Based on the prompt by: LovelyEverywhere
Woot…I'm a bit behind. I though I'd have more free time than I did, but I'm over the midterm chunk of my semester so far. I have a bit of free time right now on the weekend. I have bits of pieces of other prompts completed, but this one is the first completed. So here's the detailed prompt, and I hope you enjoy my take on it. It got a bit long, so I reduced some chunks to quick snippets.
Arnold tapped his pencil repeatedly on the desk, once again forcing another chuckle at Helga's constant little remarks as they worked on their project. He'd become rather immune to the slew of constant little remarks over the years, and he was pretty good at letting them roll of his back with a laugh or a smile. The bullying was long gone now that they were going into their junior year, but the comments. Oh, the little quips that brought her constant joy seemed to always be on the rise.
And this was a bit much, to the say the least. Their project was due tomorrow for history, and so far she'd done nothing to help, only scribble notes he wasn't allowed to see in her notebook, then she'd toss out a shot at the work he was doing. He was getting tired of doing this project single handedly, but he was trying really hard not to fuss at her about not getting to work. There was still so much to do. He sighed heavily as he continued painting, his brows furrowed in concentration.
"Seriously? You're painting it like that? I've never seen Abraham Lincoln look so constipated."
Another forced laughed.
"Is that supposed to be a top hat? Really? I looks like some sort of lumpy balloon. Can't you do something better?"
"You know, if it's bothering you, feel free to jump in at anytime," Arnold hissed through gritted teeth as he continued to paint. He had to remember this was a test grade. It had to be done. Once he got this done, she could leave.
"We should go get something to eat, I'm starved," she grumbled, swinging her legs up on the desk as she leaned back. She popped the gum she was chewing loudly. Arnold cringed a bit, but continued working.
"Later, okay? We just really need to finish this -hey!" He cried out in frustration as she snatched the paint brush from his fingers. He hadn't even seen her get up. "Come on, give it back!"
"You'll get it back after you lighten up a little. Come on, live a little!" She shook the brush just out of his reach, sticking her tongue out childishly.
"Stop kidding around!" She was so annoying sometimes. "If you're not going to help with this part, could you at least touch up the paper?"
"Stop making such a big deal out of it?" she continued to tease. "It's just some project, not the end of the world. Chill. Out. You big baby." She made as if to touch the brush, dripping with black paint, to the canvas.
"Helga, don't!" He reached out once more, but she whisked the canvas from his grasp and brought it over to the couch.
"I think it needs a bit more black here," she said, her voice devious. Her eyes glittered as if to ask him to doubt her.
He jumped from the desk, stumbling slightly. It had taken hours to get that far, he didn't have time to redo it if she messed up playing around. She dodged from his grasp once more, making more swiping movements with the brush. He could feel his frustration mounting as she danced around him.
"Your work sucks here." "You can't really think this is good?" "I guess that football shaped head of yours makes your eyes too wide set. Can't see things, huh?" "Maybe one day you'll be as talented as me at something."
She kept firing them off, kept dancing out of his grasp. She was wasting time; she was always doing this to him. Always being so aggravating. He stopped, his hands curling into fists at his side. They shook as his frustration built, and the mounting tension somehow managed to crawl up into his lips. He couldn't seem to stop it, and honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"You know what, fine!" He snapped harshly, and she actually stopped in surprise. He could see her eyes widen as she paused to look at him. "If you want to act like this, great. Fine. But do it on your own time, okay? I'm so sick of dealing with you when you act like this!" He threw his hands up, looking up at the ceiling. "You always have to use me as a target for your stupid, childish insults. We're in high school now, Helga. This isn't grade school anymore, so maybe it's time you grow up and start getting to work. And you're not going to do anything but sit there and insult me, then maybe you just need to pick up your stuff and leave. I don't have to deal with this, and I don't have to deal with you."
"Excuse me?" she said quietly, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.
"You heard me. I worked too long on that for you to sit there messing it up. I even typed up our paper. All I've asked you to do was read over it, and you won't even do that. Stop being so lazy. No wonder nobody else wanted to be your partner! I'm only your partner because Rhonda practically begged me to switch with her. I could have had Sheena as a partner. I didn't pick to be with you!" The moment he said it, he wished he hadn't. The look on her face was heartbreaking. Even though he had been honest, it wasn't something he needed to tell her. It was how the projects worked with this teacher. He'd draw the name of half they class, then they'd pick their partner from any of the names on the other end of the class. When he was his turn to sign up, there was only Sheena and Helga left on the list. But Helga hadn't know it till now. She was the last choice for partners. "Helga, wait."
"You know what, fine. Whatever. You could have said you didn't really want to be my partner, then I wouldn't have had to sit here and - I don't even care. Here's your stupid painting. I didn't even really paint on it." She flung it to the bed. "I'll edit the stupid essay at my house. After we finish this project, you won't have to see me anymore. I'll leave you alone." She quickly gathered up her things, stomping to the door.
"Helga, listen, I'm sorry!" Arnold pleaded, but she ignored him, slamming the door shut.
And she kept true to her word. She came in the next day and turned in the paper, edited like she said.
"Thanks…for editing the paper," Arnold muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"No problem," she replied a bit stiffly as she gathered up her materials as the bell rang.
"What, no clever comments or name calling?" he asked, quickly running out after her. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You were right," she replied in the same dull tone, shifting her books to her hip as she did her combination. "I was treating you childishly. It's about time I gave that up. So-" she shoved her books in the locker forcefully, "I'm turning over a new leaf with you. See you around, Arnold."
He blinked as she slammed the door, disappearing into the crowd. He grinned excitedly. Helga just calling him Arnold? He could get used to this.
At least, he thought it could. The first few weeks were great. She never went out of her way to talk to him, sure, meaning she only spoke when he started the conversation. The bright side being she was nothing but civil during these conversations. She always called him by his name, and never did a teasing statement cross her lips.
It was starting to get just a bit boring.
He'd have to talk to her about it.
This was why he actually let out a sigh of relief when he heard a familiar sarcastic tone in the lunch line. "Come on, I'm curing cancer over here just waiting on you to pick a pudding."
"Just calm down Helga, I'm just -oh," he dropped his voice sheepishly as he turned his head to discover that the comment wasn't intended for him, but for some other guy. He narrowed his eyes. Wait, who was this guy?
"Just calm yourself , goldilocks," the guy in question replied in a cool tone. Arnold jolted as Gerald elbowed him sharply to move down the line.
"Oh, sorry," Arnold mumbled, but his gaze kept flitting back to the Helga and the guy. He'd never know her to banter with anyone else like they did! Well, okay, like they used to. His brow furrowed as he plopped down heavily at the table.
"What's the matter with you?" Gerald asked as he shook a salt packet over his fries. "You look like someone stole your best friend. Oh wait, no, because I'm right here. So you shouldn't look so upset."
"Who's that guy next to Helga?"
"Huh, oh, you mean Matt? Yeah, he's a senior." Gerald turned back to his food, cramming fries in his mouth.
"A senior? I've never seen him before!" Arnold mused, trying sound calm. Inside, he was starting to feel a strange knot in his stomach.
"I'd hope not. Well, I mean, it's not like I expect you to be checking guys out at lunch anyway. I still don't know half the kids in this lunch room right now."
"Well how do you know him them?"
"Through Phoebe. She says that Helga is taking the upper English course, so they've know each other awhile. Apparently Matt and Helga have some sort of thing going on."
"A thing?" Arnold choked on his yahoo, sputtering awkwardly over his tray. "What kind of thing?"
"I don't know! Phoebe just said a thing. A thing, like whatever girls think is a thing?"
Arnold frowned. He didn't know this guy, and her certainly didn't think it was acceptable for her to a thing with him…or with any guy, that matter! He felt like he should intervene. Just to make sure she was safe.
However, this proved a lot harder than he thought. He could not seem to get her alone! She was always following this Matt guy around, and their incessant teasing was starting to chafe at his nerves. Seriously. She couldn't seriously like this clod, could she? He just needed to get her to pay some attention to him, and they could easily go back to being friends. She was probably only doing this to get back at him for what he had said to her all those weeks ago. That must be it.
"Why are you wigging out over this?" Gerald asked, his face contorted in disgust as he sniffed the air. "What are you wearing, you smell weird?"
"I'm not 'wigging out', I'm just concerned," Arnold countered, blushing slightly. "She's just making a mistake. And I don't smell weird, I just got a new cologne." Okay, so maybe he'd specially bought this particular kind of cologne because he'd found out from Rhonda that it was the exact same kind that this so called Matt wore. But Gerald didn't need to know that."
"Yes you are. Since when were you two such close friends anyway? It's not big deal. And switch back, you smell like you rolled around in a compost heap or something." Gerald closed his locker, waving his hand in front of his nose as he headed off to class. Arnold shook his head, taking a few extra moments to poke around in his locker. He didn't really need anything else out of it, but he could see Helga making her way to her own locker nearby.
"Good morning, uh, Blondie?" he tried hopefully, flinching as he realized how stupid it was coming out of his mouth. He gave a quick fluff to his shirt, trying not cough as the cologne (which he had admittedly gone a bit heavy on) wafted around him.
"Morning, Arnold. I have to go, don't want to be later," she said coolly, not even batting an eyelash. Arnold frowned as he watched her frown, shucking off his reeking button up and shoving it into the locker. Okay, so he'd need to try something else. Not a problem.
And try and try he did, honestly. He'd try and catch her after school to no avail. She wouldn't answer phone calls, and when it came to school work she talked about nothing to but the project for once. The attempt at a new hairstyle, the nicknames, the invites, the gifts - nothing worked. He'd close his eyes at night to just see her teasing Matt. Her and Matt joking, her and Matt eating lunch, her and Matt kissing. He'd jolt awake with that image hit and do nothing but groan. It had taken him this long to realize he wasn't concerned so much about her as it was for him. He'd realized just a bit too late that jealously can make you do some weird things.
It was getting a bit much to take. As he once again found himself jolted awake by the kiss fear, he scrambled from the bed and fumbled to the closet. He grabbed an old T-shirt from the back of the closet - one that didn't reek of compost, and held a bit of the old scent he was familiar with. Forget the new hairstyle, he thought as he ruffled his hair, clomping down the stairs. He needed to get out and go somewhere.
He ended up at the park, peering off the bridge at the water as it rippled in the slight wind. The streetlights illuminated them as they drifted along gently. He froze as he heard footsteps coming down the bridge, but he didn't make an effort to move. There was still plenty of room to go around him.
A pair of arms rested on the rail a couple of feet away, and he peered over to find Helga beside him. She didn't meet his eyes, but she said in a somewhat concerned tone, "You doing alright, Arnold? I don't usually see you out here this late at night." She looked as if she was going to add something else, but she kept her mouth closed firmly. He shrugged. "You need to talk about anything? I could-"
"Stop it," he interrupted, laughing slightly. "Just - please, stop talking like that."
"Like what, Arnold? I was just-"
"Like that. With all the Arnold's and the niceness. It's just…it's not right." He shook his head, scuffing his foot on the bridge.
"Well, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted me to be nice to you. You haven't acted like it was a problem," she said defensively, pursing her lips.
"What do you want me to say?" He asked, not able to contain his laughter. Why was this suddenly such a funny situation to him? "Hey Helga, I would much prefer you tease me again than act all nice and uppity. I'd much prefer it be me on the end of this teasing that Matt. Maybe I would like some attention that seems more like you even care. And as odd as it is, I know when your mean, it's your way of saying you care."
"What does Matt have to do with this?" she asked, suddenly perking up.
"I'm jealous of Matt, okay?" Arnold blurted, looking back at the water as he fidgeted with his fingers.
"Jealous of Matt?" He glanced over to find that Helga looked genuinely surprised, her eyes wide.
"I guess you didn't notice," he admitted sheepishly. "I tried really hard to get you to notice me….And you just didn't." He held out his hands, palms up. "I tried, really hard."
"You did everything but just come out and say something," she noted with a joking tone.
A light flush crept into his cheeks as the truth in the statement washed over him. "Okay, so maybe I didn't do that."
"You're an idiot, football head."