…Chapter 10…
Right before we went into class, Serena stopped us and stood in front of me.
"What's up?"
She was shaking so hard that she almost dropped her journals. She quickly had me hold them and she lifted her hands to her ears. Her eyes shut and ears closed; to me, it looks like she was having difficulty trying to do something.
"Th-th-thank y-you, Helga."
My eyes shot open and my jaw dropped. Did Serena actually talk? She dropped her hands just looked at me with her pale face.
"Did you just thank me?"
She just nodded her head sheepishly, and looked like she wanted to faint. I pulled her into the biggest hug I have ever given anyone.
"You are welcome. Wow, that must've took a lot of courage to actually speak. Look, I will only tell Arnold about this, but most of the school would see the video online thanks to Rhonda's blog. I'm pretty sure I get detention for that, but for now, let's go to class."
…After school on Arnold's Roof…
"Helga, did I hear the rumors correctly, did you get detention?"
I pulled out my tablet and went to Rhonda's blog where the video is the first link and showed him my showdown with Lindsay.
"WOW."
"Sure enough, the principal saw this and asked me into his office. He knows how I am going to Dr. Bliss's office every week and was assured that I was doing anger management exercises and thus the result of my hitting school property. I only have a week's worth of detention. No biggie."
"Did he see her bullying Serena?"
"Yes, and I just stepped in instead of telling an adult. Otherwise, I wouldn't get off this easy."
"Why hasn't he punished her, yet?"
"She has a way with moving adults to her side. Except for Dr. Bliss, she knows to stay away from psychiatrists."
We continued to talk, but about other stuff.
"I forgot; guess what just happened after that incident."
"What happened? Did Serena cry?"
"Close, actually nearly fainted, but that's not it. She 'thanked' me."
"That was nice of her."
"No, not that, she closed her eyes and ears to USE words to thank me."
"Wait, she talked?!"
"Yes, she did."
"Wow that is awesome."
"She was too cute that even I had to hug her."
"You HUGGED her?"
"Even I can be nice once in a while."
We giggled and waited for dinner. I was invited to stay and I did get to see how Arnold's mother Stella fussed over Serena like a little doll. I told him that I needed to stay and use the bathroom that I'd be down in a little while. Once he was out of sight, I knocked on Mr. Smith's door and lifted a letter and box from my pocket. A drawer opened and I placed them in there and it closed right away. After a few minutes, another drawer opened and I grabbed the note in and it said:
Very well, I will contact you with this disposable phone you brought me.
-Mr. S
I smiled at the door and left to go eat with the rest of the family.
…Helga's Room…
After Arnold and Miles (Arnold's dad) walked me home, I zipped passed my family to my room and waited for the text messages to start.
Mr. S: What kind of help you need?
Me: I need to crack a person that might just use Arnold to bend his parents, or you, to do her bidding. She is from a long line of shady people, but she doesn't know you, yet, but I want to make sure to stop her. The only thing I need is to find out what her family has been doing to get her to stop using people. What do you think?
Mr. S: How would she find me out?
Me: She would dig into the border record and might possibly find your name and look into your history. If she can't find what she wants, she might find a way to threaten the borders to get you to do things for her. This might be a guesstimation, but she has done worse.
Mr. S: What is this girl's name?
Me: Lindsay St. Clair
Mr. S: I will see what I can do.
Me: You can always destroy that phone after this little exchange. I know you like your privacy.
Mr. S: I know. Be safe and Never Tell Anyone about this.
Me: You have my Word to never tell a soul, even when tortured. Just text me when you have everything.
And with that, our conversation ended. Sure I could've asked that guy that helped out with finding the daughter of one of the borders, and helped out Arnold trying to save the neighborhood. I didn't go to him because he might be influenced by her family, but I don't know for sure. I am not taking any chances. Tomorrow will be the beginning of my detention week, oh joy.
…School…
"Hey there students, this is Mix-Master 33, with the hottest music on campus. This next song is a slow one but I guarantee you that it will bring a tear to your eye. This is a singer who is not known yet, and only sings old songs, but she has a voice of an Angel. This song is 'The Rose'"
I just happened to hear it on the radio of one of my classes and just can't help but smile. The voice that Arnold wants to hear is singing right now, and he doesn't know it. Serena searches for my aura, like she knows that this is her voice. I know I must talk to her, right after class.
Is that me, singing?
"Sorry for tricking you, it's just…we know you can talk but you don't want to. So I tell you that you're in a broom closet with earphones and blindfolded. You started singing and I recorded and added music. I was only trying to help out and this was the only idea that came into mind. I am so sorry."
Helga…
"Arnold took care of you for a year and I just wanted to show him how appreciated you are, and all he wants is to hear your voice. He hears it now, but doesn't know it's you."
That is sweet of you. Now that I know this, I don't know if I can sing again.
"I didn't expect you to, just those few songs are enough, and for the best part, no one knows except for me."
She nodded and we went about our classes, until I get a text message from Mr. S. that he has the information that I needed. Gerald was frantically trying to find me and got to my locker breathing really hard.
"Helga, I got some news from Fuzzy Slippers and the only record that he could find was this."
He handed me a folder that looked like it came from a doctor's office. I know what kind of folder this is. Crimeny, this is getting serious now.
"Thanks Geraldo. If I ever have a showdown, you're the first one I am going to text."