Hi everybody! How's it goin'?
I'm not up to much of anything. My great aunt is supposed to be coming up from Chicago to visit today. She's cool. Well, I think so anyway. I don't know what other people think of her. Oh, well.
The random word of the chapter is...Purple Flying Cow!
Give a thanks to Anonymous Latina for that one! She came up with it! Told you I give credit for all that is not mine. Keep em' coming people! I want more!
Disclaimer: More credit for something not mine. I do not own Hey Arnold. I'm sick and tired of saying it. So much so that I'm thinking of somehow earning truckloads of money so I can buy it off of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett and not have to use this disclaimer anymore! Then I remind myself that I don't have a plan for earning the money and I'm too young to get a job without being signed off by my parents first anyway.
Enjoy!
Helga was laying around in Phoebe's room, staring at the ceiling out of boredom. "Man, I never realized how long the school day was. I'm gonna die of boredom before she even gets home!"
She suddenly heard a growl in the room. She felt a knot in her stomach and put her hand to it. "That is if I don't die of starvation first. I'm hungry. Must be lunchtime. Let's go see what Phoebe has here." She then carefully made her way downstairs into the kitchen.
When she opened the fridge, there was a slight creak. "Shh! You stupid fridge!" She whispered harshly. It was quiet the rest of the way open. "Hmm, let's see. Noodles, noodles, rice, rice, noodles, wild rice...ooh! Sweet and sour chicken! Now that's more like it." Helga then pulled out the container labeled 'Sweet n' Sour chicken' and closed the door. Then she got out a disposable fork and sat down at the table, er, dining mat. Mmm, looks delicious she thought as she opened the box.
As she was about to take her first bite, she heard a noise coming from outside. It sounded like a car pulling into the garage. The engine turned off, a car door closed, and high heeled footsteps clacked against the pavement as the person made their way closer, walking up the sidewalk. Oh, no! What do I do? Where do I hide? Gotta go back upstairs. Can't bring food up there. But I'm so hungry!
She turned her head back and forth between the stairs and the chicken, unable to decide what to do. The footsteps are closer now. Helga is standing now, scrambling for the stairs as she leaves the opened box of chicken and the fork behind. The footsteps suddenly stop. Helga paused and listened for a brief moment, at the bottom of the staircase. She heard jingling keys, just outside the kitchen door. She scrambled up the stairs to Phoebe's room and manages to close the door behind her just as the person opened the door into the kitchen.
Helga put her ear up against the bedroom door and listened, hoping, Please don't come up here. Please don't come up here.
"Hello? Is someone home?" That sounded like her mom. What's Phoebe's mom doing here? Shouldn't she be at work? "I heard a door close." Oh great. Busted. "I came home to get my lunch." So that's why she's home so early. "Hello? Huh. I thought I heard someone up there." Yes! Yes! Your mind is playing tricks on you! Good! I'm in the clear! "Ooh! sweet and sour chicken! Don't mind if I do." My chicken! She took my chicken! Now what am I gonna eat? Guess I'll have to wait til' Phoebe get's home. Helga then slumped to the floor in over all relief as she waited for Phoebe's mom to finish up and leave.
When everyone was done with lunch and in their seats, Mr. Simmons stood in front of the class. "Okay. I hope everyone enjoyed their lunch. Now, I would like everyone to get with their partners and continue to work on your projects. Arnold, may I speak with you in the hall?"
Harold then called out, "Arnold's in trouble! Ah ha ha ha!" in his usual obnoxious tone.
"Uh, sure, Mr. Simmons." Arnold said as he stood from his seat, ignoring Harold.
When they were in the hallway and the door was closed, Arnold asked, "So, what is it you wanna talk to me about, Mr. Simmons?"
"Well, Arnold, as I was looking through your journals over lunch, I noticed you mentioned much concern for Helga. Are you okay?"
Arnold suddenly felt a little embarassed. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine, Mr. Simmons. I just, worry about her."
"Well, Arnold, I have my share of concern for Helga too."
He noticed Arnold looking down at the floor. Then he kneeled down, put his hand on Arnold's shoulder, and said, "If you're really that worried about her, I, guess I can let you go early to check up on her. How does that sound?"
Arnold's face suddenly lit up as he looked up to Mr. Simmons. "Oh, really? Gee, thanks, Mr. Simmons!" He then ran down the hall to his locker as Mr. Simmons walked back into the classroom. Arnold quickly packed his things and headed for Helga's house.
He walked up to the top of the stoop and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. "Hello? Is anyone home?" He hollered. No answer. He opened the door.
He saw Helga's mom on the phone, her dad in camoflauge army gear, and her sister coming down the stairs with a stack of flyers, some flying out of the stack. The mom wore a frightened expression on her face, he didn't know what expression the dad was wearing on his face, and Olga was on the verge of crying. It was chaos.
He somehow had the courage to speak through it. "Hi. I came to check up on Helga."
Everyone suddenly noticed the blond boy standing in the doorway and paused to hear more.
"She didn't show up at school today, so I thought she might be sick. Is she okay? What's going on?"
As Olga put the flyers down and went back upstairs, Big Bob walked up to him, kneeled down to his level, and said, "Have you seen her?"
"Not since yesterday. Why?"
Bob stood to his feet. Then Miriam said, "Well, neither have we. We don't know where she is."
Olga interrupted as she came back down. "I found this on her nightstand." She said. She handed it to Bob and Miriam and they read it to themselves. When they finished, they handed it to Olga to read as they huddled together and sobbed quietly. When Olga finished reading it, she joined her parents in the hugging and crying.
Finallly, Arnold spoke up. "What's it say?"
Olga handed him the note. "She left." She said softly between sobs.
"What?" Arnold said as he yanked the note free from her hand. He read the note to himself as the rest were crying.
Family,
I'm not sure how to say this, so I'll just say it. I ran away. Don't come looking for me. I can't take another day of living with two parents who never seemed to care. Miriam, you're still a lousy mom, and I can't keep living off of pork grinds, saltines, and shaving cream the rest of my childhood. Bob, you're not even a dad to me. Olga, I love you, but you're too perfect for them to give me any attention. I don't know if I'll be coming back. Please tell Arnold that I still love him, and I'm sorry. I just can't take anymore hurt.
Goodbye for now,
Helga
What's gonna happen next? Where will Arnold go from here? What will happen to Helga? Will Arnold ever find her? Will the Pataki family ever get their youngest back? Will Helga ever return to her family? Will I ever stop asking questions like this is a comic book episode? Find out in the next chapter of How Do You Feel!
Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!
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Thanks guys! You rock! Much thanks and appreciation.
Well, that's about it. You know what that means!
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