Broken- Helga x Arnold.

Not even tape can put me back together.

A.N- Okay, this is not a shot sweet drabble. It's more like a short fic!

Deepest apologies to those people who just wanted drabbles in this chunk-of-story I call 'Innocent Minds'.

Do you ever get those moments where you just keep writing and writing, and when you look at the time it's already 3 a.m and you have to wake up at 6 a.m? Yup, that happened to moi. Hooray for 3 hours of sleep, woo!

7 years has passed and they were not 9 year olds anymore.

No more going to downtown dressed up as fruits (they would get sued for nudity if they tried), no more adventures on abandoned train stations and no more marriage predictors, bio square projects and what not. Everyone travelled on their own separate paths, joined their own cliques, lived their own life.

But all 13 of them did a good job on staying in contact with each Saturday, they would hang out at Gerald Field, play baseball or football then have Yahoo! Sodas right after. It was a tradition for them.

Oh how she wished the world would be rainbows and sunshines again. But reality decided to be a bitch and thought it was a good idea to show her what the real world looks like.

Manipulative, dangerous and ugly.

Now, all rays of light seemed to fade away from her. Some happiness would stay longer than the others, but would eventually leave, leaving her hollow and broken. Even her obsession for him wasn't enough to keep her happy.

Now that it's mentioned, did she still like the boy with the corn-coloured hair? She doesn't think so.

Ever since she turned 11, her habits of following him around and watching his every move drew into a close. She had thrown away her shrine she built for him (since she needed more space in her closet) and she had stopped making poems dedicated for him. They were friends, distant friends.

Hardly talked with he exceptions of the 'Hellos and Byes'.

That wasn't love.

But from growing up to a abusive father and an alcoholic mother that never showed love to each other, who was she to judge what love is?

Maybe she was like winter. But winter was appreciated and she wasn't.

Now, she finds herself standing on the opposite of Bob, a distance was kept between them. He was shouting at how unappreciative she was, how she was always failing at school and how she should be like Olga.

That was all a lie.

She had always appreciated what her parents do to her. She just didn't know how to express it.

Her grades had always been great. She excelled in English and Art. But she doesn't want to show it to her parents since they'll think she was insulting Olga's name for being better than her. Now, she always told them lies if they asked what her grade is.

And she should be like Olga? That was a fat lie. If she tried being like Olga, her whole existence of being 'Helga G Pataki' would slowly fade and turn to 'Olga Number 2'.

"Are you listening to me, little lady?!"

Her father's scream made her snap out of her thoughts. Looking dazed was a bad idea, as a second passes and his fist came in contact with her jaw.

Pain. The thing that reminded her that she was human.

"Yea I got it." Helga whispered, rubbing her cheek. A small amount of blood left her lips but it was no big deal, really. Now, she just have to make some sort of excuse that would cover up the red mark on her face. "I'll try to do better."

"You won't 'try'." He scoffed, picking up the cracked photo frames that was on the floor and placing them back on top of the cabinet. "You WILL. I don't want any losers like you disgracing the Pataki name."

Turning around, he walked toward the refrigerator door. "Go make your self useful and pick up my dry cleaning. -MIRIAM! Where the hell is my sandwich?!"

Helping her self up, she didn't bother to put a plaster over the red mark. Let the whole world see it, she decided. They'll see what this family do to me.

Grabbing her jacket, she opened the entrance door and winter greeted her with a small breeze.

Saturday's winter wasn't that bad. It was, yes, chilly but it didn't snow. And this means that the gang would be hanging out at Gerald's field. And they would definitely be suspecting where the Pataki girl was.

Shaking her head, she started walking. Long strides the girl took so she can get to the dry-cleaners faster.

Being engulfed by her thoughts, she didn't realise that the path she took was the short one. And that would mean that she had to pass by Gerald Field. Her cheek was noticeable red and it ached like hell.

But she was strong enough not to cry.

Oh, she won't cry in front of someone like Bob. She wouldn't stoop that low.

The teenagers that was running towards her as she passed by the hangout field made her come back to reality. They must've noticed her cheek.

Oh well. Let the fake concerns come. It wasn't like they meant the words that they say.

In the end of the day, they were all liars.

"Oh my gosh Helga, are you alright?!" Phoebe squeaked, her fingers grasp on Helga's shoulder as concern was her emotion.

"You alright Helga?" Gerald asked, a hand on Phoebe's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Hair-boy." Helga spat. That's one lie. "And it's nothing Pheebs. It doesn't hurt." That's another lie.

"What happened to you?" Arnold asked.

Oh my father just punched me, you know, like how he always do. That's what she wanted to say.

"I'm fine, Arnoldo. Some prick from PS 119 picked a fight with me." The blonde sighed heavily, shoving her hands down her pockets. That was the third lie. "Now get out of the way, foot-ball head."

"Who's the kid, Helga?" To Helga's surprise, it was Rhonda. The spoiled princess. "I could get that kid to pay. I do have some contacts in PS119 and they are the tough types."

"I don't need that, princess. I had it under control." The fourth lie. "Now, get out of my way, you dweebs! I don't need your concern. I can sort these things out all by myself." The fifth lie.

How much lies does she tell a day? That was something she cannot count.

The crowd walked back near the benches of Gerald field. Back to what they were doing.

"You know, I'm kind of worried about that girl." Rhonda said, curling her lips that was currently glossed. "I mean, she always has this bruises that came from random fights.."

"I know what you mean." Sheena said. "Violence is never the answer. Don't you guys agree?"

"In some cases, it is." Gerald commented. "I mean, those times when you use it as self defence. But other than that, yes, it isn't the answer."

"Maybe we should go visit her." Arnold decided, getting the crew's attention. "You know, see if she's doing okay. Maybe she just needs someone, or some people to talk to."

"Yea but.. Have you seen her dad? Big Bob would mince us right on the spot!" Sid gritted his teeth, hands unconsciously flexing as he was probably imaging himself mincing something.

"Yea, but-" Arnold tried to justify Sid's comment but only to be cut off by Stinky. "And I heard her mom is an alcoholic or something."

"But this is Helga we're talking about." Arnold sighed, his tone much sharper. He probably didn't want to get cut off again. "And we should-"

"Why should we talk to Helga? All she does is boss us around!" Harold scoffed, standing up with his fist clenched. "Threatening us with Miss Betsy and The Five Avengers-"

"Because we're her friends, okay?" The corn-coloured hair boy stood up, his eyebrows creasing. "And if you think about it, she had been always helping us out!" His fingers made a snapping motion as a memory decided to visit. "Ooh, remember that time where you guys told me that I kept on putting my nose on your guys' business so I decided not to anymore? Who was the girl that filled in for me? Helga. Even if she did made it worst, at least she tried!"

The teens nodded slowly as they remembered such event. "And I remembered when she let me be her boyfriend." Stinky commented, wiping his nose with his sleeve after he sneezed. (This made Rhonda cringe.) "I have to say those wear the best week in my love life. She's actually a pretty nice girl when you get to know her better."

"And she did stick with me when we missed the bus on the Chocolate Field Trip." Harold said quietly. "Even though she got mad at me, at least we were able to go to Wrestle Mania."

"See? That's the point. We've all been looking at her bad side but we're not focusing on her good sides. She's a decent human-being. Now, let's make a visit on the Pataki household. I'm sure she has some sort of reason why she always has those bruises on her." Encouraging his other peers to stand up, they only shrugged.

It was almost a life and death decision, visiting or getting near the door of the Pataki household.

And with all thee unsure-shrugs, Phoebe had enough. THIS was her best friend they were talking about. Standing up next to Arnold, she took a deep breath.

"HEY YOU LOSERS FROM PS118." The Asian girl shouted fiercely, making Harold and a few other members from their gang flinch.

"MY BEST FRIEND'S IN TROUBLE AND DO YOU HONESTLY EXPECT ME TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT?!" Pulling a whistle out of her pocket, she started whistling to them - as if she was a sheepdog gathering the sheep. "GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASSES OR SOMEONE HELP ME, THEY'LL BE A HELGA #2 SWINGING HER FIST SOON. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Hesitant nods and a few mutters and whimpers, all of them were now walking towards the footpath, taking the path closest to Helga's house.

"Thanks for that, Phoebe." Arnold said smiling, shoving his hands on his pockets.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Arnold. I didn't know acting like that can be so... exhilarating." Phoebe replied, a small shiver ran down her spine.

"I hope you don't always act like that, Phoebe. Reminded me of that time when you were Hall Moniter. Mm, mm, mm, that was not a good display." Gerald said, clicking his tongue as he walked besides the girl. "Where did you get the confidence boost, anyway?"

"Well, if you've been Helga G Pataki's best friend for your whole entire life, you'll pick up traits from her that you'll find useful in the future."

There's going to be a Part 2 of this. Maybe even a Part 3...