Chapter 5: The Eulogy

Friday came sooner than expected as Helga slipped on her black dress. It was a cloudy day in Hillwood with no light in sight. It was supposed to storm heavily today. I guess even God cries for the beautiful and the damned. Helga looked at herself in the mirror, checking to make sure her mascara hadn't smeared yet. Her eyes were still puffy, nothing a little eyeliner couldn't fix.

Arnold came into the room. He looked nice,even in his all black suit. Helga couldn't help but notice how much his frame had grown since elementary school. No longer was he lanky and scrawny but a tall and muscular man.

"Helga," Arnold watched Helga apply her makeup. "Are you ready yet? It's almost 12:30. We don't want to be late."

Arnold's stern tone made her mess up her liner. Now she had a nice long, black line from her eyelid to her left cheek. She gritted her teeth when she saw herself in the mirror.

"Oh Criminy, Football Head!" Helga turned around so Arnold could see the mistake. "Look what you did. You made me ruin my make up!"

"We can't be late. You can do that in the car." Arnold protested turning to leave.

Helga gathered her make up back into her small bag and put it in her purse. Did understand how hard it is to do eyeliner in a moving car? What did Arnold know about beauty anyway?

"Not like you need make up anyway." Arnold muttered under his breath before leaving the room with Helga following him shortly after.

Of course Helga didn't hear him.

-/-

"Rhonda Wellington Lloyd born January 12, 1991 and died November 4, 2015. Rhonda was always a lively women. She attended PS 118 middle school right here in Hillwood and later graduated from Hillside High. She did not attend college because she knew she wanted to be a successful model. Rhonda has been photographed in Vogue last fall and was a successful clothing model. She returned to Hillwood after her business ventures in Paris, craving home. She became one of Hillwood's most prominent and social elite. She became engaged to boyfriend of two years, Eugene Horowitz the day before her death. Though we will miss her, Rhonda will live on through her family, friends, and her numerous ad campaigns."

The eulogy was being read by Eugene at the church. Helga began to feel the tears fall down her face. This whole situation was messed up and no one was going to point out the obvious: that her boyfriend probably killed her. Arnold clutched Helga's hand under the pew.

"What are you doing? I'm fine." Helga whispered to Arnold as she pulled her hand away quickly. She sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away. He didn't want Arnold or anyone else seeing her so weak, feeling so defeated.

"No, Helga you're not. Let me in." Arnold retorted. He once again reached his hand out to her, offering support.

This time she let her hand melt into his. Here in that moment with Arnold's hand in her's she felt like she wasn't alone in her pain.

The funeral ended with many tears and sniffles from the packed church. The large party came to pay their respects to Rhonda. Some were former classmates, coworkers, models she had worked with, and even her former lovers attended. The group of mourners made their way out into the graveyard to spend their final moments with Rhonda, who was now sleeping forever pretty in an ivory casket.

The sun was nowhere to be found as the clouds covered it. The wind chilled all the attendants who wore their black garb. The ceremony was closed casket. Her head injury too disfiguring to be the last image her friends and family would want to remember her by. All who stood in the graveyard were silent. A young woman was being lowered six feet into the ground, where she would rest forever and always.

~/~

"Remember when Rhonda made that cool list and everyone was on it except Helga. Then no one showed up to her party later on because everyone went to Arnold's party instead."

The room erupted with laughter as people recalled their favorite moments with Ms. Lloyd. There was food, wine, and a room full of old friends who needed to catch up.

Drinks were flowing as the old gang was all together. It was like nothing had changed, including Arnold's ridiculous crush on Ms. Perfect.

Lila and Arnold were cuddled up in the corner talking amongst themselves. Helga could tell Arnoldo was feeling extra confident. A little liquid courage anyone?

Helga remembered when Arnold was her shoulder to cry on. Now that idiot was all over Lila in the skimpy blue dress that clung to her like a second skin. But he wants her to let him in and open up? Helga didn't know what kind of girl he thought she was but she wasn't going to fall for his nice guy routine. Somehow Helga felt that Lila was doing this just be spiteful for questioning her precious Eugene.

Helga looked over again, glaring with all her might. She wished she hadn't. There was Arnold kissing Lila in a passionate embrace. It made Helga's stomach churn. She couldn't take it anymore.

Helga excused herself to the bathroom, hoping a little separation from the situation would calm her down. What was she upset for anyway? Arnold is a grown man and could do what he wanted, with whomever he wanted.

Helga walked up to the sink to wash her hands. She ran the water and squirted soap on her hands. It smelled like cotton candy. It reminded her of Rhonda. Now that she thought about it the house certainly did have a feminine touch.

It dawned on Helga she could do a little searching while everyone else was getting drunk downstairs. Where was the bedroom?

Down the hall to the right was the room Rhonda slept. One side of the satin bed sheets was still undone. Eugene couldn't bring himself to make it yet probably. To the left of the bed was a door. She opened it and was a massive walk in closet. Shoes, purses, dresses, coats, silk blouses all with some tags on them. The clothes in here cost more than Helga could ever imagine. It smelled fruity and floral-like, smelled like Rhonda.

Helga flipped through the racks looking for anything that looked out of place. She found a mink coat, took it off the hanger, and searched through the pockets. Completely bare. She was going to put it back but couldn't pass the opportunity to wear something so expensive.

"When in Rome." Helga shrugged and put the coat on. She already felt expensive.

Helga started rummaging through shoe boxes seeing if she could find anything she may have hidden. She found a pair of Louboutin pumps she couldn't resist trying on.

"Geez I feel like a basketball player in these. How could Rhonda ever wear these everyday?"

She felt something stabbing her foot in the heel of the shoe. It was a piece of paper with a name and number on it. Rhonda wrote the contact information of someone named Frankie and stuffed it in her shoe? She was hiding something.

"What are you doing in here Helga!"

Helga stuffed the piece of paper in her own shoe before answering, "Hey Eugene I was just on my way out. Got lost on my way to the bathroom."

"And you happen to put on my dead fiancee's clothes!" Eugene was furious. He clenched his fists together like he was resisting hitting her.

"Take her things off and LEAVE. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE." Eugene ripped the jacket from Helga's body and pulled her out of the closet.

"Listen I'm sorry. Can-"

"LEAVE HELGA AND DON'T EVER COME BACK!" Eugene yelled, dragging Helga out of the bedroom.

By this time the security heard the disturbance and two big, burly men appeared.

"Get her the hell out of my house! I don't care if you have to drag her by her hair!" Eugene ordered and the two big men picked up Helga by her arms and carried her down the stairs. Helga was kicking and screaming, causing the rest of the party to stop and stare.

"Helga, what did you do?" Arnold rushed over to Helga and the two men, smelling of alcohol. "Put her down."

The men continued to carry Helga out of the house to the front yard. Her hair was disheveled and her make up was all over her face. Even her dress had been ripped when she was trying to get the men off of her.

Everyone at the party followed the men and watched the scene in the front yard. Gasps and shocked faces were all Helga saw as she was thrown on to the pavement, outside of the Horowitz Estate's large gate.

Arnold came running out after her.

"What happened?" He asked

"If you weren't so busy making out with Lila you would know."

"Listen, we can talk later. I'll take you home right now."

"No Arnold. You're drunk. I'll get a cab. You keep having fun screwing Ms. Perfect over there."

Helga pulled out her phone and called a cab. She was both embarrassed and determined. She was determined to find out who Frankie was and why was Rhonda hiding them?

Author's Note: Well, wasn't this chapter just explosive and we got a clue in Rhonda's murder. Who do you think Frankie is and why was Rhonda talking to him? Also, how do you feel about Lila and Arnold? Reviews are always welcomed. Thanks for reading :)!