Ch. #2: The Story of Helga G. Pataki
Author's Notes: Hey guys and gals! I was finally able to take some time to write another chapter! So I am proud to present you with Chapter #2! Also, I am so happy with the amazing response from the first chapter! Thank you everyone for your support! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh, and just to let you know, this chapter will be in 3rd person because it's fun to write in 3rd person.
Without further ado, I'd like to continue with Helga telling the story:
"So, anyways as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by a certain someone…"
The door opened, revealing Arnold's grandpa standing idly by the door with a sly grin on his face. "Well, would you lookie what we have here," he greeted, "It's that grumpy ol' fellow who yells all the time and wrecked my Packard a few months back! Imagine seeing you here on my front doorstop and oh! I see you've brought your family along as well."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled to be here either, gramps. Especially since I have deal with the same idiot who can't admit that he cheated during our golf match!" Bob argued.
"Cheated?!" Phil exclaimed. "Why, I beat your arrogant patootie fair and square and you know it, Big Bob! You just can't admit that you tasted defeat against an old coot like me."
Big Bob turned red in outrage. "Alright! That's it! I don't have to sit here and take this. You want to fight me, old man?!" He challenged.
"Any time, anywhere, Big Bob…" He gave a half lidded smile, "or should I say, all talk?" He mocked.
"Bring it on, old man!" Bob said, standing menacingly before Phil.
"Dad…"
"Daddy!"
Helga and Olga warned in unison, giving their father irritated looks. They blinked and looked at each other for a moment before returning their glares on Bob.
Seeing his daughters' unhappy expressions, he begrudgingly backed off and relented from his attack. "I'll let you off the hook this time, old timer, but I'm warning ya, don't cross me or I won't be as forgiving the second time around." He said, stepping back.
Internally, Phil thanked his lucky stars. 'Phew, that was a close one! I would've never stood a chance against someone like him! He looks like he could eat people like me for breakfast if he had the chance.' He thought.
"Anyways," Bob continued, "I'm not here to argue with you, old man. As we discussed, my family needs a place to stay for a couple of weeks since our house is under reconstruction at this time because of that little fire incident that happened today. Now, I didn't come here to spend a fortune. The agreement was $200, no strings attached and there better not be unless you want to deal with me." He threatened.
Olga shook her head in disappointment while Helga rolled her eyes.
Seeing their reaction, Bob cleared his throat. "So, those rooms ready yet?"
"Well now, I promise that you'll never have to worry about there being strings attached in this boarding house. We folks keep our word, no questions asked." He thought it over for a moment, scratching his head. "Except maybe Oskar, now he's someone you have to worry about." Phil amended. "And those rooms you were talking about? Oh, they're spic and span and ready for you guys to occupy when you see fit. I only have two left, but I think it'll work out if we put two of you to a room. It just so happens that one of the bedrooms has a pull-out couch so the girls could probably take that room while you and your wife share the other bedroom."
Bob smiled. "Now that's what I want to hear! Where do I sign?" He said, eagerly.
"Well, come on in and step right into my office!" Phil replied, holding the door open for the Pataki family. The Pataki's took the invite and walked inside with Miriam and Olga struggling to carry two large boxes of beepers through the door and Helga holding a stack of Bob's clothes that he had somehow managed to salvage from the fire while rolling her eyes at him for not even bothering to help out at all as he followed Phil to his "office" upstairs.
"Hey Grandpa, who was at the door?" A familiar boy's voice called from upstairs. As he started descending the stairs, he was surprised to bump into his grandpa and Big Bob ascending the stairs. He froze, turning around to look at them.
"Mr. Pataki?!" He exclaimed.
His grandpa stopped and turned around, waving the matter off casually. "Oh, don't worry about it, Shortman. Just the usual business with tenants wanting to snag some rooms at the last minute. Carry on, and say hi to your little friend downstairs for me. What was her name again? Well, you know, that one with the one eyebrow and the pig tails." His grandpa replied.
"Helga?!" Arnold asked in surprise.
Phil snapped his fingers. "Yeah! That's the one!"
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not paying you to sit around and talk to your grandson!" Bob responded, hurriedly.
"Anyways, gotta go take care of business! See ya when I see ya, Shortman," Phil said, before continuing up the stairs again with Bob trailing closely behind.
To say that Arnold was confused would be an understatement. He continued on his way, regarding the events with Big Bob and his grandpa before his thoughts were interrupted when he saw the rest of the Pataki family waiting in the hallway downstairs by the door.
He heard a gasp. "Arnold?!" Helga's voice exclaimed in surprise.
She quickly recovered, her face quickly settling into a frown, "Uh, what I mean to say is, I can't believe I'm being forced to live in this run down boarding house with you and your crazy family, football head."
"Hello to you too, Helga," Arnold replied in slight annoyance.
"Great welcoming party you have here, Arnoldo. We haven't seen a single boarder besides you and your grandpa." Helga remarked sarcastically.
Arnold looked at his watch showing a time after midnight. "Well, it's pretty late so I'm guessing almost everyone has retired to their rooms by now. What's the deal with you guys being over here anyways?"
"Doi! Isn't it obvious? We can't go to own our house right now because it's being repaired so skinflint Bob decided we needed a place to crash at a cheap rate and your place just took the cake." Helga explained.
"Oh, I see…" Arnold replied.
"Geez, no need to sound so excited, Arnoldo." Helga remarked with sarcasm. "Don't worry, the sentence is only for two weeks. After that, my family and I will be out of your hair!"
"No, it isn't like that at all, Helga. Your family is welcome to stay for as long as they like. It's not a sentence." He countered, not wanting her to think that he didn't want her or her family there.
"Oh please. You're about as good a liar as I am good at speaking like Phoebe." She replied, obviously not buying it. "No one, I mean, no one, should have the deal with the same things that I have to put up with my so-called "family"."
"But Helga, that's not true. I understand that you and your family are experiencing a tough time right now and I want to help ensure that you guys are put back on track."
'You don't understand, Arnold. I don't want things to return back to the way they were before. My family has never been on track.' Helga thought. She changed the subject.
"Hey, aren't you going to show us to our rooms or something? I thought you were gramps's little helper." Helga asked.
"Well, I guess I can show you the two rooms we have left, but I'll need to get the keys from grandpa." He stated.
"Whatever, it's not like I have anything better to do anyways…" Helga said, sitting down on one of the beeper boxes with a bored expression.
Instead of leaving immediately to find his grandpa, Arnold did something she wasn't expecting. He gave her his half-lidded smile and cast a wink in her direction. Helga blushed.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon," He responded, before walking back up the stairs.
"Uh, yeah, I'll just be right here…waiting…" She replied, flustered. 'Ok, what the heck was that all about?' she thought in confusion. She looked over to see if anyone noticed the odd way she was acting. Miriam was passed out on the floor, cradling her blender and Olga was nowhere to be found.
All clear.
She pulled out her locket from her jumper and began to monologue, "Oh Arnold, football headed love of my dreams, why must you tease me by granting me a chance to see that beautiful smile I have fallen in love with, only so that I will yearn to see it that much more? And those yummy half-lidded enchanting green eyes…oh darling! I am pudding against that wonderful gaze!" She gave a love-sick sigh before putting her locket back in her jumper.
"BABY SISTER!" She heard Olga's voice shout from the kitchen.
"OH BABY SIS-!"
"Crimeny Olga! Would it kill you to address me by my actual name for once instead of that ridiculous pet name that I've told you a thousand times not to call me?!" Helga cried out, heading over to the kitchen.
When she walked in she spotted Olga facing the window as she washed the remaining dishes in the sink.
"Oh Helga, you silly! It's not a pet name. It's just that I love my baby sister so much that it makes me want to proclaim the bond we share to the whole world." Olga replied. She put the last of the dishes in the cupboard with the other plates. She sighed happily. "There. All done." With that, she turned around and faced her sister.
"You know, baby sister, despite all those horrible things that happened today what with the electrical fire burning down the house and us having to move elsewhere, in some strange way, I believe that this all turned out for the better. For a while, I was afraid that the bond between us was drifting further apart each day, but now, because of the fire, I feel that we will finally be able to see beyond our differences and become closer as siblings." Olga said with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Helga, however, wasn't so convinced. "So, let me get this straight. You think that just because Bob was clumsy enough to start a fire that almost killed me and forced us to live like hobos that somehow everything's going to change and things will be all peachy from now on between you and me."
"I know it sounds strange, Helga, but with a little fait—" Olga started, but Helga continued.
"—and I suppose you think that we can just spend hours of quality time bawling away in each other's arms, talking about each other's 'feelings' in the hopes that by some miracle a mysterious connection will be made between you and me so that I will act like the sister you always wanted and we all can live happily ever after praising you. Huh Olga?" Helga answered.
"Well, it depends on how you look at it. As I always say, you can choose to see things with the glass half-full or the glass half-empty." Olga replied.
"Well, big sis, I've got some words of advice for you. I'm. Not. Like. You. I don't view things through rose-colored lenses like you do and I don't think that there has ever been any bond between us, nor do I think there will ever be a bond between us. I am not just some paper clip that you can bend and shape to turn it into something that's presentable for you to relate to you. I'm Helga, not you, not Bob, not Miriam. Just me. So quit trying to act like things are going to work between us because they're not. We have a room together and that's it. We tolerate each other because we have to. Nothing more. Got it?" Helga explained. Tears formed in Olga's eyes. "But where is all this coming from, baby sis? I only wanted us to…I thought we could…" Olga couldn't continue. She broke down in tears. "Excuse me." She sniffled, running out of the kitchen crying. For some reason, Helga couldn't shake the guilt that came shortly after seeing her sister's reaction. Truth be told, she knew her sister was just trying her best to be a good sister, but Helga knew that just clinging onto the hope that their relationship would change would be only making matters worse. Repairing their relationship was like trying to repair broken glass. The more Olga tried to put the broken pieces of their relationship back together, the more pain or wounds she sustained from those same broken pieces coming back to haunt her.
The feeling of guilt increased when Helga looked down and discovered the reason why her sister had called her inside the kitchen. On the floor was a small rectangular gift box labeled from 'Olga' to 'Baby Sis'. She hesitantly picked up the small trinket and slowly unwrapped the present. Inside the box, she found a small note:
Dear Helga:
I noticed that cute little pink bow of yours was a little charred from the fire today so I thought a new one would be fitting of my baby sis.
Love always,
Olga
xoxoxo
Helga looked under the letter and found a pink satin bow resting neatly on top of foam. She shook her head. 'She sure knows how to send a person on a guilt trip…' She thought. She hated herself for saying such horrible words to Olga.
"Olga, wait up!" She yelled, running after her sister.
…
"For crying out loud, gramps! Who on earth needs a bathroom for an office?!" Bob asked, shielding his eyes.
"Well, that would be me. Could you hand me my important papers, please?" Phil said on the toilet.
Bob rolled his eyes before starting to reach for the lease agreement until Phil's voice stopped him.
"No, no! My other important papers!" He said, pointing to a roll of toilet tissue.
"You've got to be kidding me…how long is this going to take, gramps?!"
"That depends. How long is it going to take you to hand me my important papers?"
"Oh, for the love of…here. Just take it." Bob said, handing the roll off to Phil. Upon seeing Phil doing something he wished he could un-see, Bob shielded his eyes immediately.
"Aww…come on, you aren't really—aww….okay, I get the picture, gramps. You want to be alone with your paperwork. Sheesh!" Bob complained, walking out the door and shutting it behind him.
A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing Phil carrying out a stack of papers along with a newspaper. Flushing noises could be heard in the background.
"Ahhh…what a relief when those weasels finally pop out of ya, eh Bob?" Phil said.
"I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that. That was more of you then I ever wanted to see." Bob cringed at the memory.
"Well, if you had just been a little more patient and waited outside in the first place, maybe you wouldn't have had to have seen what goes on in my office." Phil responded. "Anyways, the paperwork's all finished. You all can move into your rooms right away."
"Hey Grandpa," A young blonde boy greeted casually.
"Ah, Arnold. Just the man I wanted to see. Would you have the honor of escorting Mr. Pataki and his motley crew to their rooms, please?" Phil said, already handing off the keys to Arnold.
"Actually, grandpa. That's just what I came here to see you about." Arnold replied.
"Then it's all settled. Go on, Shortman. It's two to a room. Mr. & Mrs. Pataki and your little friend and her sister. Afterwards, you can provide me with the status report and that will be all for tonight." Phil answered.
"I'm on it." He responded before turning to Bob. "Mr. Pataki, can you please wait here while I get everyone else to join us upstairs?"
"Just make it quick or I'll charge you for wasting my valuable time. Time is money, Arnie." Bob said seriously.
"Um, it's Arnold and right, I won't be long." Arnold said, before descending the staircase.
"Crimeny! Where is she? This place is a lot larger than I had anticipated. I feel like I need a freakin' map!" Helga said, looking around anxiously for any signs of her sister.
Suddenly, she heard muffled sniffles in the back corner of the room. When she went to check it out, she found her sister huddled in a corner with her back facing Helga. A feeling of dread came over Helga. She hated these types of situations. She was never very good at cheering people up. Whenever she tried, she always came off kind of brash and uncaring so she tried her best to avoid them. However, this was her sister and she remembered what Arnold had said about sisters being there for one another, no matter what, and she also had to take a little accountability in creating this situation for herself.
She took a deep breath. 'Ok, Helga, ol' girl. You can do this. Just remember to be gentle and apologize. It'll all be over soon.'
But as she slowly approached Olga, she started having second thoughts. 'She's just going to cry again and annoy the crap out of me. Besides, it's not like I just won't end up making things worse.'
However, despite her doubts, she spoke, making her sister painfully aware that someone else was in the room.
"Olga, I, uh, need to talk to you." Helga started.
Olga turned around, revealing her puffy eyes and black mascara cascading down both sides of her face.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" Her sister responded.
Helga was a little taken aback by her sister's new attitude, but she continued to press on. "Well, I, uh, just wanted to say that I'm sorry for saying the things that I said. Olga, you're not a bad sister, I know that. It's just that I get tired of you breathing down my neck all the time and I just need some space."
It was silent for a moment before her sister finally spoke.
"You know, I thought a lot about what you said earlier, Helga." She began.
"Y-you did?" Helga questioned, unsure of what to make of her statement.
She nodded her head. "I did and I realized that all of the things you said about me were true. You must have thought that I was overbearing the way I always insisted that we spend time together and bond as siblings."
"Oh, don't say that, Olga. It wasn't that I didn't like spending time with you because to tell you the truth, it was sort of nice having someone around that paid attention to me. It was the 24/7 part that annoyed me." Helga said, rubbing the back of her neck shyly.
Olga got on her knees and took Helga's hands into hers. "Baby si—I mean, Helga—can you ever find it in that wittle heart of yours to forgive me? I promise to never invade your space again and to be there only when you need me."
Helga gave a small smile. "Of course I forgive you, Olga. I mean, what are sisters for? But you don't have to promise me anything. Let's face it. We're going to get on each other's nerves from time to time, but that's to be expected. No one else shares the bond that we have—as sisters. I'm sorry I didn't realize that sooner." She said.
Olga pulled her in for a tight hug with teary eyes, but unlike other times, Helga embraced her sister back. They remained like that for just a few moments before they both released from each other's grasps.
Olga wiped her eyes, now smiling. "You want to know the worst thing about pretending like everything's perfect? Losing sight of what's really important. And that's you, baby sis. However, there's just one teensy thing that you were wrong about."
That caught her attention. Helga crossed her arms against her chest. "Oh yeah? What 'one teensy thing' did I miss?" She asked, skeptically.
"You were always the perfect sister to me. More perfect than I could have ever asked for." Olga answered, tapping one finger on Helga's nose.
Helga scoffed. "Right, I'm just a regular Olga jr. ready to take on any good deeds you throw at me."
Olga giggled. "No, silly. I meant, I love you just the way you are," She said, but giggled some more upon seeing Helga's confused face. "You know, I wasn't always the perfect sister you think I am."
"Oh sure, and I suppose you're going to tell me that Bob's pork rinds are a part of every nutritious breakfast." Helga said, obviously not buying it.
Olga feigned a gasping noise. "You mean they're not?" She asked, laughing.
Helga joined in laughing. "Not unless you count sleepwalking on the list of breakfast items…" She joked.
Olga laughed at that, but was eventually able to regain her bearings shortly afterwards. "But seriously, baby sis, I used to be a very lonely girl when I was your age."
"Lonely? You?! Do tell." came Helga's sarcastic reply.
Olga nodded her head. "Uh-huh. It's true. Before you were born, I spent a lot of my time on my own. You see, daddy wasn't very happy about the idea of a daughter. He always wanted a son to carry the Pataki name. So, anytime he looked at me, he always had a look of disgust on his face like I was a mistake. It hurt me every time. I felt so unloved." She recalled sadly.
"What about mom?" Helga asked, now intrigued with the sudden turn of events.
"I know that mommy was very happy to have me, but daddy just didn't understand. He blamed my existence on mommy and called her a failure as a Pataki wife. Mommy became very unhappy and that's when…" Olga stopped; her eyes began to water at the memory.
"Let me guess, she binged on her 'smoothies', right?" Helga responded, knowingly.
Olga nodded. "I was alone and had no one to take care of me. Daddy was always yelling at mommy and mommy was always too drained to do anything about it. It was like she had given up. I witnessed her once bright and exuberant eyes turn into listless, dull eyes. One night, I remember hearing daddy threatening to file for divorce if mommy didn't get her act together. I remember spending hours crying in my room after that. I was afraid that my family would split apart, all because of me." Olga replied.
"So, what happened after that? How did you manage to bring everyone together?" Helga asked. 'All this time, I thought I was suffering, but maybe…maybe there was someone suffering just as much as me.' She thought, sadly.
Olga wiped her eyes. "I decided to be the child that daddy wanted. I studied hard in school, entered into as many extracurriculars and competitions, striving to be the best every time. And guess what? I became the best academically-gifted, piano concerto, award-winning Pataki actress around. Daddy and Mommy were so proud. It brought the family back together again. So I thought that all I had to do was continue always being the best and I would never be so alone again." Olga finished cheerfully.
"Is that why you cry at the drop of a hat?" Helga mocked.
"I…Well, remember the day you changed one of my grades to a B+?" Olga asked.
"Who doesn't?" She shrugged.
"Well, during that time, all I could think about was the loneliness I felt before I decided to be a little wind-up doll for mommy and daddy. I thought that I had let daddy down by that less than perfect grade."
"But that's silly, Olga! You can't actually believe that Bob and Miriam will stop loving you just because you made one mistake. I mean, look at them. They practically worship the ground you walk on." Helga countered.
"I don't know why, but every time I think about making a mistake, I cringe at the thought. I don't know what I would do if that were to happen. I just can't bear the thought, Helga." Olga replied.
"Yeah, well, thanks to you I don't have to walk around being 'little miss perfect' all the time. But sometimes, I feel like…oh forget it. You wouldn't understand." Helga said, immediately changing her mind.
"What, baby sis? What? You can tell me. I promise to keep this between you and me." Olga responded eagerly.
"I…" She cautiously started, unsure about whether to continue. Upon seeing her sister's pleading face, she relented. "I don't know. I guess I feel a bit overshadowed because all mom and dad seem to care about is you." She admitted.
"Don't be silly, Baby sis. They would neve—" She coaxed, but Helga cut in.
"See! This is exactly what I'm talking about! You don't know what it feels like to be constantly treated like you don't exist. You don't know how it feels to be starving for days without food and having to be creative and eat cereal for several weeks because Miriam is too wasted to make anything. You don't know what it's like to have your own dad not even remember your own name and even worse, call it by your own sister's name. You don't even know what it's like to have to walk to school every day since preschool because your parent's don't care enough to drive you. And it's not like I can wave a paper in front of them and yell, 'Hey! I made an A on my math test today!' and you want to know why?"
Before Olga could answer, Helga answered for her. "Because every day I'm constantly reminded how much better you are than me with your awards and because you were able to make ten consecutive A+'s in just one week. And when you're finally home, not only do I have to hear Bob and Miriam praise you on all your achievements, that's all that seems to come out of your mouth as well. Crimeny! I feel like I'm surrounded!" Helga shouted, huffing and puffing.
It was silent for a moment before Olga spoke. "Baby sister, I am so sorry. I never knew. After you were born, I thought I could protect you from the loneliness I felt by giving you all the attention mommy and daddy never gave me just by spending more time with you, but I never meant for my own need to feel loved would cause your unhappiness." Olga stated.
"It's okay, Olga, I'm used to it by now. I'll manage, but I just wanted you to know." Helga said.
"No, Helga, it's not okay. From now on, I'll try to be more conscientious of your achievements than my own." Olga said, pulling her in for another hug.
"Yeah, yeah, just don't go overboard with it. Sometimes I just need my space." Helga replied, annoyed, yet smiling.
They froze when they heard a throat clear itself in the background. They turned to see a familiar blonde haired boy standing in the doorway.
"I, uh, sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but grandpa said that he has all the rooms ready for you guys." He said.
"Geez, football head. You couldn't have picked a better timing. I think Olga here was just attempting to smother me to death." She said, breaking away from her sister. However, she cast a wink in her direction causing Olga to understand that she was joking.
"Oh, in that case, maybe I should stand outside a few more minutes." Arnold replied, grinning.
"So you're her partner in crime, huh? What's the world coming to when two saints have gone bad?" Helga exclaimed dramatically as she pinched his arm.
"Ow!" Arnold yelped, rubbing his recently pinched arm. "What was that for?!"
"Oh, sorry, football head. I had to make sure that was the real you instead of an evil clone. Yep, it's you, alright. An evil clone wouldn't be so weak." Helga explained.
"Gee, thanks…" Arnold replied in annoyance.
Watching the scene of events, Olga giggled to herself. "Thank you very much, Arnold! We appreciate that you have been so kind to show us to our rooms." she said, standing up.
"No problem." Arnold responded.
'Suck up…' Helga thought, rolling her eyes.
Together, the three walked out of the dining room and into the hallway where Miriam was still passed out.
...
"Is she going to be alright?" Arnold asked, looking down at the woman sleeping on the floor clutching her blender.
"Who? Miriam? Yeah, she's fine. Happens all the time." Helga said, with a carefree attitude.
"Glad to see you seem to be taking this so well," He responded.
"Mommy!" Olga cried, kneeling down beside the sleeping woman. Arnold watched as Olga attempted to wake up the slumbering woman.
"Huh? Wha? Where am I?" The woman replied drunkenly.
Arnold let out a sigh of relief. She was going to be okay after all.
"Are you going to stand there gawking at her all day or are you going to help me carry Bob's luggage up the stairs?" Helga asked suddenly, already heaving a box of Bob's beepers.
"Huh? Oh. Right." He answered, grabbing the other box of Bob's beepers.
"Sheesh, Arnoldo. Some host you turned out to be." She mocked.
'Some guest she turned out to be…' he thought to himself.
"Mommy, Arnold here has been kind enough to show us to our rooms. Isn't that great?" Olga asked.
"Oh, uh huh, that's nice dear…have you seen my blender around anywhere?" Miriam questioned.
Olga giggled. "Why, it's in your hands silly!" She exclaimed.
Miriam immediately looked in her hands and saw her blender. "Oh, right… excuse me, I'm just going to go brew up a quick smoothie in the kitchen." She replied, already beginning to stand up to head in that direction.
"Oh brother, Miriam. Don't you think you've had enough of your 'smoothies' for one day?" Helga asked.
"Helga's right, mommy. You must be tired after everything that happened today. You need rest and this young man has been waiting here patiently to show us to our rooms." Olga tried to persuade her mother.
"Oh, it won't take long. I just need a glass to get me by. I have such a headache." Miriam responded tiredly, holding her head.
"It's not nice to keep this kind boy waiting, mommy. Don't you think you should wait till after you get your things settled, hm?" Olga chastised.
"Don't bother trying to convince her, Olga. This could take all day if you allow it. It's obvious that nothing's coming between Miriam and her smoothies so don't waste your breath." Helga said, rolling her eyes. "We haven't got all day."
"But—" Olga tried to protest.
"It's okay. I can show Mrs. Pataki where things are in the kitchen. It should only take a minute and afterwards, I can help you two carry all these boxes to your rooms." Arnold answered.
"Really?!" Olga exclaimed. "Oh, Arnold, you sweet, sweet boy! Now I can see why my baby sister likes you so much."
"Huh?!" Helga squeaked in surprise. "Y-you've got it all wrong, Olga. Let me lay it in thick. I do not like Arnold. You've got to be crazy to like that football headed freak!"
'Yeah, crazy about football heads…' she thought automatically.
Arnold didn't fail to catch that little insult that Helga threw in there, but opted to ignore it and chalk it off to Helga being Helga. "Helga and I are just...friends. We go to the same school and hang around the same group of friends, but that's pretty much it." He explained.
Helga couldn't help but feel a little hurt by the last part of Arnold's comment. ' "Pretty much it"? I mean, it's not like I expected to be among his first choice of girls that he'd go out with, but I thought that maybe, maybe he thought a little more of me after him rescuing me and all…' she thought. She sighed. 'I should have known…Arnold was just doing his do-gooder act as always. Why would I think that he would treat me any different than any other person trapped in a burning building on a Saturday?' A voice broke her thoughts.
"…Helga?" Olga asked, worriedly.
"Huh?" She questioned, snapping out of her daze.
"I was asking your opinion on whether you think it would be a good idea to write a 'thank you' card out to Arnold and his grandfather for being such great hosts." Olga repeated.
"Uh, yeah, Olga. Sounds great," Helga answered, her mind elsewhere. She looked around and noticed Arnold and Miriam were gone now. She assumed that they had gone into the kitchen so Arnold could basically give Miriam permission to raid their kitchen.
A few moments later, Arnold returned with a tired expression. It was getting late. He knew it and they knew it. The clock showed after 1am already. He looked ready to hurry this shindig along so that he could hit the sack soon.
"Alright, you two. Ready to head upstairs? Mr. Pataki is probably tired of waiting by now." Arnold asked, a little too eagerly.
"You've got that right, bucko. I'm surprised he hasn't come storming down the stairs demanding to know what the hold up is and when he came get to be with his stuff since apparently, that's all he seems to care about lately." Helga agreed.
"Oh, you know how Daddy gets!" Olga laughed. "Thanks again for all your help, Arnold." She said.
"Oh, it's not a problem. I'm always available if you need me." He responded, heaving a box of Bob's beepers.
Helga followed suit, carrying another one of Bob's heavy beeper boxes with Olga not too far along carrying a bag of Bob's clothes. They each began their ascent up the staircase.
"Crimeny! What's taking that kid so damn long?!" Bob said, anxiously pacing the hallway outside the bathroom.
"Well, I'd wish the Shortman would hurry up soon so that I don't have to listen to any more of your complaints…" Phil remarked.
"Hey! You want to make something of it, old man?!" Bob threatened, walking up close to where he was towering over the elderly man.
Phil stood his ground, glaring up into the taller man's eyes. "Who are you calling an old man?"
"Hard of hearing now?" Bob mocked. The two were chest to chest now.
"Hey, grandpa. We're back!" Arnold said, coming to the last stair. He froze when he saw Phil and Bob just about to go toe-to-toe with each other. They didn't seem to notice that he was there.
Helga walked past Arnold and put down the box she was carrying.
"ALRIGHT, BREAK IT UP!" She shouted, getting in between Bob and Phil and pushing them apart. "Geez, we haven't even been gone for ten minutes and already you guys at each other's throats." Helga said, putting her hands on her hips.
Arnold just gaped at Helga's forcefulness.
"Daddy, please. No more fighting. These people have given us way too much already." Olga defended, standing in between Phil and Bob.
Bob immediately turned his attention to the three people standing before him, but not before casting one last's glare in Phil's direction. In response, Phil waved both of his hands near his ears and stuck his tongue out at Bob.
"So the cavalry's arrived. Well, it's about time. Where the hell have you been? And where's Miriam?" Bob asked, eyeing the group.
"Doi! She's downstairs binging on her favorite drinks again. What else?" came Helga's crude response.
"Again?! Oh Miriam, for the love of—!" He exclaimed, putting a hand to his forehead. He turned to Arnold. "Look, kid. I'm tired and I'm ready to hit the sack. Could we please just move this along already?" He asked.
"Yes, sir. It's right this way." He said, motioning for everyone to follow him.
"And as for you," Bob started, pointing a finger at Phil. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot. Ya got that?"
Phil closed one eye, glaring angrily at the man. "Oh foey! You don't scare me. This fight was over long before it started." He responded.
"Grandpa…" Arnold chastised, giving his grandfather a look.
"Sorry, Shortman, but sometimes you just gotta learn how to stand up to bullies like Big Bob." He answered, walking in stride past him and right into the bathroom, shutting the door.
Helga rolled her eyes. "Some family you got here, paste-for-brains." She said, picking up her box.
"Yeah, well. I could say the same about yours…" He whispered, not wanting to provoke Helga's father any further.
"You got me there." She replied, as they walked down the hallway to their rooms.
In the kitchen, Miriam was busy looking in the fridge for ingredients to put in her smoothie. "Let's see…hot sauce. Check. Milk. check. Bananas and strawberries. Check, check. Okay, now where's that whiskey? Come on, it's bound to be here somewhere…." She said, looking around earnestly for the missing ingredient to her concoction. "Come on, I'm not giving up. Where are you…?" She said, determinedly. She looked around some more until she spotted a whiskey bottle in the bottle shelf of the fridge.
"Aha! There you are!" She exclaimed, removing the container from the shelf. She was in the process of opening the bottle when a voice cut in.
"Hey! What gives? Why are you snooping around in grandpa's fridge?!" Oskar exclaimed.
Startled, Miriam accidentally dropped the bottle, causing fragments of the whiskey glass along with its contents to splatter across the floor.
She instantly turned around with a horrified look in her eyes. "I…uh…was just getting a bottle of whiskey for the landlord, " She lied.
"Nice try, I know what you are. You're a thief trying to steal all of grandpa's food and now I'm going to tell the whole house what you did." He accused, pointing a finger at her.
However, another voice cut in. "Alright, Kokoshka, you no good thieving oaf! The jig is up. I know it's been you who's been stealing all the chicken in the fridge every night." Ernie said, appearing in the doorway.
"Ah, Ernie, just the man I wanted to see. I caught your thief trying to steal Grandpa's food ehehehe." He said.
"What are you talking abou—" He froze, catching sight of the other person in the room. "Oh, I remember you!" He exclaimed. "You're that crazy lady I saw on TV who tried to show all those firemen how to do their job."
He considered for a moment. "And you know…come to think of it, Susie's been going on and on about you ever since that beach trip we took last spring. She'll be happy to know that you're here. So, what brings you here anyways?" He asked, scratching his head.
"Hey! Where's my reward I caught your thief!" Oskar argued.
"Clam it, Kokoshka. I'll deal with you later." Ernie replied, waving him off.
"Err, don't mind him. He's being a loser as always." He said to Miriam. "So, where were we again?"
"No, no, you've got it all wrong. I'm a good guy. I helped you, see? Ehehehehe." Oskar defended.
But Ernie hushed him. "Shh! Quiet, you!" He said.
Miriam panicked. How was she to explain the broken whiskey bottle on the floor in front of her? She could always blame it on Oskar,, but that would just make matters worse and she was stressed out enough already. She sighed. She had to think of something fast or it would be back to another week of community service and A.A. meetings for her…again.
However, she didn't have to think for long because another voice sounded through the hallway leading to the kitchen.
Susie appeared in the doorway. "I thought I'd find you in here! Oskar, you aren't stealing food from that fridge again, are you?!" Susie chastised.
"Aha! So it was you!" Ernie exclaimed angrily. "Wait 'til I get my hands on you, you little—oh and Susie, you've got a visitor here for you. It's Miriam." He pointed casually to the woman standing in front of the fridge behind him.
"What's that? Miriam? As in, Miriam Pataki?!" Susie replied in shock. She looked over at where Ernie was pointing and saw the woman in question standing awkwardly behind him. She rushed over and gave the woman a bear hug.
"Oh, it is you! It's so great to see you! How have you been?! It's been ages since we last took those dancing lessons together over at the beach." She said, smiling brightly at her long lost friend.
"Err, sorry to interrupt you girls' reunion, but pardon while I go strangle your thieving husband," He said, his hands making a wringing motion as he inched towards Oskar.
"Ernie, old pal. You forgive me. We're buddies, remember eheheheh?" Oskar said as he backed away slowly.
"No, we are not buddies and the day your name and mine are used in the same sentence will be when pigs fly!" Ernie shouted, trying to get a hold of the Czechoslovakian man.
Oskar made a run for it out of the kitchen with Ernie tailing him.
Miriam and Susie paid them no mind. "We've got much to talk about. Hey, since Oskar's busy right now, why don't the two of us head up to my room so that we can talk about this more over some tea. You aren't busy, are you? I know it's kind of late for you to be out like this, but since you're here I figured 'why waste a perfectly good chance to talk to a good friend.'" Susie explained. Then, her eyes caught sight of the mess on the floor. "Oh! What happened here? Oskar, didn't make a mess again, did he," Not even waiting for a response, she continued. "I've got an idea! Since the two of us are going to be hanging out for a while anyways. Why don't we both go ahead and clean up this mess together. It'll be great because we'll be helping Arnold's family out and get a chance to catch up at the same time." She offered.
"I….I guess we can do that," Miriam responded, wiping her eyes tiredly.
"Oh, you poor dear! I'm sorry! You must be tired! I'll tell you what. Why don't you go and rest in that chair for a bit while I clean up the mess." She suggested.
Miriam hesitated, feeling a twinge of guilt for having Susie do all the work cleaning up the mess that she made.
As if reading her mind, Susie responded. "Oh, it'll be fine. Don't worry. I do this all the time. I've gotten a lot of practice cleaning up all of Oskar's messes and let me tell you, they are no laughing matter." She laughed.
Miriam relented and made herself comfortable by sitting in one of the stools near the kitchen table.
True to her word, Susie picked up and mop and began mopping up the mess on the floor, making sure to sweep up any glass fragments in the process.
"Let's see…where should I begin…?" Susie started.
Upstairs, Olga and Helga had just gotten settled into their rooms.
"Isn't this wonderful, baby sis? We get to share a room together!" Olga exclaimed happily. She reached out to hug Helga, but Helga blocked her.
"Up, Up, Up…space! Remember what we talked about?" She replied, keeping her distance.
"Of course, baby sis. How could I ever forget?" Olga said, walking back to over to her bed that Helga helped move across the room.
Helga nodded her head in approval. "There you go. If you keep that up, you and I will get along just fine. You have your space and I have mine." She said, kicking back on her bed located on the far side of the room. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. She reached into her shirt and casually pulled out the shoe she had been hiding.
Olga gasped. "Oh! Is that what was in your shirt all this time, baby sis? You know, I had my suspicions you might have been hiding something. But there's only one shoe!"
"Shh! Not so loud!" Helga hushed her. "Don't you think I know that?" She asked. "Bob's not the only one who managed to save a few things from the fire, okay?" She carefully placed the shoe along the side of her bed.
Back on the other end of the hallway, Arnold and Bob had just arrived in what would be Mr. and Mrs. Pataki's room. Arnold set Bob's beeper box down on the floor on the bed.
"Here we are, Mr. Pataki. This is where you and Mrs. Pataki will sleep." Arnold said, handing Bob the keys. He waited for a few moments for a sign of gratitude or acknowledgement from Bob.
"Well? The heck are you standing around here for, kid? Beat it." Bob replied.
Arnold sighed, understanding that waiting was a lost cause. "Right…" He said, "Well, if you need anythin—" He started, but was cut off.
"I better not be anything or I'll be taking my money back. Capiche?" Bob interjected. "Now amscray, Archibald or I'll reconsider my decision to stay in this dump!" He said, slamming the door in his face.
He groaned. "It's Arnold…" He corrected.
"Whatever!" He heard Bob's voice through the door.
'He's even worse than Helga when she's having a bad day…' He thought, walking away in frustration. He headed towards his grandfather's private "office".
In the kitchen, Miriam had been listening attentively to Susie talk about her life with Oskar.
"Oh, you wouldn't believe how needy Oskar can get sometimes. It's always, 'Susie, do this. Susie, do that.' I never really have any time to myself lately because Oskar constantly wants someone to be at his beck and call. And he never seems to appreciate what I do for him. Sometimes it makes me question why I even married him. It's just…he used to be so sweet back when we were first married. Why, I even remember a time where he went out of his way to open the door for me right as I was going to take the trash out." She recounted in a daze.
Her attitude quickly changed. "But now, he's changed. On Valentine's Day, he had the nerve to offer me roses with the tag still on them while we were in the grocery store, but when we were in line to pay for them along with our groceries, he suddenly claimed that he had forgotten his wallet back at home and that he'd pay me back later. Ooh…that Oskar!" She recounted. "Just thinking about it makes me boil. And come to think of it, he never did pay me back either!'
"Mmhm…Bob's the same way. That man's just never happy…" Miriam agreed. "You know, to this day, I regret not taking my father's advice about staying away from Bob Pataki. I am so happy that at least one person understands me. Us women have to stick together."
"That's right!" Susie responded.
"Susie…I'm thirsty. Get me a yahoo. All that running from Ernie wore me out." Came Oskar's voice.
"Oskar, I'm a little busy at the moment. Do you mind getting your own yahoo?" Susie asked nicely.
"But Susie…I'm so tired. I don't think I have the strength to lift a finger. Could you get it for me?" Oskar complained from the couch in the living room.
Susie sighed, looking to Miriam. "Will you excuse me for a moment?" She asked, getting up from her seat to get a yahoo from the fridge.
"Susie…" Oskar whined.
"Coming Oskar!" she called out. She exited the kitchen, leaving Miriam alone to her thoughts. She contemplated if she would someday turn out like Susie if she continued to stay with Bob.
"Miriam!" she heard Bob's voice call suddenly. He appeared in the kitchen doorway.
"Miriam! I've been looking all over for you. What the heck are you doing sitting here in the kitchen?" He questioned. "Stop fooling around and help me find the darn remote, Miriam." He ordered.
"Right, B…" She answered tiredly. She understood that there was no point in arguing with Bob. Every protest she made only seemed to make him angrier. Maybe she could just learn to grin and bear it. After all, she was dead inside already.
"Now, that's more like it…." Bob said as Miriam began to head out of the kitchen. However, as she was leaving the kitchen she ran into Susie.
"Miriam, where are you going? We weren't through with our conversation."
"That conversation's going to have to wait. Miriam's helping me now." Bob proclaimed. He pulled Miriam along. "Come on, Miriam, that remote's not going to find itself." He said. But Susie didn't budge.
"Now wait just a second here. Why is it that you couldn't just look for the remote on your own instead of asking Miriam to do it for you? She was already busy with something," She countered.
"Last time I checked, Miriam was in the kitchen sitting on her butt doing nothing and you weren't even there." Bob responded in annoyance.
"I was getting something for Oskar. I told Miriam that I would be back soon so we could continue with our discussion."
"Boo hoo! You're angry because I took you're away you're only friend." Bob teased.
"All I'm saying is that Miriam needs to make her own decisions without you dictating everything in her life."
That did it. "Now you listen here! You better not be talking about the way I run things in my family. Miriam goes with me and that's that." He said, trying to shove past her, but Susie stood her ground.
"She doesn't have to go anywhere with you. You don't control her." Susie argued. "Go on. Tell him, Miriam. Tell him just what you told me!" She said, looking to Miriam.
"Miriam knows where she stands! She doesn't need someone like you to tell her any different. Tell her, Miriam so she can get out of our hairs." Bob shouted.
Miriam was conflicted. It's true that for once in a very long time; she had someone else that could relate to the frustration she was feeling inside. She wanted to stand up for herself and relive that happy moment with Susie at the beach again and feel the same youthful vigor she felt years ago before meeting Bob. But, at the same time, she knew that Bob truly depended on her.
She couldn't just leave him all alone. It would not only anger him, it would crush him at the same time because he would feel as if she betrayed him. However, she knew that if she went along with him willy-nilly, she may never have this chance to do what she wanted. She doubted Susie would forgive her or even understand a decision to go with Bob. She had to decide quickly. Stay with Bob and face a reoccurrence of the same misery she felt every day or throw caution to the wind by going with Susie and be prepared to face Bob's wrath?
She looked to Bob and Susie watching her expectantly. She turned to Bob.
"B, honey, I'm going to go talk with Susie for a while. I should be back in a few hours. Do you think you'll be okay on your own for a bit?" She asked, sweetly.
Bob was flabbergasted. "But…but…Miriam! What the hell am I supposed to do about the remote?!" He shouted.
"Oh, I'm sure that little boy Archie would be happy to help…" She answered.
"That kid?! I don't want to ask some kid to help me! Miriam, I need you he—"
Miriam quickly gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Oh, well, I'm sure you'll find a way, B…take care, honey." She responded, beginning to walk away.
"For cripes sake, Miriam! I can't believe you're siding with her of all people!" He exclaimed, casting a scouring look at Susie.
"Oh, relax, B…I'll be back before you know it." She said, continuing on her way with Susie.
"Miriam, don't you walk away from me….Miriam! MIRIAM!" He called after her, but she was already gone. "How am I supposed to watch the game now?"
He thought for a moment. "I guess I could ask for the girls help…"He reflected, walking toward Helga and Olga's bedroom.
...
"So let me get this straight. You mosey on into our bedroom at 2 in the freakin' morning to ask me to find a stupid remote that's probably been right under your nose all this time, but you couldn't take lousy 2 seconds to get off your lazy butt and look for it yourself?' Helga explained.
'Typical Bob expecting everyone to drop everything just to wait hand and foot on his royal highness. I guess that's why he dubs himself the Beeper King…' She thought with an eye roll.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Watch your tone, little missy! Don't forget who you're speaking to. I'm your father and I expect you to do as say when I say. Now march."
"Yeah, about that, dad. Why is it that you don't ask your precious Olga to do this task for you? I bet if you ask her, she'd prance right on over with her perfect self and find the remote for you in no time flat."
"Yeah…speaking of Olga, where is the girl anyway?" Bob asked, completing ignoring her question.
"In the shower. Like normal people do before they're about to go to bed." She answered.
"Hmph. Well, it's getting late anyways. I wouldn't want to bother her, especially if she's planning on making my breakfast in the morning with the other boarders." He noted, scratching his head.
She gaped. 'What…did he just—'
"Excuse me?! It's not okay to disturb Olga when it's getting late, but it's perfectly fine to just barge into this room and disturb me when I could've been sleeping?! Crimeny! What kind of justice system are you running here?!" Helga exclaimed.
Just as Bob was about to retort, Olga came bursting into the room, dripping wet with a towel wrapped around her hair and body.
"Oh, baby sister~" Olga sang, oblivious to another person in the room. "I just came up with the most fabulous idea. Why don't we watch the French classic, 'The Phantom of the Opera?' together?"
"You mean that sappy play about a guy who wears a mask all the time to hide the gross half of his face? Oh, I remember that one. It's lame that they never actually show the guy's face. Would've made for a much better movie, if you ask me…" Helga recounted thoughtfully. She snapped out of her brief reverie and continued, "Anyways, if you even think I'm going to sit through a 3-hour film with nothing but people singing when I could be in my bed getting some shut-eye, then you've got another thing coming."
"While I do disagree with your general summarization of the context of the film, baby sis, you'll be happy to know that I came prepared for a situation just like this." She replied, digging around through a beeper bag that had yet to be returned to Bob. She pulled out a black VHS tape with tiny words labeled on the front.
"Ta-da!" She exclaimed. "Here in my hands is Bennington College's feature film, Carmen, starring award-winning actress, Olga Pataki as Carmen!" She giggled.
"No way! Don't even think abo—"
"No kidding!" Bob interjected suddenly. "A Pataki as a starring character…" He stated, thoughtfully. Then he pounded a sideways fist into his other hand in realization. "Hey! Why don't we save that film for all the boarders to watch tomorrow?!" He suggested, enthusiastically.
"That's a splendid idea, daddy! It will be the most wonderful present to thank the landlord for allowing us to stay here in the midst of such horrible times…" Olga replied, excitedly.
"Heh-heh. I'd love to see that old bag's face when he gets a load of this." Bob remarked, smiling deviously.
"Ugh. I've got to get out of here…" Helga said, putting a hand to her forehead.
"What do you think, baby sis? Isn't this just wonderful news?" Olga asked, looking to the girl in question.
"You two have fun promoting that video of yours. I, on the other hand, think I'll be busy that night," Helga answered, beginning to walk out the door.
"Where are you going, baby sis?" Olga asked, worriedly.
"Yeah, what about finding my remote?" Bob insisted.
Helga turned around to give them her last hoorah. "I'm going someplace where I can have some peace and quiet without listening to you two yammer on about something I don't care to hear right now." She said, before continuing on her way.
"But baby sister!" Olga cried.
"Get back here!" Bob called out angrily.
Helga heard her father and sister's voices continue to call out her name as she headed down the hall. However, she sent her thoughts elsewhere. Now that she knew she wouldn't be spending the night with her sister, or any nights for that matter since it was impossible to get her sister to close her mouth for a minute, she faced a new dilemma—finding a place to sleep.
'I guess I could always crash on the sofa in the living room…' She thought, heading in that direction.
By the time she made it downstairs in the living room, all the lights were turned out and the whole place seemed eerily quiet.
"Geez, it's like a ghost town down here…" Helga noted, "Exactly how I like it." She made herself right at home on one a red sofa. She closed her eyes.
"Ahh…I could get used to this…" She said, finally relaxing.
"Hey! Who's in here?!" a voice asked. Helga screamed, getting up with a start and all the lights subsequently turned on. Heart racing, she looked over by the lights to find Arnold's grandpa standing in the doorway with a baseball bat in his hands.
"Oh, it's only you, Gramps. Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack." Helga said, lying back down.
Phil lowered his bat, realizing who it was. "Hehehe…sorry to frighten you like that. I thought you were Oskar trying to steal all the food again. Hey, aren't you supposed to be in your room with that sister of yours?" He asked.
"Yeah, I was, but then it started to get a little crowded in there so I thought I could crash down here." Helga replied, nonchalantly.
"Oh, well, that explains why you're on the couch." He said. "But I got to tell you, I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay down here. First of all, you'll hardly get any sleep with all the people passing through here trying to get to the kitchen. Second, it gets pretty hot down here from the thermostat needing repair so I'm pretty sure you'll be boiling here in a couple of minutes. And third, that TV's going to blaring come tomorrow when the football game starts up and your "bed's" going to be taken."
Helga considered this and then sat back up again. "So then, where am I supposed to find a place to crash for 2 weeks?" she asked.
"Well, there is that room for you and your sist—"
"Nope. There's no way I'm going to spend another second with Olga. Keep trying," She refused.
"Hmm…well then, I suppose there is also that sofa in Arnold's room that you can use. I'm sure the Shortman won't mind a little company…" Phil suggested.
"A-Arnold?!" She gasped. That perked her right up.
Phil nodded. "Sure, if you want, I'll let him know that he has a guest coming and—"
"NO!" Helga exclaimed. He looked at her strangely.
"Hehe…what I mean is, I can handle it. No need to go through such a hassle and besides, I won't feel right if I don't ask myself since it's for me." She explained, flustered.
He eyed her for a second. Then, he relented. "Well, alright, if you need anything, I'll be just upstairs, two doors from the bathroom." He said, with a slight grin. "Try not to have too much fun with the Shortman now!"
She blushed. "Hehe…yeah…fun…hehe…" Helga said, tugging at her collar nervously.
Looking back at the red-faced girl, Phil's grin grew as he climbed the stairs. 'Won't be long now. I'm such a wily old coot…' He thought.
Left alone to her thoughts, Helga paced the room. 'What am I going to do? I can't seriously spend the next 2 weeks in…*gulp*…Arnold's room. What if I crack and reveal to him my deepest darkest secret? How am I supposed to go without reciting some spontaneous love poem in front of him? Is that even possible?' She thought, frantically. 'Get a hold of yourself, Helga, ol' girl. You can do this. Ohh…but what if I can't?!' Her eyes widened in realization.
"I know! I'll call Phoebe!" She exclaimed. She went into the kitchen, pulling out her cellphone from inside her shirt. She dialed Phoebe's number.
"…Heyerdahl residence. Whom may I be speaking to?" She heard a tiny voice reply on the other end.
"Phoebe?!"
She heard Phoebe yawn. "Helga? What's the matter? Do you know what time it is?"
"Yes, I know. It's a quarter after 3. Listen, phoebe, I really need to talk to you. It's about Arnold. Remember how Bob had spent all that time searching for a place with a cheap rent? Well, he found it. And can you believe where he found a place? The Boarding House!"
"The Boarding House?! You mean—"
"Yes! But that's not the problem. You see, Arnold's grandpa only had two rooms left and so he figured Bob and Miriam could stay in one while Olga and I could stay in the other. Except Olga and Bob tag teamed on trying to drive me insane so I was forced to move out, but I couldn't crash out on the couch in the living room like I wanted because Arnold's grandpa doesn't recommend it. So then, he tells me that there's a couch in Arnold's room that I can crash on, so now I'm really worried about sleep in the same room as Arnold. I mean, what if I somehow crack and tell him my deepest darkest secret. That would ruin me!" Helga explained.
"Helga, calm down. You are the greatest person I know at keeping secrets. You can do this. I'm sure it's not much of a big dea—"
"Not a big deal?! Phoebe, its Arnold for Cripes sake. For me, everything's a big deal when it comes to him. Look, just promise me that you'll be there in case I need you."
"Well, it's kind of late, Helga and I don—"
"Phoebe!"
"Promising!"
"Good. I'll let you know how everything works out. And Phoebe?"
"Yes, Helga?"
"This conversation never happened."
"Forgetting!"
Helga hung up. Now that she felt a little better about her situation, all that was left to do was to face Arnold. She walked up the stairs and headed in the direction of Arnold's bedroom.
...
"Helga? As in, Helga G. Pataki is staying at your house right now?" Gerald's voice sounded through the receiver. "Mmm….mmm….mmm…you've got it bad, man."
"Aw, come on, Gerald. She's not so bad once you get to know her." Arnold replied.
"Arnold…three words: clothespin or plastic?"
Arnold blinked. "Huh? What does that have to do—"
"Look, man. When you die, I need to know whether to stick your bones in a plastic bag or hang them out to dry."
"Gerald…" Arnold responded with irritation.
"Ok, ok, but don't blame me when you have no place to put those bones when Helga G. Pataki comes in and breaks every bone you have…" Gerald warned.
"Right…" Arnold said.
Suddenly, he heard a knocking at the door.
"Just a minute, grandpa!" Arnold called out.
"Listen, I'll talk to you later, Gerald. Grandpa's at the door."
"Ok, man. Just don't forget. I'm here if you need me."
Arnold smiled. "Thanks, Gerald."
"No problem, buddy. Friends till the end."
"Yeah…bye Gerald…' Arnold replied, before hanging up.
Arnold walked over to the door and opened it.
"Hey Grandpa, I—Helga?!" He exclaimed, shocked to find Helga at the door.
"Yeah, yeah,…move it or lose it, Football head." She replied, pushing past him.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you going to be sharing a room with your sister?" He asked.
"Yeah, well. Things don't always turn out as planned, geek-bait. I'm crashing here now." She answered. She walked over to his bead and kicked back on it. "Yeah, this will work just fine…" She said. She sat up.
"Ok, here's the deal. I take this half of the room." She explained, drawing an invisible line from the bed to the desk. "And you have the other half."
"But…this is my room! And where am I supposed to sleep?" He argued.
"Oh, brother! Use your brain for once. There's the couch over there!" She said, reclining on the bed.
"Helga, instead of just walking in here and claiming everything, why don't you just ask me nicely? You may just be surprised." He suggested.
"Nope. This works much faster." She said.
Arnold groaned in frustration. "I'm not going to let you walk over me, Helga. This is my room, my rules." He replied angrily.
"Alright, alright, you don't have to cry about it. Geez, no need to get your panties in a twist, football head. I was just kidding. See? I'm getting off." She said, getting up from the bed as proof. She began to walk out of the room, but Arnold stopped her.
"Wait, Helga. You don't have to go. I just…didn't want you to try to control every aspect of my life like you tend to do." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
She walked away from the door. "Nah, it's cool. I just wanted to see if I could really push your buttons. It looks like it worked." She said, laughing.
He chuckled. "Yeah, well, I have to say, you're pretty good at it too." Arnold answered honestly.
"Got that right!" She said, using Arnold's black remote to open his coach up. A red couch flipped over. "Hey, got anything to wet a whistle?" She asked.
"Yeah, there are some yahoos downstair in the fridge. I can go get some, if you want."
"Nah, I got it. No need to wear those Football head of yours out." She said, already heading towards the door.
"I'll go with you." He said. "Just in case you don't know where to find them."
She raised an eyebrow. "Um, last time I checked. Drinks go in the fridge. Not much rocket science there."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I'll come along anyways. You're the guest after all." He answered.
"Eh, suit, yourself. Your house." She replied. Together, they descended the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.
The door opened to Susie's room.
"Come again!" Susie called out as Miriam waved goodbye, laughing.
"It was so nice to spend some quality time with you, Susie. We should really do this again soon." Miriam replied.
"Oh definitely. Same time tomorrow?" Susie asked, laughing. Oskar could be heard groaning in the background.
"Oh hush! I was only joking!" She chastised Oskar.
"I'll be here all 2 weeks!" Miriam said.
"Good to know! Tomorrow it is then," Susie said. She watched as Miriam walked a few doors down to her own room with Bob.
She shut the door. "That was such a nice visit. Maybe the fire was a blessing in disguise."
"Susie! I'm hungry! Make me a sandwich!" Oskar said, lying across the couch.
"Oh Oskar!" Susie said, rolling her eyes.
...
A few doors down, Miriam just came walking through the bedroom.
"And where have you been?" Bob asked menacingly.
Miriam was oblivious to his anger. "Oh, well you know, I was in Susie's room. We had a cup of tea, chatted a little, watched the news, and—"
"Miriam, it's 4 in the morning! Do you know how I've been waiting here?!" Bob exclaimed.
"Oh…well…I see you've found the remote dear!" She laughed, walking over to him. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for being patient, B…I'm going to go take a shower now, okay?" She said nonchalantly.
"But Miriam—!" Bob complained.
"Be back soon!" Miriam called out, shutting the door.
In the kitchen, Helga pulled two drinks out of the fridge for herself and Arnold. Then, she opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle opener and opened both bottles.
"Here you are, Football Head." Helga said, handing him a bottle.
"Wow Helga! I'm impressed! It's only been the first day and you seem to know where everything is!" Arnold said, noting her ease at quickly finding the shelf where his household keeps their yahoos and the bottle opener and the fact that she seemed to know that he had a remote to control the couch in his room and which buttons to use to control it.
Helga gasped, forgetting that as far as Arnold knew, she never visited his house before. "I…uh…just happen to have a good sense of direction in finding things. Yeah, that's it. It runs in the Pataki blood."
He gave her a confused look. "But Helga, wasn't there a time where you, me, Gerald, Phoebe, and your father all got lost in the woods during a camping trip? Why didn't you lead us to camp then?"
"That's…uh…because my good sense of direction only kicks in when I'm in other people's homes heh heh." She lamely answered. 'Oh Crimeny! Good one, Helga!' She thought, wishing that she could hit herself for such an idiotic response.
Arnold looked at her strangely. "Helga, that doesn't even make sense!" He said.
"So? Who said I had to make sense, Football Head?!" Helga responded defensively.
"Whatever you say, Helga…" Arnold said, walking out of the kitchen with his soda.
"Darn right, bucko! Whatever I say!" She called after him.
…
When they arrived in Arnold's room, Helga collapsed on the couch. She was worn out. By then, she had already finished her drink and had thrown the bottle in the trash. She was going to catch some z's if it killed her.
Arnold too had finished his soda and sat down on his bed. He began to set his alarm.
"Oh brother! Who sets an alarm on a Saturday?" came Helga's sarcastic remark.
But Arnold expected it. "Well, usually I have to help out my grandparents with chores in the morning." He answered, setting his clock to 9 O'clock sharp.
"Well, just make sure to put it on vibrate or you'll have another chore on your hands—taming me." Helga said, getting more comfortable on the couch.
Arnold chuckled, tossing over a blanket. The blanket landed on Helga's body. Arnold watched as she pulled the blanket up closer to her face.
"Thanks Arnold….for everything," Came her tired reply.
Arnold was surprised for a moment. Helga? Showing gratitude? And actually addressing him by his actual name when she wasn't angry? Maybe Helga had a nice side after all…
He smiled, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she took even breaths now. She was fast asleep and actually looked pretty peaceful, he noted.
He smiled, walking past her slumbering form to turn off the lights.
"Good night, Helga…" He said softly before getting into his bed. He took one last look at Helga sleeping peacefully. Then, he closed his eyes and joined her in slumber.
Author's Notes: Well, that's it for Chapter #2! I wanted to include more but the chapter was getting pretty long so I guess I'll save the rest for Chapter #3.
Next up: You'll experience the type of craziness that makes up the boarding house. You'll see Arnold's date with Lila along with a little bit of Little Miss Perfect's background story. You'll also get to see some of Helga's evil tactics to break them up and where it leads her in her relationship to Arnold and finally secrets will be revealed! So stay tuned! XD
Reviews are always appreciated!