Suddenly she felt like going home and wrapping herself in her fuzzy purple robe. It seemed more reasonable than almost tripping at least a dozen times on the cracked sidewalk, especially since it was several blocks from where they were going. The chilly air itself was blowing itself into her face and her eyes were next to shut. Yes, she wanted to help very much. But it was ever so obvious that there was something important going on here beside what she told her classmate. "I just ever so wish Phoebe would let go of my wrist."
As they ran, the young Japanese girl held on to Lila's hand tighter; it also seemed that she was dragging her as well. And even though there were goose bumps on her arms and legs, she was sweating. As she panted, "Can't I at least call my dad? I'm ever so sure that he'll get worried!" Her friend's blue frames quickly looked her before continuing on. "You can do that when we get to Helga's house Lila! It's not that much farther I promise!"
This continued on for a few more blocks. The country girl's nose became runny as she was catching an ever so horrible cold. Her legs started hurting and her feet ached without her gym shoes on (she only wore them during her gym class). Lila's braids continued to flap against her face, making it even harder to see as well. "But Phoebe doesn't seem ever so messed up like I am."
The girl was running ever so quickly down the streets, almost as if she had done this before. There was not one hair out of place. Her glasses stayed on and she wasn't even wearing gym shoes either! Phoebe was panting though, so it was oh too obvious that she was tired too.
Helga's house was known to be closer to the school than Arnold's. But this was ridiculous! "She ever so has to let go!" Just as Lila was about to yell out to her friend to free her at last, she ran into the girl's small back as it came to a stop. Her shoulders ached from the bump, but it was ever so lucky that they didn't fall on the ground.
They were both gasping as they leaned over to breathe. The black haired girl turned around to face Lila as she looked at the blue brick home. A charming three story home, a large tree stood out in front besides a few steps that led up to a green door. "I remember coming here when Olga was my big sis. Oh I hope she is home. Maybe she could help us as well." The country girl smiled. "Well, we're here. You ready Lila?" Phoebe gestured to the door. Looking down her Lila nodded.
"Yes, but Phoebe?" The girl raised one of her eyebrows. "Yes Lila?" They were already climbing the stairs as she rang the door bell. "Please, just please don't ever so grab my wrist that tight. I'm sorry but that honestly hurt." She kept rubbing sore red spots where the other's nails dug in. "Oh, I'm sorry," the short student apologized while rubbing her right arm, "I guess that I got over excited about all of this. I hope Helga will be too." She sounded nervous. Sympathetically, Lila came up and beamed. "Well, if it will make her happy that Arnold doesn't like-like me anymore, than I'm sure she will be pleased."
Oh so suddenly, they heard shouting from behind the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Who's the bozo at the door anyway?" Helga yelled as steps could be heard from outside. Phoebe adjusted her glasses as if it was a normal thing. "Then again, they are best friends," the country girl panicked slightly, "so she must know Helga's oh so interesting habits." When the door clicked open, it drew back to show that it was ever so the blonde.
"Thank God Pheebs, it's just you…,"Helga's speech got slower, "and Ms. Perfect? What are you doing here? I only asked Phoebe to come." Of course she also got angrier as well while her hands tapped on her hips. Lila understood that because of Arnold their friendship couldn't be oh so much farther apart. She had to act before things already got out of hand. Helga obviously wasn't having a good day.
"Well, um Helga, you see I was helping Phoebe when she fell on the ground." She was about to continue the rest of her story when suddenly both she and Helga were pushed into the house and the green door slammed shut behind the three girls. The two "frienemies" turned to the girl in blue. Lila's back was against the wall underneath pictures of Olga and the blonde stumbled but managed to put a hand on the table by the stairs. "Phoebe! What are you doing? I was asking why-"
"I don't care about what you were going to ask Lila right now Helga! We need to talk in your room. Lila is here for a very good reason and she might be able to help us." Phoebe looked overwhelmed by her best friend's attitude toward her and there was only oh so much time left. "And who says I will tell her anything? Huh?" Helga thumped her foot with a smirk on her face. It looked like she had won the oh so apparent "battle" in the room.
"Because baby sister you need to be kind to Lila and your little friend." Olga had come down the stairs in a black strapless dress and was putting on some oh so amazing pearl earrings. "Wow, she looks so pretty. I can't believe Helga didn't say Olga was in town." Lila's smile grew as she came to the older Pataki sister and gave her a hug. To her, it was an oh so sweet surprise. Wrapping her arms around, "Oh Olga I missed you ever so much. Helga never said anything about you coming over." Looking down, the gesture was given back to the lonely red head. "I missed you too Lila," she squealed with excitement, "but right now I have to go for an early dinner tonight for the mayor." The girl stared back. "Why whatever is it for?"
Helga grumbled, "It's for her work in helping those less fortunate in the city's efforts in aiding the tundra." Lila stepped back down to the floor with a small smile, hoping the two sisters would hug too. "Oh yeah, I'm here to see Helga, Olga. So I understand. And that sounds like an oh so amazing experience. Maybe we can have lunch together sometime and talk about it." A horn honked outside, shaking the girls a bit. Olga made the rest of way down the stairs and reached for her matching purse. "Yes, that does sound fun. Do you want to join us Helga?" Lila had that feeling that her classmate wouldn't go. She just didn't seem ever so interested in the kinds of things that she and Olga liked to do.
Helga went for the stairs calmly even though her stomps were loud, grabbing the rail with her left hand tightly. Phoebe, who apparently had been standing by the entrance to the living room silent as usual, followed her as always. The steps creaked as they went up to her room. "No thanks sis, I have better things to do," she turned her head to Lila, "Are you coming with us princess or what?"
"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute Helga. Let me say goodbye to Olga first." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Whatever, come on Pheebs." They went around the corner to Helga's room.
Lila turned around to see the older sister for once not smiling. Instead she was looking sad up the stairs and a couple of tears ran down her face. The girl put a hand on her forearm. "What's wrong Olga?" Pulling her into a side hug, the woman's gaze did not look at the braided hair student. "Oh, it's nothing Lila. I guess I just miss my baby sister. We were never close. But I keep trying anyway." Again the horn honked outside and Olga let go of the girl. "Well, Mommy and Daddy are taking me to the dinner. So you keep Helga lots of company ok Little Sis?" The country girl smiled. "Sure Big Sis."
With that Olga left the house, leaving Lila in the hallway and only one place to go. "Now to get to Helga's room. I wonder what it's like. She never let me in there before. This should be oh so interesting." Passing by a mirror on the wall, she made her way up the stairs and down the hall on the right.
"Now where is it," the red haired girl mumbled, "it has to be here somewhere."
The walls changed to a bright yellow color with wooden floors and an oh so beautiful blue ceiling. "It reminds me of the ocean." Making a left turn, the door was on the right. Straightening out her skirt, Lila was about to open the door. However, something didn't feel right. The knob was cold and she knew she should go in like Helga told her too.
"Wait a minute, Helga," she turned around and pressed herself against the door looking at the wall. A small table with ever so beautiful small red roses in a pot stood across from her. While they were pretty, "Where are her pictures?" All Lila saw was pictures of Olga or of her and her parents. But there were photos of no Helga. "Maybe they're somewhere else. I'll have to ask her. There must be some."
Breathing a sigh of hope, Lila pulled the door unlocked and entered in backwards.
"What are you doing Ms. Perfect? Trying the moon walk while looking like some sort of zombie?" sneered an oh too familiar voice. The girl shivered down her back. Spinning toward the window was Helga and Phoebe sitting on a bed with a pink blanket on top. Blue green walls with gold hearts on, Lila thought it was simply lovely.
"Oh, I'm ever so sorry Helga. I was just looking around. I apologize," she walked over and sat by Phoebe, "Your room though is oh too nice as well. I wish mine were this nice." There was some truth to that. Her room was still in repair with cracks and everything. It was sad, yes, but her father was working hard at his job. And she couldn't be more proud of him.
The blonde crossed her arms when Lila offered a smile. "Humph, well, at least you made it before me and Phoebe started." She looked to her best friend again. "Anyhow, Phoebe what's going on with Arnold huh? Why's he acting weird? Was I right?" Helga was ever so anxious. She was gripping the sheets tightly as she leaned toward the girl in the middle. Lila was surprised. "Why didn't she confront me first?" Although Lila was concerned just as much as Helga was.
"What's ever so wrong with Arnold? I mean, I agree with Helga about him acting ever so odd today. Do you guys know what it is?"
Phoebe sighed as she grabbed her notepad from behind her and straightened her glasses. Going back and forth between the two, she spoke carefully. And a few sounds of thunder could be heard from outside. "Well first, Helga. We have got to tell Lila about what we suspected first before I can give you both answers. Do you trust me to tell her, Helga?" The blonde pointed a finger in Lila's direction. She was starting to sweat a little and she rubbed her forehead. "Please Helga, I promise not to tell; especially if you don't want me to."
"Fine, Helga said, "But you better not say anything, and I mean anything that goes on in this room!" She stared questioning at her. Lila gulped. "I, I promise." Helga crossed her arms and smirked. "Good. Tell her the story Pheebs and we'll go from there." The girl lied back on her bed, arms somehow going behind her head as she crossed her legs. Phoebe nodded and faced Lila. She sighed and looked off before facing her. There was sadness in the girl's eyes. "There must be something ever so wrong."
"You see Lila, the other day was a very important day for Arnold." The red head tilted her head ever so to the right. "What do you mean? His birthday? But isn't that today?" The girl nodded again. Helga sat up and moved to the window, sitting on the side. Lila saw her at the corner of her eye. She was leaning over, elbows on her knees and hands on her face. Her voice was ever so quiet. "Yes Lila it is. But a few days ago," she sighed, "for Ar, Arnold, it was the anniversary of when his parents left and he never saw them again."
"Oh my,"Lila thought, "poor Arnold. He's such an ever so sweet friend. I always wondered where his parents were."
"That's ever so sad. But why was Phoebe behind the trash can?" She once again turned back to the Japanese girl. "I better stop staring at Helga. It's oh so obvious she needs her space." Lila felt a small admiration for her classmate. She loved Arnold more than ever. "And that's so sweet and romantic. Arnold's her oh so special someone. I just know it."
"Well, as I was saying, as you now know, Arnold's parents are missing. And Helga wanted to make sure that he was ok. He doesn't like celebrating his birthday since it's only a couple days after the anniversary," Phoebe continued with her ever so sweet sensitivity to her friends, "She wanted to keep an eye on him today, but she had an appointment and asked me to do it. That's why I was behind the garbage can. I was taking notes to see if she could help him in secret."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah Pheebs, cut to the chase," Helga said from the window, "What's with Arnold and that contest?" The thunder turned into some lightening as the rain started to fall. She sounded oh so sad. "Poor Helga," Lila frowned.
"Yes. As I was saying, Arnold stayed at the house when you went to Dino Land. Right Helga?" Phoebe lowered her glasses with her left hand when she looked to the blonde. "Yeah, what of it? He was depressed. It's an understandable situation." Helga snapped, still not facing them. This pained the girl with the braids, seeing her like this. To her, it was ever so not normal. Then it suddenly felt oh so cold, like the wind was blowing on her again. "It must be the air conditioning."
"Calm down Helga. I'm just trying to help." Phoebe warned, reaching for her notepad. Folding it back to the front page, they stared at Helga whose shoulders slumped toward the window more. "It looks like she's curled up into a ball. Only, only she's sitting up as if there was nothing wrong." This wasn't going as well as she ever so hoped.
"You're right, I was being stupid," Helga sighed dejectedly, "Sorry Pheebs, please continue." The girl smiled." It's quite alright Helga. You're fine," glancing down at her writing, "Well, Arnold was feeling like he should give up on the hope that his parents would come back. He said that he was putting stuff such as his hat away in the attic; really anything that reminded him of them, and, and then he found his dad's journal."
This made Helga's head twist to them, obviously in the same shock that Lila found herself in. But it was a happier shock. "His dad's journal? Are you serious?" Lila found herself oh so staring at Phoebe. "That's just ever so sweet! Arnold really has something of his dad's? That must be making him oh so happy." She had that far away look in her eyes. A tear or two fell down her cheek in all of the excitement. And looking at Helga, it seemed that she had the ever so same reaction. Phoebe just grinned though. "Yes. He even pulled it out and showed it to Gerald. It seems that it was the book he dropped in class today."
Helga's hand went up to touch her bow as she finally sat herself closer to Lila. Leaning in her direction, she realized she did that to face Phoebe better. "Well, well that would make sense. He never normally reads books in his lap. What, what happened next Pheebs? Oh, and can you turn on the lamp? It's way too dark in here. That's storm's driving me crazy."
"Most certainly Helga." She set down her notepad only for a moment before clicking on the lamp. When she came back she went on, "He started to talk about how his parents met, fell in love, and the adventures they had together. His father was an anthropologist and his mom was a botanist. Together, they helped the Green Eyed People." Lila and Helga were lost and their brows rose. "The Green Eyed People? Who the heck are they?"
"Well apparently," she shifted on the bed, "they are like the modern version of the Aztecs and Mayans according to Arnold except they are very secretive. They saved his parents, so in turn they help that civilization by curing them of a sleeping sickness of some sort. After that, his parents got married and had him. Although the story of his birth is quite odd, it even shocks me."
"How was it odd Pheebs?" Helga asked as she crossed her legs, almost sounding bored. However, Phoebe was ever so the opposite. "He said he was born during a volcanic eruption! He also said that he silenced all of nature as a result." Lila's mouth hung open for a moment, but then her smile grew oh so wide with wonder. "Wow, that's ever so interesting. Are you sure?" The black haired girl nodded, now forming a triangle with Helga and Lila on the bed. The notebook was in the middle. "That is what he said. After that they moved here because they thought it was too dangerous for Arnold to be living in a jungle environment."
"So he was born in the jungle during a volcanic eruption and silenced all of nature?" Helga chuckled, "If I ever ask him, he's still gonna have to convince me." This made Lila oh so happy. Helga seemed to feel better. The red head played with her right braid, tightening it. Another roar of thunder boomed.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Very well Helga," her words somehow became ever so more cautious, "Then he said that he and his parents lived here very well for the first year or so. They took him to the park and got him his hat. Then later on that day, a friend of his dad's came and told them that they had to help the Green Eyes again with the sleeping sickness. They didn't want to leave Arnold. But they thought it wouldn't be a long trip. So they left," she gulped and played with her fingers, "but they were never found."
Looking to her right, Lila saw Helga scooting back farther until she hit the end of her bed. More tears fell down her face. The ever so saddest part was watching her wiping them off, but more kept falling. Her hands balled into fists as her knees pulled up to her chest. Her face didn't meet Lila's and Phoebe's gaze."Oh Arnold, why? Why him?"
"Helga." Lila tried to reach out to her shoulder to try to comfort her. "I've never seen her like this."
But then she looked up in oh so much distress. "You guys don't get it! He, he means everything to me! And knowing about his parents now, it makes me sick! I mean, I'm not mad at them. They didn't know what would happen," she was slowly becoming hysterical as her hands waved around. "It's just that he doesn't deserve it. He's done so much for us, for me, that it makes me want to help! And I can't do anything!"
"But Helga-"
"What is it?!" she screamed. Scaring Lila, she almost landed on the floor. It was oh so lucky that she somehow gripped the blanket. While her heart ever so raced, she looked at Phoebe who was calm as ever. "How does she oh so stay calm?"
"There is something you could do to help him." Phoebe tossed the notepad over her back, hitting the bed frame with a small bang. Helga brought her arms down, ever so hiccupping a little bit. Her voice also seemed ever so more, dare Lila say it, more feminine. "It's as if she's no longer the Helga I know." Lila sat there in oh so much awe of her classmate."There is?"
Phoebe nodded, coming closer to Helga and rubbing her back with her left hand."Yes."
"Oh whatever is it Phoebe?" Lila asked. She was just oh so happy for Helga. Her day seemed to be getting better. She also noticed that the best friends were sitting ever so close to each other that they could hug. "Helga really needs one." Lila's thoughts continued to wonder around the oh so sweet idea of the blonde getting affection. It brought a smile to her face as she looked on. "Remember that essay contest and why Arnold was so shocked by it?"
"Yeah. So what? It's just a dumb trip." Helga shrugged. Phoebe moved her hand and shook her. It made her look right into her best friend's glasses. "But Helga, one of the countries on that list we were given in class was a country that his parents disappeared to!" Once again, another tear escaped her eye. Her voice whispered, "Are, are you serious? Really Phoebe?" Lila reached down for Helga's hand and held it ever so tightly. And surprisingly, she squeezed back. "Yes Helga. San Lorenzo is on that list. Arnold also said that he found a map that could lead him to them." All of their eyes widened. Lila calmly stated, "So if that means if Arnold wins the contest-"
"He'll go to San Lorenzo to find his parents," finished Phoebe. Helga released Lila and Phoebe's hands and turned around to stand up. "We gotta make sure he wins that contest!," she pounded her fist against her vanity closet, "But how?"
"Well it is an essay contest Helga. So maybe you could help him through that." Lila held out her palm as she watched Helga pace the floor beside her and Phoebe. The blonde looked ever so angrily at her, eyes seeming have lost the tears. "And what? Ask him to let me write the essay for him? Yeah right Ms. Perfect. Or better yet, why don't you ask him yourself and he'll let you do it! You already have him crushing on you all over the place! He'd do it in a landslide!"
Lila shook her head. "But Helga, you are the one who is in love with him. Why don't you ask him?" She tried to reach out to her, but she backed away crossing her arms again. Helga looked to the door. "Because I can't ok? He hates me and he likes you. You have to ask him." She sounded more depressed again, starting to walk to the door. Lila took the time to get up and follow her. Using her thin body, the red head managed to block Helga for a moment and led her back to the bed.
"Helga, remember when he spent time with me and Gerald's sister?" The girl nodded. "Yeah, so what?" Setting her down between her and Phoebe, it was time to tell Helga the truth. "Well I found out he was using her to get me to like-like him."Helga scoffed, refusing to look at her."Like that's obvious Ms. Perfect."
"Helga!" Phoebe shouted. All three of them had their legs hanging on the side of the bed. Helga shrugged as she glanced at Phoebe. She raised her hands in question. "What? I mean he's liked Lila so long it doesn't surprise me that he would do that." Lila sighed, rubbing her temple and shutting her eyes. "Well, anyway, I told him I was very upset with him. But he's over me now. He's not trying to get me to like him anymore."
"What makes you say that huh?" Helga asked as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Lila pulled the slip of paper she showed Phoebe earlier out of her pocket. "He came to me the next day and said that he was done and he even gave me Arnie's phone number as proof. Ever since then, we've been just friends."She thought that it would be ever so enough to convince Helga as she handed over the writing. Unfortunately, she crumpled up the paper, opened her eyes, and shoved it back in her hands. "That doesn't mean he doesn't like-like you still."
Lila, for once in her life, was actually oh so fed up with someone's attitude.
"So what? Helga, I'm just saying that it makes ever so more sense that you do it and not me."
Phoebe nodded in her direction. "She's right Helga. I mean you are one of the best English students in class. Maybe you could still do it in secret." Helga turned her head. "Oh yeah. How?"She asked suspiciously, beginning to sit up. "Take his essay after he turns it in. Chances are he'll turn it in early since it means so much to him. All you have to do is edit it, rewrite it, and turn it in before anyone notices."
"Really? That does seem like a good plan," she smirked, "I mean, next to Pheebs here, I have the best penmanship in school. I bet I could figure out Arnold's handwriting."
"Exactly." Both of the other girls nodded again. Helga smiled and stood up, grabbing their arms and forcing them to stand up with her. "Alright I'll do it! And I need you guys to back me up. You know, if anyone should ask or anything."
"Sure Helga." Phoebe said, pulling Helga in a ever so sweet side hug. Lila, on Helga's right side, put a hand to her shoulder. "Yeah, I oh so don't mind helping you." To the country girl, it was a moment that she never thought would happen between her and Helga. "But I have to ever so get home. Dad will be worried if I'm not there soon." Pulling away from the blonde and Japanese girl, Lila stepped toward the door."Well I better get going. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow. Have a good day!" She was about to leave the two best friends alone, when she felt a hand take her arm back.
"Wait Lila! Please!"She shouted oh so desperately. "What is it Helga?" Lila stared at Phoebe. By the way she was looking at Helga, she was just as clueless. "Yes, what is ever so wrong? I thought we had this plan figured out."
Helga sighed after letting go of her arm. "We do. It's just that, come here." She sat back down on her bed, reaching for her blanket and wrapped it around herself. Helga seemed oh so helpless all over again. Lila and Phoebe both stood in front of her. "Listen, I was talking to Dr. Bliss."
"You see Dr. Bliss?" asked Lila, surprised to learn that. Helga always seemed so in control. What else besides Arnold could be wrong in her life? "Then again, there were no pictures in the house of her. Oh Helga." The blonde ran a hand down her face as she leaned over. "Yes. Anyhow, I was talking to her about the whole neighborhood in crisis thing from last summer." Lila turned to Phoebe, who ever so did the same to her. They both looked at Helga. "Well what about it?"
"I,I may have helped Arnold and Gerald out in secret." The black haired girl gasped, putting a hand to her mouth."But Helga, didn't you say that you could get rich when the neighborhood went down?" Her voice almost sounded ever so dry from the news. Helga's legs kicked the bed in her oh so embarrassment. "Well, yeah."
"So," Lila wondered, "why would you help them?" But she had some idea of a oh so sweet answer. Luckily, Phoebe voiced her thoughts. "Because Arnold would leave. Right Helga?"
"Yes Pheebs, that's why." Lila felt her smile dreamily, her hands folding together to the side of her face and she knew it couldn't be helped. "Oh that's just ever so romantic Helga." However, instead of her classmate smiling, she frowned. "Yeah, it just gets dandy from there."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe. Helga then oh so chose to lift her face to meet not Phoebe's, but Lila's. "Well Arnold found out and demanded to know why I did it." Meanwhile, the red head blinked back into reality. "Oh no you didn't tell him that you love him. Did you?" Helga stood up and raised her arms and waved them around as she walked past them to her closet door. "I had no choice! I used every excuse I could think of but he wasn't taking the bait!"
Lila felt the anger rise in her throat. "So he's known all of this time?" Her thoughts were racing. "So even after she told him the truth, he still tried to get me to like him-like him?"
"Yeah, I guess. I mean after I kissed him-" That ever so nailed it for her and Phoebe alike. "Wait! You kissed him!" They shouted, ironically at the oh so same time. Helga turned around to face them."Hey I couldn't help myself! If we did fail I wanted the last opportunity I could get to tell him my feelings were true. And then after that, after that." She started to choke up. And tears pooled in her eyes. "What could have happened?"Lila thought. She had to ask as Helga returned to her bed. "What Helga?"
She sighed, grabbing one of her pillows to squeeze on. She chose not to look at either of them, making Lila feel worse. "He wanted it to be in the "heat of the moment" and I agreed to it because I wasn't ready for the confession and I knew it."
Phoebe gasped and sat on Helga's left side. "Oh my." Lila remained standing. "I'm ever so sorry Helga. But what did Dr. Bliss say?" Helga looked down and brought the pillow to stuff her face with. "She said that, that based on my perspective that I should get over him. I shouldn't live for someone that obviously doesn't want to love me in return."
"Are you going to do it though?" asked Phoebe. And even though she should be looking at Helga, Lila found herself staring at Phoebe. "She knows Helga so well. If Helga really loves Arnold, then it's going to be hard on her too because I'm oh so certain that she believes that Arnold and Helga are supposed to be together too." Deep, deep down, Lila didn't want this to happen. She returned her gaze to Helga.
"After I thought about it on my way here, I am because she's right. We're just not meant to be. It's not going to be easy, but I will. I just need to get rid of my stuff-" She started to ramble on about her plans to do this. "But Helga!"
"What?" she sniffled into the pillow, looking at Lila. "What about the contest? Why are you doing this for him if you're trying to get over him?" She chose her words carefully, hoping not to hurt Helga more than she already was.
"Because if this is not going be a way to prove that I love him, then this is just an anonymous thank you gift."
"Why will it be a thank you gift?"
"For all the things he's done to help us. Look, if he wins and he goes, he probably will ask for our help. And all of us, as his friends and classmates and teachers, will help him. It's the only way we can make it up to him. And it's the only way I'll be able to forgive myself."
"Oh Helga," Lila and Phoebe thought.
Lila and Phoebe in turn laid their hands on Helga's shoulders as she cried away into her pillow on the storming, cold evening of Arnold's tenth birthday.