as if one moment she was there and then she was hastily crossing the street and on her way.
"And here I thought I was the one avoiding her…" He said as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.
X-X-X-X-X
"I can't. I can't. I can't. I just simply cannot." Helga chanted as she made her way to nowhere in particular, and before she knew it she was standing at the docks. In the end, her confrontation with Lila backfired on her, heavily. The ginger from hell was right, who'd believe her over Lila's pretty little smile of innocence and perfection. Slumping onto a bench she sighed and held her face in her hands. There was nothing to be done. She could tell her friends yea, and they could tell him, yea. But Arnold would need proof and the lines 'Because Helga Saw Them'. Was not going to get the facts through that thick football headed skull of his.
She should have recorded them on her damn phone, if she was thinking that is. That was a very slim coincidence, and she was not in the mood to stalk Lila, especially if most of Lila's time is snuggling or cuddling with Arnold. Just when things were looking so droll, just when Helga questioned why she even tried anymore, her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, momentarily distracting her from her retched emotional turmoil. Looking at the ID she didn't know who the odd number was, but deciding to answer anyway she accepted the call.
"Hello Baby Sister~!" Olga's feathery voice drifted into Helga's ear almost making the younger girl emotional all over.
"O-Olga, it… it's you." Helga whined happily, wiping her eyes.
"Did you miss me this time at least? I'm sorry I took so long to contact you, especially after mom…" Olga paused for a moment. "Ah, but I'm at the house where are you? Your room looks desolate. Daddy isn't here, are you guys together?"
Helga froze, "W-we have a lot of catching up to do, can we meet at Salome's Pizzeria, I'll head there now."
Olga was silent before agreeing, regaining her chipper demeanor after the brief confusion. "Okay Helga, I'm heading over there now, shouldn't take too long. I got the cutest little car rental from the airport." The sisters said their simple farewells and made their way to the pizzeria.
Since Helga was already close to Salome's she was already settled at a booth when the doors opened. Looking up, Helga smiled as her sister practically floated over to her. Olga's hair was still cut short, unlike her own unruly blond mess, which was always in a ponytail these days. The sisters hugged for a few seconds before taking their seats. "It's good to see you, Helga, you're looking more womanly lately." Olga smiled as she took in Helga's more form fitting attire.
"Ah, yea… It's because I've been staying with Rhonda." When Olga's brows furrowed with confusion, Helga laughed and ordered them a small pizza pie and some appetizers because they had a lot of catching up to do.
X-X-X-X-X
"I can't believe Daddy hit you." Olga sighed, rubbing her temples after Helga relayed everything that had been going on with her since Olga left for Europe. Even looking more or less utterly devastated, Olga was still pretty about it.
"Yea, it happens. Like I said however, don't let him know you know and don't tell him you were able to get in touch with me. I don't need you to get involved. After graduation I'll be looking for a stable job. I've already have a good bit saved, I've been working odds and ends jobs since I was 13. I'll worry about going to community college later when I'm more stable." Helga was pretty sure of herself. Olga wasn't the only one who was mentally gifted, and if Helga wanted to put her mind to something –for the most part- it always seemed to pan out how she wanted.
"I see, well you have everything all sorted I supposed, but I'm worried about the… Arnold situation." Of course Olga couldn't just listen to her plan and that be the end of it. Noticing Helga's reluctant demeanor on continuing that bit of conversation, Olga sighed and dropped it. "Well I just want to be sure you're happy and I have something I want to ask you, but for now it is a secret." Olga smiled lightly. "I'll be in town for a month, I want to see my baby sister on her prom and I want to be there when you receive that diploma of yours." Olga smiled proud. "Through all your many hardships I want to see you finally reach such a big milestone, I may have only supported you in the recent years, but your accomplishments are far beyond those of your peers, Helga." Olga's eyes began to water. "You've done so much and you've been more alone than anyone." Helga herself felt own eyes tear and the sisters embraced. "I think we should go do some sisterly bonding stuff after that, how about you?" Olga wiped her eyes.
"No kidding, come on let's go." Helga smiled, and after paying for their food the two sisters left arm in arm. Somehow Helga would pull herself out of this rut before the prom on Saturday.