Note:(Forgive me if it's horribley, completely, and utterly obvious I have never seen this type of gun in my life. Sorry, but please just go with it.)
"I don't know about this..." Jake looked at Helga as they sat in the back of his mom's car. Despite the fact that he was only 16 and didn't have a license or anything related, he managed to snag the vehicle while his mom was at work (she car-pooled with a friend) and drove the two here: in front of an empty lot where a bunch of kids looking about Helga's age played a game of baseball.
"Shut up and give me the gun." Helga snapped, rolling down the window. Thankfully, no one thought it was strange that a car they had never seen before would park next to a bunch of kids playing ball. Jake handed her the weapon. She poked the end out of the window and closed one eye, aiming for Arnold's heart.
"I thought we were just going to beat him up or something, but this..."
"I said shut up and stop whining!" she whispered as she poked the end of the gun out the window and pulled trigger, smiling.
The noise made everyone turn to the car and quickly back at Arnold as something flew through the air and nailed him in the chest. He fell backwards, wincing in pain. He put his hand to where he'd been hit, then lifted it to his face. His hand was covered in red and Arnold closed his eyes, groaning as the stench of paint filled his nose.
"Arnold! Are you all right?" Lila shouted and ran to his side.
Helga's devilish grin turned into a deep frown, not only out of anger at the Princess Nurse caring for the boy she was trying to destroy, but also out of confusion. Gloria was running after Arnold or maybe Lila, but stopped about half way and looked around as if she hoped no one had seen her. 'I didn't think Gloria even liked baseball...' Helga shook it off and growled as she shifted the gun, now aiming for the red head. She pulled the trigger on the paint-ball gun again and laughed maniacly as pain and paint ruined the dainty, little princess's shiny hair.
"But it just seems so childish. Paint ball?" Jake crawled next to Helga on the seat and rested his chin on her shoulder, interupting her thoughts.
"Look, I know what I'm doing, okay?" Her grin had returned. 'What a whiner.' "Ever heard of Chinese water torture? They take a prisoner and pour water on their forehead, drop by drop, randomly, until the prisoner goes insane." Helga turned her head so that she faced Jake.
"And that has to with paint ball, how?" He raised an eye brow.
She groaned as loudly as possible, as if it were painfully obvious. "Not paint ball specificly, but... look at it this way. The water drops themselves aren't that annoying, but having it constantly hitting you and never knowing when creates anxiety. That's our plan. If we beat him up, he'll hurt for a few days, maybe a week, and that's it. But, if we keep attacking when he least expects it, then it'll drive him crazy! Not only will he have to constantly watch his back, but why he has to constantly watch his back will be in his mind too. Trust me, I'm an expert."
Jake looked at Helga with wide-eyed astonishment. "You are evil! That's it, I'm in love." He swiftly dipped into a quick, but firm kiss. Leaning back, he had to smile at Helga's goofy, love-sick grin. "Gimme that gun, I want a try."
She passed him the paint gun and sighed romanticly before moving behind Jake to give him more space.
"Are those the two you were talking about?"
"Yup." Helga opened the opposite window and hung her bare feet out. It was getting hot as Hell inside the car. "That's Football Head and his perfect, little, farm-girl girlfriend, Lila."
Jake watched as the blond boy held her hand and she slowly pulled it away to help him sit up. "How sentimental. Do I have to shoot just them, or can I have a go at the others too?"
"Be my guest." Helga put her arms behind her head and smiled. 'Today's a good day.' she thought to herself.
All the kids had now formed around Arnold and Lila. Gerald reached out a hand to help the two up. "You all right?"
"Yes, thank you." Lila accepted the hand while Arnold nodded and helped himself up.
"Who hit me?" He wiped as much paint off of his sweater as he possibly could, hoping against all odds that it wouldn't leave a stain.
"Helga. I couldn't see her well, but Man, I know that unibrow when I see it."
Arnold groaned. "Helga... I knew I was going to pay for-"
"For what?" Gerald lifted an eyebrow.
"Nothing." He shook his head, " I'll tell you later."
"AAAAH!" Sid pointed to the car a little late and screamed, "It's Helga! And... some guy!"
Everyone turned in time to see a strange boy with green hair pull the trigger and hit Harold in the gut with another red paintball. He instantly started crying and fell to his knees.
Jake turned back to Helga, laughing. "This is great! I forgot how much fun this thing could be. Watch this, I'm going to get that geeky, Asian girl!"
"Asian girl?!" Her eyes went wide as she sat up. She didn't move in time to stop Jake from pulling the trigger, but she managed to smack the gun so it missed. "You idiot, you almost hit Phoebe!" Helga crawled in the passanger seat and hung her head out the open window. "Hey, Pheebs, get over here!"
The small girl adjusted her glasses as she saw the splatter of paint on the brick wall behind her. "Coming!" She chimed and glanced over Arnold and Lila covered in paint too, then walked to the front of the car where Helga sat.
"Hey, Pheebs, what's up?" She grinned.
"Helga... what are you doing?" Phoebe looked at the back seat and saw an older boy adorned in black, rolling his eyes. "Is this cabbage? I mean, Jake?"
"Cabbage? Why in the Hell-"
"Yup, that my new man. Hop in." She turned back to Jake and flashed him a satisfied smile. "Well, I think our job is done here, for now. Care to drive us to your place?"
Jake stepped out of the back and held the door open for Phoebe. She looked up at him with hesitation, but then decided it was best to find out as much about Helga's new boyfriend as possible She watched him carefully as he closed the door and moved to the other side of the car. "Helga, where's the driver?"
"Right there." She pointed to Jake as he was stepping in front of the car.
Phoebe's eyes went wide. "But... he doesn't look old enough! Does he even have a permit?!"
Helga looked in the side mirror and began picking at her teeth. "Don't know, don't care."
Jake stepped into the driver's seat and Phoebe scrambled to put her seat belt on tight.
He pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pants pocket and revved up the car. Helga leaned out of the window and pointed the group of kids murmuring, mainly at the blond boy in the center. "Smell you later, Football Head!"
Everyone watched as Helga, Phoebe, and the strange goth boy drive away. The most concerned one of the group was not Arnold, but Lila. 'Oh my, I completely forgot about Helga's feeling towards Arnold... what ever have I done?'
"Wow," Harold finally picked himself off of the ground, "Usually she just calls us names... hey, wait a minute... how come she only hit you and Lila? And why did that guy with the green hair shoot me?!"
"Golly, Arnold. She even pointed to you out of all us bunch. You sure must've done something to make Helga really mad." Stinky spoke in his regular Southern accent.
"Don't remind me." Arnold accidently grumbled out loud and looked down at the ground in shame. Why couldn't he have handled the situation at school better? Why couldn't he have just told his friends he needed to talk to Helga alone when they were coming? 'Because I was scared.' He thought to himself. Scared of what, he couldn't quite place.
"Who was that guy?" Eugene asked before stepping in to paint and falling to the ground. "I'm okay!"
Everyone looked at eachother and shrugged.
THE CAR
"So, Phoebe... that's your name, right?" Jake turned a corner and Phoebe tried to not point out that he was driving with only one hand on the wheel and it wasn't positioned correctly.
"Um, yes." She timidly replied and looked up at the rear-view mirror. She could see Helga fearfully stare at the pack of cigarettes in Jakes hand, until she, too, looked up at the mirror and realised she was being watched.
"We go way back." Helga spoke, looking her best friend's reflection for a last moment before turning her gaze out the window. "Don't we, Pheebs?"
"First grade, I remember." Phoebe broke her own gaze and stared at her small hands. They were clasped together and resting comfortable in her lap, though at the moment "comfortable" was far from what she felt.
"Really?" Jake forced himself to make conversation. Normally, he would've left a geek like the one in the back seat on the curb, but she was obviously a friend of Helga, so he made an exception. "How did you two become friends?" Another car tried to make it's way in front of them, and Jake slowed down the car. He may have been an illegal driver, but that didn't mean he had to be a rude one.
"Well, as I stated, it was first grade. I was excelling in the subjects greatly, while Helga was... struggling with the concepts of addition. The teacher, Ms. Honey, had assigned me to assist Helga into understanding the basics of math. We would meet at the playground after school every Saturday and practice. She learned quite quickly, but even today I believe Helga struggles with technical subjects, such as Math and Science."
"Uh-huh." Jake said with an upbeat tone, even though he vaguely cared.
Helga watched the pavement speed by beneathe them as she thought back on those first grade days. Their friendship had started just as Phoebe said, but there was more to it. Every Saturday, Phoebe would meet her at the swings and they would add abstract things like wood chips or flower petals. However, that wasn't what made them close. After Helga started understanding addition, the teacher said that she and Phoebe didn't need to be "study buddies" anymore. Helga remembered feeling sad when she had heard the news, but had shrugged it off.
Then she went home to tell her family how excited she was about finally understanding Math. Young, foolish Helga had imagined her mother and father to finally be proud of her, instead of Olga. However, when she showed them the paper scoring she had only missed one problem, they ignored her. Helga had put up on the fridge anyways, only to find it on the floor with a dirty shoe print on it by dinner time. The spot where her paper had been was replaced with Olga's perfect A+ Science paper. Helga had come second to her sister yet again.
The following morning at P.S.118, life had gone on as usual for everyone, except Helga. She was extra pouty that day and had even punched Harold in the nose for throwing an empty carton of juice at her during lunch time. No one seemed to notice or even care that she was crying when she stomped away from bruised Harold.
But Phoebe noticed. She had walked up to Helga and asked if she had plans for Saturday. Helga remembered yelling something about how they weren't study buddies anymore. Little Phoebe, so timid and sweet, despite what any one with sense would do, said that she didn't want to be study buddies. She wanted to be Helga's friend and asked if she would spend the night at her house. They had been friends ever since.
Helga smirked at the memory. Out of the whole school and her family combined, only Phoebe had cared. That is, only Phoebe and Arnold. Unconsciously, her smirk widened. After Phoebe had asked Helga to spend the night, just when she had tried to answer a pair of arms had wrapped around Helga. She turned around to see a concerned, little Arnold. 'Please, don't cry, Helga.'
"Helga!" Jake yelled, startling her.
"Y-yeah, sorry. I was just... thinking." She shook her head. "What?"
"I was asking if you wanted a smoke?" Jake held the carton of cigarettes out.
Red signs flashed danger in Helga's mind. She glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Phoebe's reflection looking back at her with the face a mother gives her child when he or she's about to do something stupid. Helga looked back at Jake, who was grinning and holding a cigarette between his lips.
"Take it or don't. It's alright if you're... scared." Jake knew Helga's type didn't back down from challenges easily. "I just assumed you were tough, but if you want to be a goody, little-"
"Give me that!" Helga pulled out a cigarettefrom the box and placed it between her lips.
Jake took a lighter from a cup holder in the car and lit his own cigarette, then Helga's. He took a long drag, then watched the street light turn green and moved the car again. "You've never smoked before, have you?"
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. What's it to you?" Helga pulled the cigarette out of her mouth and held it between two fingers.
"Because those aren't cheap." Jake laughed. "Just suck on it like a straw and blow the smoke out. I'll get one for you, Pheebs, just wait for the next red light."
"Oh, no thank you. I don't smoke." Phoebe glared at Helga via rear-view mirror. 'I couldn't fathom you doing it either.'
"Oh, come on, I'm doing it! Helga's doing it! If you want, we won't tell anyone." Jake grinned deviously.
"No, but thank you." Phoebe tensed.
He insisted, "Don't be a loner, you know you want to. Just once, what could it hurt?"
'My gums, my lungs, my teeth, my honor, my pride, my conscious...' She rattled off in her head. "I stand with my answer."
"Look," he continued, "just one, alright? Just-"
"She said," Helga interupted, "no."
Jake gave a quick glance at Helga, then back at the road. "Sorry, Phoebe."
'It's one thing for me to screw up my life,' Helga thought, 'I can't let it happen to Pheebs..'
Phoebe forced down a smile, feeling both angry and proud of her best friend. 'She might push me around, but she still cares and I know that. If only she would get that cancerous stick out of her mouth this instant..."
Taking Jake's advice, Helga took a puff of her cigarette and was surprised that she wasn't coughing up a storm as she had expected. The smell wasn't exactly great, but she had been around Bob when he was smoking cigars with business buddies, so it didn't even phase her.
Phoebe, however, was huddling as close to the window as possible, though it didn't help much sitting directly behind Helga.
The rest of the drive was awkwardly silent, except for the System of a Down cd playing. Phoebe eventually tuned out the music and was lightly blushing as she wondered what Gerald might be doing at the moment. Helga stared at the side mirror, every few minutes looking over at Jake and smiling, then taking another drag from her cigarette and staring back at the mirror. Jake forced himself to not sing the lyrics and embarrass himself, every now and then catching Helga's look.
"Here we are, my house." Jake announced as he pulled into the driveway. "Let me get the door for you, my ladies." He smiled and unbuckled his seat belt, then got out of the car.
"Helga!" Phoebe whispered harshly as soon as the door closed. "I can't believe you just smoked a cigarette! I don't think Jake is adequate for you." her face was strict, but concerned.
"Relax, it was just one time, who says it'll ever happen again? Next time, I'll say no."
"Promise?"
Helga mumbled something incoherently and hoped it would be enough of an answer.
Jake opened Phoebe's door first, then Helga's He bowed and held a hand out for her, gentleman-like. "My love?"
She smiled greatly and took his hand, allowing him to pull her out of the vehicle. She didn't let go until the three of them had walked in the house and upstairs to Jake's room, where he turned on the tv and the couple lyed on his bed together. Phoebe sat on the floor, analyzing the two.
'This doesn't feel right. Jake's polite, but he's definitely immoral as well. Why would Helga give Arnold up for him? She always cared for Arnold, because he was a transition from her gloomy outlook on life. Jake would only make her phycological sight even darker than before, so why the sudden change of heart, so to speak? He must've done something that no one else did, not even Arnold.' Phoebe glanced up to find the two holding hands and leaning in for a kiss. She blushed and went back to "watching" tv. 'That must be why. He has feelings for her and what she wants deep inside is someone to love her. But... that someone has been specifically Arnold for years, before I even knew her well. So how did Jake manage to win her affections? Whatever he did, it must've been special to Helga.' Phoebe stopped her thoughts when her finger brushed over a plastic bag. Normally, Phoebe wouldn't have cared since the room wasn't particularly neat, but she happened to glance down anyways to see a very small bag of white powder next to her hand. Her eyes went wide as soon as she recognised the substance and stood up very quickly.
"Ex-excuse me Jake, do you mind if I talk to Helga alone?"
"Uuh..."
"Thank you!" Phoebe grabbed Helga's hand and pulled her out of the room.
"What's up, Pheebs? You've been acting really weird today." Helga crossed her arms and leaned against the closed door.
"Helga, listen to me! You need to break up with Jake. It's important."
Hearing this did not make the blond girl very happy. "Why?! Someone actually loves me, Phoebe. Someone actually wants me! Someone actually comes to me for something other than last night's home work or to bow down to Olga. I would think of all people, my best friend would be happy for me."
"What about Arnold?" Phoebe knew she was taking a big step across dangerous borders, but she needed to take the chance.
Helga slapped a hand over Phoebe's mouth and pushed her against the wall, glaring down at her. "Arnold found my locket. Even worse, I dropped it right in front of him. What did he do? He took one look at it and ran, Phoebe. He shoved me away and ran back to Lila. Ten years of holding out for him, of loving him even when it hurt me the most. Who gave up the last pair of Nancy Spumoni snow boots to find Mr. Hyunh's daughter and give Arnold a happy Christmas? Who comforted him when Lila dumped him in the fourth grade? Who dug through pile of garbage for hours just to get his stupid hat back? All of it..." Helga's voice was much sadder and softer at this point, but her grip on Phoebe tightened. "All of it, pushed back to me, unwanted. Ten years thrown away in a moment. If that's not a sign, I don't know what the hell is. I cried for him, Phoebe." Her eyes watered, and Helga closed her eyes. "I cried for him on the way home that day and do you know who comforted me? It sure wasn't Arnold. He didn't even bother to call and apologize like he usually does. No, he was too busy with Lila or one of his other friends. Jake was there for me. Jake was the one who hugged me and told me things would get better. He even kissed me, Phoebe! He said he loved me today! Why should I hurt myself any longer hoping for another person who doesn't want me, when I can finally love someone who loves me back?" She let go of Phoebe and slowly stepped back.
"Because... because I don't think he's suited for you. I found cocaine in his room, Helga! Today, you not only did something illegal, but started something that is both dangerous for your health and can become a habit, because of him. What else might he do to you next?"
Helga blinked a few times, her expression of sorry turning back into anger. "So, he isn't perfect. It's not like I am either." She folded her arms across her chest.
"But-"
"Maybe you should go." Helga turned to Jake's bedroom door.
Phoebe tried to find something she could say to change her mind, but she knew there was nothing, at least for the moment. "Goodbye, Helga."
"See you later, Pheebs." Helga opened the door and walked inside.
Phoebe sighed sadly and walked down the long staircase. How could she convince Helga to break up with Jake? She had to find a way. Phoebe finally reached the bottom of the step and jumped about a foot in the air as a very tired and bruised woman walked in the front door.
"Who are you?!" The woman scrambled through her purse as if she were searching for a weapon.
"I-I'm so sorry! My name is Phoebe Heyerdahl, I'm here with Helga and Jake!" Phoeble bowed down, the custom she picked up from her Japenese father.
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry, Dear. I just came home and I'd never met you before; you're in my house... are you leaving?" The woman relaxed and stepped away from door.
Phoebe nodded. "May I ask, are you all right? You look hurt, what happened?"
The woman suddenly looked empty as she lowered her eyes. "I fell down the stairs."
Phoebe watched the woman she assumed to be Jake's mother walk past nervously. She opened the front door and started a jog to the nearest bus stop, knowing fully well you don't get bruises the shape of a hand around your neck from falling down the stairs.
SUNSET ARMS
Arnold hugged Lila goodbye on his stoop and watched her walk down the street. She had told him that she wasn't comfortable with kissing yet and just wanted to hug, so despite the disappointment inside, he respected her wish. He sighed as he walked back inside to greet Gerald.
"Mm, mm, mm. Arnold, I think something's wrong here. She just wants to hug? That's crazy!" he crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow.
"I don't see what's so crazy about it. She just wants to take things slow, that's all." Arnold walked up the stairs, Gerald following.
"Take things slow? Arnold, you've been going out for almost a month now. Do you remember when she was going out with Arnie? She was all over your cousin. You couldn't pry her off with a crow bar!"
"Don't remind me." He mumbled and rolled his eyes. "Besides, she was miserable when he broke up with her for Helga. Maybe she's just scared of getting hurt."
Gerald shook his head. "Whatever you say, Arnold, whatever you say. Speaking of Helga, why was she with that guy, shooting you and Lila with paint balls?"
Arnold didn't notice himself walk faster when he heard Gerald's last question. 'Maybe I shouldn't tell him. He's my best friend, but he doesn't exactly understand Helga. He still doesn't know what happened on between us on the Future Tech Industry roof, let a lone that she's loved... liked..." Arnold let out a heavy sigh. "had feelings for me for a long time.'
"Hey, slow down, buddy!" Gerald ran up the last of the steps and across the landing to catch up.
"Oh, sorry, Gerald." Arnold stopped. He reached for the rope that hung from the ceiling and pulled down another set of stairs that led to his room.
"You didn't answer me. I asked, what the heck did you do to Helga that made her act like that back at the lot? Usually, she just trips you or calls you names."
"I don't know." He lied. "But I don't think it's going to be the last of it." Arnold walked up and opened the door to his room. He walked inside and picked up the remote off of a nearby shelf. Pressing a few buttons, he turned on the radio to M-Jazz and the small red couch fell out from the wall.
"What makes you say that?" Gerald followed him in and flopped on the sofa, landing on his stomach.
"I don't know. Can we just drop it?" Arnold laid down on his bed and looked up through the sky light. Other than a very faint cloud, the sky was pure and blue. 'Like Lila's eyes...' He thought.
Gerald looked at his buddy and raised an eyebrow. Arnold was a very lousy liar. He was hiding something, and Gerald Johannson was going to find out what, but not right now. "Soooo, Cheese Festival's comin' up." he changed the subject.
"Two weeks. I'll probably go with Lila. Are you planning on taking anyone?" he was relieved that the subject was taken off him. He looked over at Gerald and smiled at the sight of his best friend blushing.
"Oh, I don't know... I was kinda thinking... I might take Phoebe... y'know...if... y'know... she isn't going with someone else..." He smiled shyly and scratched the back of his head.
Arnold couldn't help but laugh a little. Gerald was a smooth walker and a smooth talker. He was cool, classy, and could make almost any girl fall into a passionate stupor. It was funny how someone like Phoebe Heyerdahl could suddenly put the stupor on Gerald. "You really like her, don't you?"
"No, no..." He humbly starting picking lint of the edge of the couch, "Well, maybe..." He looked up at Arnold's sly grin and raised eyebrow, then rolled over and groaned. "Oh, who am I kidding? Phoebe's so smart and sophisticated, why would she be interested in a romantic like me?"
"Gerald, you're funny, you're witty," Arnold counted on his fingers, "you've got the looks, the style, you're great at telling stories... why wouldn't Phoebe be crazy for you?"
"Because she's so... so... different from other girls, Arnold. She's so much smarter, but she isn't stuck up about it. She's beautiful, but she doesn't flaunt it or fake it with a ton of make up and expensive clothes. It's almost like she doesn't even realise how great she is! I've been with a few women here and there, but it's just a relationship to them. Dinner, roses, some sweet words, then someone gets bored and they look for the same thing somewhere else. Phoebe's not like that. It's almost like when every girl is dreaming of being a mynx, Phoebe's a tiger." Gerald's face was glowing so brightly, he was practicly a human light bulb.
Arnold stared at his friend with wide eyes and started clapping. "Beautiful, Gerald, just beautiful."
"Thanks," Despite of his dark skin, his cheeks still managed to turn red. "Do you think I should write her a poem or would that be too goofy? What if she thinks I'm a goof?"
"Phoebe won't think you're a goof, Gerald. In fact, I bet she has a thing for you too." Arnold sat up and grinned.
"R-really? Which cologne should I wear to the Cheese Festival?" He blurted.
"I think first should forget the cologne and just ask Phoebe to go with you." Arnold tossed the remote to the floor.
"You're right, Phoebe doesn't care for that sort of thing anyways. Besides, it might smell weird with all the cheese around." Gerald took a deep breathe and sighed. "Should I ask her in person or would that be too awkward? What should I wear? Should I where something special or just go casual? What about-"
"Gerald."
"Yeah, Arnold?"
"Tomorrow, just call her up on the phone and ask her to go to the Cheese Festival with you. Just be yourself." Arnold took his role of reason.
Gerald stood up off the couch and walked over to his best friend. "Thanks, Arnold. I'll see you later, Man."
"Always glad to help." The friends did their handshake and Gerald started to walk out the door, but stopped and turned around when he grabbed the handle.
"Oh yeah, and Arnold..."
"Yeah?" He raise his eyebrow.
"Be careful around Helga."
Arnold took a moment to stare at the door after Gerald left, then groaned patheticly and laid back down on his bed.
JAKE'S ROOM
"Where'd Phoebe go?" Jake was still on the bed, lying on his back.
"Oh, she had to... uh...be home..." Helga's brain turned to Silly Putty as she watched Jake pull of his shirt. His skin was pale underneathe, but none the less smooth and soft looking. His body was fit, not too muscled, but enough to make Helga practicly drool as her eyes skimmed over his arms and torso. Jake laughed and she flinched as she pulled back into consciousness.
"She had be home early?"
"Uuuuh... yeah." Helga shook her head and sat down next to Jake. He pulled her close so she had to lay down next to him, making her smile and even giggle a little.
"So, what will be our next revenge tomorrow?" Jake rested his hand on Helga's hip.
"Nothing." She grinned.
"Nothing?" Jake repeated.
"Is there an echo in here? Tomorrow, we do nothing. It'll give Arnold the idea that we're through with him and it'll give us time to plan some real revenge. This afternoon was petty work. We need to be thinking bigger. Better."
"Theeeen... can I beat him up?" Jake slowly slid his hand up and down Helga's leg. This made her slightly uncomfortable, so she rolled over on her other side and rested her head on his bare chest, hoping the interuption would make him stop. It worked, Jake switched to playing with the hem of Helga's dress.
"No, you can't beat him up." A long time ago, Helga vowed that the only one allowed to hurt Arnold would be herself. Even though now she thought he deserved anything he got at this point, whether it was subconsciously pure habit or something else, she felt obliged to keep that vow.
"Why?"
"It's my revenge, we'll do it my way." Helga reasoned both to Jake and herself, "We'll do a few more clever attacks, a big finale, and then we forget about him completely. Got it?"
"Whatever." Jake rolled his eyes. "If we're not taking action tomorrow, then you're getting a make-over and I'm helping."
Helga groaned. "Whyyy?"
"Because you dress like you're a fuckin' kid."
Helga sat up. "What's wrong with the way I dress?!"
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
"Exactly."
"Well, forgive me for not dressing as your Queen of the Underworld." She spoke sarcasticly and crossed her arms.
"I don't want you to. You just really need to get rid of that dress and pig-tail look. And that horrid bow." Jake reached up and pulled the pink ribbon from her hair.
Helga yanked it from his hands and held it in her own. She hadn't even realised she'd still been putting it on every morning.
"Why do you wear it?" Jake asked with disgust in his voice.
She twisted the cloth in her hands. She used to wear it, because Arnold had liked it. She had still worn it out of habit. Helga looked up from the now wrinkled bow into Jakes eyes. They were a dark grey, like clouds foreboding a dangerous storm. "What do you have in mind?" She spoke calmly.
"You'll see." he grinned.
Helga glanced over at the tv. It was announcing the up-coming shows coming for 8:30 and after. "I have to go home and eat a crappy dinner. Come by my house around-"
"At twelve tomorrow, I will be Romeo at your window, ready to transform you from a Capulet into a rose."
Helga smiled. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any another name would smell as sweet." She quoted out loud, still remembering the line from acting in the play long ago. 'I did a pretty good Juliet, considering I had to cram all those lines. All for one little kiss scene, but it was worth...' Helga stood up and turned to the door to hide her smiling face turning into a frown. 'What's wrong with me? Why does everything remind me of Arnold? I shouldn't care any more. I don't care anymore. I love Jake now. It'll just take time to get Arnold out of my head.' "That's it." She accidently spoke out loud, talking as if she'd just reached an epiphany, "It'll just take time."
Jake looked at her, confused. "Take time for what?"
Helga froze for a moment, then opened the bedroom door. "Time... time... foooor that make-over! You're right. Boy, I need change, whoo!" Helga swung her arm through the air, then tugged at her collar. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?"
Jake laughed. "Why do you think I took my shirt off?"
"Right, right." Helga nervously smiled. "Well... see you tomorrow, then."
After Jake stood up and gave her a peck on the cheek, Helga went down stairs and said a quick hello-goodbye to his mom, shrugging off her strange bruises as work injuries. Once she reached the door to her own house, she realised she still held her bow in one hand. At first, she was tempted to throw it in the trash at the end of her drive way, but decided instead to put it in her box in the attic. That way she could throw everything out at once. Helga shoved the ribbon in her pocket and turned the door handle, only to find it locked. She groaned and rang the bell several times until her dad finally opened the door.
"Where have you been, young lady?! This was our last dinner with Olga before she goes back for one more semester of college and you missed it! You should've been here an hour ago, so we ate without you. At least, you came home in time to say goodbye to your older sister before we leave for the air port!" Bob yelled.
"I'm suprised you noticed I was gone at all." Helga spoke bluntly and walked past her dad.
"Oh, Baby Sister! We were so worried, where were you? Now, you weren't with that awful boy with the green hair, were you? He's dangerous, Baby Sister, you better watch out for him!" Olga gently pushed on Helga's not-so-button nose. Helga shoved her away and continued to the kitchen.
"Olga, what do you have to say to your older sister?!"
"Don't slam the door on your ass on the way out." Helga spoke sarcasticly, not even bothering to correct Bob about her name yet again. She opened the fridge door and pulled out an orange, seeing that despite a family member down, Bob and Olga (probably more so Bob) hadn't managed to save any dinner for her.
"You little-!"
"Daddy," Olga interupted, "You're blood pressure! Besides, Helga's just being silly and if we don't leave now, we'll miss the plane!"
Helga ignored the grumbles that no doubt came from Bob and walked up the stairs to her room, peeling the orange with her fingers as she went along. By the time she'd finally reached her door and walked inside, the fruit was bare. Helga threw the peels in the waste basket in the corner absent mindedly and closed the door, then spread out on her bed. She set the clock on her night stand to play the radio and bit into the orange as she waited for the next song to play. Juice ran down her face and she wiped it with her arm. "Finally," she spoke out loud, "I'm in my new room, by myself, where I can day-dream about Jake and nothing will make me think about-" She was interupted as the comercials finally stopped and the D.J. started to announce the next songs.
"And now, 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' sung by Ra. This is KISW, The Rock!" An over java-ed voice spoke from the clock-radio.
After a silent moment, the music finally started and Helga listened. For a song she had never heard before, she thought the music was okay. But as soon as the singer started off with, "Well I▓ve tried before to tell her of the feelings I have for her in my heart", she groaned and rolled her eyes. 'Not another crappy, love rock song.' She took a few more bites out of her orange and listened in hopes the song would get better.
"Every little thing she does is magic, everything she do just turns me on. Even though my life before was tragic, now I know my love with her goes on."
"Alright," Helga told the radio, "that's enough with you." She reached over to turn it off.
"Do I have to the story, of a thousand rainy days since we first met?" She paused and the memory of meeting Arnold weasled it's way into her mind. "It's a big enough umbrella, but it's me that always ends up getting wet."
Helga unplugged the clock, making her own growling the only sound audible. It took a moment for her to become aware that not only had she crushed the half-eaten orange in her hand, but the juice was making a puddle on the floor. "Perfect." She grumbled as she walked to the bin and threw the unintentionally crushed fruit at it, but missed. She clenched her teeth as she picked it up and looked inside the trash bin. It was nearly filled with balled up pages, literally, wasted on Arnold. Helga threw the orange in and this time, did not miss. "Crimeny, this is getting ridiculous!" She spoke outloud as she wiped the juice off of her hands with her dress. She felt a lump in her pocket. Helga reached in and pulled out the ribbon Jake had yanked out of her hair. "Oh, you have to be kidding me!" She yelled. Growling louder than ever, she stomped her way out of her room and up the attic. She pulled open the box that contained anything related to Arnold and threw the ribbon in. Then she closed the box and kicked it to the darkest corner of the attic. She looked up to the ceiling and pointed upwards, as if she were yelling to God, "Ha! Now what?!" Smiling, she clapped imaginary dust off of her hands and proudly walked down stairs, back to the third floor.
"Hey, Olga?" Bob called from downstairs as he walked in the door.
"I'm Helga!" She yelled back.
"Whatever... hey, have you seen my lucky football? The company's having a game next weekend."
Helga pulled on her pig tails and screamed.
SUNSET ARMS
Arnold was lying on his bed, trying to sleep when he felt a tingling sensation in his ear. "Hey, Abner? Did you hear something?"
The pig perked his ears up, then looked at Arnold as if he did.
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Author's Note: (It's a long one...)I have to say, I'm not pleased with this chapter. The fact that you had to wait so long for it makes me resent it more. I should have better revenge written, but I don't. It should also be funny, but it isn't. It could also probably have some more progressive plot points, but oh well.
Some people are concerned with Lila being a lesbian. Yup, it's out! Let me explain: DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO WRITE FOR LILA?!?!?!?! I had originally planned for her to be exactly as she had been in the show. A lot of people tend to turn her into a bitch and/or slut and honestly, I don't think that would happen. It could, but this is Hey Arnold! we're talking about. (Then again, there aren't abusive drug addicts in the show either) But trying to write perfection is not as easy as I had thought it would be. I mean, I can write it, but she just seems so boring. And then while writing the story, I wondered, "Why would she go out with Arnold if she didn't really like him?" To try and make some one jealous. "Who?" How about a smaller character? "Okay! But who's the kind of person Lila would like?" Arnie? "That would've been a great choice, but you're a bad writer and won't think of it. We'll just say that since Arnie likes Helga, it'd be too complicated with Jake going on." Oh, right, right. Wait, what?! Okay, how about someone sweet, like Lila. "How about Gloria?" Perfect! I have so many bisexual/lesbian friends that it didn't even really catch on in my mind that they were both girls. Oh well, I could see Lila becoming a lesbian. (Not butch, but if you think about it... she's girly, she'd probably be more comfortable with someone who could appreciate girly things... why not another girl?)
Another concern is the length of this story. To tell the truth, it'll probably be epic, because of all the events I want to write in. So if you like short-medium length stories, maybe you should leave now. If you want an honest guestimate of how many chapters, I'd say maybe 20-ish.
I've also put myself into a small bind. While waiting for my editor, I wrong a songfic. One review I got: "Wow totally angsty, but in a good way. great job!" I don't know of angsty ever being good, but check it out if you want. Anyways, the bind is this: I kind of left it open so their could be more chapters, though I wasn't sure of actually doing it. If I plan to go ahead and make it a story, I want each chapter to be a songfic, using a different song each time. However, I'm stuck on the decision of whether to make it a two chapter, predictable, "Oops, it was all a dream. Suprise! Happy ending." or to make it a really cool "reality is falling apart, what the hell is going on?!" story. Either way, it'll be a lot shorter than this one, and the chapters will only be written when when I feel like it, so it's updates will be iffy. (I must warn you: I accidently put the first paragraph in bold and wrote showed instead of shown and I have no idea how to fix chapters on this site. Other than that, I think it's error free, much unlike this stupid fanfic. Grawr, I hate my spelling errors.)
Lastly, I'm surpised no one has pointed these out: In the beginning of my story, Helga's birthday is about a month before the end of school. However, in the "April Fool's Day" episode, Arnold says Helga's birthday was (I think) a week before. (Holy crap, that would make her birthday in March. My birthday is the day before April Fool's, March 31st... the coincidence.) More so, Arnold remembered her birthday, but in my story he didn't know when it was. And why is it that he's known her for 10 years and NOW he realises something's wrong? Hm, I guess we could say Helga's extra grumpy this year, because of Olga's thirteenth being so great and the two sisters are compared so much. (Something else in my story to I'd like to point out, sorry if it's a spoon-feed/spoiler: You notice, when Helga is ever being her true self to Arnold, she's usually calm and eases up a bit on the sarcasm? She still seems pretty edgey with Jake... could it be, she isn't fully comfortable with him?)
Mwwwwwwah! G'night, everybody! (Catching up on Animaniacs)
-T.S.