"How many times do I have to tell you, Mom?! I HATE THE NAME JACOB! MY FRIENDS CALL ME JAKE!" Angrily, the boy grabbed the nearest object, an orange, and threw it at her, hard. "YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!" He always got like this when he was high. He hated his mom. He hated her. She was a woman and she was weak, and she should know better than to talk to him, the man of the house.
"I'm sorry, Jake, I'm sorry! I just wanted to know-" Why did he have to act this way? Just like his father: abusive, powerful, a drunk and an addict. A complete gentleman when he was sober, but he always found a way to use that as his advantage once the meth kicked in.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! SHUT THE HELL UP AND DIE!" He grabbed another orange and aimed for her face. Right in the eye, perfect shot. Jake watched his mom fall to the ground and start to cry like she always did. "I SAID! SHUT! UP!" He kicked her in the head, but for sake of not going to prison, he held back. She smacked her face into the wall and her lip instantly swelled.
"H-honey.. buh-buhlease..." She whispered as she put her arms over her face. "Sdop..."
Jake felt dizzy and was starting to sober up, so he decided he'd go up to his room and get some sleep. He walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room. On the last step, he tripped and puked. "Stupid..." He got back up and opened his the door to his bedroom. His head throbbed, his stomach burned, he felt so sick he wanted to kill himself or somebody. He glanced at the cracked mirror on his wall. He had dark circles under his eyes like his mom, and his eyes were practicly black like hers too, but the rest of his face took after his father. "Ass...hole..." He murmered and passed out on his bed. The only thing that was his own was the green hair. He even dyed it himself. A small puddle of drool formed by his lips as he began to dream.
Neeeew giiiiirl... A sexy blonde is turning to face me, and I will have her. You're mine, Pig Tails. I own you. Don't I? I'll just just gag you oh so nicely. You hate that, don't you? You don't need to say anything, you're screams already do. You look really small there, lying on the floor. I'm so much bigger than you. How about I just take this little pink dress of yours, and I'll beat this lesson in you: There is no love, little girl, you will learn in time. I'll make you learn, Pig Tails.
LILA'S HOUSE
"That's right, Gloria, I'm going out with Arnold." Lila twirled the wire of her old phone around her finger. "And we went on a date, and I kissed him on cheek twice already." She was smiling, but it was a sly smile and her voice was bragging. "Ridiculous, Gloria? Oh, I'm ever so certain it isn't ridiculous. I think you're just... jealous." Lila held the phone between her head and shoulder as she smoothed out her braids with her hands while listening to Gloria talk. "Well, I think you just don't want to admit you have a crush on- hold on, my dad's knocking on the door. Yes, Daddy?"
"You're boyfriend's waiting for you downstairs, Sweety."
"Tell him I'll be right down!" She sighed. "I'll talk to you later, Gloria. Arnold's here. Bye-bye!" Lila put down the phone. She felt really, really bad for using Arnold to make Gloria jealous, but ever since what happened at Spring Break... She smoothed out her braids again and walked to the living room. "Oh, Arnold! I wasn't expecting you to be here. I'm ever so glad, but I was sort of planning to go visit Olga, assuming she came from back from Alaska to visit her family."
Arnold stood up from the couch and welcomed her with a hug. "I'm sorry. Maybe I can come with you? I really wanted to see you today." He rubbed his arm and smiled shyly. 'I still can't believe Lila's my girlfriend.'
"You did?"
"Yeah. I thought about you all night last night and I thought maybe today we could just hang out. But if you're really busy I could come back tomorrow!"
'Poor Arnold.' Lila smiled. "O-okay, of course you could come with me! I'm sure Olga wouldn't mind."
"Great! Let's go!" Arnold grabbed her hand and started walking out the door. "Goodbye, Mr. Sawyer!"
"Goodbye, Arnold." Lila's dad waved as he watched them leave. "Growing up so fast."
"So, um, Lila? I know you don't like my house a whole lot, but since we're, you know, a couple now, my grandma and grandpa want you to come to dinner some night. I know you've been over before, but it was just to study and you didn't get to meet them. They really want to get to know you more. I'd understand if you didn't want to." Arnold nervously rubbed his arm again.
She frowned. "Well, I must say, your house is pretty strange, but I suppose dinner with your grandparents might be nice." Lila remembered the time she went to his house to work on a project, and something or someone had kept pulling her hair. 'It would be impolite to refuse.' She reminded herself as she held back a shudder.
"Great... I mean, great! What night would be good for you?" Arnold hated to admit it, but he was a little ashamed of his non-traditional family. And not just because they weren't all related, but because sometimes, they could get a little... out of control... especially Grandma. And Lila was more of a simple, regular, sweet girl. Arnold wondered if he could handle the embaressment.
"Oh, any old night would be fine. Turn here." She tugged on his hand. Her concious was getting to her and she needed to talk things out with Olga, now. "Arnold, would you mind if we walked a bit faster? I would like to get there oh-so soon. In case... in case Olga's busy."
"Sure, Lila." Arnold smiled and held Lila's hand tighter. "You look pretty today." He blurted and blushed the moment he did. "I mean, you look pretty everyday! But you look really pretty today."
"Oh, Arnold, I'm ever so sure I've been doing the same thing that I always have every morning."
"Really? Because you hair looks extra shiny today. And your eyes... they're so blue! They're like the sky, or an ocean."
Lila blushed and looked at the ground. "Thank you, Arnold, really. But you don't need to flatter me so. It's a little embarassing."
His face turned red. "Oh, sorry. I can't help it, you're just so pretty. I'll... I'll stop." Arnold let go of Lila's hand and rubbed the back of his head. 'I'm making this awkward, what do I do? I've never had a girlfriend before! Well, there was Summer, but she turned out to be using me. I should've seen it, Helga had been right all along. Helga..." Arnold turned his head away from Lila and looked forward again. "She's been pretty quiet all week. Not that I can blame her, and she is talking more, but she's somehow been more... distant. I wonder if she's feeling alright.'
"It's okay," Lila interupted his thoughts, "You look nice today too, Arnold."
"Oh, are you sure? I thought my hair was pretty messy. I mean, it's always sort of messy, but this morning, I tried brushing it and brushing it, but it wouldn't stay neat, so I gave up." Arnold was back in Lila Land as he watched her red-brown braids bounce against her pale green dress. He didn't know why, but green looked really good against her skin.
Lila giggled. "You look fine, silly."
Arnold gave a goofy smile and held her hand again. It was hard to believe that he only liked her when they first met. Even when Lila had said she like-liked him in the fourth grade, he had only thought of her as a friend. And eventually he did grow a crush on her, but then she admitted she stopped like-liking him and he's admired her ever since. Four years... and now they were going out together! It was like Arnold's dream had come true. He drifted off into Lila Land again and the fifteen minute walk felt like five when they finally reached Helga's house.
"Oh, Daddy! It's Lila! Oh, my little sister. Daddy, can I take a teensy break so I can talk to Lila?"
"Of course, Olga. You worked hard, you must've labeled, what, fifteen boxes?"
"Seventeen, Daddy." Olga flashed an award winning smile and ran off.
"Lila?!" Helga dropped the box she was carrying at the door and literally started hitting her head against the wall. "Lila." smack "Olga." smack "Heavy boxes." smack" "Lila." smack "Olga." smack "Heavy boxes." smack 'Wait a minute... if Lila's here... then... is Arnold-?'
"Pick up the pace, Olga, we might have all day, but I want to get out of here! And be careful with those boxes, that better not have your sister's trophies or my stuff in there."
"I. AM. HELGA." She picked the box up again and walked to the back of the moving truck. She clumsily put it down and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "H-E-L-G-A. Say it, Bob. HELGA."
"Stop bugging me. I said Olga, I know my own kid." Bob's cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Oh! It's the president of Movie-Electrics. You can finish this up, right?"
"Sure, Bob. Don't mind my broken back, fever, crushed toes, and utter most physical agony. I'll be okay."
"Great, just don't start slacking off. Hello? Ah, yes, Mr. Randolf, good to hear you! How's your family?" He walked out of sight as Helga made it back in the house for another box.
"At least I get your name right." She grumbled. "Well, the last box in the living room, here we go. 'Olga's Amazing Trophies'... perfect." She couldn't tell if she'd ever scowled more intensely in her life as she put her hands on one side of the large box and pushed with the little bit of strength she had left. "Stupid... Bob... moving." She took a breath and switched to using her shoulder. "I... don't... wanna... move..." Shove. "But do I have a choice?" Shove. "Of course not." Shove. "Crimeny, this hurts, but at least I made it to the ramp." Helga rested her head on the box and breathed deeply. All week, she had hardly slept, hardly ate, and now, she could hardly breathe. Every body part mentionable hurt and she felt dizzy and worn out. After a few more breaths she put her hands back on the box and attempted to push it up the ramp. "Olga's here and she's been babying me the whole time, trying to get closer and trying to help out with my emotions. Sure she'll be gone in a couple of days, but she'll just be back in a few months, trying to get close again, talking about how she cares. She doesn't care about getting close with me, she just wants to have a perfect family. We aren't perfect, especially not now. My own mother died a week ago, and here I am, moving boxes heavier than me." Helga groaned and shoved the box a few inches up, but she couldn't hold the weight and it slid back down.
"Need some help?"A familiar voice came from behind.
"Thanks, Arnold. Now where was I?"
"Boxes heavier than you."
"Right, right. And to top it all off, the girl I hate almost as much as my sister is going out with-" Helga's eyes went wide. Her knees gave out and she fell on her butt. "Arnold?!" She shook her head and instantly regretted it. Her head felt hot and her headache worsened. "I mean, what are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be out smooching your girly-girl girlfriend?"
Arnold managed to push the heavy load up the ramp by himself, then sat next to Helga. "She said she wanted to talk to Olga in private, so I thought I'd come see how you're doing."
She threw her fist down on the ramp. "Oh, I'm FINE, just... fine, everything's FINE!" She put her knees up and rested her head on them. She felt her stomach lurch. 'Oh, that's just great, Helga. That'll win Arnold over, just keel over and vomit all over the ground. I'm sure he'll find that sophisticated.'
"You don't look fine. In fact, you look sick. Are you sure you want to be pushing these boxes around?"
"Oh, yeah, Arnold. I dream of doing this. Nevermind the fact that I feel like I could roll over and..." Helga thought over her choice of words, "pass out. Nevermind that my mother died a week ago today, but I'm the one doing all the work! This... is... my... life."
"Helga, I know you're stressed out, but you can't be the only one having a bad time." Arnold put a hand on her shoulder.
"Look around, Arnoldo! Where's my dad?" She turned to him and smacked his hand off her.
"Um..."
"On the phone. Where's Olga?"
"Talking to Lila, but-"
"And where am I, Arnold? Where am I?!"
"Sitting on the ramp of a moving truck and looking like you're about throw up. You're working too hard on yourself, physically and emotionally. Why don't you take a break?"
"Yeah, right, like my blow-hard dad could ever give me a break. Even if he did, I'd just be a 'disappointment'." Helga closed her eyes.
"Helga, I'm sure he'd understand. Look at yourself, you're shaking from exhaustion. You need to stop for a while, and get something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days. This isn't healthy."
She put her head up and pointed at him. "Olga donated all our food to a homeless shelter." She snorted. "And stop doing that!"
Arnold frowned. "Stop doing what?"
"Caring all the time! Just leave me alone." Helga turned her back to him and leaned her head on the truck.
'She's shutting me out.' "Maybe you don't act like it, Helga, but you're still my friend and I care about you." Arnold looked offended.
Helga turned back and stared in his eyes. Even after all these years, she was still amazed that no matter what she did or said to that boy, he was always ready to comfort her. "I... I..." She blinked her blank face away and replaced it with the usual scowl. "Well, stop! I don't need your sympathy, Football Head. I just need to get those boxes into that truck so I can get as far away from you as humanly possible."
"Helga, this is ridiculous, just calm down..."
"Calm down?! Calm down?!" Helga turned her head back and sneered. The Hell that is already my life is bubbling over before my eyes and you want me to calm down?!"
Arnold was trying to keep calm himself, for her sake and his own, but she was starting to irritate him. 'Her dad isn't the one keeping Helga from taking a break, it's herself. Why is she working herself this hard? You'd think she'd give herself more time to recover from something like her own mother dying.' Arnold turned his gaze over to Lila and wondered when she'd be done talking to Olga alone. He had to put a hand over his mouth to hide the goofy smile spread across his face.
"Don't you get it?! I HATE you! I hate you, and your... your sensitivity, and your stupid go-lucky, up beat... stupid... GRR! I hate my dad! I hate my sister, I hate my life..." As Helga followed Arnold's gaze, jealosy burned up inside her when she found his target. "And I hate... HATE Lila, and I! HATE! YOU!"
Arnold looked back at Helga and frowned. "Why?"
Helga raised her eyebrow and blinked a few times before glaring again. "Because, Football Head!"
He sighed. "Because why? What has she ever done do you? And for that matter, what have I done?"
"Well, you... you just bug me, okay!"
Arnold lowered an eye lid. "And Lila?"
"Well, she..." 'Took you away from me.' Helga looked down again as she tried to find a reasonable excuse. "...she just...oh, go screw your perfect, prissy pet Liiilaaa. She's probably just using you for something." She glared at Arnold.
"Helga, you're going too far."
"And you're not going at all! I thought I told you leave!"
"Fine, Helga." Arnold stood up. "But I think you're making a mistake. You can't do this on you're own."
It took her a moment to realise Arnold meant moving the boxes as he turned and walked back to Olga and Lila. Helga turned and faced the inside of the truck before pulling out her heart-shaped locket and stroking the picture with her finger. "Oh, my sweet Arnold, you try to soothe this fevered brow, but instead I just push you away. Why, why must I ride myself into this sick and twisted roller-coaster of love and hate? Letting my anger rise only to fall for you more, falling for you more just to lead to another rise of anger... up and down, up and down, up and-" Helga stopped as she felt her stomach threaten to return her morning's half of apple. "Enough monologuing. Maybe I should ask Bob for a break." She put the locket back in her dress and walked down the ramp, glancing up to see Arnold holding Lila's hand and smiling. "Or maybe, if I work hard enough I'll put myself into a coma and never have to see those two together ever again." She groaned and stomped off to the bathroom. "I wonder if the peptobismal's packed yet."
NEW HOUSE
"Okay, so then he says to me, 'Calm down.'" Helga made air quotes, "My head hurts, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurts... heck, even my eye sockets hurt, and he tells me to 'Calm down.' Could you imagine him being a doctor?! Oh, GOD! Doctor Arnold, help me! My brains are actually oozing out of my skull! What should I do?!' 'Calm down, look on the bright side. At least your brains are still partially still in your head. In fact, I think there is a side to these brains you're actually hiding in your skull. I'm gonna poke and prod at them with my Care-Bear pen until I know them inside and out, and you'll feel better in the morning. Have a lolly.'"
Jake held his sides as he tried to control his laughter. "Wh-where... where do you come up with this crap?!"
Helga made herself go cross-eyed and jabbed her finger in her fore-head. "In ter secret hidey spots in me brain!" Helga bursted out laughing and was close to falling out of the large windowsill in her soon-to-be room.
"Helga!" Jake grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him so their eyes met. She was so close, he could feel her warm breath on his face. "Be careful." He whispered and quickly brushed his lips against hers so lightly it couldn't even be called a kiss. Then he pushed her back to her spot and couldn't help but grin as he watched her face instantly turn red.
"Yeah, I... I..." she nervously rubbed her arm and stared at the ground. "I... guess I sort of... got carried away..." Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jake watching her with eyes half closed. 'Why is he looking at me that way? Did he... did we.. be still, my beating heart! No... no, that line's for Arnold... but Arnold... he's with Lila, and Jake...'
"Sooo..." he sat closer to Helga and their legs touched, "this... Arnold guy..."
"...isn't important." Helga looked straight forward into Jakes eyes and felt hot tingles climb up her neck to her ears.
"Good. Because what is important.." He leaned in, almost towering over her, "is that you... and I..." Helga breathing became shallow as Jake moved just centimeters from her face. "get some rest." Jake grinned and ruffled Helga's bangs.
"Wha-what?" She blinked.
Jake pulled away with large grin on his face. "You've been sick today, and you still need to get your stuff for your room over here and unpack tomorrow. And I, painfully loyal to a lovely lady such as yourself, will help."
"But-"
"No! No 'you don't have to's, no 'I can do it', no 'I'll feel better tomorrow', no! I must help you in your time of need!" He winked at Helga and moved back onto the large tree branch outside. "Minus the 'Care-Bear probe'. Goodnight, my fair woman, I bid thee well!" He put both hands on the branch and slid down to a lower one.
Helga mirrored the half-closed eye look as she watched her possible new love climb down. 'Dark stranger named Jake, what petals of love do you spread across my feet? What romantic songs will fallen angels sing at our future, at this very window you may enter at each night? Is it possible that Arnold is not my true love, but you, my very weird, but exotic prince of shadows? Could it be? Could it be?' Helga sighed. "See ya, Darth."
Jake chuckled from below. "Helga," he breathed in an azthma type voice, "I am your neighbor."
"Stop, you sound like Brainy!"
"Oh, I see how it is, first Arnold and now Brainy. Yoouuu whore."
Helga laughed, "Puh-lease! He might be the only kid creepier than you!"
"So, it's a competition now, is it?"
"Tch, yeah right. If I wanted to go insane I'd just lock myself in the room with my sister, Olga. Now, THAT is creepy."
Bob's heavy steps could be heard even two floors below as he stomped around for attention. "GIRLS! It's 8 o'clock, time to go back to our current dump and get some chinese chow and go to beeeed! I am tired!"
Helga glared at her door. "COMING, BOB!" She looked back out the window, but Jake was gone. 'My darkling..." Helga let out another romanticized sigh and left for downstairs.
-
T.S. IS B.S.! T.S. IS B.S.!
What the heck are you doing? Besides haveing a conversation with yourself.
Protesting. Tayst Strange is a stupid fifteen year old girl who does nothing, but lie around the house doodling, watching Hey Arnold! episodes, and writing bad fanfic. I want her DOWN! T.S. IS B.S.! T.S. IS B.S.!
But... YOU ARE Tayst.
... (checks self over) So I aaaam... what's your point?!
(Sighs in agony)
Anyways, so, yeah, FINALLY this is done. It's taken me a bit longer to write than the other four chapters, at least I think it has. It feels like it. Seriously, I'd take two hours to write three paragraphs, save, come back, erase half of what I'd written, save, re-write, save, write-write-write, save, erase, save, rewrite... and in the end, I'd have to say I'm content. Tired, but content. Next chapter may or may not be considerabley longer. Random note, I don't care if what Helga wears is a "jumper", I'm calling it a dress. Said and done.
Also: No more suggestions with the plot! Honestly, you guys inspire me with a lot of ideas. A lot. Thusly, I'll have my next chapter in mind, I post, I read reviews, and suddenly the next chapter is changed. In quote of Papa Owl in "I Love to Singa"... "ENOUGH IS TOO MUCH!"
I had more to write, but I forgot what it was. Go figure.
Oh yeah, I was wondering if someone would be interested in reading my chapters before I officially submit them, you know, to check for spelling errors and if something sounds off that I didn't catch. Just asking.
Sincerely,
VOTE T.S. FOR B.S!
Peace.
(For those highly sheltered or just as tired as I am, B.S. is bull shit)
(Oh yeah, and in case you're wondering about where the content of this fanfic is going... no lemon/sex. Sorry for those disappointed. I'm not in the mood)
(Again, I had something written, but I forgot)
(Unecessary interuption)