Wow, wow, wow...it has been way too long, I apologize for the length of this update, this past couple years have been crazy! I've been extremely busy and was at a loss for inspiration...I've started college and am now up to finishing my stories (if anyone really cares, I'll feel better though) anyway, I'm back and ready to rumble (okay that was extremely lame) here we go...;)
Disclaimer: No, I still don't own HA! or the Breakfast Club...sigh
"You mean to tell me, that Wartz locked you in his closet?" Gerald said, more of a statement than a question. Phoebe gasped and put her hand to her mouth as Rhonda stared at him wide-eyed in astonishment.
Curly looked at them all uncomfortably before continuing, "Yeah, that's what I said, you wouldn't expect him to do something like that?"
"I just never thought that...whoa, that's harsh man," Gerald exhaled.
Curly scooted a chair next to him and sat down in it backwards. "Yeah, but it's nothing new, that's pretty much the purpose of my existence, to get punished for living," he said bitterly, leaning his chin on the backside of the chair.
"Welcome to teenage life, my man!" Gerald replied, rolling his eyes and sitting down on the table.
"You said it," Rhonda agreed, leaning against the table next to Curly.
They all looked at Rhonda with annoyed expressions.
Rhonda looked at them all before stating, "Okay, so I don't always get in trouble at home, but being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be!"
"Wow, that must be difficult!" Gerald rolled his eyes in sarcasm.
Phoebe giggled as Curly looked up at Rhonda with a smirk.
"Look, that's not what I meant. It's just..." she paused as everyone waited for her response, "when your parents expect more from you than everyone else, it's harder to meet their standards. Yes, my whole family has a rich background, but we also have a "perfect" background meaning: perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect fashion, perfect etiquette, perfect manners, perfect everything!" She ended the last word loudly. "It really sucks when you can't nor really want to reach their expectations."
"Ha!" Helga exclaimed, walking back up the stairs with Arnold, "You don't know the meaning of a hard life, princess."
Rhonda glared at her, "I don't believe you were part of this discussion."
"Helga's right, you're just feeling sorry for yourself Rhonda," Gerald said blatantly.
Curly surprised them all by cutting in, "Do you get along with your parents sporto?"
Gerald looked taken aback but quickly composed himself as Phoebe looked uneasily back and forth between them. Rhonda glanced at Curly with a smile of gratitude.
"I suppose if I say "yes" I'm an idiot, right?"
"You're an idiot anyway sporto, but if you say you get along with your parents...then you're a liar too."
Gerald clenched his teeth angrily and started to tense, "Why you little-"
Phoebe quickly laid a hand on his arm and whispered in his ear, "Don't let him get to you, it's not worth it." Gerald took a deep breath and settled back down, he didn't want Phoebe to think he was a jerk, especially when he knew he could beat the living daylights out of this kid.
Curly smirked and sat back in his chair, knowing the jock wouldn't dare lay a hand on him, impressing a girl was much more important. He looked down at Rhonda and noticed her quickly turn away from him, his smile widened. "That reminds me, what'd you do to get in here anyway?"
Gerald quickly tensed again and Phoebe braced herself to pull him back should he decide to pounce on Curly now. To her surprise, he didn't.
Arnold looked around at them uneasily, as Helga stared, amused.
To everyone's surprise, Gerald started, "Well, I was in the locker room last Thursday-I had just got done with gym and..." he hesitated. "There was this kid taking a shower-Brainy I think they call him-"
Helga heaved an exasperated sigh. They all looked at her.
"Do you know him?" Gerald asked.
"Yeah, it's a long story though, please continue Gerald-o."
Gerald gave her a curious glance but continued. "Well, you know that he's not too high on the food chain..." he glanced at Phoebe who looked at him sternly..."I mean in the sense of sports, and my jock friends, and well...you all know what I mean."
"We get it hair-boy, you and your pals are better than everyone else," Helga exclaimed, sarcastically.
Gerald ignored her and continued, "Anyway, my friends thought it'd be funny if..." he glanced around again, "If we took his clothes, and of course, I was volunteered to do it," he ended bitterly.
Phoebe stared at the ground as Rhonda spoke up, "Wow, and you call me a bitch."
"Look, I'm not proud of what I did, okay? I took his clothes, and he totally panicked when he couldn't find them...apparently he has anxiety attacks."
Phoebe put her hand to her mouth and even Arnold looked stunned.
They all sat in silence for a moment.
Finally, Gerald started up again, "The part that sucks though, the part that really pisses me off is..." he hesitated as his voice wavered, "I did it for my dad. My dad always wants me involved with sports...and popularity, and being number one...horsing around with the guys seems to be part of the deal...and sometimes...I would think that he was pissed off at me for never showing the non-jocks of "lower status" whose boss," he ended the sentence with a grimace. It's so pathetic...I'm so pathetic. I did it for my dad, and I hate him for it...I freaking...hate...him."
He put his head in his hands as Phoebe's face softened and she laid a comforting hand on his back. Even Helga and Rhonda felt bad, no sarcastic remark entered their thoughts. Curly looked down at the ground as Arnold looked on at his friend sympathetically.
Phoebe suddenly looked up and started, "The reason I'm in here today is that...I cheated on a homework assignment."
Helga gasped, knowing that this was way below her best friend's normal standards.
"Phoebe, you're one of the most intelligent students at our school, you've won all kinds of awards in academics. Why did you feel you needed to cheat?" Arnold asked honestly. Gerald looked at her.
"Well that's just it, isn't it? I always have to be the best, 2nd place isn't good enough for my family. The assignment was to write a poem...I tried and tried all week to come up with something good...but there was just nothing there. So I found a beautiful old poem I thought no one would ever remember, much less the teacher...and I copied it. But it turns out, the teacher had the same book of poetry I did. Ironic huh?" she smiled bitterly. "I can read, and I can study, and I can memorize resources for tests and essays...but I guess...creativity is something I lack. My parents don't accept second best." Phoebe looked down and sighed.
"I think you two are more than made for each other...you'd know how to deal with each other's families," Curly smiled weakly.
They all fell silent once more.
"Why are you in here Arnold?" Helga asked suddenly.
"I was late for first period," Arnold grinned sheepishly.
Helga smirked, "You are absolutely boring football-head."
"Gee, thanks," Arnold laughed.
They all looked at Curly.
"I pulled the fire alarm," he said, trying to hold in a smile.
"Thank God for that, I got out of math class that day," Gerald finally spoke up, grinning.
Phoebe laughed and soon they were all laughing.
Arnold turned to Helga, who was sitting next to him, "Why are you here, Helga."
Helga's smile dropped and she soon became real silent.
They all noticed her quick change of mood and fell silent as well.
"Helga?" Arnold questioned.
"I'm here...I'm here because," she started, not sure of how to put it. All eyes were now on her, Arnold's especially. She sighed, she new she couldn't hide anything from him, "I'm here because the janitor found a gun in my locker." She squeezed her eyes shut as they all gasped and Phoebe grabbed Gerald's arm tightly.
"Helga," Arnold started, fear and sympathy mixed in his eyes, "Helga, why was there a gun in your locker.
"It's not that big of a dea-" Helga started but was soon cut off.
Arnold grabbed her hands, "What do you mean it's not a big deal, why was there a gun in your locker?"
"Arnold's right Helga, what's going on with you? You know you can talk to me about anything! Is it your family? Well, is it?" Phoebe pressed on.
Gerald quickly cut in, "Phoebe relax," he turned to Helga, "Talk to us, tell us why there was a gun in your locker."
Helga's eyes misted over as she tried to hide her face, tried to squeeze herself deep inside her body, anxious to dissapear.
But Arnold wouldn't have it, he pulled her towards him and tried to get her hands away from her face. Pulling her face up to hers, he looked into her eyes as she looked back, frightened, "Come on Helga, talk to us, talk to me. Did you...did you try to kill yourself."
Helga's fear faltered and angry rose in her voice, "Well I didn't actually do it, I'm still here aren't I?" Her body trembled for a moment, before letting herself fall into Arnold's open arms.
The group of newly found friends fell silent once more as the tense atmosphere died away.
Curly suddenly spoke up, "What kind of gun was it?"
Helga chuckled softly and paused before she answered, "A freakin' flare gun."
Gerald snorted laughter, but was trying to hold it in as he looked at Helga, "A flare gun? That's priceless."
Helga looked at him as a smile started to form on her face, "It's not funny." She looked around at them all, "Hey, how the hell was I supposed to know the difference between guns, I'm not a damn collector." She shook her head and smiled, "The stupid thing went off in my locker."
That all got them roaring with laughter, and soon they were holding their stomachs and wiping away tears from their eyes.
"Well, aren't we a sight to see. We make an excellent study group for therapy," Gerald sighed, grinning, and that got them all laughing again.
Wow, what a chapter, trying to jam in all the stuff I remember from the movie plus re-organizing it for the story's sake. I hoped you appreciated the small things I through in there about the actual "Hey Arnold!" episodes...I thought it was amusing. Anyway, not the end yet, but I'm glad I finished another chapter. Please tell me whatcha think, and please don't yell at me for taking so long! lol ;)
Helgagurl46