Sunday, February 11th, 9:46 AM
Arnold looked forward from the back seat. His exhaustion temporarily held at bay by the two-minute nap in the holding cell. Helga leaned her head against his shoulder. He looked down at her. "Where do you find a girlfriend who waits for you to get out of jail rather than running for the hills?" Arnold thought to himself. His face fell. "Oh god, I turned Helga into the woman who's boyfriend goes to jail. Dammit!" Arnold thought to himself. He continued the inner self-mutilation while raising his arm and rubbing his forehead. "I can't believe I did this…" Arnold thought to himself.
"Stop it," Helga said sternly, cutting him off.
"I was just…" Arnold started to say.
"Just about to go on another round of blaming yourself for everything that happened," Helga said.
"She's psychic," Arnold thought to himself. She fixed her hard-nosed look one more time at him before turning her head back to leaning on his shoulder.
She lifted her head again and said "Just shut up and relax. You're out now. It's over. Besides you didn't do anything wrong," she fixed a hard glare back at him before closing her eyes and leaning once more on his shoulder.
Arnold looked ahead. The street coming into sharp focus as Arnold realized they were pulling up to the Sunset Arms. The car came to a slow stop. Arnold looked at the singularly distinct green door he had seen his entire life. Arnold looked at his childhood home and began his recent ritual of deciding whether or not to enter or keep going.
"So we doing this, man?" Gerald had turned towards the back seat and asked.
"You guys should head home. I know it's been a long night for all of you," Arnold said.
"Bullshit, I'm not letting you go in there alone," Helga said.
"Neither am I. Stella is cool as hell, she'll understand," Gerald said.
"It's not her I'm worried about," Arnold mumbled.
Gerald looked at Arnold with confusion. "You're worried about your dad? He's always been cool, I'm sure he won't be too angry after you explain everything," Gerald said.
Arnold looked back at his best friend. He stared hard at Gerald's confused countenance. "I think it's been a while since you've interacted with him…" Arnold said coldly.
"Man… what is going on? What else have you not told me?" Gerald said, his voice growing more concerned.
Arnold grabbed the handle for the door silently and quickly stepped out. Helga looked back at Gerald shocked at his reluctance. She jumped out following him.
Gerald looked at Phoebe. "Come on," he said stepping out of the car. He walked around and put his hand on Arnold's shoulder. Arnold looked back at him. Gerald rarely saw the scared nervous look he had now. Despite the revelations of the last few hours knew what Arnold needed. Gerald nodded at him, "we got your back man." Arnold breathed again, and slowly stepped forward. Behind him Helga, Gerald, and Phoebe.
Arnold came to the door, inhaled heavily and let the breath out. He opened the door a crack. The door suddenly flew open as a parade of animals, though smaller over the years, came streaming out of the door in a stampede to get to the outside. Arnold jumped back, which was new. Gerald smirked and gently nudged his friend forward. Arnold breathed again when he felt Gerald pushing him.
They walked into the house mid-argument. Arnold felt a twinge in his stomach hearing the loud angry voices of his parents. "This is my fault," he thought to himself. He walked in and gingerly made his way towards the sounds of the shouting.
"…so how is that his fault? You're putting together this insane scenario when we don't even know what happened!" Stella could be heard screaming as Arnold walked slowly and the shadows became larger.
"He was arrested, they don't just arrest you for nothing Stells. I can't believe this…" Miles began to yell back when his eyes fell on Arnold came into the kitchen followed by his friends. Miles choked back his rage and his face became stern when he focused onto his son. "How nice of your to join us," Miles said coldly.
"Arnold!" Stella said cutting through the tension. She ran up and threw her arms around her son. She held onto her son standing on her toes for a full minute. Arnold breathed a heavy sigh and wrapped his mom up in a return embrace.
"I'm so sorry mom," he managed to get out between wet eyes and heavy breathing. They held each other for a long moment. She stood back placing him in front of her and putting her hands on both arms inspecting him.
"You're a mess," she said as she reached up and pushed his hair away from his black eye. She became more distressed the more she looked him over. "Oh god…" she said as she got to his arms and grasped where he had been cut, getting a small wince from her son. Both arms had long trails of stitches but one was still bandaged. She looked at him once more and started to cry. She pulled him closer to her and she reached up and held him again. His father had planted himself across the room and had not moved. He continued glaring at his son.
"Why are they here?" Miles managed to say through gritted teeth, referring to Arnold's friends.
"Oh god…" Stella looked behind Arnold and saw Helga, Gerald, and Phoebe. "Helga! My god…" her one arm still around Arnold she reached with her other arm and enveloped Helga in a close embrace. She looked up and saw Gerald and Phoebe. "Gerald, Phoebe, are you all alright?" She asked as she pulled in Gerald and Phoebe into a tighter group embrace.
"We're alright, Stella. Just tired," Gerald said.
"Your parents must be having a fit Gerald, yours too Phoebe and Helga," Stella said. "Have you called them?" She asked.
"I texted my mom last night. I knew she wouldn't appreciate a call at 1 AM," Gerald said.
"I contacted my parents this morning. They were worried, but are alright after speaking with me," Phoebe said.
"My mom knows the situation," Helga said when Stella turned her concerned gaze to her.
"Could you please enlighten us then?" Miles spoke up. Arnold suddenly looked up at his dad, nervous again.
"Arnold, what happened?" Stella said stepping back.
"I got into a fight," Arnold began.
"We gathered that much, Arnold. What happened?" Miles said, the anger in his voice rising once again. Stella stared daggers at her husband but turned back to her son.
"We were at the party and these guys started hassling me. I tried to avoid it," Arnold began. "They grabbed me and started hitting me. I don't remember a whole lot. I just kind of snapped. I started fighting back. I hurt them. That's when the police showed up and they arrested me," Arnold finished.
"Arrested you for what?" Stella asked she had asked. Arnold looked at her, she had been listening intently.
"Felony assault the detective told me," Arnold
"You got arrested for a felony?!" Miles yelled.
"You got arrested for a felony and they let you out the same night?" Stella asked.
"That's why we're here," Gerald said. "We were at the station all night trying to convince them to let him go. Well, Helga convinced them," Gerald added.
"We showed them videos of what happened showing he didn't do anything wrong," Helga said.
"There's a video of this out there?" Miles asked indignantly. "There's a video of my son acting this way?" He repeated.
"Miles!" Stella said whipping her head around in anger. "That is not the important detail," she said.
"What would the people we know say if they saw a video of my son acting like a deranged animal? Do you have any idea of the damage he could do to our reputation? Let alone his future!" Miles angrily asked. Arnold looked at the floor, dropping his shoulders in shame.
"Miles!" Stella yelled.
"He didn't do anything wrong!" Helga screamed over both of them. Miles looked at her incensed.
"I was not asking you! Mind your own business this is between my son and me!" Miles yelled at Helga. Arnold instantly looked at his dad, his face hardening. "In fact," Miles began advancing towards Helga and the rest. "…I'm pretty sure you might share some blame in this. My son doesn't get into trouble like this. He's a good kid who doesn't act this way. That changed when he started seeing you!" Miles yelled. Stella turned her body towards Miles preparing to rebuke his accusation.
"Dad, she didn't do anything, be angry with me!" Arnold said stepping aside from his mom and blocking his advancing father. Their eyes met and Arnold felt his voice crack a little. "She didn't do anything, I did this!" Arnold said. "I'm sorry…" Arnold started.
"You're sorry?" Miles yelled. "You're sorry for what? Acting like a complete reprobate lately? For getting into fights, and getting arrested? Skipping out on important people and obligations? For getting caught? How dare you! Do you realize how much this hurts your chances of getting into a good school? Do you realize the damage you could do your reputation? To my reputation? To your mother's?" Miles continued his tirade. Arnold set his feet, and the Shortman men were nose to nose. "Who do you think you are? Huh?" Miles asked angrily. "Who do you think you are going out there and acting like some savage animal?" Miles yelled.
"Dad, I'm sorry!" Arnold yelled distressingly, feeling another possible attack coming. "I'm sorry dad!" Arnold cried out once more.
"You're sorry? Who do you think you are?" Miles yelled once more. Arnold couldn't process the question as Miles shoved him hard. Into the doorway of the kitchen. Arnold's large body stepped back suddenly pushing the group into the hallway. "Who do you think you are?" Miles screamed once more shoving Arnold again. "You are a fucking punk, you know that?" miles screamed and pointed his finger in Arnold's face.
"Hey! Don't you shove him!" Helga yelled trying to getting in between the two men.
"Miles! What the hell are you doing?" Stella yelled, getting in front of her husband trying to block him.
Arnold saw his dad come at him once more despite his mother trying her best to hold him back. An eerily familiar instinct began to take over Arnold. He closed his fists and walked forward.
Unable to process the shock Gerald yelled: "Mr. Shortman, what are you doing?"
Miles broke free from his wife and shoved his son once more and Arnold managed not to budge an inch as he had set his stance. Gerald lunged at Arnold's shoulders trying to pull his away from the confrontation without success. Arnold was an oak. Miles continued storming his son. He attempted to shove his much more well-built son with one arm while raising the other. Arnold knew it was coming. Miles made his hand into a fist and threw it towards his son. His hips moved with the arm putting force behind the swing.
Arnold saw the trajectory before his father raised his arm. He instinctively moved his face to the side lest it becomes the landing spot for his father's fist. Miles advanced further following the momentum of his punch. Arnold now pivoted to the side of Miles, a flash of red ran across Arnold's eyes and he countered his father with a far harder swing. Arnold's fist skillfully found its target on Miles' cheekbone. Miles seemingly feeling the full force of his son's counter fell to the ground. Arnold started to wind up his second attack when he stopped, seeing the full weight of his father hitting the floor like a heavy sack.
"Arnold, Miles! Stop It!" Stella screamed over the melee.
"Arnold!" Helga screamed finally able to push Arnold away and get between the two of them. "Hey, hey, hey!" she yelled pushing on his chest and stopping his advancing. Stella went to her husband putting her body between Helga and Miles. She looked at her husband and wordlessly looked towards her son in shock.
"Oh god…" Arnold let slip as he looked at his father on the floor. "Oh my god…" Arnold said. His breath starting to quicken. He started to feel his chest pounding and he started to feel the room spin. He began to hyperventilate.
"You're alright!" Helga yelled. She put her hands on both sides of his face and pointed it down at her. "Look at me! You're alright, Arnold!" Helga yelled once more. "You're alright, you're at home. Your friends are right here," Helga said.
Arnold looked into her eyes. Seeing the panic reflected at him he started to refocus. The color going back into his vision and the buzzing in his ear started to slowly be replaced by her voice and the sounds around them.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Taking a swing at him, he's your son! Are you alright! You fucking idiot!" Stella screamed at her husband. The confusing combination of white-hot anger and instinctive caring for her husband filled the room. Gerald not knowing how to process this jumped in between Arnold and his dad, laying on the floor. Miles slowly lurched upwards trying to asses what happened and where the car went that hit him.
"You're OK. You're OK. I'm here," Helga repeated. Arnold's breathing began to regulate and the panic stopped rising.
The anger gone, Arnold looked down at his father. "Dad… Dad, I'm so sorry…" his voice trailed off. "I'm sorry…" Arnold said in a whisper.
"What the hell is wrong with y'all?" Gerald yelled looking over the situation.
Miles slowly rose off the floor. He stumbled and was shaky on his feet. "You need to get the fuck out of this house. Now!" he yelled towards Arnold.
"Arnold don't…" Stella said in a panic, while her son stood tall, silent. "You aren't going anywhere!" Stella yelled once more.
"Oh yeah, he is. Get your shit and get the fuck out!" Miles yelled once more. "Get out and go live be an animal somewhere else!"
Arnold looked at his father unable to form words. He looked at his father a stranger. He has his father's face, his hair, but Arnold did not know this man. Helga stood in front of him and held her hand on his chest. Arnold looked down at her and once more at his parents.
"No, Arnold. Do not move," Stella said desperately trying to control her anger.
"No he wants to be a man he can go be one somewhere else," Miles barked.
"Absolutely not! Don't get mad at him. I don't condone what just happened but fuck if you weren't just begging for it," Stella yelled back at Miles.
"I think that's a good idea, mom," Arnold finally said. Stella turned back towards Arnold. He held Helga's hand on his chest, his eyes burning as they stared back at Miles. Arnold looked down the hall into the kitchen where he had spent his entire life. It suddenly looked unfamiliar. He looked over at his mother, unable to say more. His remorse painted plain on his face. He held his safety in his hands now. Gerald and Phoebe still in shock looked between the two men waiting for one to make the move. Miles turned back towards the kitchen and out of sight. Stella glared towards her husband's direction. She stepped forward and put her hand on Arnold's chest next to Helga's.
"I love you, Arnold," she slipped her hand away as she walked towards the stairs. Arnold held Helga's hand to his chest and slowly turned towards the door. The four silently moved to leave the Sunset Arms.