If you are reading this, I AM SO SORRY. Since my absence, I have taken on a full time job and planned and gotten married so I have been more than busy, but no excuse for not posting. I so apologize!
Either way, Read, review, enjoy and I hope to see you in the next few chapters to the end of this trilogy! :)
as usual, I don't own any characters but Ray
xoxo
Polkahotness
"He won't tell me he loves me."
"Right."
"What do you mean, 'right?' It's a problem. It's driving me insane. It's eating me up from the inside and I don't-"
"Helga..."
"-know how to fend it off anymore!"
"HELGA!" Phoebe shouted, startling me halfway off my hotel bedding with the awful arrangements of red, green and maroon colored flowers design on it.
Whoever designs those sheets and quilts needs some serious help.
"You can't keep feeding off of those words, Helga."
"And why the hell not? That's how NORMAL people express themselves-"
"Not always." She interrupted. "Helga, Arnold shows that he loves you in gestures and things he does for you. It's in his hugs and kisses and the things he will surprise you with."
Yeah. She was right. But she was also biased. Gerald went off and proclaimed his love for her within their first month.
"Pheebs, it's just hard. I'm getting so tired of waiting. I mean, it's like the kid doesn't even feel it enough to say it."
"He does, Helga. He does. Just give him time. He'll say it."
"And if he doesn't, Phoebe?"
I heard a shuffle of the phone and a deep breath.
"Then you need to make a decision."
"What KIND of decision?"
"I think you know that answer better than anyone else, Helga."
My heart was sinking with every step I took to Arnold's house.
I think you know that answer better than anyone else, Helga.
What the heck kind of advice is that? That's HORRIBLE advice.
Criminy!
Phoebe is supposed to be the positive one in this friendship.
"Maybe I should take up a friendship with good ole Eugene..." I mumbled to myself as I walked up the stairs of his stoop and opened the door.
That's a whole different kind of punishment there... I thought to myself.
"Helga, did you bring the-"
"NO OSKAR I DIDN'T." I yelled, practically stomping up the steps to Arnold's room, the boarding house growing quiet at my outburst.
"Looks like the Shortman's in for a good night, eh Pookie?" I heard Phil say, but his only reply was a pile of pots falling on the floor followed by a familiar crazed laughter.
"Helga, are you ok?"
"Peachy, Hair boy. We gotta talk." I said, walking passed him and stopping mid-room to stare ahead at a wall, my arms crossed.
"Yes, Helga. We should probably talk." He answered quietly, closing the door while his hand remained idly on the doorknob.
"I... I can't keep doing this. I can't keep-"
Eyes. I felt eyes on me. I turned to my right only to see Ray sitting on the couch watching me.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
"You can't keep...what Helga?"
"I can't keep... looking... at this UGLY wallpaper. Let's get outta here."
"Outta here?"
"OUT. As in OUT SIDE. Like with fresh air and NOT people STARING at me!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door and down the stairs, without so much as a bother to close the door behind us.
"Have fun, lovebirds..." I heard Ray call out behind us.
"So what are we doing here?"
"Look."
"Look... what?" he asked as we stood outside the empty building bearing the scar of a 'For Lease' sign in it's dusty windows.
"Look at where we are."
I watched as his eyes darted around the area, his hands deep in his pockets as he shrugged and looked back to me.
"It's the old pre-school."
"Bingo, football-head."
I could feel a slight mist of rain begin to fall around us and I looked down at the ground, waiting for it's dry sidewalk cement to glisten under the sudden moisture.
"Helga-"
"No. Let me." I said as I turned to look him square in the eye. "It's only fitting that it rain." I mumbled, backing out of my initial choice of a bold intro to a bad conversation.
"Why's that? You have something bad to say?"
"Who said rain was a bad thing?"
"I don't know... most weathermen?" He said, a small smirk hinting at his face.
Nice one...
But I was in no mood.
"Rain was always something sad for me too... but with an umbrella... it isn't so bad."
"I guess not...?"
A pause. The rain droplets began to trickle from the sky, a few landing on the back of my neck, giving my body goosebumps.
"Especially... if YOU'RE holding that umbrella."
"Well Helga, I didn't really know it was going to rain and you didn't really give me a chance to GRAB an umbrella-"
"That's not IT. CRIMINY! Do I have to spell EVERYTHING out for you ALL the time?!" I snapped, his face never changing emotions as he took in everything I was saying. "This is where we first met. Right here. This spot. In the rain. When I was covered in mud and water and my own tears. Where I realized that love and affection and KINDNESS was something people could actually have for one another. For ME, of all the stupid people on this planet."
He remained quiet, looking away from me now, his eyes fixated on the 'For Lease' sign staying dry inside the building as we began to grow more soaked where we stood.
"Forget it." I said, turning on my foot and starting to walk away, my head down in shame.
"Your bow was pink. Like your pants." I hear him mumble after me, though he hadn't moved. "Even though you were so cold and wet and dirty, you still looked so put together. Like any other kid on their first day of school."
I turned to look back at him, but his eyes were still locked on the sign that stared back at him.
"Yeah well I-"
"But when you didn't have any food with you that day for lunch... I remember thinking it was sad that your mom and dad didn't pack a lunch for you. I thought, even though my food may not be the best... you might want some of my PB&J."
"...with strawberry jelly." I replied, a small smile growing on my face.
"I thought I killed you. You looked so miserable and I felt so horrible, but when you looked at me and smiled after your dad showed up to take you to the hospital, I guess... I didn't know what to think."
He turned around then to look at me through the now pouring rain, his hair soaked over his face.
"I thought, 'how wonderful is this weird headed kid to give me a poisonous sandwich when I had nothing in the first place?'"
He took a few steps toward me until he reached me and took my hand.
"But in reality," I continued, "you kinda saved my life... since we didn't know I was allergic until then."
He grinned and took my other hand in his.
"You... were always there. Saving my life..." I said, a lump in my throat forming as I felt tears welling in my eyes.
"I...I was just doing what I thought was right."
"Oh... Arnold..." I said, smiling, the rain now violently coming down from the angry clouds. "I love you." I said.
Pause.
Longer pause.
I coughed and Arnold looked at me almost clouded.
"You're kidding me."
"Helga, I, I just-"
"You just NOTHING. That's it. You were just trying to do the 'right thing' and the 'right thing' is just avoiding telling me the truth!"
"Helga..."
"That you don't give a rat's ass about me!"
"That's not true, Helga. Just give me a chance to talk-"
"NO. You've had ENOUGH time to talk and you keep blowing it. So no more 'TALK.' I'm going to your house, getting all my things, and LEAVING."
"And going where?" he asked, running after me as I had taken off without looking behind me.
"To my hotel room where I will pack up my things and go where I belong. NOT in Hillwood and NOT with you."
The words must have startled him, as I stopped hearing his feet in the puddles behind me.
"Do you know where Arnold is?" Gerald asked as I boomed through Arnold's door, now frantically digging through his closet and drawers, grabbing armloads of my things.
"Nope."
"Are you okay, Helga?" Ray asked, reaching out to touch my drenched shoulder.
"No. And hands off, bucko." I said, shoving his hand off of me to fall limply by his side. "I don't need you OR Tall Hair Boy's pity."
I heard the door close and my heart began to race as I tried to shove past the two dorks blocking my way. "MOVE IT!" I shouted, but I was too late.
"Helga, I know you didn't mean what you said back there."
"How's that? How do you know what I feel? It isn't like I TELL you all the time or anything!" I yelled, trying to push my way through Gerald, but he wasn't catching on.
"Where have you BEEN, man? I thought you would be here all night?"
"Gerald, this really isn't the time..."
"Maybe I should just leave," Ray quietly said, putting his guitar down and trying to sneak out of the tension high room.
"Sounds like a GREAT idea, Ray. Why don't I join you!" I said, trying to follow him out.
"Oh no you don't." Arnold said, grabbing my arm as I tried to shake it off.
"Let go of me!" I yelled.
"I'm not GOING to!" He yelled back, his grip stronger than I had anticipated.
"Arnold, I think you should let them both go and we can sit and have a man-talk... just like old times-"
"No, Gerald. I'm kind of busy!" Arnold said, his grip never loosening on me.
"Seriously, I'm just gonna go," Ray said, making his way toward the door, me trying to follow after him, and Gerald trying to pry Arnold and I apart (which I welcomed).
"No, let me come too!"
"Helga, why do you wanna go with him so bad?"
"Just let her go, man! You can make up later! I'll help you! That's what BEST friends are for, right?"
"I'm not just gonna let go of the woman I love, Gerald!" He shouted, even louder this time, forcing me to stop fighting him and stare at him in shock.
"You... you..."
"Yes, Helga. I love you. And I was TRYING to tell you ALL WEEK but I was just... I was scared. And just now, I was TRYING to explain ALL of this to you so I could give you the 'I love you' you've been dreaming of, but here we are."
"I'm... I'm so sorry, Arnold..."
"Gerald, we should leave," Ray whispered, but Gerald glaring at him.
"No way, man. I'm gonna have some best friend time."
"He's busy, Gerald..." Ray replied.
"He's always too busy, RAY. But not for you."
"Are you... jealous?" He asked, dumbfounded, leaning against the door frame with a smug smile on his face.
And just as I turned around to look at what was happening, it all happened.
It was like some weird slow motion moment in a movie where all the action happens in a split second but they have to slow it down for dramatic effect.
But this didn't need the dramatics.
As I turned around, Arnold's grip still on me, SOMEHOW, Ray lost his footing and down he went. Down every step that led up to Arnold's room as Geraldo, Arnold and I all watched in shock and disbelief.
And as he finally hit the floor, all of us running down the stairs after him, I started to wonder if Arnold would ever love me again... after what I'd just done.
Review and stay tuned! :)