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Giving Cheerfully and Accepting Gratefully Part 3

Friday, September 29th 3:15 PM

Helga sighed deeply, rubbing her temples trying to impede her rising anger. "No you freakin moron, I am stuck. The car is not turning and I need a tow to a garage or something. I had this same conversation with the last guy!" She said into her phone. "Oh well hold on, let me see if the truck is back. We had some jobs come up in the last half hour and he may have left." She heard in response. "Is this the same half hour I've been playing phone tag with whichever air head you have answering phones trying to get a tow?" She asked. "I'll have you know young lady that my daughter is the one answering phones." She heard. She had not realized she might be speaking to the owner. "Are you the owner of the tow company sir?" She asked. "I am indeed." She heard the voice say. "Well sir, I appreciate you taking the time to talk my issue through." She said. "I appreciate the change in tone." He responded. Helga had lost her patience at that, she hated people dictating how should speak. "My only issue at this point is that you have a long discussion in the mirror about nepotism at your business. Because your daughter is fucking airhead! I've had more productive conversations with my broken down car!" She shouted into the phone. "How dare you…" Helga cut him off by hanging up on him. She began pacing back and fourth. Phoebe sitting there with a terrified look on her face.

"Maybe you should take a break between now and calling the next place." Phoebe said in her trepidation. "I believe the third one should be the one, but they may not be if you continue yelling at them." Phoebe continued. "Why is getting a tow such a pain in the ass? The car won't start and I need help! That's all. I'm not asking for a kidney, I just need a tow so that my piece of shit car can get fixed!" She continued her ranting. "O.K., I'm calming down, I'm breathing." She breathed deeply in and out. "Fuck!" She screamed, jolting Phoebe. Helga leaned against her car and sighed in defeat.

Phoebe had taken out her phone looking for a YouTube video or something to calm down her friend. She opened her Snapchat application when she realized she hadn't checked it. She opened Pattie's feed and watched the video of Arnold Pattie had been sending to everyone. "Helga, check your Snapchat." Phoebe said. "Please tell me it's a bunch of people falling and tripping. I need a giggle right now." Helga said. She opened the application and saw the video from Pattie. She opened the video and started watching. Seeing Arnold lifting a weight bar with huge amount of weight on it. Not being able to tell how much he was actually lifting because it was obscured by all the bodies surrounding Arnold. It led her to believe that it was quite a lot as the two largest guys in the lifting club were on either side of the bar supporting it.

She watched the crowd lose it's mind shouting "Three!" and saw the celebration that followed. Including Arnold ripping his shirt off and flexing, showing off the full demonstration of muscles and veins Arnold possessed. "My word, look at that ripped pile of male form." Helga heard Phoebe say. "Really Phoebes? This crap impresses you? Little boys lifting stuff?" Helga asked. "I can see you replaying the video Helga." Phoebe smiled as Helga was on her third pass. "I'm not impressed by idiots lifting things over their heads like a cavemen." Helga responded. "We're not talking about the activity, Helga." We're talking about how delicious Arnold looks." Phoebe said. Helga started snickering, "wow Phoebes you just say stuff like that these days huh? Is it because of the regular dose of hot beef injection, or are you tipping the other way into sexual frustration?" Helga said, smiling at Phoebe. "Well Helga, I have the normal appreciation for the male form that any girl in my position on the sexuality spectrum would have. Are you telling me the reason you're replaying the video over and over again is because you like the activity? You just said you didn't." Helga narrowed her eyes at Phoebe, wondering how to logic her way out of this. "Well Arnold and I have been talking more and more the last couple weeks. I'm simply curious about the habits of the my latest acquaintance." Helga locked eyes with Phoebe. Phoebe lifted her eye brow. "What?" Helga asked. "You don't find him attractive at all?" Phoebe asked. "I never said that, of course he's attractive. I'm human. He just seams like a meat head is all." Helga said. "A meat head who is also compassionate, a good listener, a total gentlemen, and one of the least aggressive people out there. It seems to me that you get all the benefits of the meat head with none of the downsides," Phoebe observed. "No Phoebe, we're just friends. I like talking with him, surprisingly." Helga said. "Well that's wonderful Helga, you've never really been friendly with anyone else. This is a good step," Phoebe smiled towards her friend. Helga rolled her eyes. "Yeah I guess. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend though? These thirsty bitches in this school should be tripping over themselves trying to get to him," Helga said "They do actually. Or at least I've noticed they do. He's never receptive to any of them. I also suspect he's unaware of how girls see him," Phoebe said. "I think he's waiting for something specific, I know he's not gay. Unless he's not out yet. However I know a couple of girls he's at least dated and according to them he never acted like he wasn't attracted to them," Phoebe continued. "What are you doing a background check or something?" Helga asked.

"Just curious is all!" Phoebe said holding her innocent smile. "Well none of this helps with my freakin car so I need to make a plan. You think you could give me a ride?" Helga asked. "Of course I can. Here comes Gerald now, and looks who's with him." Phoebe and Helga looked up to see Gerald and Arnold approaching.

"Hey ladies," Gerald said. His girlfriend wrapping him in a big hug and kissing him on the cheek. "Arnold, congratulations." Phoebe said with Gerald's arm around her. "Thanks, it's not a big deal though." Arnold said rubbing the back of his head. "So tell me Football Head. How does it feel to be king of the meat heads?" Helga Asked. "Well, I've not eaten yet. So not great so far," That made Helga smile. "Good, he doesn't care much. His head doesn't need to get any bigger," Helga thought to herself. "What's going on here?" Arnold asked. Helga looked over her shoulder and forgot the hood was up. "My car picked a Friday afternoon to not start up anymore. And apparently every tow place in the city is either closed, tied up, or just too incompetent to understand people who need help," Helga said. "Arnold can probably fix it," Gerald interjected. "He knows everything about cars. He's restored his grandparents' car a bunch of times, and he always fixes mine." Helga turned to Arnold. "Yeah, Helga I can take a look if you want," Arnold said. "That's fine, then you can do my taxes, save me from a giant turtle with a spiked shell or some other idiotic thing. I'll be fine I don't need any help, I'll get a hold of a tow place and they can bring my car to a garage," Helga said crossing her arms. "If that's how you feel Helga I won't help. I think you should at least let me take a look at it though. I could save you some money. At least save you a tow," Arnold pleaded to her. Helga looked at him with his kind and helpful emerald green eyes and said, "Knock yourself out there Football Head. I just turn the key and the stupid thing just clicks a bunch of times."

Arnold handed his bag to Gerald and made his way over the driver's side. He sat down and tried turning the key's to start the ignition. He turned the key and heard the clicking Helga refereed to. "Well it's not the battery since the radio turns on. The clicking sounds like the starter might be bad." Arnold got out of the car, and walked around looking under the hood. "The starter has to be under the car. I'm so used to older cars." Helga watched him smile at her. "There's something about those eyes of his," she thought. Arnold without missing a beat took off his hoodie showing his Banana Splits T-shirt. Helga snorted and started to laugh. "Really Football Head?" Helga said. Phoebe looked at her friend in bewilderment. "What? It was great show? Are you going to tell me you don't remember the theme song?" Arnold responded as he laid on his back an looked under the car. "I'm gonna need some stuff. Be right back," Arnold said running off. "I've never heard that laugh before, Helga." Phoebe said smiling. "I laugh all the time," Helga said, her face starting to turn red. "I don't think I've ever heard you express joy," Gerald interjected. Helga was about to yell at him when she noticed Arnold backing up his car. The trunk popped open. Arnold came dashing around to grab a car jack and what looked stands for the car. "Gerald, come help," he said. Gerald went over and helped Arnold. He pulled the emergency brake, and jacked the car up. Arnold placed the stands under the car, got back on the ground and started looking under the car.

"Yeah, this thing is all burned out," Arnold said from under the car. "Gerald? Can you grab my tools out of the trunk?" Arnold asked and Gerald complied. Helga bent forward to see what he was doing. Arnold had his hands up ratcheting something under her car. He was on his back with his eyes focused on getting the part. Arnold looked down and saw her looking. "Don't worry Helga, if it's what I think it is this should be easy, "Arnold said smiling at her. "Oh if only life were so easy," Helga said as she rolled her eyes and turned away, as her face began to turn conspicuously red again. "Why does his stupid smile make me feel like this?" She asked herself.

Arnold emerged from under the car with a part Helga didn't recognize. "See, look at all the burn marks, I'm guessing this thing has dying for a while. Have you had issues starting it in the last few weeks?" Arnold asked. "I did a week ago, but I kept turning the key and it turned on," Helga said. "Makes sense. Well if it is this then we can just need to get our hands on a new one," Arnold said. "Oh and how the hell are we supposed to do that?" Helga asked. "Well they sell this at the store down the street. We could just go grab one and come back, I'll fix it up and you're on your way," Arnold said. "You don't have to do all of that Arnold. I can just have someone tow the car," Helga said, looking away from Arnold. "Come on Helga, why? We're already here. We can come and get back here in like ten minutes. We want to get this going before we start losing daylight," Arnold said. "Fine! Let's go get the stupid thing," Helga said.

"Can you give us a ride Phoebe?" Arnold asked. "Of course! Let us away!" Helga rolled her eyes at her friend. "Yes lets," she said flatly. They all packed into Phoebe's car, Gerald in the front. Helga and Arnold in the back. The ride was quiet, but Helga was the only one feeling slightly awkward. "Why do I feel like I can't get comfortable in this seat. I'm just letting him help with my car. Boys love that crap," she thought to herself. She looked over at Arnold, day dreaming out of the window. "What an idiot," she thought to herself. "So how do you know about cars?" Helga asked him. "Well I helped my grandfather all the time with his car as a kid. I like doing stuff with my hands and I was always curious, so I ended up rebuilding that engine maybe fifty times. Then when I got my car, I restored that," he said with a smile on his face. "Well aren't you just full of surprises?" Helga said.

They made it to the store and got a hold of the part they needed. The foursome drove back to the school parking lot, the car still there with all the equipment. "Oh good Arnold, no one snatched your equipment. Maybe next time we take our crap with us so it doesn't walk away!" Gerald said to Arnold turned around in the seat. Arnold hopped out of the car and opened the box and set to work replacing the old starter. Arnold finished setting the supports and wires for the part and went to go start the car. He turned the key and it started immediately. "There we go, all fixed!" He said to Helga smiling. "That big stupid grin of his is back. I want to punch him in the face, but then he's stop smiling." She thought to herself.

"Well thank you Arnold," she said. "See? No biggie," Arnold continued. "Well now, this has been fun, what do I owe ya?" Helga asked. Arnold's face dropped, "nothing Helga, I was just helping a friend. Nothing to feel awkward about." She started to look away from him, and folded her arms. "This is awkward," she thought to herself. "I feel awkward," Gerald said. Gerald and Phoebe sat watching the two of them like they were characters on a screen. "Well you're good, you don't owe me anything. Hey maybe we can hangout later or something?" Arnold said. Helga perked up at this. "Hmmm maybe, no big plans tonight?" She asked him. He looked down at her, "Well I have some stuff I have to get done, but I'll be around later if you want to do something." Helga was quiet for a moment, as she considered being around him even more than she already had. She had no idea if she could handle it. For some reason he was starting to confuse her. She had no idea how to process her emotions around him. "You can just text me," Arnold finally piped up. "If you feel like hanging out later. Just send me a text, or if not then… don't," Arnold finished. "Yeah fine, that works," Helga said. "O.K. I'll just get my stuff and get outta here," Arnold said as he gathered his equipment. "Ugh!" Phoebe said. "Come on sweety," Gerald said as he and Phoebe got in the car. Gerald looked at Helga and then looked back at Arnold, "Good luck man." He said while shaking his head, "See you later." "See ya, Gerald, " Arnold said while gathering his stuff. "See ya, Helga," Arnold said. "Yeah see ya," she said. Arnold got into his car a drove off following Phoebe and Gerald. "Well you screwed that up Pataki. God forbid anyone be nice to you," she thought to herself as she stood alone with her car running.