VI

Decisions, decisions…

As she walked home, she thought it twice before going back to her house. The whole idea of abandoning Arnold to his own luck was literaly destroying her from the inside. Besides, she wouldn't want to return and have to talk to her father about it, because that would mean Big Bob in response telling her to look out for another boyfriend who could provide for the family some benefits and someone who would be sober and clean, and promising he would straighten up Arnold for good, as in the Pataki language, straighten up would be a serious discussion with fight and insults and possible beat up. She glanced at her watch on her left wrist, which read 9.30 PM and sighed. She decided to continue walking until she found the nearby trashcan and started receiving inspiration for her next poem about Arnold. She traced for her heart shaped locket with the picture of her eternal beloved located in her prominent chest and looked at it with a glare, then softened. She smiled as her

"Oh, Arnold! What have I done? Why, oh why you decide to act so childish, so immature! When I last thought about you, you were the only one I knew with brains and a good heart. But it is now consumed by a horrible addiction, and it doesn't let you think about the consequences! Don't you know how deeply I care and want you to become a better man? The circumstances, I get them, but that doesn't mean any reason for what—".

She was suddenly cut of by the sight of two figures talking in the alley.

"You got the shit?", said one guy. His voice sounded familiar.

"Yeah, but it's gonna cost ya", said the other.

"No problemo, just hand it to me".

"That'll be like always, a thousand".

"Here you go, it's good making bussines, yo'!".

"Hehe, sure, brotha, smell ya later!".

Helga kept herself muted until she spotted a figure walking just towards her. It was a tall man, with a round head, bald, dark skin, wearing a sweating shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans. He was also dragging a bag of weed along with him. Helga frowned in rage and approached the guy and literally destroyed whatever form was of his face with the brutal force of a single punch. The guy fainted on the floor from the impact. She kicked his torso while on the floor just in case he woke up and put a foot on one side of his face to reach the light to try and recognize him. She dropped her foot from his face, awestruck that she hit none other than Gerald Johanssen. She suddenly boiled in anger, more and more. Gerald was partially responsible for Arnold's antics. She kicked him again, and again, while he was unconcius, releasing her frustration.

"I see you're having fun!", a voice called from the trashcan.

Helga immediately stopped kicking Gerald and froze. "Who's there?".

"You cannot tell by my respiration on your neck?".

She rolled her eyes. "Brainy, it's been forever since you cured your asma and social issues, well, partially, and became a fairly decent guy!", she looked at him, who was behind her, smiling stupidly and not answering, and shot him a glare. "Well, almost a decent guy. I told you to stop being such a creep!".

Brainy returned the look and pouted. "But it's just so fun hearing you talking about your impossible beloved Arnold!".

"What part is so fun to you? That you want to achieve being Arnold so you can just grow a football head and start giving advice to others?", she asked, smiling sarcastically, as she put her hands over her chest.

"If I was jealous of the guy I would tell, silly", Brainy responded, putting a hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged it off. "What's on your mind?".

"Well, just so you know, I'm trying to drop the whole concept of 'I love Arnold' to the trash", she explained, as she turned around to face him. But being depressed as she was, she looked at the floor.

Brainy suddenly grew interested and more focused. "Why?".

"Why? Because the guy is just a complete imbecile! He needs help but he doesn't get he should get it, and lies to me about recovering quickly of his own problems! I've never seen him so idiotically childish! Like this guy on the floor, for example", she turned to face Gerald, still fainted on the floor, and took the bag he was holding from his hands. "I thought Arnold was indeed joking, at first, but I quickly realized his true intentions".

"Which are…?", Brainy asked, confused.

"Oh, didn't I tell you Arnold is not the guy I dreamed anymore? He's a total mess, his house smells and he's spending time with this guy and her other beloved one!", she said, agitated, throwing her hands in the air.

"I bet he still has the hots for Lila?", he asked, still getting nowhere.

"No! This 'other' beloved!", she said as she showed him the bag.

Brainy gasped. "You serious? Wow… I've never thought he'd—".

"YES! I KNOW!", Helga yelled at the top of her lungs at him for no reason. She sobbed. "All these years of mourning, and living like crap, and being rejected by my own folks, and the only thing that was positive in my life that was Arnold, now is crushed when I find now that Arnold's a junkie bastard with no possibility of a cure!". Tears flowed from her blue eyes. "What else is going to come? What now?!", she screamed high at the dark night sky.

Before Brainy could answer, a voice groaned suddenly. Helga froze.

"Did you take the plate of the truck—", the figure sat as he took his head and groaned again in pain as he put his hand over his mouth. He woke up! I'm screwed! I'm dead, dead dead deadly... cooked..., she thought for helself. Gerald shook his head and first looked at Helga, and his bag, with a glare. "Hey! I can see ya! Give me back my stuff, whoever you are!". He doesn't see who I am? Great!, she thought again, looking at both sides for a quick escape.

Brainy, being the scrawny coward he was, hid in fear inside the trashcan.

She looked at the bag in her hand, and back at Gerald. "In your dreams! I'm keeping this! Or you can tell your sorry ass goodbye when I call the police and they put you in jail for possession.".

Gerald pulled out a knife, and smiled knowingly. "You have 5 seconds to leave the shit or run, miss!".

Helga smiled too. "Not if I punch you so hard that you will wake up the deads!".

A fight soon ensued. Helga grabbed Gerald by the wrist and made him scream in pain as she cracked it. He dropped the knife. Gerald grabbed Helga by the waist and dropped her violently to the trashcan, revealing Brainy was still there when the trashcan fell from position. Helga resumed her fighting by trying a full dose of Old Betsy's and Five Avengers at Gerald's face and stomach, which worked. Gerald tightened his grip on his face, when he saw the knife at his right. He was about to grab it, when someone else with a flashlight on his hand put his foot on it.

"Would someone tell me why the heck are you two fighting?!".

"Helga?!"

"Doi, idiot!".

"Shut up and answer my question!", Arnold's angry mood told them.