Hey, guys!
First off, I'm pretty floored by the amount of positive response I've gotten from this so far. There's a lot of quality HA content out there right, including from many who have reviewed so far, so shout out to those people! But thank you to everyone who has kept up with this fic so far. We're only about a third of the way through and can't wait to see the end result.
Call Me Nettie- I can see why you'd be a bit pissed at Gerald. But given that he still has no idea of Hegla's true feelings, it's understandable why he'd react the way he has. Don't throw him under the bus just yet.
Yali Page- Again, don't judge Gerald too harshly, just yet.
Relaxing Pikachu- There might be more than just one reason Helga didn't show up to the movie theater. Although Gerald's words did hurt her, there's no denyong that.
Ajay435- Drama will be heavily featured in this fic, some good, some bad. But it prefer to think of it as Arnold and Helga going through the motions in a non-TJM universe.
Ezza- I hope you like this chapter!
DeepVoice'06- You catch on to a lot of the subtleties in this fic and it's awesome. I think it's quite conceivable that Helga would tone down her bullying into a more of a teasing and allow their relationship to grow. It's what she's trying to do, but it certainly isn't easy for someone like her. You might be surprised as to what kept her from the movie theater.
Laylion4869- Haha, thank you so much!
The Rhombus- It's understandable to be worried about what might happen between the two blondes. Especially with Gerald heavily mistrustful of their budding friendship. But if you think this is a roller coaster, just wait until later chapters lol.
Sakikitty- Thank you, very much! I'm glad you like it!
Em Pataki- Thank you! Like all girlfriends, Phoebe just has to get through Gerald sometimes. Us men can be a bit stubborn sometimes ;) lol
Anyway, I see Gerald is being judged a bit here, haha. Have faith in him guys, you, know he'd never intentionally hurt Arnold or Helga. He still has an important part to play in this fic. With that being said, enjoy this latest chapter! It was quite intense to write.
Chapter 7. Stuck
The next day did nothing to lessen Arnold's wondering, or rather his worry, about Helga. He wasn't shy in voicing it either as he and Gerald entered home room.
"I'm just concerned is all. Can't I be just a bit concerned about her?" he said in an exasperated tone to Gerald.
"Come on, man. I'm sure she's fine. It's just a movie, it's not like there are missing posters of her or something."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm still going to ask her what happened, though."
Gerald shrugged.
"Whatever, you say, Arnold."
It turned out he didn't have to wait long. As they took their seats before the bell, the door suddenly opened with a terrific slam, revealing Helga to be standing in the doorway.
Right away, Arnold knew something was terribly wrong, as today she had the most menacing scowl he could remember in a long time. Fists clenched, she stomped past everyone on the way to her desk, her demeanor so hostile one could practically feel the anger radiating off her body.
It was probably unwise to engage her in such a mood, as everyone knew the hard way what happened if they caught the end of Helga G. Pataki's infamous temper. However, Arnold's curiosity superseded his logic, too caught up on why she hadn't shown up the previous night.
"Hey, Helga," he said, as she sat down in an angry huff.
Immediately, her eyes blazed, causing the preteen to recoil slightly.
"What the heck do you want?!" she growled.
"Well, I was just wondering why you didn't show up at the movie, yesterday. You missed a good one."
Before she said anything, Arnold already knew what was coming next. Truth be told, he should have suspected it before trying to talk to her. Mentally, he prepared himself for the beratement he was above to receive.
However, before Helga could even so much as answer with a 'None of your business!' they were interrupted by Harold.
"Hey, look! It's Helga Pataki!" he taunted her. "The girl who was too scared to show up to Speed Demon last night! Ahaha!"
Helga shifted her attention to her other classmate, ignoring Arnold for the moment.
"You know darn well I'm not scared of horror movies, pink boy!" she shot back. "So shut your fat piehole before I come over there and shut it for you!"
"Oooo, I'm soooo scared," Harold continued to mock her. "I hope you don't try to come over and try to ugly me to death!"
That lead to a few small chuckles from Stinky and Sid, but no one else dared to say or do anything, as Helga's face turned beet red.
"I'm warning you, Harold! Say one more thing and I'll strangle you with your own tongue!"
Arnold silently prayed that his large friend would cease his taunting, as doing so would only ensure trouble. Unfortunately, that prayer went unheeded as Harold kept jabbering, oblivious to Helga's growing rage.
"You're just too chicken to see Speed Demon! You probably hid away in that dump of a building your family's living in…"
That was the moment Harold went too far, for without warning, Helga practically leapt from her chair and tackled the larger boy onto the ground.
Pandemonium ensued as the class circled around them, some yelling "Fight! Fight!" while Curly began laughing maniacally.
Arnold made his way to the front of the circle, witnessing Helga grab a handful of Harold's shirt and start to shake him mercilessly, as he lay helpless on the floor.
"Say that again! I DARE you, fat boy!"
She raised a fist, and Arnold realized she was fully intent on reintroducing Harold to 'Betsy and the Five Avengers', and if she did the consequences would be disastrous.
"I hope you liked your teeth!" Helga snarled as she began to swing her fist forward, preparing to connect with Harold's mouth…that is until an unexpected force caught her arm.
"Helga, no!"
Looking back, she saw Arnold intervening and pulling her away from the scene. The surprise of his presence was enough to make her hesitate and ensure that she did not physically harm Harold. Though the rational part of her knew what he was doing was in her best interest, rationality was not in control as she struggled against him.
"Let me go, football head! Let me smash his stupid face in!"
But he didn't acknowledge her, as Gerald quickly moved to assist him, seizing Helga's other arm and succeeding in allowing Harold to get up off the floor, however, his expression was one of terror.
"Harold are you okay?" Stinky asked.
"M-m-mommy," he whimpered, his fear overtaking any sense of potential embarrassment.
Just then, the bell rang and Mr. Frank walked in the door. It didn't take long for him to register what was going on.
"Who started it?" he asked aloud, only raising an eyebrow.
A chorus of voices followed his question, which caused him to sigh and put a hand on his balding head.
"One at a time, please…Curly will you cease that screeching!"
Mr. Frank rarely raised his voice, but the wild child of sixth grade could test anyone's patience. Thankfully, silence came.
"Now, who started this fight?"
"Helga!" Harold immediately replied, pointing an accusatory finger. "She tackled me and was about to hit me!"
"Only because you provoked me!" Helga angrily defended herself.
"Nu-uh! You said you were going to knock my teeth out!"
"Enough," Mr. Frank's voice cut through. "Miss Pataki, I am afraid I'm going to have to send you Principal Wartz's office for fighting."
"But.."
"Now, Miss Pataki. As for you Harold, I doubt you were merely an innocent victim in all this. Therefore, you will serve detention with me after school."
"Awww!"
It was fair, but that didn't prevent grumbling from both parties as Harold pouted and Helga stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut in the process.
Arnold could only look at Gerald, as the class returned to their seats and began the first lesson of the day.
"I've seen Helga mad plenty of times over the years, but that was pretty violent even for her."
Gerald shrugged.
"Bubba had that one coming," he said. "Shouldn't have tried to get under her skin. He never learns."
"But that couldn't have been the whole reason. She acts tough and mean, she doesn't usually attack people. Something else must have set her off."
Gerald merely shrugged again.
"I don't waste my time trying to figure out what makes her tick, man."
However, as Mr. Frank droned on about Algebra, the blond preteen was more intrigued than ever by Helga Pataki. He was going to find out just what was going on with her.
I'll just talk to her at lunch
As it turned out, there was no opportunity to speak with Helga at lunch or at any point throughout the day. Principal Wartz had decided to keep her in ISS or 'in-school-suspension' as punishment, being that this was not the first time she had been reprimanded for aggressive behavior.
Her attempt to wreck Harold's face must have caused him to be harsher than usual, he mused to himself.
It was mid-afternoon, and the hallways were crowded and filled with the chatter of numerous children, excited that another day of academia had passed and now were free for the rest of the day. Arnold was walking with Gerald, who in turn was with Phoebe, holding her hand, both looking quite content.
"I feel bad for her, you know," Arnold said as they made their way down the hall. "I know she shouldn't have tried to hit Harold. But it wasn't all her fault. Harold said some pretty hurtful stuff towards the end."
"She's very sensitive about her family's financial condition at the moment," Phoebe said. "Among other things."
"I don't blame her," Gerald agreed, ducking to avoid a paper airplane that had been thrown by a third grader. "But I think it pretty much disqualifies any previous attempts at turning a new leaf."
"Gerald, that's not fair," Arnold lightly critiqued. "You've seen just how much better she's been the past few weeks."
"Yeah, to you," Gerald replied. "I don't see her making nice with anyone else."
He didn't notice, but his girlfriend winced slightly and began pulling on her collar. Truth was, she had noticed Helga's behavior as well, but she had not summoned the spunk to ask her about it just yet. Usually, she waited for Helga to let her in when the latter felt it was necessary or dire. However, Phoebe also knew that when it came to Arnold she played things extremely close to the chest. She would never betray that secret in a million years, so she did what was standard in these situations: play ignorant but reasonable.
"Well, perhaps she's simply trying to make amends with someone she's gotten along with the least over the years. Arnold being the prime example."
"Maybe you're right, Phoebe," Arnold said thoughtfully as he considered the idea. Truth was, he had no idea why Helga had acted more agreeable to him the past few weeks. He figured it was pointless to question his own good fortune. But perhaps there was more to this than he previously gave credit for. "Above everything else, I was just want to make sure she's okay."
Gerald shook his head.
"Don't know if that's such a good idea, man. Whenever Helga's in a mood, it's best to stay away. Maybe wait a few days or something."
As they walked out of the doors and down onto the steps of P.S. 118 a cool breeze drifted on by. It was still late March, and winter had only loosed its grip ever so slightly. But Arnold had noticed there was something else in the air that felt a bit frosty.
"Gerald, what's going on here? Every time I seem to bring up or worry about Helga, you wave it off or tell me not to worry about it. It's like you don't want me around her at all."
Phoebe, still holding her boyfriend's hand, could feel him tense up. Silently, she disapproved of Gerald's negative assumption of her best friend, but she didn't feel it was her place to get involved in between the two. Gerald still had no idea of Helga's true affection for Arnold, and the blond was almost equally oblivious. There was no way to help the situation without revealing too much. It was a familiar dilemma, one she had witnessed for years.
"Come on man, you really gonna do me like that?"
"We don't keep secrets from each other," Arnold said, sounding a little stern. "What have you got against Helga being nicer to me? Why shouldn't we try to be friends? I would think you of all people would support that."
Gerald let go of his girlfriend's hand and took a few paces towards his best friend, an unapologetic look on his face.
"Fine then, I'll give you the truth. I don't trust her. Not for one second," he said pointing to the ground for emphasis. "For years she torments you and now all of a sudden she just decides to act less awful than she usually is? I'm not going to allow my best buddy to get duped. No way."
Even if Arnold could recognize Gerald's good intentions, they were still heavily misguided. It then occurred to him that this was the first time in a long while that they had had a conflict. One that pit his friend's realistic pessimism against his boundless optimism; the willingness to see the good in everyone.
And what had been the catalyst for that? Who were they arguing about now? It lead back to one person. One he had to see right now.
"You didn't have to protect me from Helga. She's not duping me, and I'll prove it to you."
He turned to Phoebe, who held a rather sheepish expression, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of the arguing boys.
"Phoebe, where does Helga usually go when she's in a bad mood or feeling upset?" he asked, trying to ease some of the tightness in his throat.
"Usually she goes to her room," the half Japanese girl replied quietly. "But now and again she'll go to the old dumpster and throw rocks at it."
"Good enough for me."
Arnold wasted no time in crossing the street and made his way towards his desired location, leaving Gerald confused and slightly frustrated.
He shook his head as another cool breeze blew past them.
"Man, I will never understand how he sees the good in everyone."
He turned to his girlfriend, hoping to take her hand and spend the rest of the day with her, but found that she was gazing at him with a look of disapproval, arms folded against her chest.
"What? Are you mad at me now, too?"
"No. But sometimes I wish you would see the good in some people. Especially the ones you don't bother to understand," Phoebe responded as she turned and walked in the other direction.
Gerald could only follow as he caught up to her side, unsure of the meaning behind his girlfriend's words, and equally unsure of what was going on between his best friend and the girl who hated him.
Supposedly hates him, he thought to himself.
*clang-
That one's for you, Bob!
*smash
Sayonara, Miriam!
Today had gone about as bad as Helga could have imagined. But at least she had lucked out in one area. When she had decided to go to the dumpster to chuck rocks at it, she had discovered various beer bottles left out in the open, no doubt left by a group of teenagers or some wino too drunk to bother throwing them out. No matter, it gave her a chance for target practice.
She threw another rock, this time at the dumpster, envisioning her dramatic, overachieving sister's perfect, pretty face.
Get bent, Olga!
This was what she had been doing for the past half hour. Lining up the bottles against the wall, Helga had taken turns in either denting the rusted metal that composed the old dumpster or smashing said bottles into pieces with deadly precision. And every time she did so, she imagined the faces of those she either couldn't stand or upset her in some way. The choices were obvious.
She whipped another rock at a bottle, shattering it to pieces.
Screw you, Gerald!
She threw another rock. Then another and then another, all in rapid succession.
Screw you, Harold! Screw you, Wartz! SCREW ALL OF YOU!
By the time she had finished breaking every last bottle, her breath was heavy with the physical toll on her arm mixed with raw anger.
That anger quickly turned to melancholy as the urge to cry became almost overwhelming, a wetness filling her eyes.
Keep it together Helga old girl. Now is not the time for water works.
She kept herself from crying, but only just barely. It was a good thing too, for without warning, a voice spoke out of nowhere.
"Hey, Helga."
Screaming slightly, she whipped her head around to see Arnold Shortman standing at the edge of the alleyway.
Feeling her heart beat rapidly against her chest (for more reasons than one) Helga couldn't help but snap at the boy.
"Criminy, football head! Don't sneak up on me like that! Is it so much to ask for people to approach you normally?! Sheesh!"
Arnold raised his hands slightly, signaling his peaceful intentions.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically. "I just…wanted to see if you were alright."
Helga, though resisting the urge to coo lovingly at his kindness, felt her walls rapidly go up.
"Newsflash, Arnoldo! I don't 'need' anyone to check up on me like some pseudo babysitter. I can take care of myself."
"I know that, Helga. I didn't say you couldn't."
She huffed at him, frowning deeply.
"Good. Because I didn't need you to step in and prevent me from giving that fat lard a black eye! I'm glad you're mostly back to interfering in other people's business; that doesn't mean you get to interfere in mine. Got it?"
In previous years it would have been enough for anyone to back off and just walk away, Arnold included. But that wasn't the case this time around. Helga could see a subtle change in his demeanor, a resolved glint in his eyes. Right then and there, she knew he wasn't going to back down.
"Helga, don't do this."
She swallowed, her palms starting to become sweaty.
"Do what?"
"This," he gestured around him, taking a few steps toward her. "The usual tactic of getting mad at me and calling me names so I won't try and get to the real issue. But I know you better by now, and I know you're not this mean, cold-hearted person you pretend to be."
Helga mentally sighed. The boy was far too mature for his age. But maybe, then again, he was just getting older and a little wiser to the game she played. Perhaps they all were.
"These past few weeks confirmed that, huh?"
"Well it's partly that," Arnold answered truthfully. "But I think deep down, I always knew there was something more to you than the scowling and name calling."
She turned away from him, keeping herself from swooping in and kissing the adorable football head she had loved since preschool.
"I want to help you if I can," Helga heard him say with such gentleness, her emotions could barely handle it. "I don't believe you acted the way you did today simply because Harold was taunting you. He struck a nerve with something didn't he?"
"You don't want to delve any deeper than that," she replied quietly. "I'm a wreck, Arnold. The way things are going for me right now…you couldn't help no matter how hard you tried."
"I'd like to anyway. I haven't forgotten what you did for me a few weeks ago."
"You don't have to do anything because you owe me."
"You're right. I'm doing this because I want to."
And he did something he had never done before and put his hand on her shoulder. Electricity and fireworks exploded within Helga's body, challenging even the greatest extent of her self-control. Though she gave no audible reaction, she couldn't help but smile girlishly and turn slightly pink.
"Err-I mean…uh…"
Stop babbling like an idiot, she mentally yelled at herself. You're practically broadcasting on cable news that you're gaga for him!
"Alright, just get off me!" she said, managing to regain her composure, throwing off his hand. "But do not breathe a word of this to anyone except for Phoebe. Otherwise I'll do you a lot worse than what Harold received today."
"Consider my lips sealed," Arnold replied, giving a smile, recognizing that Helga was merely keeping appearances.
Helga couldn't believe she was about to reveal as much as she was about to in that moment. But she also supposed that if there was anyone she could trust besides Phoebe, it was Arnold. Besides, it wasn't as if she was confessing her undying love for him, just venting about her stupid family. He didn't actually know her true feelings.
Right?
"Well, I suppose I should just admit right off the bat and say you're right. Harold wasn't the only reason why I got so worked up," she admitted. "A lot of crap has been going on in the good ole' House of Pataki…"
Flashback
Big Bob huffed up and down his former Beeper Emporium, agitated by just about everything that was going on.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Miriam!" he boomed.
"Yeah, B?" came a tired, slurring voice.
"Where did you put the 96 editions of the Johnson brand? I have someone who's going to take them off our hands."
Helga rolled her eyes as she came in from the storage room in the back.
"They're right over here, Dad. First three boxes on the second row."
"Criminy, at least someone knows what they're doing around here," the large man muttered as he made his way to grab them, slightly shoving his daughter as he did so.
"Ouch! Hey watch where you're going, Bob!"
"Sorry, girl…Miriam, I swear to God! This is the fifth time this week you've misplaced something when I've needed it. Put down the damn smoothies, will ya!"
Helga resisted the urge to sigh heavily. It had been like this for months now. Every day, her dad would assign some menial task for her to do while her mom was either passed out or struggling to put on her own shoes. Sorting, stacking, and the attempting selling of beepers that no one wanted was not only a fruitless exercise, but it only furthered the dysfunction of her family. She never believed such a thing would have been possible back in the days where they were financially secure, but she supposed it was possible to surprise even herself.
"Dad, who is this person that actually wants to buy these? It's been a month since we've had a customer."
"Some guy from North Dakota," came the grunted reply. "Friggin hillbillies have never seen anything more advanced than a typewriter before, so of course it was easy to persuade the schmuck to take them."
"How much was he willing to pay?"
"That's not important," Bob dismissed with a large wave of his hand. "The point is, I made a sale and we get to make ends meet for another day."
Helga had been hearing these kinds of excuses from Bob for a while now and it was beginning to wear thin. Was she the only sane person in this house? Was she the only one who could see that this was not working?
"Earth to Bob, one sale over the span of a month is not going to make ends meet for much longer," she said to him as he walked up to the counter with the three boxes he had been looking for. "We barely have enough food, I've been taking cold showers for weeks, and the lights keep going on and off!"
Right on cue, the overhead bulbs gave an ominous flicker, as if to emphasize her point.
"Or are we sacrificing electricity now too?"
Bob's expression was a mixture of pride and sadness, as the two seemed to clash within him.
"We're doing fine, Helga," he said in a tone that was not at all reassuring. "I just have to make a few more sales and we'll have enough to get us through until I get a job downtown."
"And how long is that going to take exactly?" Helga replied skeptically. "You've only applied for one job at AT&T because you won't take anything else."
"And? I'm not working in some crappy sweatshop corner store. What kind of man would degrade himself like that?"
"One who isn't too proud to admit we need help!" Helga practically pleaded at this point. "We can't keep living like this. Take a crappy job, apply for assistance, do something!"
But apparently that was the wrong thing to say, as her father's face creased into an immediate angry frown.
"Hey, hey little lady! We Patakis don't need charity from anyone. You work hard and put yourself through the best you can. We don't suck up to some wimpy pencil pusher in Washington. You got that?"
"But-"
"No 'buts'!" he growled. "I don't want to hear anything more about it. We're going to get back on our feet the old fashioned way and that's final!"
It was enough to cease her words, but not the increased feeling of anger and sense of futility that left her practically helpless. Even now, the man's ego dictated every action he took, even if it meant his family suffered for it.
Pride always cometh before the fall.
"Now grab a mop and a bucket. Olga's coming in a couple days. I don't want her to come here with the place looking like a pigsty. It's bad enough she has to see her old man down and out."
Clenching her fists tightly, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
"Olga can sit her ass on a pin for all I care."
"What was that?" her Bob asked, raising his voice.
"Oh, nothing, Dad," she responded in a falsely sweet tone. "I'm just so looking forward to seeing my big sister."
Bob wasn't fooled, however, he had too much on his plate to press the matter.
"Whatever."
He walked past Helga, digging around in the storage closet for the cleaning supplies he needed. His second daughter could only glare after him, her sympathy and overall willingness to assist him lowering with each passing minute. Between the finances, her parents, and the prospect of dealing with Olga for the foreseeable future, she wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.
End Flashback
Arnold could only listen in empathy as Helga finished her story. He had known that her family was not in the best of financial situations, but he hadn't a clue that life in the Beeper Emporium was that grim.
"I'm sorry, Helga. Truly I am."
"Me too, bucko," she said bitterly, kicking a piece of glass into the corner.
"And your dad won't do anything about this?"
"Come on, Arnold. You know my dad well enough by now. Common sense is lost on a guy like him. He's got a freakin ego the size of Manhattan and he'll do anything to cover up the shame of where he is now. Where we are."
Arnold considered the situation for brief second, an uncomfortable thought entering his head.
"I don't mean to assume, but it kinda sounds like your mom is…well…"
"A lazy, drunk? You'd assume correct."
The preteen didn't really know what to say to that. The fact that Helga was openly speaking about her home life was surprising enough. She had been right, he wasn't fully prepared for it. That didn't mean, however, that he wasn't going to try and help.
"Well, what do you think you should do?" he offered, not wanting to give advice to her just yet.
"No idea, hair boy," she responded. "I've worked every possible angle to convince my dad to take another approach. To quit with the beepers altogether, find a temporary job that pays the bills until he can get something better and prevent us from being thrown out on the street. But that's not the way his mind works. He grew up in a poor household where working and earning your keep was all that mattered. 'Keep things to yourself, never complain, and pull on through.' That's what my grandfather used to say."
"He sounds just like your dad."
"That's exactly where he gets it from. He died shortly after I was born, so I don't remember him, but Olga does. Let's just say he was quite…demanding."
Arnold took this all in. It explained so much about the Patakis, including Helga herself. It certainly explained why she had nearly pounded Harold to smithereens.
"And what about your mother?"
"Did I not just say she's a raging alcoholic?!" Helga snapped at him.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. Now was not the time to shut Arnold out, the one person in the world she needed above all else.
"She's worse than she ever has been," she calmly explained. "Before, she'd drink her smoothies, manage to get out of bed, and do the simple things. Now, she can barely do that. Believe me, Miriam's in no shape to work."
Arnold nodded. "You also mentioned your sister is coming too?"
"Olga," She practically sneered. "My dad wants to keep her from knowing that we're one step away from being homeless. But the minute she comes home she's going to take charge and put the family on her back. And guess who she'll be ordering around all the time as her 'special little helper'?"
"She always did seem a little over the top," Arnold agreed. "But isn't that better than losing your home?"
"I don't really have a home, Arnold. The Beeper Emporium- all this crap- is not a home. We're one more match away from this dysfunctional pyre going up in flames. Between the blowhard Dad, the drunken Mom, and the overbearing sister, it's all I can do just to get away from it all."
The blond boy took this all in and decided to put his hand on her shoulder again, and this time she didn't push him away.
"That sounds awful, Helga," he said softly. "And I can hardly imagine what it's like to go through that every day. But I can relate a little bit. These past couple years, I've known pain every single day of my life, wishing for my parents to come home. I'm still dealing with that pain."
Helga, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach from her love touching her yet again, looked deeply into his eyes and saw that his words were true. The green orbs still held that subtle sadness to them. The longing for the two people he wanted to see most in the world hadn't dissipated. And it likely never would.
"But a few weeks ago, you helped show me that sitting around and feeling sorry for myself was no way to live. And you were right. I know you well enough by now that you're really smart and capable of doing so many things. You can figure this out."
The blonde girl's hands and body were tingling with happiness from Arnold's attempt at cheering her up. She had envisioned it so many times throughout her life, that she could replay it in her head over and over again. But it didn't take away from the reality of the situation. Not even her beloved could change that.
"You really do have a way with words, ya know that, football head?" she joked. She looked around the alleyway they were in, wondering if this was her next destination when the last of the money finally ran out. "But this isn't something that noble advice is going to fix. Heck, we're so far behind the bills I doubt if Olga could save us at this point."
Arnold picked up a rock and chucked it at the dumpster. He understood Helga's dilemma and that there was no magic fix. By the same token, he wasn't deterred from racking his brain for a solution.
"Nice shot," Helga complimented.
"Thanks. Look, I know this isn't a situation that's going to be solved overnight. Nothing is, usually. But I'm going to try, Helga. I'm going to try and help you in any way I can."
The blonde girl in the pink bow could only shake her head slightly, not allowing any kind of hope to formulate. It was forsaken for someone like her.
"I envy your optimism, football head. But no amount of it is going to save me from the rock and a hard place I'm stuck between. So, you might as well not even bother."
"But.."
"Conversation over, bucko!"
Helga grabbed her backpack from where she had thrown it on the ground and began to walk out of the alleyway. However, before exiting, she turned and looked at Arnold, her scowl softening into an almost apologetic glance.
"I really do…appreciate you trying to help, Arnold. Thank you."
Arnold could only watch as she left, a plethora of feeling swirling within him. He was obviously impacted by Helga's situation, but more so than that he hadn't wanted her to go.
I should have asked if I could walk her home, he thought, a little disappointed he hadn't summoned the guts to ask. Then again, that might have been pushing it a little.
Above all else, he just wanted to figure out a way to help her.
But how?
The issue still weighed heavily on his mind by the time he got home to the boarding house. He had thought of every scenario possible to get Helga out of her present condition, but he was starting to believe she might be right. Maybe, this was the one time a problem was simply out of his power to assist in.
Arnold entered the kitchen and dropped his bookbag off on one of the chairs, hoping to get a small snack before dinner. As he opened the refrigerator and began to rummage through the contents, he heard a familiar cheery tone echo behind him.
"Hey, there short man. Looking for some grub, eh?"
The preteen smiled as he grabbed some sandwich material and laid it out on the counter.
"Just hungry, I guess."
"Oh you're not just hungry, Arnold. It's that time in your life when you eat like a bottomless pit," his grandpa replied with fake terror. "Pretty soon you'll get acne, start dating girls, and hide out in your room all day. I won't even recognize ya anymore."
Arnold laughed, knowing his caregiver was kidding…sort of. His grandparents had their own unconventional way of doing things that he had more or less come to understand at this point in his life.
"Grandpa, I'm only twelve. I'm hardly at the point where I'm going to hide in my room or start dating girls."
"It'll come faster than you think," Phil replied with a wink and a wily chuckle. "Won't be long until girls are all you think about."
The blond boy momentarily ceased his sandwich making as the image of a girl with blue eyes and a pink bow entered the forefront of his mind.
"Anyway, I'll leave you to your sandwich, short man. Glad to see you're feeling better."
He gave a good-natured wave and went about his business, leaving his grandson to eat and ponder.
Arnold knew his grandparents, though eccentric, were certainly not stupid. They had worried about him for quite awhile when nothing seemed to go right, fearing they were losing their grandson to forces outside their control. Now that he was back to a functional level of living, he could tell that they had become much happier as they felt they could interact with him the same way they had before.
They had no idea how much they owed that one person, one girl in particular.
He finished making his sandwich (it was tuna and mayo, a favorite of his) and headed into the dining room to quickly eat it so he could begin his homework, but not before Helga popped into his head once more.
There must be a way, he thought determinedly. I can't stand idly by while she suffers.
His thought process was interrupted as he noticed that Suzy Kokoschka was sitting in one of the chairs, looking over some papers. He also observed that she was not wearing her usual pink and black attire, but a formal pant suit that indicated a more business like atmosphere.
"Hey, Mrs. Kokoschka."
She looked up and smiled at him pleasantly.
"Hello, Arnold. How are you today?"
"Can't complain. Where's Oskar?"
Surprisingly she gave something of a giggle, which could only mean good news. Suzy and Oskar weren't known for their agreeable marriage.
"He's actually watching little Oskar right now. Those two are so cute together. He just put him down for a nap, which is why I'm doing my work in here right now."
Arnold smiled, happy to hear that she and her husband were having some pleasant moments as opposed to the usual shouting and arguing. He sat down, taking a large bite of the tuna fish when he got a better look at the nametag Suzy was wearing.
"Mrs. Kokoschka, did you get a new job recently?"
"As a matter of fact, I did," she said, still pouring through the papers in front of her. "I've been working at the department store for too long. I was actually a tech major in college, so this new position suits me better."
"And what do you do now?"
"I'm one of the hiring managers for the new AT&T office downtown."
A lightbulb went off in Arnold's brain so bright it would have blinded the room had it been physically visible. Swallowing an enormous portion of his sandwich, he posed the question.
"Mrs. Kokoschka, I was wondering if could ask you a huge favor?"
Well, lots of moving parts in this chapter. Especially between our two protagonists and their respective lives. But perhaps Arnold has a way to help out Helga...perhaps the spark is there.
I'll have to do my due diligence with the next couple chapters. Might take a little longer but I'm thinking my next update will be in July.
Thanks again everyone, and rock on!
~The Wasp