(A/N: Okay so this was supposed to have been uploaded yesterday however this site wouldn't let me... yet again. I apologize for how long it took for this chapter to come out. I try to update every wednesday or thursday (if no ones noticed lol) but this week has been rather stressful so I kept forgetting. The next chapter will hopefully be on time as I've already started it. Please let me know how you're enjoying everything so far :D Your reviews always make me smile!)
As the hours passed into the night, the moist air that threatened rain finally gave way to the swollen clouds above and it began to pour. Thunder rolled softly in the distance and echoed into the room of Phoebe as she tossed and turned in her bed. With a pain stricken face, she moaned softly and kicked off her blankets. The dream she was having was mixed with logical, realism, fantasy and pure absurdity. Nothing made sense and most of it was completely jumbled together as if it was some abstract painting that should be hanging in a museum somewhere. With a loud crack of lightning, Phoebe awoke and began to pant until she grasped reality. Disoriented, she grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and looked at her alarm clock to see the time; 6:17am. Not having to get up until much later in the day due to the weekend and no impending school ahead, the girl lay back down and did her best to relax her body. Lately she hadn't been having very good sleep due to similar experiences. All of her dreams didn't have any rhyme or reason and more than half the time, when she woke up, she couldn't remember even a little bit of them other than the feelings she experienced during it all.
Beginning to feel a little queasy, she gradually pulled herself out of her bed and made it across the hall into her bathroom. She could hear her mother getting ready for work and did her best to be quiet and avoidable. Suddenly she heard the doorknob twist and turn and an attempt of entering the locked door.
"Phoebe honey, are you in there?" Her mother quietly asked.
"Yes Mother." The girl replied politely, "I'll be out in just a moment."
"It's mighty early in the morning… Is everything okay?" Reba asked through the door with a note of concern.
Is everything okay? Phoebe wondered as her mother's words echoed in her mind. Knowing that she didn't need to needlessly worry her parent, Phoebe finished her business with little success. "Yes, I'm fine." She replied faintly before turning on the faucet and washing her hands.
Opening the bathroom door, her mother stood there with a towel in hand as well as a fresh pair of clothing in her arms. "Are you sure?" The adult woman asked as she placed her hand on the young girl's forehead.
Phoebe smiled at her mother's loving touch. "Yes, It seems that the storm outside just woke me, is all." She replied.
"Well alright honey, if you insist." Reba smiled back and walked around her daughter into the bathroom with her hand on the side of the door. "If you need me for anything, I still have about an hour before I need to leave the house. Don't hesitate to ask."
The reassuring calm words of her mother softly put Phoebe's heart at ease. "Okay." She nodded then let her mother close the door and made her way back to her bedroom.
One of the windows had been slightly ajar and she watched as the wind made her curtains dance. Walking slowly to the window, she could feel the storms hostile breeze; it was warm and comforting. Despite the welcoming wind, Phoebe knew it was best to shut the window if she had any hope in going back to sleep… Although with her hand on top of the sliding portion, she couldn't seem to push it down. Phoebe had been looking at her own reflection and images of her dream began to flash violently in her mind.
"What was it about?" She asked herself, pulling fragmented images from deep, deep within her consciousness. She could remember colors, shapes and a few people but nothing seemed solid. Then the pain she had been experiencing returned and Phoebe clutched her stomach. "I must still have to use the bathroom…." She dwelled, turning around and walking to her bed to patiently wait until her mother was out of the shower.
Minutes seemed like hours as the poor girl's stomach began to toss and turn into something ugly. Promptly she began to recall all the food she had consumed throughout the past day to pinpoint anything out of the ordinary. Was it the cafeteria food, perhaps? I recall Helga having issues with it before… Or maybe it was the food served at Gerald's house? She wondered. Neither plates had anything new to her nor could she think of anything else, leaving her at a loss. "Well whatever it is, it's clearly not agreeing with me…" She moaned again. Rolling up in a ball, the small girl practiced her breathing to keep herself calm. She knew panicking, even under duress, wouldn't do anything but make the pain greater.
Phoebe then heard the click of her bathroom door opening, as well as her mother shuffling around before walking down the stairs. Awkwardly, she straightened her body and stood up, buckling over as she pushed herself out of her room once more and into the bathroom. There she stood at the sink and opened her medicine cabinet to reveal an array of pills, medicinal herbs and liquids, as well as personal hygiene cleaning supplies. Grabbing the pain killers, she popped open the bottle and tossed a few in her mouth, before turning on her faucet, cupping some water in her hand and quickly tossing it in back of her throat to swallow the pills with ease. With one hand, she wiped the liquid that remained on her lips and supported herself against the sink. I hope these act quickly… She thought before another wave of pain hit her, causing her to buckle once more and turn to the toilet. Think pleasant and calming thoughts, Phoebe! She demanded herself as stood there in pain. Being a wimp won't make the situation any easier. Be strong, it will pass! She coached inside her mind. Today we're going to the photo…. Shoot and I'll even get to be with Gerald! I'm gonna…. Be apart… of helping Helga get her home back! She told herself; her mind pausing at every wave of pain that hit her insides. I'll get to meet that girl, that's pretty exciting… As well as see Rhonda's expression when she sees that…. Studio.
The throb began to slowly subside as Phoebe willed herself to calm down and eventually she attempted business once again but with little rewards. Cursing her luck in her mind, she made it back to her bed where she decided laying down and letting the medicine kick in was probably the only option she had left. Whatever was disagreeing with her stomach would eventually find its own solution and she could take care of it whenever she woke up again. Curling up into another ball, she focused her mind on the sound of the soothing rain and soft rolling thunder in the background. Thoughts of her boyfriend and the happiness they shared started to dance in her head, as well as fantasies of him comforting her in her current time of need and soon she slowly drifted off into a pleasant dream that would hopefully last and not be interrupted by more pain.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-" Went Helga's alarm clock until "THUD" she whacked it so hard it fell off her desk and onto the floor.
"Ugh…" She groaned to herself; looking up at her dark ceiling. Her "room" had no windows and only left her in pitch black until she gained the courage to turn on a light and temporarily blind herself. Mornings always sucked. The only light that could be found was the small strip of it beneath her door.
Throwing her blankets off her bed, Helga decided to cool off before finally forcing herself to get up. Picking up her abused alarm clock, she glared at the time. 10:00am. Although the big gathering wasn't going to happen until a few more hours, Helga knew she needed time to get dressed, eat whatever she could find laying around and make it to Arnold's house so his grandpa could drive them over to whatever address Phoebe had given her. Feeling particularly sluggish, the girl reluctantly flipped on her lights which caused a painful glare in her eyes. "Criminy!" She screamed as she covered her face. "I hate this stupid room!"
Once her vision had cleared up enough to function, Helga uncovered her eyes and began to search for a pair of clothes that weren't as dirty as some. Miriam had been in charge of bringing their laundry to a laundry mat but hadn't managed to do it in at least a week, thus making a pile of dirty clothes surround Helga's bedroom floor. Kicking most around, she eventually found something she deemed worthy, tossed it on and exited the dusty closet of a living space.
Greeted immediately with a breath of fresh air, Helga looked around at her surroundings. She could hear the T.V off in the distance but not much else. Wondering who was home or awake, she dragged her feet around the emporium. Surprised to see no one in the T.V room, she headed onto the kitchen where she found Miriam staring into the empty cupboards.
"What are you doing?" Helga asked, crossing her arms and watching her mother.
The sound of her daughters voice startled the woman with a jump. "Huh?" She squeaked out before turning around and looking dazedly at her youngest. "Oh… good morning Helga!" She smiled. "How did you sleep?"
"Like I normally do since moving here." Helga replied with a snort. "Like crap."
Miriam frowned and scratched her head. "Oh… I'm sorry, honey."
Helga shrugged and walked over to her mom and began looking into the empty cupboards as well. "You're not gonna find anything in here, Miriam. You haven't went shopping in weeks." The harsh girl spat out.
"Weeks?" Miriam asked, turning to her daughter with a confused look. "Why Helga, I just went shopping a few days ago." With a little laugh, she opened a few more cupboards to reveal a half used box of instant mashed potatoes as well as a dented can of off-brand soup. "There should be something around here…"
Heaving a heavy sigh, Helga opened up the fridge to see what was left. "No Miriam, it was weeks. The only thing I've had to eat the past few days is cereal and I ran out yesterday night." Inside of the mostly bare refrigerator were some condiments and left over Chinese from who knows when that Helga didn't trust to even look inside, in fear of something growing jumping out at her. "…as well as milk that ran out the night before that."
"Oh dear…" She heard her mother whine from behind her. "I gotta call B and let him know before he gets home…"
Cocking an eyebrow at her mother's statement, Helga turned to her. "Where is he?"
Doing her best to remember, Miriam closed the cupboards back up and leaned against the counter; placing her index finger against her lips. "I think he said something about going to see someone…" Finally giving up on her thought process, the disheveled woman shrugged. "Or something like that…" With a smile, she turned to Helga. "I'm sure wherever he is; he's doing something to help us get out of this place."
"Yeah, right," Helga replied flatly, "And next thing you know it will start raining gold and we'll all be rich." Her mother's naivety only made her grow angry and impatient. "Wake up, Miriam. Bob isn't doing anything to help us. All he's probably doing is begging the banks for more loans which, Surprise! Surprise! None of them will give us because we're BROKE!
The information being spouted out at her by the girl only made Miriam frown. "Don't be so negative, Helga. Your father cares about-" but before she could finish her sentence, Helga quickly interjected.
"HIMSELF!" Helga yelled, causing her mom to be startled once again. "He only cares about himself, Miriam. If he cared about us even a little bit, he would have given up on beepers the moment our sales plummeted from the cell phone market. If he had any brains in his thick dumb skull of his, he would have jumped on the opportunity to join that market and be swimming in cash like the rest of those black suit wearing big-shots!" Sighing in both disappointment and self frustration, Helga turned away from her mother. "But he didn't and now we're stuck here." Turning back briefly, she could see her mother's lazy, bewildered expression. "Face it, the only way out is admitting he failed to his parents and getting help."
The suggestion made the blonde woman chuckle to herself. "Helga, please. You know your father would never do that. He can get us through, just have faith!" Miriam insisted blindly.
"He can get us through? Have faith?" Helga questioned, repeating her mother's words and sizing the woman up and down. "Have you gone insane?!" She yelled. "Or have you just been walking around with your head in the clouds for the last DECADE?!" Her patience with the woman had worn thin and it didn't help that her stomach was beginning to rumble from obvious hunger. "Maybe if you just got off the couch for once in your life and gotten your own job, we wouldn't be knee deep in debt and God knows what else! Maybe, and just maybe because I know this is a little far-fetched Miriam, but maybe if you didn't waste all the little money Bob can give you on ingredients for your special relaxation smoothies, we might have more food in the house instead of this TRASH!" She yelled; slamming the refrigerator door shut and causing her parental figure to jump. "But who am I kidding…" Helga laughed before storming passed her mom and into the doorway. "That's just a dream." She finished before leaving her mother in dead silence.
Throwing the emporium door open, Helga stomped out and into the sunlight. She could see the puddles on the ground from the night's rain as well as trash scattered about due to the storm drains being overfilled. Nothing ever changes… She cursed before looking up into the sky to see that most of the dark clouds were far away, promising a sunnier day.
As sunlight peered through the glass windows of Arnold's ceiling, he awoke with an irritated stir. He had been having pleasant dreams all night long which consisted of regular adolescent boy things and not uncomfortable things he didn't want to think about. Proceeding to stretch and climb out of his bed, Arnold scratched his sides and moseyed on down stairs for breakfast.
"You sure slept long!" Phil called out to the boy as he flipped through the mail he had just acquired.
Arnold let out a loud yawn and started to walk downstairs. "I did?" He asked, completely unsure of the time.
"Yeah! You even missed out on breakfast so you'll have to make do with cereal today," Phil answered, pulling out his pocket watch and opening it up to give the boy a more precise time. "It's about quarter after 10, Shortman."
The time alarmed the young man and he immediately raced into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl, causing the older man to follow with curiosity.
"What's on the agenda today that's got you all in a rush, Arnold?" Phil asked as he patiently watched the boy make his breakfast.
Grabbing the milk out of the refrigerator, Arnold had no time to look up at his elder as he poured the milk and quickly placed it back; shutting the door with his foot. "Today that model is coming here for the photo shoot with Bob's beepers, remember Grandpa?" He replied as he grabbed a spoon and shoveled a mouthful of sugary sweet puffs into his mouth. "You agreed to bring me."
"Was that today?" Phil asked himself out loud, causing his grandson to react with alarm and nod with his mouth full. "Well thank goodness I have nothing to do other than help my favorite grandson and his little friends." He smiled; letting the boy calm down and continue his breakfast. "Just let me know when you're ready and I'll get the Packard up and running."
"Will do, Grandpa." Arnold replied as he watched the old man leave the kitchen; continuing to finish his bowl with haste.
It didn't take long for the boy to finish his meal before he placed his things in the sink and ran back up into his room to get ready. Tossing his clothes around and reaching into his closet for a fresh, new pair, Arnold began to think positively. Today is a new day… He thought as he put on his clothing one by one. Today I'm finally going to be able to help Helga in the way she's helped me. Nothing is going to stand in my way!
Standing outside of the boarding house, Helga wrinkled up her nose. Showing up unannounced wasn't out of the ordinary, however she couldn't help but feel out of place. It was early, after all and it wasn't as if she was with others. It was her, alone, in front of Arnold's house with no one else joining them until much later. It would have been one thing if it was for some project or school work or even some sort of sports activity however this wasn't the case. She was standing there because he was taking them to watch some hotshot take prissy photos in hope of her family gaining some profit and moving out of that God forsaken money pit of a franchise.
Sucking in a huge amount of air to calm her nerves, the girl walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. "Calm down, Helga! This is totally easy! Arnold is probably gonna answer like he normally does and greet you with his award winning smile, invite you inside and soon you'll leave." She amped herself up. Unfortunately, to her dismay, it was not Arnold who had opened up the front door, but his mother.
With a rather large amount of surprise, Stella held the door open to Helga and smiled. "Hello there! You must be here for Arnold, aren't you?" The woman greeted warmly as if she was some older, female version of her beloved Football head.
"Uhhh…" Helga had not expected to be received by her and was completely off her guard. "Yeah… You could say that." She shrugged as she acted in her nonchalant way.
Stella opened the door wide and gestured the girl in. "Come on in! I'm sure he's getting ready." She welcomed, causing Helga to uncomfortably do what she was asked.
Unsure of her next course of action, Helga found herself standing in the lobby with her hands on her hips, looking around. There had been many times she had set foot inside Arnold's house, but only a handful where she wasn't with Arnold when entering. She watched as Stella walked away and found it suitable to follow in hopes of some way to pass the time while she waited for her boyfriend.
Into the kitchen they both walked; Stella fully aware of her shadow. "Would you like something to eat?" The mother asked, turning to the self-conscious girl. "We had a rather large dinner last night and I'm sure there are some leftovers, if you don't mind eating dinner for lunch."
"Lunch?" Helga asked, looking up at the clock, uncertain of what to do.
"Yeah!" Stella smiled as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container. "Would you like some?"
"What? Do I look like a charity case to you?" Helga responded, crossing her arms and looking rebellious. "I'm not here to eat, I'm here so we can get going."
If the woman hadn't been warned of Helga's harsh demeanor, she would have been taken aback however this wasn't the case and she only smiled. "Oh don't worry, we have plenty!" Stella replied as she pulled out a second and third storage container with days of the week labeled on it.
The food looked tantalizing and Helga's stomach betrayed her and let out a loud whining noise that could probably be heard even rooms away. Blushing in embarrassment, she turned around to no longer look at the appetizing meal being paraded in front of her. "Look lady, that's nice in all but I don't need your handouts. I'm perfectly fine how I am."
"Hungry?" Stella asked with an awkward expression, "No one is fine being hungry, Helga. Sit down and eat!" She insisted as she made the girl a plate against her will and warmed it up in the microwave.
Realizing that there was no way out of her situation, Helga glanced over her shoulder to see the woman removing the plate from the warmer and setting it on the table. "It's meatloaf and potatoes! I made it myself." Stella boasted, clearly proud and showing it.
Helga could smell the meal from where she stood and her stomach let out another, more violent whine. Stubbornly she marched over to the table and sat down. Stella's smile widened as the girl finally gave in and she handed her a fork. "Dig in!" She exclaimed with excitement.
"Just so you know, I'm only doing this because you're forcing me…" Helga commented before taking a small bite to see if it tasted as good as it looked. Her eyes widened with shock as the flavors all seemed to blend together in some holy concoction only made by the most skilled chefs. "This is delicious!" She expressed, taking a few more bites.
"I'm glad you think so!" Stella gleamed, grasping both her hands together before pulling out a chair and joining Helga at the table. "Arnold enjoyed it a lot as well!"
The topic of her adored only caused Helga to stop eating with a grinding halt, causing her fork to drop on her plate with a loud clang. It had just dawned on her that she was eating lunch, in his house, with his mother! Her- Helga G. Pataki was inside Arnold's residence partaking in casual conversation with the dork's own biological mother!
"Is there something wrong?" Stella asked, assuming maybe the food no longer tasted right as it had been inside the cooler for a few days.
Not wanting to cause any issue to disrupt their unusual gathering, Helga shook her head and continued to eat her meal. "No, this is pretty great!" She complimented again, nearly finishing the plate.
It warmed Stella's heart to see the girl eat so rabidly. Was her food really that good? Or was Helga just that hungry that any bit of morsel would have made due? Whatever the case was, it didn't matter to the woman as she watched the girl nearly lick her plate clean.
Taking the empty plate, Stella placed it inside the sink and began to wash it. She had wanted to speak to Helga for a while but never really knew when she'd get the opportunity, but the gift had been given to her now and seemed oddly perfect. "So… Tell me about yourself." Stella finally managed to blurt out, although feeling a little out of place.
"Huh?" Helga turned to the woman, surprised to be asked such a thing.
Stella swallowed and finished placing her dish into the strainer; turning off the kitchen sink. "Tell me about yourself!" She repeated confidently. "The things you like and dislike, what you want to be when you grow up… you know, things that make you- you!"
The gears in Helga's mind began to grind forward as she did her best to analyze the woman to see if there could possibly be any weird motives to this honest question. Adorning her hostile front, Helga snorted. "What's it matter to you what I like?"
Tilting her head and thinking to herself her own motives, Stella walked to the table and sat besides the girl. "Any mother would like to get to know the girl that her son fancies." She replied bluntly. "You must be one special girl and I'd like to get to know the you hiding behind that rough exterior."
Her words glided through Helga's brain like an ice skating champion and left her stunned. There is absolutely no doubt about it, this is definitely Arnold's mother... Thought Helga as she did her best to push back her obviously growing frustration, Leave it to her to analyze me within 5 whole seconds of me being here! Helga looked at the woman and scowled further. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" Helga stammered. "F-fancy?! Arnold doesn't fancy me and I'm not special! I'm just your average school bully who likes to get under the skin of others!"
"Uh huh…" Stella sighed, placing her elbow on the table and resting her head against the hand propped up. "Keep telling yourself that honey and you definitely won't get any further." Her remark was laced with obvious knowledge of Helga's past.
Feeling completely put on display, Helga panicked and did the only thing she knew how to do. "Yeah well you don't know me, okay?" She frowned, crossing her legs and tipping herself back in her chair, "So back off, will ya?"
The adult shook her head and recalled the stories told to her by her son. "You do remember that your deeds are what woke me and my husband up, right? No need to put on a show." She answered calmly but with intent. "Arnold has told me a lot about you already. It's alright to relax a little, Helga. No one is here to hurt you."
Her words began to sound a little like her old therapists and Helga sighed sadly. It had been quite awhile since she had seen the woman since her office moved clear across the city and she couldn't help but painfully admit that she missed her kind words. Helga's scowl faded and she considered her next actions carefully. Knowing there was no point in forcing the façade, her only other option would be to come clean, however she also wasn't about to lay her life out on the table for this stranger to judge either. "There isn't much to tell," She finally spoke as she slouched awkwardly in her chair; half her body becoming hidden by the table she sat at. "I like lots of things." However no examples seemed to come to mind besides the woman's son.
"Like what?" Stella asked, happy that the girl was finally exposing herself a little.
"Criminy! Am I being put on trial here?!" Helga blasted out with a red face, causing Stella to gasp in shock. "I like wrestling, eating junk food, playing sports or anything that gets me away from my stupid family-", Helga could see the woman became concerned at her last example and quickly tried to change the subject. "And you know other girly things…." She lied in a high pitched and embarrassed voice.
Opening her mouth to question Helga further, Stella suddenly became distracted as she saw her Mother-in-law walk in unannounced. The old woman's eyes brightened and she rushed over to Helga. "Eleanor! How good it is to see you again!" She said with delight. "I suspect you're here to accompany the President on his wellness services?"
Aware of the older woman's eccentric personality, Helga arched her eyebrow at the name as if she had heard it once before. "Eleanor?" She questioned out loud.
"Mom, her name is Helga." Stella laughed nervously at the woman who responded with shaking her head.
"Do I look senile to you?" The elderly woman asked ironically, "I know who Eleanor is!" Gerty then walked over to Helga and lifted her chin up to get a better look at the girl, causing Helga to recoil a little but let the woman do as she pleased. "Why, she's our Presidents first lady! Eleanor has done a lot of good for this country and has been a strong back bone for our President." She went on explaining with a proud smile and let go of Helga. "The most controversial First Lady in history; a strong independent feminist leader and someone we can all look up to. Right, Eleanor?"
Feeling her cheeks become rosy at the blatant compliment, Helga became uneasy and slowly lifted her body out of her chain and moved backwards towards an exit and away from the ridiculousness that was currently unfolding. "Riiiiiight…." She answered slowly, noticing Stella's puzzled look. "Well I better go help the President then! Don't wanna keep the old man waiting…" But as she reached the doorway, she felt her body collide with an opposing yet soft force from behind. Turning around with a heavy sense of dread, Helga was relieved to see her savior. "You're a sight for sore eyes." She mumbled to the confused yet surprised looking boy behind her.
"Helga? Aren't you a little early? Or am I just late…?" Arnold asked, hoping it was the first one. Before he could get an answer, Helga grabbed his arm and immediately led him away from the two older females watching them with interest.
"That's not important right now, just get me away from this nut house…" She responded in a low voice as she turned a corner, hoping the other two couldn't hear.
Finally able to get away from her uncomfortable situation, Helga brought the both of them outside so she could breathe some fresh air, and let go of his arm. The air seemed so much cleaner and crisp now that she could control her surroundings and Helga filled her lungs with ease.
Arnold stood there in the doorway and watched as the girl relaxed. Although he had some ideas of what could have happened inside his kitchen, he found it best to let her speak of it herself. "What happened?" He asked, shutting the door behind him.
Helga looked over her shoulder at him and shrugged. "I don't know. At first your Mom wanted to be all hospitable and wholesome then suddenly wanted to deconstruct me." She explained with a tone that gradually became annoyed. "Then your loony grandma came in and started calling me by someone else's name and claimed I was married to the President." Helga then fully turned to him and watched as his face became sullen. "Your whole family is a bunch of weirdos."
Knowing that her insults weren't meant to be taken personally, Arnold gave a soft understanding smile. "Yeah… Grandma can get kinda weird but you get used to it after a while. She calls me all sorts of names too." He gave a small chuckle before focusing on the more important subject she had pointed out. "What do you mean she deconstructed you? What exactly happened?"
His question only reminded her more of what his mother was like and she peered at him up and down with a sort of skepticism. "I'll just say you two have an uncanny resemblance and I'm not referring to your head shape." She hinted.
Now only leaving him with more questions, Arnold tilted his head and tried to concentrate on her answer but before any real answers came to mind, he heard the door behind him open up. Turning his head and glancing up, he saw his Grandpa shuffling through his pockets and looking for his car keys.
"You two ready to go?" Phil asked as he found his treasure with a gleam in his eye.
"Yeah, yeah let's just get this over with." Helga replied as she placed her hands on her hips.
The moment had passed for Arnold to get more out of her and he pushed his questions in the back of his mind and smiled up at his grandfather. "Sure!" Arnold answered; giving his grandpa a sense that what had troubled the boy the night prior had been lifted, even if temporarily.
"Okie Dokie then kids," Phil said as he walked passed them and to the driver's side door. "Hop on in and I'll take ya where ya gotta go!"
No one in that Packard had expected to see what they saw the moment they had reached the address given to them by Gerald and Phoebe. Next to the car stood a shabby small building with broken security camera, toppled over trash cans and a partially boarded up front window.
Phil scratched his chin and couldn't help but feel that the children might be unsafe in their location. "You guys sure this is the right place?" He asked as he could hear shouting in the distance from an unknown couple.
Arnold opened up his wrinkled piece of paper and reexamined the address. "Yeah… this is the place."
Looking at the car's window, Helga shook her head in both disappointment and frustration. "Leave it to Geraldo to give us the most sketchiest place on earth to hold a photo shoot. They're not even here yet and Rhonda and that girl could be here any minute!"
Not wanting Helga to be anymore discouraged about their luck, Arnold turned to her with a thoughtful smile. "Don't worry, Helga. I'm sure they'll be here soon."
Phil let out another low moan as he looked around their surroundings once more. "There are going to be adults with you, right? If not then I'll probably wait out here and listen to some tunes."
There hadn't been any mention of Gerald bringing his father or brother, nor were there any mention of Phoebe's family coming along and he couldn't even imagine Rhonda bringing anyone of significance. Arnold shook his head to his grandpa. "I don't think anyone else is coming unless the model brings someone. Are you sure you want to just sit in the car?" He asked, not wanting his grandfather to be uncomfortable. "It might get pretty boring."
The old man let out a laugh and turned up his radio as a song started to play. "Don't worry about me, Shortman! That's my job! Besides I got plenty of company from these old dead singers." He replied as he gestured to the radio.
Knowing there was no point in trying to reason with his elder further, Arnold turned back to Helga who still had the same annoyed expression. "You want to get out and have a look at the place before the others arrive? Since Gerald and Phoebe already scoped it out, I figure we might as well also."
Helga shrugged and opened the car door to let herself out. "Whatever floats your boat, Arnoldo." She replied, exiting and slamming the door behind her.
Arnold turned to Phil one last time, who gave the boy a thumbs up, then proceeded on exiting himself. The air around him smelt strongly of gasoline and smoke. He could still hear loud yelling in the distance along with car alarms and other miscellaneous noises. It wasn't the best place to be but it also wasn't the worst place, right?
The two walked up to the building and began checking it out. Tapping on the wooden plank that had secured the window, Helga sighed. "Well ain't she the prettiest thing." She commented sarcastically.
Arnold ignored her and continued his own investigation. Finding the entrance being on the side of the building, he jiggled the handle to see if it would open. Much to his surprise the door opened freely and the young boy looked inside with interest. "It's open!" He shouted to Helga who was still at the front of the building.
The girl grumbled and followed his voice. "Of course it is. Why would this place be locked? Not like anyone is trying to get inside this musty place anyway. I'm sure the cockroaches are very happy with letting anyone just waltz inside and party with them…" but as she arrived at the door and looked inside, it hadn't been exactly what she was expecting. Rising her eyebrow in interest, she walked in and past her companion focusing mainly on the stage. "Huh…" She then looked around for a light switch. "Hey Arnold, turn on a light, will ya?"
The boy turned around and began to feel the wall for any sort of switch. It was rather dark inside and his eyes had not adjusted to it, as well as the dust floating around didn't help. Eventually he came across a switch and flipped it up. A large assortment of lights above the stage flickered on and temporarily blinded the two, causing them to both whine and moan in shock.
"Warn me next time you find it!" Helga shrieked; covering her face.
Feeling the same disorientation she was, Arnold breathed in some of the dust and began to cough. "Sorry about that…"
Now having proper lighting, Arnold's eyes adjusted and he began to look at the sight. In front of him were a few high beam light stands, as well as multi color lights that hung above the stage that were currently lit up and the only light source in the room. On the ground, there were a few scattered plastic soda bottles along with a lone beer can. "We should clean this place up a little before everyone gets here…" Arnold thought out loud, causing Helga to jerk her head in his direction.
"Oh no! I didn't sign up to be maintenance in this crap town of a place! I am absolutely NOT cleaning up this dump!" She shouted as she placed her hands on her hips.
After some coercing from the only boy she ever known to convince her of things she didn't want to do, Helga stood on top of the stage with a broomstick in her hand. "I can't believe I'm cleaning up this dump…"
Arnold had found the janitorial closet and began to utilize the few supplies he found, along with giving Helga her broom. Using a small trash can, he began picking up the bottles and tossing them inside. "It's not that bad, Helga." He replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure everyone will really appreciate it when they arrive."
"I'm sure everyone will appreciate it when they arrive…" She mimicked back to him as she angrily swept the dirt off the stage and onto the floor. "Of course they will, paste-for-brains! We're the ones getting all down and dirty and all they'll have to do is show up, doi!"
Unable to contain his amusement with her angry sweeping, Arnold chuckled to himself and continued to pick up the garbage lying about, such as pieces of wood, cardboard and wrappers from food. Soon his trash can was pretty full and he threw its contents into the community dumpster outside. Looking to the right, he could see his grandpa was still bobbing his head to his music, causing Arnold to smile and head back inside. He watched as Helga jumped off the stage and onto the floor, sweeping up the dirt she had just thrown there and making a large pile. "You know, Helga. Even though you don't like cleaning, you're doing a good job." He complimented.
Helga gave a loud snort and refused to look back at him. "Your witty compliment isn't going to change the fact I didn't sign up for this." She responded; searching around for the dust pan he had given her with the broom. "Where is that dang-blasted dust pan?!"
He could see the object in question and proceeded to pick it up from the corner of the stage. "You mean this one?" He asked as he turned around, his smile not leaving his face.
"Yes… THAT one!" Helga blurted out before collecting as much dirt as possible in the area and making sure it was in one lump sum. "Now hurry up and hand it over so I can just be done."
With a nod, Arnold walked over towards her with the pan firmly grasped in his hand. I feel like today is going pretty well… He thought. Looking around the room, he noticed a clear difference from when they had first arrived and now. I bet Gerald will be amazed to see how far we've come with this place… I'll bet—But before he could finish his thought, Arnold's foot gracefully stepped on the one beer can he had missed and wobbled before losing his balance and falling forward with a loud yell. Dust blew up in the air and scattered around him. He could feel that he had landed on something warm and soft, and with much interest, the boy opened his eyes. Instantly, he realized what or who he fell on. An inch away from his own face was the scarlet face of Helga G. Pataki.
"Why don't you ever watch where you're walking, Football head?!" She asked, clearly flustered that he was now lying on top of her.
"I-I'm sorry!" He responded, feeling his own face turn red at the sight of hers. He turned his head to see the object he had tripped on. "I guess I didn't pick up as well as I thought, huh?"
He could feel the warmth of her body beneath his and then the slow rise and fall of her breathing. Turning back to face her, images of his dream, that he had done his best to push as far back as possible, began to flood his mind and his heart began to race. He needed to get off of her, but his body seemed to refuse.
"Y-you gonna get off me or w-what?" Helga asked quietly, however secretly enjoying their union. She had always envisioned such an accident happening while daydreaming in class, but never did she think such a stereotypical comedic thing could actually happen in real life. What made it even better was he didn't seem to mind it either. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest and all Helga could do was gaze up into his lustrous green eyes.
He had heard her question, however her words seemed to breeze through his ears like a passing gust of wind. Arnold felt his breathing beginning to get heavy as well as his body heating up. The sensation he was experiencing was similar to that of the him in his dream. "Just accept it, Arnold. Just relax and give in… You don't really want me to stop, do you?" Her words echoed in his mind. "But I'm already sick, if that's what you wanna call it…" He could remember the almost unstoppable urge he had experienced too, as his prize was right in front of his face, in the flesh.
Helga swallowed hard and began to feel nervous. What's wrong with him? She wondered as she looked upon his dazed face. Not that I'm not totally enjoying this but… is this really okay? The girl could feel herself begin to sweat from the collection of heat between the two of them. Arnold, the calm and collected; the thoughtful and considerate; the idol upon which she worshiped was acting in a way she had never seen in her life. "E-earth to Football head…" She hesitated softly. "Are you okay?"
Just let yourself go… It's fine, right? Her scent was beginning to overwhelm his senses and Arnold could feel himself being drawn in closer and closer to her, however slow the progression actually was in real time. "I'm…. fine." He responded, although unsure if he had actually spoken aloud at all. The hunger had come back. "It's fine… right?" He asked himself even if it looked like it was directed to her.
"W-what's fine?" She responded with unease. Her pleasurable fantasy was unfolding before her eyes. Does he finally want me the way I want him? She wondered as her eyes searched his for answers. Why am I so nervous? Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.
Just as Helga had finally decided she was ready to accept whatever he intended on doing, the door behind them creaked open, causing them both to whip their heads to the side to see who was there. A small surprised Phoebe stood in the doorway, clutching a camera.
"Uhh… Excuse me." She squeaked out before politely stepping back out and closing the door.
The interruption had snapped Arnold back into clarity and he immediately jumped off of her and turned away. Catching his breath, he wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed, apologetic or what. Words and sentences began to flood his mind as he tried to piece some of them together to form something intelligible.
Meanwhile, Helga pulled herself up and dusted herself off. Luckily for her, they didn't fall into her dirt pile, although that was the least of her concerns. Out of all of the people who could have walked into them in such a state, they were very lucky it had been her best friend. Phoebe was always a polite and understanding person and knew to never speak of anything that wasn't her own business. That moment was safe with her, and Helga knew it. Sighing with a sense of relief, Helga wondered what to say to her clearly unstable partner. Opening her mouth to speak, she stuttered a moment before closing it again and realizing she had no idea what to say. Instead, she grabbed the dust pan lying on the floor and finished collecting the dirt and placing it into his freshly emptied trash can.
"I'm sorry." She heard him mutter out.
"H-huh?" Helga responded, despite having heard his words.
"I…" Arnold started quietly. "I don't know what's wrong with me…"
Replaying their scene in her mind, Helga had little doubt what was wrong with him. What do I say? Do I tell him? Is that right? Is that weird? Yeah that's definitely weird. She concluded in her mind. There has to be something for me to say to ease his mind though… It looks like the poor kid is torturing himself over there! Helga watched as Arnold seemed frozen in place, still staring at the floor, facing away from her. "There… is nothing wrong with you…" She replied slowly, with a soothing voice. "You fell… It happens…" Helga finished with a small chuckle, choosing to feign ignorance to the whole thing.
"No, that's not it." He admitted, pushing all his conflicting emotions deep down into the pit of his stomach. "I'm really sorry, Helga."
Wanting absolutely nothing more than to comfort him; Helga collected all her courage and walked over to him, placing her arms around his midsection and embracing him from behind. "Don't be sorry, Arnold." Her voice as sincere as it had ever been.
Confusion, humility and desperation were all the young man could feel. Her words were warm, as well as her gesture, however Arnold couldn't help but feel as though he did something terribly wrong even if he wasn't exactly sure what that was. "It's just… I had this really weird dream and now it's almost like I can't control myself." He admitted with a cracked voice.
"What kind of weird dream?" His words had piqued her interests.
Arnold shook his head, unsure if he should even explain such a private thing to her. "I don't know… Just weird" He replied. "You were there and…" His voice began to get quiet as he thought back and relayed his vision into words, "We were locked in the school. You said I wanted us to be there and we were sick but it was okay… and to let go. " Finally, Arnold turned around to her and locked his desperate eyes onto hers, causing her to let go and step back. "What does that mean?"
"I-… uh..." Helga stammered with a blush, "I'm… not sure? It could mean lots of things." She lied, turning her head to the side as to not get lost in his eyes once more. "Dreams can be weird like that. I wouldn't think too much of it." Helga gulped. That's right, Helga. Just play along! Let him believe that it meant nothing so he can go back to being his usual easy going football headed self! Helga began to walk back slowly, knowing the only real escape was out the actual door. She could see his desperate expression hadn't wavered.
Remembering that Phoebe had opened the door on them, it had clicked into Arnold's brain that Gerald was probably also there, and possibly everyone else. Stealing his emotions and deciding that he would deal with his issues later and at a better time, Arnold walked over to the door and opened it. At first it looked like no one was outside, until he heard familiar voices. Leaving Helga alone inside the studio, Arnold headed out the door to find his company.
Helga stood there in shock for a moment; gathering up all the information she could process about what had just happened. Her heart was still pounding from their encounter and she placed her hand over her locket and took a long breath in. "Oh my love…" She cooed, "Never had I ever expected you to look at me with those eyes. Never had I dreamed my fantasies would come true. Doth my mind deceive me? Have I become insane?" Taking out her locket, she closed her eyes and clutched it tightly as if pouring all her emotion into it. "Is this really real? Or am I just dreaming…?" Opening them once more, she gazed into his face with growing concern. "What has awakened inside of you…?"