Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold!
The Day You Will
By Moonlight
Empty Window
"9:13pm
Phoebe, are you home?"
Helga stared at the sent message for a long moment, before shoving her phone into the pocket of her jacket. Her impatience began to get the best of her, and the drizzle that had begun to fall over her was not helping at all.
"I can't believe him!" she muttered under her breath as she folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe he would blame it on YOU!" Turning to face Arnold on that last word, she aggressively shoved her finger at his chest.
Sighing, Arnold grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her back under the the overhang of the bus stop.
"Hey!" she complained for a brief second before realizing he was just trying to get her out of the rain for what seemed like the millionth time since they left Gerald's house. She had kept wandering away as she looked at her phone, put it away, pulled it out again, and repeated the process over and over again.
"Maybe…" he started, brushing the rain off of both their shoulders, "...maybe we should head back to the boarding house?"
"No!"
"Helga, she obviously doesn't want to talk to anyone right now, and maybe… that's okay." He looked down at his shoes, "Maybe she needs to be alone right now. Maybe it will help her relax and reason things out for herself… Maybe she'll contact Gerald herself and-"
Placing her hand over Arnold's mouth in order to silence him, Helga glared at him. "Maybe. Maybe. MAYBE! Do you even HEAR yourself?! She's obviously SUFFERING right now and is too prideful to ask for help!"
He gently removed her hand from his face, "Prideful? Phoebe doesn't strike me as the type to take it this far, Helga."
"YEAH?! Well you haven't known her as well as I have." she finished quietly and stared out at the house before them.
The light in Phoebe's bedroom had turned off. How long had they been waiting there? Why didn't they leave when her parents informed her that Phoebe didn't want to see anyone? It was late, and the rain didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.
Turning to face him again, she sighed. "Arnold, let's just… go home." She Helga shoved her hands into her pockets. "Maybe… you're right… Maybe she doesn't need me right now."
Arnold walked over to the girl and reached into one of her pockets, lacing his fingers in hers. They began to walk down the road towards the boarding house in silence.
Moonlight: Suuuuper short for a return chapter. But I can now say student teaching is over, and I finally have my degree! I'll write a longer one next time. :) Thank you to all of you who have been super patient with me!