Summer before Junior Year:
It was a long, hot, summer. The public pools were full and there were portable ones stopping in neighbourhoods to help people cool off. The heat was making everyone crazy, and putting everyone on edge. It was worse when the power outages hit. People went absolutely batshit crazy when the air conditioning in malls, theaters, anywhere, went out. Siren's became regular background noise to the point where people just stopped hearing them go by.
Arnold dug out a small pool his grandma had bought over winter when it was on a steep discount, and Helga helped him put it together.
"I love your grandma," she said laughing.
"I know," Arnold said, watching it full up. "Now we just need a bin with ice and Yahoo, and we're set!"
"And music," Helga added. She watched as Arnold vanished inside, then came back with speakers and an ipod. "Now we're set."
So the majority of Helga and Arnold's days were spent at his place, lounging in the pool, or sunbathing, listening to music. It was great for several reasons. One, they got a lot of one on one time. Arnold wasn't a jerk so much . . . at the moment. Two, Helga got a tan all over. She had bought herself a new bikini. She would unclip the back when she was lying on her stomach to tan her back, and then clip it back up when she needed to get up.
When they weren't lounging around outside, they would be down at the lake. They'd row out on the lake, and Helga would read or write, while Arnold fished. He would catch, but then throw back.
"It's a shame you can't eat what you catch," Helga said on day. "I dont think there's anywhere around here where you can."
"Out of town there is," Arnold said, leaning back. "But you'd need to do an over-nigh."
Helga laughed. "No way would my parents let me go camping in the wild alone with you, head-boy!"
"I tried," he joked, staring up at the clouds. There were dark ones finally rolling in. "You think it will rain?"
Helga looked up at the slowly darkening sky. "Maybe. We should head back, just in case."
So they headed in, and went back to Arnold's place, stopping on the way to get some stuff to make lunch. Half an hour later a huge thunderstorm accured.
"Great," Helga muttered, "just my luck."
"Well, you can always stay here," Phil said, hearing her. "At least til the rain let's up."
But the rain didn't. She rang her dad in the end.
"I'll be there in ten," he grumbled. "We'll get dinner on the way. Your mother's having one of those days."
"Dad's picking me up," she told everyone. Suddenly she wished she didn't have to go home. By one of those days, her father either meant, Miriam had not gotten out of bed or done anything all day. or he'd caught her with a hidden bottle of booze. He'd already returned any sleeping medication to the chemist. He didn't want it in the house in case Miriam did "something stupid". She felt a bit bad for her father. He was juggling work, looking after her mom, and trying to watch out for her, while still grieving for the loss of his older daughter. Helga knew eventually things would come to a head for her father, and she felt a bit guilty, having lumped all this on him alone.
"How is your father?" Ernie asked.
"He's . . . okay," Helga said hesitantly. "I mean, as okay as you can be, I guess."
No one said anything.
"Well, give him our best, okay?" Susie eventually said. A horn beeping outside got her attention. Helga scooped up her backpack.
"I will," she called over her shoulder, and heading out the door. Arnold followed and stopped her on the top stoop and gave her a hug.
"My window is always unlocked," he whispered in her ear. Helga blushed a bit and pulled back smiling uncertainly.
"Yeah," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow or something, okay?"
"I'm counting on it," he said, and watched her go.
She looked back once she was in her father's truck, and saw Arnold was still standing in the doorway and waved to her. She waved back and then her father drove off, leaving them behind.
"McDonald's alright for dinner?" he asked her. She nodded. The rest of the drive home was silent except when Bob was making the order. As they pulled up, Bob stopped her from getting out of the truck straight away. "Your mother's not doing to well today."
"What's wrong?" she asked. Her father just shook his head.
"If she doesn't get better soon, we're going to need help," he said.
Helga's eyes went wide, and her mouth opened in shock a bit. Her father was very much about sweeping things under the rug. Never asking the outside for help, especially the "quacks". That it was now even crossing his mind meant that Miriam's state was serious. Helga looked down at her hands in shock.
"But she's been eating," Helga said.
"No, she hasn't," he told her. "She's throwing it up."
Helga took a breath and held back the tears pricking at her eyes.
"I can't do this all on my own," he said.
"I can help," Helga said. "I can stay around home, get a job-"
"Your sixteen, Helga. You want to get a job, you get it for you," he said. "Miriam is my responsibility. Not yours."
They both sat in silence before Bob let out a big sigh. Helga looked at him and noticed he was looking a bit grey.
"Dad, are you okay?" she asked concerned.
"I'm fine, girl," he told her gruffly. "Just tired."
Fear bubbled up in Helga's chest. Her father couldn't get sick. She couldn't be left with a sick mom and a sick dad. She immediately felt guilty for being so selfish.
"Let's head in before dinner gets cold."
...
...
"One more week," Helga mumbled, rolling over. "Then it's classrooms and routines. Blah!"
"Yeah," Arnold agreed. "I wish it was summer forever."
"Maybe we should move to California?" she joked.
"Maybe."
"Arnold, Helga!" they heard someone call out. Sitting up they saw Gerald approaching them from the kitchen door. "Whoa, looking good Pataki."
"Thanks, I've worked hard on this tan," she told him, laying back down and putting her sunglasses back over her eyes.
"You had the pool up all summer?" he asked, taking a seat next to Arnold. Helga blocked their talking out and tried to focus her thoughts on the year ahead. She'd already made one rule. No boys. Even thought the breakup with Torvald was mutual, Helga was still nursing a sore heart. A summer with Arnold had helped her get over it, but it had also cause old feelings to resurface. She wanted to drown them again. She sighed. Why!?
Then there was her father. She could see that the stress Miriam was placing on him was making him sick. But he wouldn't let her help.
"Enjoy your youth, Helga," he would tell her. "You only have it once. Once it's gone, it's gone."
"I should get home," she said, sitting up suddenly.
"Oh, okay," Arnold said, getting up as well. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"No, I'm good," she said, giving him a smile. "See ya, hair boy."
"Later Pataki," Gerald said, stripping off his shirt and eyeing up the pool.
Arnold walked to the door with Helga. Just as she was about to leave he grabbed her hand and tugged her a bit closer.
"I've really enjoyed spending time with you over summer, Helga," he told her.
"Me too, Football Head," she said.
"So, I was thinking . . ."
"Yeah?" she asked, her heart thumping.
"Do you want to continue it? As girlfriend and boyfriend?"