Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold!, so don't sue me. Thanks!
Chapter Two: Long Trip and Bad News Travels Fast
Mom took my hand and let me back to the suit cases. Putting on her trench coat she told me the next part of the plan. "Its a twenty minute down the trail, then we get the car that I hid. Once we get to New York, well stay at a nice hotel. Sleep in, have breakfast, shower and continue like that to New Sindo." She fumbled with the large suitcase and pulled out two flash lights. Handing me one she said, "Don't drag the suitcase, hon."
"Ok." I said as I picked up one of the suitcases, making sure to pick up the suitcase and started following her to the trail. They were quiet for most of the hike and it seemed to be getting colder. She was thankful that the weather wasn't worse considering it was late march. Eventually the trail ended and I found myself on a country road. The suitcase was in the middle of the road a few meters up ahead of me, I walked over to it and saw my mom uncovering something with branches and leaves. I dropped the suitcase next to hers and walked over to her to help her. Covered by foliage was a red scion. She grabbed the suitcases and put them in the back and then ushered me in to the passenger seat. She turned on the car and I saw her smiling as we pulled the car out of its hiding place on onto the rocky road.
She fiddled with the car radio and a soft melody filled the car.
"...Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
Go run run run I'm gonna stay right here
Watch you disappear yeah
Go run run run yeah it's a long way down
But I'm closer to the clouds up here
You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Ohh
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper"
It was such a sad song and perfect to the situation that I had been living in. I was ripped by his insults, the never ending comparison to the older, perfect daughter. But now it seemed that my—our lives were being rebuild. "Like a skyscraper." The girl's voice finished my thought. By the end of the song we were on a paved road again, another song playing softly. "You can try to take another nap, I'll wake you up when we get to the hotel." "I'm not sleepy." I said. "Okay, hungry?" "Nope." I said as I turned to the window.
Eventually I must have dozed off because mom shook me awake. "Helga, I mean Gabby, honey wake up." She nudge me. I opened my eyes to see her smiling at me from her seat. "Are we there yet?" I asked as I looked around, we were at a gas station and mom had changed clothes, she was now wearing a turtle neck red sweater with a gray skirt, black heals. She had never dressed with fitted clothes and frankly she looked good in them. She had set some dark blue tights and a skirt for me to wear, a pair of Ugg boots and a oversized brown sweater. "Take your bow off and put it in the glove compartment, it will be safe there." Nodding and without needing further prompt, I took off my pajama bottoms and started undressing in the car as she went to pay for gas. Once dressed I carefully set the pink bow in the glove compartment over some smaller boxes and joined her at the store.
"Mom can I get something to drink?" I said as I walked in. She smiled to me. "Sure honey. Do you need to use the restroom?" "Yeah, down the hall." The cashier said as he handed something to my mom. "I'll fill it up and come back to pay for her things." My mom said as she started to make her way to the door. I went down the hall and was thankful to see that the restroom was clean. I emerged and I looked at the beverages, I didn't want a soda to drink and much less milk. I eventually found myself in front of the coffee and hot beverage machines. Grabbing a midsize cup I filled it with hot chocolate and grabbed a box of Twinkies and made my way to the cashier.
My mom came back in, calmly walking towards us. No one would be able to compare this confident mother with the stumbling drunk hours ago. "Is that all?" She asked. "Yup!" I said. My mom smiled to the cashier. "Can you add another large coffee?" She said as she walked towards the back and made a large cup adding sugar and half and half before joining me at the register. "Seventeen twenty-seven." The man said. My mom smiled at him and pulled out a twenty. "Wait, did you add the Tennessee map?" "Yes m'am." "Thank you, and keep the change." We walked out to the car and I only asked, "Tennessee?" "Yup. We're visiting your grampa John and grandma Mae." "But I don't have grandparents and I thought we were going to—." "Exactly." She said as she steeped inside the car." Seatbelt." I said as soon as she opened her mouth. She chuckled.
The so called two day trip took twice as long. We stayed several nights at a few hotels, not too fancy and not disgusting. We stopped at a Walgreen's and bought hair dye. Mom chose a chestnut brown for her hair and she let me choose the color. "No pink." She warned. I made a face but, choose a copper brown. She dyed my hair first and while I showered she dyed her hair. I guess we had a spa day that day. I reluctantly agreed to get a hair cut and that was all she needed to take out the tweezers and making two perfectly arched brows, she painted my toe nails and painted my fingernails. "You don't need make up, your too young." Aftew the 'makeover' she pulled me into the restroom where we looked completely different. Mom's boring bob was now trendy. It was shorter in the back then at the front. And she now had straight bangs. She had ditched the glasses and now wore contacts that she had hidden in the new car glove compartment. My hair was no longer in pigtails, it was now parted to the side and I had side bangs. We looked good and without our blonde hair and the bright bow, we were going to blend right in with the crowd.
We spent a lot of time listening to music, eventually I figured that we had satellite radio and found a alternative station that we both liked. The rest of the time we talked about a lot of things and of nothing at all. My mom for the first time, without any interruptions or comparisons from him, got to know me. It was fun. We even had a movie night, after shopping for new clothes and a few necessities like toothpaste and toothbrushes. We saw her favorite movie The Breakfast Club and we watched my favorite movie Finding Nemo. On the third night I had my breakdown.
We had just finished eating, Gwendolyn was taking a shower—I was now forcing myself to call her that, mentally and out-loud—and surfing the channels when his face was on the national news. "Mom!" I yelled, "Mom!" I turned up the volume as she came out of the bathroom with wet hair and a robe. "News!" I said turning to fave the television.
The anchorman said flashing pictures of Hillwood and Big Bob."Tonight, a father with a missing daughter and mourns the death of his wife and youngest daughter." "Good evening, JTNews own Mariah William has the first response of Hillwood, Connecticut response to a local death." The man said and then was cut to a woman. "Thank you, Michael. Early morning two days ago, a local business man, Big Bob Pataki was informed that his wife Miriam and youngest daughter Helga were in a car accident. He was devastated and informed the town mayor. Local and state officers were sent to the scene of the accident where they found the remains of a car. No remains have yet been found and earlier today Big Bob Pataki gave this statement: "I have always relayed on my gut feeling in business and in my personal life, and with a heavy heart I know that my precious daughters and wife are no longer in this world." The last people who saw Miriam Pataki reported her seeing her drunk, a cashier outside of this town had a confrontation with the woman and reported seeing the young girl, Helga distressed about her mothers drinking. Bob Pataki also reported his philanthropists daughter missing in the wild forests of Salvador doing missionary work. He stated, "Olga died doing what she loved." This strategy has not only affected the Pataki's but also the neighborhood where they lived. The local kids where in shock and disbelief when they heard of the accident. Helga, just hours shy of turning twelve will always be embedded in the hearts of Phoebe Heyerdahl, Gerald Johanssen and Arnold Shortman, Helga Pataki's best friends, who are holding a vigil at the Shortman residence tonight. From a changed town, once free from tragedy and with the innocent hope of children for a friends safe returm. Mariah William reporting from Conneticut. Back to you Michael."
"Its going to be okay, honey. It worked, he thinks we're dead." She said trying to give me a hug. "So do my friends! They think I'm dead!" I felt the tears in my eyes. " Phobe, my best friend! She's grieving me, she thinks I'm dead. The whole neighborhood thinks I'm dead. Dead! Oh and Arnold, he lost his parents in the jungles of San Lorenzo, now Olga is missing and he thinks I'm dead. They are in pain thinking that I'm dead while here I am taking a vacation." I was sobbing uncontrollably slobbering. "The whole town thinks were dead!" I was slumped against the couch. "Honey! Helga, honey!" I know its hard but, we will go back. Will go back when its safe. And we will apologize, no one will blame you for listening to your mother." "But—." "But nothing! The whole neighborhood new I was drinking, the whole neighborhood could hear and see the insults of that man! They knew that we were in pain but, not one, not one of them stepped in to help us. Honey, its going to be hard. Real hard. Are you listening to me?" I nodded. "We're starting a new life, a life free of pain, so try to be happy. Well worry about Hillwood when we go back—when its safe."
Four hundred miles away an Asian girl, a black boy with tall hair, and a boy with an odd shaped head were sitting in a room. "He gave up on her." Arnold said quietly as he turned the television off. "That ass." Phoebe said. "What type of person does that?" Gerald asked to no one. "A person with no heart." Arnold spat.
A few days ago they heard of the news of the Pataki accident from Gerald. Phoebe had wondered why Helga didn't show up at school, her birthday gift safely in her backpack as she and Arnold walked to his house to pick up Helga's forgotten present this morning. Arnold had a mix of emotions towards the confusing Helga, at sometimes sweet, funny, caring girl who also portrayed classic bully characteristics. Arnold rushed up the steps of the boarding house as Phoebe waited outside for him. A screech was heard as Arnold was walking downstairs. He rushed down and saw grandpa Phil and grandma Gertie trying to calm down Phoebe at the foyer. Gerald was holding her. "No! No! No! Its a lie! Gerald, tell me its a lie!" Phoebe pushed herself away from him and fell to her knees and crying uncontrollably. Everyone turned to Gerald, "What happened?" Gertie asked.
Gerald looked to the floor, gathering his courage. "My dad, my dad told me that there was an accident down by Goldmeadow cliff. He said it was registered to Big Bob and that it was completely destroyed." He was quiet for a second. "And?" Arnold question ignoring the lump in his throat. "And he said that Mrs. Pataki must have been in the car and that they might be dead." Gerald rushed. Everything was quiet and then another uncontrolled wail filled the room as Phoebe started crying, "Helga, no no no no!" Finally Phil took pity on the poor child and took her out of the room followed by Gertie, "We're going to need a lot of tea. Eleanor, why why why her?" She said muttering to herself and walking towards the kitchen.
Arnold looked to his best friend. "Tell me. What are the chances that she survived?" Gerald awkwardly rubbed his arm. "Not enough. The car was completely destroyed after it fell from the cliff. They said that Helga's mom was drunk." "Thanks for telling me. I gotta go." Gerald nodded. "Take care man. I'm gonna stop at Phoebe's to let her parents know. I am real sorry that I told you so bluntly." "Its ok." Arnold said, Gerald nodded, knowing that the neighborhood was never really going to be the same without Helga G. Pataki.
Authors Note:
Song: Skyscraper by Demi Lovato.
Thanks for reading my story. I know it may be a little confusing and I can only plead to bare with me until the story picks up momentum. I promise to write more and to eventually get the girls back to Hillwood. Until then lots of love! Reviews, comments, questions, suggestions welcome but, not required. ;)