Since the club, Curly had been hanging out with Brenda. She was studying in the Liberal Arts and enjoyed drawing on her off time. He found that he really liked her. She was far more down to Earth and very sweet. He also found her love of weird things. Hearing her yell out a profane word and getting tons of reactions from it, Brenda didn't care that some were dirty looks.
"Curly, I love hanging with you." Kissing his cheek, Brenda blushed.
"I enjoy hanging with you." Leaning to kiss her cheek, Curly found her lips instead. Feeling her response, he thought it was very pleasant. Too pleasant. It felt strange to feel for another girl when all his life he devoted it to, Rhonda.
Brenda found herself smiling against the kiss loving how soft he was, but also firm. He wasn't a sloppy kisser, and in truth she loved the butterflies fluttering around her stomach. Pulling away from him slightly she kissed his nose. "So what does this mean?" She hoped for something positive with this man.
Curly contemplated this even as he felt a strange fluttering inside of him. Kissing her again just to test it out, he found it wasn't a fluke. Spotting some movement in the park he said the one thing he instantly regretted in front of, Brenda. "Rhonda."
She was confused. Insulted as she pulled away a bit more. "I'm not your ex."
Realizing he said Rhonda's name out loud, Curly shook his head. "I know you aren't. I'm glad you aren't. Rhonda is staring right at me."
"Meaning?"
Brenda looked so sweet to him and almost hurt. Finding courage once more inside of him, Curly gave her a chaste kiss. "Let me have some words with her and I promise I'll be right back." Touching her face he found he had a hard time leaving her.
"You left that voicemail but it isn't true closure. Do what you need to do and I'll be right here." She understood as she found some regret in his face. She could tell he seemed to rather stick by her side.
Standing up, Curly headed directly to Rhonda. Of course she would be dressed in her finest. Of course it felt like a mockery to him in a way as he closed in on her.
Rhonda's stomach curled the moment she spotted him kissing another woman. Glancing down to her phone where his saved voicemail was, Rhonda found herself actually frightened. She actually lost someone who truly loved her even at her worst.
"Rhonda." Her name sounded like venom. His eyes bore into her and she could see the true hurt she caused.
"Hello Curly." She didn't want to ask him how he was when she could tell. "Who is your girlfriend?" She slapped herself. Of course he would move on. He deserved to move on after what she pulled on him.
Curly turned his head towards, Brenda. It felt like a moment of sanity and relief as he looked at her. "She isn't my girlfriend. Not yet at least. We've been together for a couple of weeks as friends. She's sweet. Also as for Helga, I met her and I instantly liked her."
"Well she is very pretty and as for Helga, I was very wrong about her. I was wrong about so many things. I didn't realize it how wrong I was until I spoke to her. It truly made me realize what a monster that I became." She deflated more at seeing the concern from the other female's face. "I've been out of the country at this retreat. Well a rehabilitation center. I needed to finally get some help. My parents disagreed about it, but I convinced them that it was needed." She felt shaky again. "I need to get my act together or I will lose everyone in my life that stood by my side."
"I can't quite believe you, Rhonda. You know how many lies you have told in order to use someone? Do you believe you still have friends left?" Taking a step forward, Curly actually wanted to strangle her. "I loved you. I worshipped the ground you walked on and what did I get for all that devotion? I got stepped on. The only reason why most of those guys moved on is because their feelings weren't as strong. Me? It killed me when you did that."
"I know, Curly. I've saved your message and have been listening to it over and over. I deserve what you are saying to me. I deserve it all. I'm here to make things right before I head back there to continue my therapy. You are my first stop before I head to Nadine's and then elsewhere. I have so much to do." Her eyes moistened, but she refused to cry. "I want to say how sorry I am for doing what I did to you. I want to thank you for always sticking by me. I wanted you originally at my house because I needed someone who can slap the sense back to me, but I slept with you." Remembering it now, Rhonda blushed. It was a rare thing for her to do so she actually welcomed it.
Curly was reading her well again to see there was something else. "What else do you want to say besides that? I can see something lurking there."
She hesitated knowing that girl was waiting for him to return. "I found out recently that I'm pregnant." She saw him jerking his head. "You know that it has been a while since I slept with anyone."
Stepping back, Curly would never want to deny a child that is potentially his. He could never do that. "Is this a trick, Rhonda? How am I supposed to believe that?"
"it's understandable that you don't. I will even take another test in front of you. I'll even have a DNA test done to prove it that it is yours. I just know that I'm keeping it and if you don't want any responsibility with it, I'm fine with it." Rhonda knew he would explode on her. Curly was always protective over anything innocent. Fiercely so.
"As if I would abandon a child even it is mines. I will take a DNA test just to prove it and if it is, I will help raise it, but I won't live with you."
That one hurt. Rhonda really did lose him. She had to try to take the higher road with him. "I understand." She bowed her head mostly to look down at her flat stomach. "I do need to confess something to you. Something I didn't quite realize till it was too late." She contemplated telling him it too seeing that he might have a chance with someone else. "I love you. I don't want this to change your mind if you have a shot with that girl over there. I just wanted to let you know."
All this time he finally receives the words he had been waiting to hear and still he didn't want a thing to do with her. "Go to Nadine. She's been upset. I guess I'll see you around."
Nodding her head at his avoidance to what she just confessed, Rhonda thought it was better to head over to, Nadine's. "Well good luck to you, Curly."
"Yeah, well, good luck to you." Turning his back to her, Curly seemed to of spotted a safe haven with, Brenda. Walking towards her he smiled weakly. "I'm sorry about that."
Brenda stood up as she spotted the strain on his shoulders. "It's fine." Moving to hug him, she watched Rhonda's eyes turn to sorrow. That woman wasn't faking anything. "She seems to regret what happened. You sure about pursuing anything with me?"
Curly pulled away to kiss her. This felt sure to him. "I'm sure."
Rhonda went to her car and headed to Nadine's. This might be bad, but wondered if she should do something more with her. Thinking heavily on it, she headed in another direction.
Nadine answered the door to find Peapod kid standing there. It had been some time and even if she saw brief glances of him around, she never had the guts to speak to him. She stood there loving the fact that he had the same glasses on and looking like his amazing self. Plus she couldn't get enough of the cologne he was wearing.
"Peapod Kid. What are you doing here?"
He smirked at her as he even took her in. She was still her bewitching self. "I'll never shake that name will I?" He teased.
Blushing, Nadine grounded her foot into the ground. "Well you did look very cute in that play so I guess not, Rich."
"May I come in?" Waiting for her to move away, Rich stepped in. "Are you single?"
"Yes. I've been busy studying and.." Finding herself in his arms, Nadine found his lips on hers. She didn't fight it as her arms reached around his neck enjoying every bit of it.
He fought to stay right there, but needed to speak. "Rhonda came to me to apologize to me for ruining things with us. The reason why I haven't wanted to speak to you is because I felt I betrayed you. I felt really terrible. Horrible, horrible even. Will you forgive me?"
"She came to you? Does that mean she's here?" Nadine's eyes wondered why she didn't come here herself till there was a knock at the door. Having a feeling who it was, she opened it to find Rhonda there. "When did you come back?"
"Last night. I have so much to do. I apologized to Curly already and I don't blame him for not forgiving me. Next I went to Peapod kid to apologize to him and to tell him you still think of him." Rhonda told her earnestly. "Most of all I want to say I'm sorry. You've been my friend for so long that I am sorry I hurt you the most. I don't deserve someone like you in my life."
Nadine blinked. "Where exactly were you?"
"In therapy at a treatment center. I'm going back there after this is over since there is more to be done." Looking past her to Rich, Rhonda smirked. "I'm going to give you time with lover boy. I'll be here for a little while longer."
"Are you going to apologize to Arnold and Helga? She was never lying about Brainy's passing."
"I will, but there is something that is being worked on right now. I will explain it to you much later. I promise." Coming forward, Rhonda kissed her cheek. "I do love you. You are a true friend."
Opening her mouth to speak, Nadine watched as she ran off. She had a feeling she'll be back to talking about her. Turning her head, Nadine thought to continue something with, Rich.
Helga was walking as fast as she can to work. She grumbled about, Johnny telling her to keep strutting. She growled and even growled at the numerous measurements she has been enduring since she began this whole thing. He even demanded that she drop some pounds. If she dropped any pounds she would be nothing but a stick with her frame. In the end she flipped him off, and Johnny went happily nuts about it.
She went past a group of frat boys who hooted and howled at her. The horny college girls who were drooling over men who passed them. College to her was like a petri dish. More so then high school or even middle school. While younger grades becomes a petri dish of cold and flu germs. The remaining grades were different in the idea of possible STD's. Helga knew she was feeling facetious right now or she was just being her old angry self. In either case, she wasn't prepared to see, Rhonda again right now.
Rhonda felt just as nervous as speaking to her as she was to, Curly. It was in two different ways, but still the same nervousness. "May I please speak to you?"
Pausing long enough to humor her, Helga shook her arms out to release all the tension in her body. "I'm not preparing to pound you." She noticed the worry in Rhonda's face at what she was doing. "I had a very annoying morning." Stopping what she was doing, Helga resumed a serious expression on her face. "What's up?"
"I understand you are heading into your job so I will try to keep this brief." Rhonda started off in saying. "This time I would like to apologize about all the harmful things I've done. I apologize for wanting to steal Arnold away, and making up lies. It was wrong and currently I'm trying my hardest to work on myself. I've already apologized to Curly. I've gotten Nadine with Peapod kid, and apologized to her. You were my next stop."
"So this isn't just to appease, Arnold." Helga studied her long and hard.
"No. This is not only for me, but for you. I do know that Arnold will appreciate it, but he is the type of person who wants the other to work on themselves. To prove themselves." Rhonda spotted a ghost of a smile on the blonde's face.
Lifting her phone up, Helga called up Ruby to tell her she'll just be a little late coming in. Hanging up, Helga indicated that they should both sit down. "He's right. The apology is nice to hear but you need the actions to back it up. Being a single mother you find you don't have time for these games. Really those games should never be played at all. Still you learn to become more tolerant of some things."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning this: When Curly apologized to me about an error that he made, I accepted it. He was distraught about what happened between you both." Seeing how bad she looked at those words, Helga placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I told him as we spoke that I'm willing to give you a second chance. My family life wasn't ideal to the point I felt like slitting my wrist a few times or mostly just scream. Brainy saved me in his own way." Squeezing her shoulder a little, she continued. "I have a feeling you used your energy elsewhere to do that with all those guys."
Finally some tears came loose. "My parents tell me it isn't attractive to cry. They use to pay some attention to me when I was younger, but after a while it was required for me to grow up to the point they ignored me unless it suited their purpose."
"Exactly what my dad did with me, but you used guys for the attention and once it suited you, you tossed them away." Seeing her crying more, Helga reached into her purse for some tissues she kept handy for, Hailie. "So that's why you left. To get help."
"Mmm hmmm. I wish I didn't hurt, Curly most of all." Pulling her phone out she pulled up her voicemail to let her listen to it. "I keep it not only to remind myself what I've done wrong, but also to fuel me to get better."
Helga caught something more with her there. "You're in love with him." She nodded her head. "When did you realize this?"
"In the middle of being with him. I made him leave because I didn't feel worthy of him, but I handled it all wrong." She blew her nose. "Now he is with another woman and I'm pregnant."
"Did you tell him you're pregnant?" Rhonda nodded again. "What did you say to him?"
Wiping under her eyes, Rhonda turned to him. "I'm not forcing him to be with me. Of course he doesn't believe it is his or that I'm pregnant. I'm fine with him believing that since I wouldn't either. He said once there is DNA proof he'll help me raise it, but not be with me."
Helga smiled a little more. "That's commendable actually." Rhonda looked still so nervous to her. "Being a single parent isn't bad at all. Is it daunting? Yes it is. There are times I'm scared that I'm not doing something right until I see this pure joy in, Hailie's face. You want to see something rewarding? There it is. When my daughter is healthy too, I'm over the moon."
Rhonda hoped she could be good at being a parent. She wanted to be one very badly now. "I want to give my child everything that I really didn't get." Seeing Helga's mouth open up to speak, she made her pause as she went into her purse to give her a picture. "I thought you might want this."
Her eyes went directly to, Brainy. There he was off to the side smiling. He was young. Helga recognized everyone in the picture including, Arnold. How could she not miss him? Arnold and Gerald were leaning against the other. Both loves of her life were in this picture just smiling away and being free. It was obvious they all finished a baseball game by the amount of equipment lying around their feet.
Rhonda watched her reaction. "It really is an awful way of losing someone. At least you got a second chance with someone who will move the world for you. I hope to get that too one day."
"You will by what lays in your abdomen right now." Helga met her eyes. "When your baby comes out and they lay him or her in your arms you'll know. There is something miraculous about it. You'll see, Rhonda."
Placing a hand on her stomach, Rhonda wondered how that will be like when that does happen. Did her mother think like this when she was born? "Please keep it. At least you have a picture with both loves in it."
Helga instinctually hugged her slightly. "I appreciate this so much."
"Not a problem. I'm sure you are still having problems with the in-laws."
"Yes and my brother-in-law actually disowned his own parents until they get it in their heads that, Brainy is gone. One day there will be a gravestone again. Perhaps with the money I'm receiving I will not only place it in a special fund for, Hailie, but pay for that tombstone myself. I can't deal with him having an unmarked grave. Brainy deserves more respect."
Rhonda heard the anger towards the in-laws before hearing the love about Brainy. "What has Arnold done about all of this? I can't see him laying in the shadows."
"Arnold has spoken to them, but I can see the fire within him the moment, Stan had to stay at the boarding house. I know he has something up his sleeve."
"So I assume you've been over this so many times with the in-laws."
Helga gently placed the photo in her purse. "For five years I did until I almost had a break down." Checking her time she knew she had to head into work. "I need to get a paycheck so I need to bounce."
Standing up with her, Rhonda felt nervous once more. "Thanks for talking to me. I really am sorry for what I've done. I'll let you go for now."
"Shut it and just keep improving. As for any advice on the whole parenting thing, you can come and ask." Helga offered easily.
Appreciating the offer, Rhonda bid her a good day before departing to see if Nadine was free for something. She needed her friend's hand to hold for this.
Arnold sat across from, Brainy's parents while they studied the piece of paper he gave them. He sat there firmly keeping his peace, but as he heard their poor attempt at whispering he cleared his throat.
"As you can see there. It is an official document. To say that I'm forging this is incorrect."
Herbert put his head up as he waved the document around. "This isn't a joke. We can sue you for it."
Unfazed by that, Arnold continued. "Well sure you can sue me for this, but the fact is this; The moment the court hears of this they will also see that, Brainy was killed in the line of duty." He let that sink in. "You know that this is true since you both know the truth."
"What printer shop did you do this at?" Mrs Bartlett continued to stare at the document.
Helga did have the document, but instead of taking hers in case it got torn up, Arnold went to, Mr Bailey to see about getting some help. "The Federal Department of Information. Speak to a Mr Bailey about this."
Herbert was off to the side now in quiet contemplation while, Mrs Bartlett was still denying the whole thing. For some reason, Arnold saw Herbert coming to slowly.
"Don't you want, Stan back in your lives? Currently he is living at the Sunset Arms on Vine street. Don't you want to get to know your granddaughter Hailie? She's a wonderful girl just like her mother is." Going into his folder he pulled out the unphotoshopped pictures of Helga and Brainy. "This is a genuine photograph." Pulling out the photoshopped version, Arnold placed them side by side. "This is the one you both made. You can see the obvious fake. You can see that Helga is a milky white complexion, while the girl you photoshopped on Helga's head is tanned. Doesn't match." Pulling out an extra shot of Helga and Hailie, Arnold smiled at the both of them before placing it on their coffee table. "This is both your daughter-in-law Helga, and your granddaughter Hailie."
Mrs Bartlett slowly placed her hand on the photo to bring it towards her. Arnold watched her as she studied it as Herbert finally sat back down to look at it as well. It was time for him to leave.
Standing up, Arnold had another copy of a photo of them both. "Brainy was this great person who found and fell in love with, Helga. In that, they had a beautiful daughter he doesn't get the pleasure of seeing grow up. Hailie asks us everyday what her dad is like and each day she has another person to be more proud of. Please continue that tradition."
At that he left their house just hoping that this will be it. It was time for them also to heal.