(A/N: Sorry again for a late chapter again. I'm sad to say that this might end up being a norm due to how much is currently going on in my life... Nothing bad or anything, just change and I don't recover well from change lol. Anyway! Here is your long awaited chapter! Sorry it's the shortest yet ;;)
The park was warm and inviting; full of life with families all partaking in various events, as well as joggers, dog walkers and friend's playing games. It seemed as though everyone in Hillwood was aware of summer reaching its end and wanted to utilize the little bit of sun they had left.
Standing there awkwardly, Arnold considered his options. Should I start by apologizing again now that we're alone? He thought as he nervously looked up at his companion. She seemed to be quiet and content with their surroundings, which only made Arnold's nerves uneasy even more. Why is she being so quiet? I bet she's waiting for me to say something… But he couldn't think of anything to break the solid slab of ice that he put between them. Looking at her this way only reminded him of that dream he had, had with her in that fine white dress, overlooking the sea. He almost wondered if he was even able to speak to her now, despite this being reality.
"Ummm…" He slowly forced out, partially as a test to make sure he had a voice.
Turning her head slowly, Helga looked down to show him that he had her attention. "We gonna just stand here all afternoon or did you have something in mind for our date?" She asked simply, her tone rather bland.
Swallowing a little, Arnold still hadn't considered what to do next. The term date was so common yet so foreign to the young man. Sure, he knew what at date was. He knew that it was something a couple would do alone in order to get to know each other or just enjoy each other's company in private. He knew the standard dinner and a movie date, as well as sentimental dates like planning a picnic or watching a sunset together until they were surrounded by glittering stars up above… But what was his plan here? Shameful that he hadn't taken the time to organize the date in his head, Arnold scratched his arm and frowned. "I'm sorry, Helga. I guess I didn't really think this one through enough." He confessed. Looking away as to not see her expression, Arnold focused on another couple holding hands and smiling at each other. "I was so focused on that whole photo shoot and making sure everything was done correctly, that I almost forgot about the date in general…"
She could hear how sad his voice was, and although it did sting a little to hear such words, Helga knew his heart was in the right place as were his priorities. "It's… Okay, Arnold." She replied, hoping she didn't sound as disappointed as she sounded to herself. Doing her best to cheer him up, Helga chuckled. "Truth be told, I sorta forgot about it too."
"Really?" Arnold turned around, a little stunned to hear that on account of how excited she had been over the whole idea in general.
Feeling a blush begin to creep over the young girl's face, she quickly shook it away and began to walk in front of him. "Let's get a move on, Football head! Daylight isn't stopping itself for us, Doi." She could feel Arnold hustle on next to her but continued to look ahead. Crap, I gotta stop resorting to my usual tactics… She told herself inside her head, in fear of ruining the date that had barely begun. Just stay calm, Helga old girl. It's not like you guys are alone… in a dark room together, right? It's just regular Arnold in the regular park, full of regular people! Nothing out of the ordinary…
Seeing Helga's flustered expression gave Arnold mixed feelings. Was she unhappy? Was she too happy? She was very hard to read. Walking along the path at a casual speed, Arnold took in his surroundings. "It's a nice day out, right?" He asked, damning himself for reverting to small talk.
"Yep." She replied shortly, still refusing to look over at him.
"Birds are singing, sun is shining…" Arnold continued, now letting the nervousness begin to show through his voice.
"What's your point, Arnold?" Helga snapped with a scowl.
Sighing, Arnold shook his head. "I'm not very good at this Helga, could you at least help me out?"
His honesty caught the girl off guard. Still looking ahead, she spied a nearby clearing that was vacant enough for her liking. "What do you think I'm doing?" She spat out, "I got us from being stuck in the ground back there and I'm moving us some place decent."
Tilting his head in confusion, the boy's load felt a little lighter as he trusted her and followed at her own pace. "Oh." He too could see the vacant clearing in front of them, and assumed that she was leading him there.
The park was a rather large place that was filled with freshly mowed grass, lots of large trees, sturdy benches and even a chess area as well as a pond. In front of them was a small clearing of trees, a little ways off the path that they were on. The sun shone through the trees and onto the lawn in front of them; the sound of pedestrians off in the distance.
Beginning to feel nervous again, Arnold clenched his fists and turned his head slowly to his partner, who looked about as uncomfortable as he was. "Have you been here before?" He asked.
"When you want to get away from your parents as much as I do, you find lots of quiet places to relax in." Helga responded dryly before finding a nice patch of grass and sitting herself down. She crossed her legs together and got comfortable. "Come on, Football head… Let's talk."
Feeling his heart in his throat, Arnold nodded and did as he was told. Placing himself next to her, he too had a seat.
Silence overwhelmed them for what felt like forever as each mulled over what they wanted to say. The subject in question was very obvious but neither knew how to come out and say it.
Fiddling with her shoelace, Helga glanced over at Arnold a few times before letting out a loud groan. "Alright then, I guess I'll start." Straightening her back, she forced her body to maneuver in a way to make her face him. She could see his boyish face was reflecting something not so easy to talk about, and she sighed quietly. "Look, I know you're…" She started, although pausing as she thought of how to describe him in spite of what he thought of himself, "Not too happy with what happened back there, but it's not the end of the world and you don't need to keep apologizing." She said, knowing full well that the moment she was done talking that he would, in fact, say he was sorry. "It just kinda… sorta… happened and…" Her face became red as she gazed upon his unknowing face, "It's not like I…. hated it."
Surprised to hear her words, Arnold's eyes got wide. "You… didn't?" He asked innocently, feeling as though he had heard her incorrectly.
Helga shook her head. "No…" She clarified, feeling her throat becoming dry at her own confession. Closing her eyes, she continued, "In fact I…. kinda liked it." She breathed out, terrified to see what his expression would be but not brave enough to look herself.
Arnold blinked a few times, wondering if he heard her right. "You… liked it?" He was astonished.
"Yes!" The girl yelled out in frustration, so hard that she almost found herself falling backwards. She opened her eyes warily and saw his dumbfounded face. "Criminy! You don't have to look like that, you know!" She continued to fluster. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything! You're a guy, I'm a girl! I like you, you like me! These things are pretty basic, Arnoldo or are you that dumb that you didn't know that?"
Her words flew throughout his brain, banging this way and that way as he tried to fully understand them. What she was saying did sound pretty normal, however if that was the case, why did he feel so bad about it? Was that what she meant in his dream when she referred to them being sick? That she felt the same way? Arnold had known Helga for a long time, practically all his life and although her confession of love for him years ago threw him for a loop, and although he knew she was an incredibly passionate and outgoing person, it hadn't once dawned upon him that maybe she had the same longing feelings for him deep down, despite all those times she kissed him. Beginning to feel a little giddy, Arnold let out a quiet laugh that slowly and gradually became louder and full of feeling.
Helga sat there completely confused. "What?!" She asked loudly, now feeling embarrassed as if he was laughing at what she had said.
Placing his hand up to silence her and give himself a moment to collect himself, Arnold steadied his breath and looked at her with fondness in his eyes. He wiped the tears of laughter that had formed in his eyes "You're right," He finally spoke out, causing her eyes to widen a little. "I guess I was just over thinking things." He then scratched the back of his head, and gave her a boyish grin. "I'm sorry if I worried you, Helga. I was just… really surprised at how I felt…" Arnold looked down shyly, "and what I wanted to do…"
She could see his cheeks turn red as he voiced his feelings and butterflies began to scatter inside her chest. "What you wanted to do?" She repeated, unsure of herself. Becoming antsy, Helga began to squirm in her seat. "What did you… want to do, Football head?" She asked as she too looked down, not daring to look at him straight. It was the moment of truth and there she was putting him on the spot, again. Sure, they were officially dating now and he had told her how he felt, but to what extent the girl did not know.
Arnold could see she felt just as shy as he did and he pushed his uncertainties in the back of his mind. Placing his hand on hers, he caused her to look up and he gazed into her brilliant blue eyes. "I know it sounds silly… but…" He said, leaning into her and feeling his hunger slowly grow from the depth of his being. "I couldn't help myself…"
"What do you mean?" Helga softly asked, being drawn into his eyes as well and letting the warmth of his hand soar through her body.
"I just wanted to…" He continued, his heart pounding so hard he was sure others could probably hear it.
"Yes… Arnold?" She breathed back, desperately hoping he would show her his true intentions.
His eyes were fixated on her lips once more. Just relax… he told himself as he inched forward. I've done this before, right? It's just Helga… It's not wrong to give in… right? Coaching himself a little, he could feel his body becoming less tense as he felt her hand through his fingers. Wanting absolutely nothing more than to pull her close to him and kiss her, Arnold could feel himself slowly losing control. Just go for it!
"My ball!" A young child's voice called out, causing the focus of both hormone induced pre-teens to break as a small ball bounced towards them.
Arnold sighed heavily and picked up the red sphere, placing a wholesome smile on his face and bringing it over to its rightful owner. "Is this yours?" He asked the little girl who looked to be about 4 years old.
"Yes!" She smiled from ear to ear, sticking her hands out for it. "Can I have it back, please?"
Placing the ball in her hands, Arnold felt both completely disappointed in the ruined moment but also a sense of relief. "Here you go. Keep it safe this time, okay?"
"Yes sir!" The girl replied before running away happily.
Arnold stood there; his back still turned to his partner and lamented his situation. It was almost as if some otherworldly being was purposely throwing obstacles in his way. He could hear Helga getting up and walking over to him. "Today is just not my day."
Helga chuckled and grabbed his hand; lacing their fingers together in a soothing way. "Seems that way, Football head" She replied.
He looked at her to see her in a rare, calm type of mood. "Still wanna get ice cream? It's probably going to get dark soon anyway."
"Sure." Helga responded as she let him lead the way, not breaking their union despite others being around. "However I thought you liked us being in the dark?" She teased.
Arnold blushed and scowled, "S-Stop." He flustered.
Their journey to the ice cream shop had become much more pleasant once they had received their intended treat. Sitting at one of the booths far off in a corner, the couple talked and laughed about random events. It was beginning to feel like a normal date with only a little awkwardness, which was normal.
About an hour had passed since the two had devoured their frozen treats and it was eventually time for them to venture on home. Walking Helga to the usual spot in front of her house, Arnold bid her farewell with a small kiss on top of her hand.
"I hope you had a good time." He smiled charmingly as he let go of her hand.
Helga couldn't help but smile back after lightly grazing the spot he had just kissed with her thumb. "I did. It was actually pretty nice, I'll have to admit. I wasn't expecting much but…" She trailed off for a moment as she got lost in his entrancing green eyes, "but it was fun. Thanks, Arnold."
Feeling as though he had just completed a momentous task, Arnold smile grew. "I'm glad." He spoke, his words emanating from the depth of his heart. "I had fun too."
After a few passing moments of neither of them wanting to say goodnight, the two separated.
With much anticipation and love in her heart, Helga quickly ran into her house, past her parents and proceeded down into her base where she promptly turned on all of her screens and injected the camera's memory cards into the computer. Knowing she had all night to edit the photos in a way she knew would both please her father and catch the eyes of the public, Helga grabbed a yahoo from a small mini fridge nearby that she had stashed a long time ago. "Time to work the midnight oil!" She stated as she popped open the bottle.
Arnold's walk home was quiet but peaceful. With his head in the clouds, the boy placed his hands inside his coat pockets and peered up at the night's sky. It had turned dark shortly after they had finished their ice creams and he knew it was best if he came home before it got too late. He had replayed today's events over in his mind again and again, each time reflecting fondly on a few key moments. A hue of pink graced the boy's cheek as he remembered Helga's small confession. She… liked it, huh? He thought, feeling a little giddy on the inside. Something so simple, yet so meaningful; It was if all had become right in the world inside the boy's heart.
Upon entering the boarding house, Arnold was greeted by his parents who expectedly asked him about the contents of the day. With much enthusiasm, he recounted the events bit by bit, although leaving out some key components, and left them with positive energy. His first date had become a success! Now all that was left was of his plot was in the hands of the others.
Small 8 bit musical notes could be heard across a dark bedroom, as well as a bright, flickering small light which came from a small device. Looking over at the item in question, Rhonda sat herself up in her bed. She reached over and grabbed the small piece of technology and opened it up. In front of her shown a small piece of mail with the words "New" just above the right corner. Groaning, the girl pulled her legs up to her chest and frowned. She had no energy, no spark, no light, no… no nothing. Everything just felt like a bother to her at that very moment. Assuming the email had been just some other idols updated status; she turned off the phones screen and rested it next to her.
"Why me…?" She whined softly to herself, as she rested her back up against a pillow and looked up at her darkened ceiling.
The day had started off perfectly well for her. Rhonda had kept in contact with Marcy all week long and had been long awaiting meeting this famous model. Everything she had wanted was set in place… that was until the unthinkable happened. It was as if the devil himself had risen up and stuck upon her the most unholiest of curses. Unable to do anything about her predicament, all the girl could do was stay home and cry herself to sleep. "It's like… my world is over…" She lamented; tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "I'll never be the same again…"
Slipping back down under her blankets, Rhonda rolled over and placed her face inside her overly fluffy pillow. "It's like I'm being punished! What could I have ever done to deserve this?!" She yelled as she began to beat on her bed.
She had called Nadine earlier to relay her bad fortune and hoped to get a bit of sympathy from her best friend, but her best friend only kicked her down a notch with logic and realism.
"It was bound to happen at some point, Rhonda." Nadine's words echoed in the young woman's mind. "Mother nature gave you a gift."
"But why me?!" Rhonda cried into her phone, hoping to get some answer that would sooth her but to her dismay, no answer existed.
"What do you me 'why me?'" Nadine asked, a touch confused at the silly question. "You do realize that this is a perfectly natural thing, right? It already happened to me and a few other girls in our grade… I'm not sure why you're so surprised."
"Because!" Rhonda shouted but was only immediately interrupted on the other end.
"Because you think that you're gonna stay a kid forever or something?" Nadine asked with dull humor.
Rhonda began to feel a little silly at her friend's statement and found herself blushing in spite of herself. "N-no…. I know that's impossible but with this wretched 'gift', I will no longer be able to be the same anymore! Mother said that I'd now blossom into a fine woman like herself but… All that means is I'm going to get old and ugly!"
"You're mother is far from ugly, Rhonda." Nadine corrected with a little surprise. "She looks great for her age!"
"That's not the point!" Rhonda said as she was beginning to become impatient with her friend as well as herself. "Just… Just never mind!"
Nadine gave a small sigh. She was aware that Rhonda was very difficult to persuade but this was beginning to get ridiculous. "Look, just take some painkillers and go to sleep. Sleeping usually helps me." The blonde girl suggested with nothing but warm kindness, "It will eventually pass and you'll be your usual self again. It's not the end of the world, Rhonda."
But it was, to her. Rhonda continued to roll around in the dark of her room and think of all the bad that would come from her surprise gift from Mother Nature. No more swimming freely, no more going to school unhindered, she would always have to carry around these gross feminine products where ever she went… and then, there were her clothes; her precious clothes that were absolutely ruined today. The girl had went through all of her wardrobe the night prior to pick out the most perfect outfit she possibly could in order to impress her guest: A vintage blue shirt together with a jean coat, some faded cut jean pants with the hem all lopsided and finished with some bright platform shoes. It had taken her nearly forever to pick out exactly what she wanted to wear and now… half of that outfit was in the compost. Her mother was sympathetic to the situation and offered to buy her some new clothes to replace those; however that wasn't the point, not to Rhonda. Now she would always have to worry about ruining her clothes for the rest of her young life.
Whimpering, Rhonda let a few tear drops escape the sides of her eyes as she closed them in an attempt to sleep once more. My life is ruined now… she repeated in her head over and over. With hopes of tomorrow being a better day, the young woman finally allowed herself to drift back into slumber.
The next morning went as normal as could be expected. Rhonda had woken up bright and early with the smell of bacon coming from down stairs. She arose and looked around in a daze, forgetting the events of yesterday. She proceeded in going in her closet and picking out an outfit; laying each piece of the ensemble on her bed nicely before finally agreeing to her decision. She took off her nightgown and was about to change her undergarments before the smack of reality hit her once more. Letting out a loud groan of annoyance, the girl threw the night gown out of her hand and onto the floor.
"Rhonda darling, your breakfast is ready!" She heard her mother call from downstairs; however the girl no longer had an appetite.
Giving in to her misfortune and accepting the circumstances, Rhonda dressed appropriately and dragged herself downstairs and into the dining room. Both of her parents were already at the table awaiting her. Once seated, her mother looked up at her from her phone and smiled.
"Good morning darling! How did you sleep?" She asked as cheerful as ever. It was almost as though the woman had forgotten that the world had suddenly halted for her beloved only child.
"Yes, I heard you had quiet an eventful day planned yesterday." Her father chimed in as his face was still planted in his newspaper. "How did that go for you?"
Looking over at her mother with sorrowful eyes, Rhonda was at a loss of words. Had she told her father? Was he completely oblivious to the fact her world was currently in shambles?! Or were they all just acting as though nothing had happened?
Getting the hint, Mrs. Lloyd cleared her throat and placed a warm hand on her daughters. "Yes her day was quite eventful." The woman replied to her husband, realizing how insensitive the question of his might have been. "I've made sure to have the cook prepare your favorite breakfast! It should be out shortly." She finished with a wink.
Despite the lack of constructive parenting from both adults, Rhonda knew that she was much loved and that she was the core of her parent's world. The fact that her mother went out of her way to get her favorite meal made for her, melted her heart and brought tears to her eyes. "Thank you, Mother. That might help my mood…"
Nodding and removing her hand, Brooke went back to her cell phone which then reminded Rhonda of her own. Pulling it out of her pants pocket, she turned on the screen to reveal the same new email message that had been there since last night. Now interested in what it could possibly be, she clicked "open" to view its contents. One by one, images fully loaded and popped up on her screen of the model she had invited. Looking at the sender, they were from Helga.
Hmm… The pictures they took aren't that bad. She thought as she scrolled through them all. I could have taken better, though. It seemed as though Helga had, in fact, pulled an all-nighter and done her best to edit the photos to being of professional quality. At the end of the stream of pictures, a note had been written: "You better post these pictures up somewhere good and get a lot of attention Princess, especially since you ditched us yesterday."
Right, I never did tell them I wasn't coming… Oh I hope Marcy wasn't too disappointed. I bet those geeks made a fool out of her! She thought as she immediately went to her messenger to contact the girl. No new messages awaited her, however she still felt she needed to say something:
"Hello Marcy!
I'm so sorry for not making it yesterday. I had really been anticipating our meeting, yet I regret to inform you that something suddenly came up and I was forced to not attend. Were my friends nice to you? Did everything happen as it should? Please inform me if there were any mishaps that I need to look into! I hope we're able to meet someday, until then, keep in touch! –Rhonda"
With a quick read through of her own message, Rhonda sighed contently as she pressed send. Hearing the door to her dining room open up, the girl looked in anticipation to see her meal had arrived.
"Oh very good, breakfast is served." Buckley cheered as he finally placed his newspaper down and awaited the food.
As her food was placed down in front of her, Rhonda could feel her mouth begin to water. "Thank you so much Mommy! Daddy!" she cried out.
Looking at each other with fondness, the parents touched hands. "Anything for you, my darling." Brooke spoke out before grabbing her own utensils.
Maybe this isn't…. so bad. Rhonda thought as she began to eat. At least I'll be able to get pampered while this curse is affecting me.
Meanwhile, somewhere far away in an undisclosed location…
A woman walked into her place of work with a weary appearance. Things had gotten harder lately as more and more work needed to be done with fewer and fewer people to aid her. With budgets at an all time high, she was unable to provide any of her associates with all the tools needed to complete their job and many were just walking out on her. She walked into her office and gazed around the small room. Everything was tidy and in its proper place however one thing caught her eye. Noticing a small piece of paper on the floor that might had been slid under her door the night prior, she picked it up. The headlines that read across it along with the picture of the item provided piqued the woman's interest. She gripped the paper with excitement and hurried on over to her desk, flipped open her laptop and began to type the contents of the paper inside of an internet search engine to verify the papers authenticity. Immediately, a website popped up and with wide eyes, she scrolled through the information.
"This is it…" She whispered to herself, her eyes darting back and forth around the screen and taking everything in. "This may not solve our problems all together but it will definitely help!"
Opening up her desk, the woman pulled out a notebook and pen and began to write down a phone number. Picking up her own company phone, she pressed a number and waited a moment. "Diane? Yes it's me." She spoke to her receiver, "Do me a favor and come to my office as soon as possible, there is something I want you to see!"
The woman hung up and waited patiently as she continued to eyeball her computer screen. Seeing the date that had been posted on the website, her feelings of excitement began to simmer down. It had been uploaded months ago so the fear began to set in that its advertisement was no longer valid. Feeling her heart speed up in anticipation, she almost jumped out of her seat the moment her office door swung open.
"What is it you want me to see?" An older woman asked with an out of breath voice.
Standing up from her seat, she offered the paper to her companion who gladly accepted. "This. How long has this flier been in our building and why is this the first I'm seeing it?" She asked with a voice of authority.
The older woman gently took her glasses that had been hanging around her neck and applied them to her face. With a squint, she looked over the papers contents. "Oh this? I don't know… a week possibly?" The older woman replied before lowering her glasses once more. "We get many advertisements from passerbyers, Director… and many of them are just scams. I apologize if this has inconvenienced you."
"Inconvenienced?" The woman repeated, astounded. "I want you to call this place immediately and find out if they still have their stock in supply! Our workers need these in order to do their job and just look at the price!"
Feeling as though she had failed her superior and wanting nothing more than to right what was wrong, the woman grasped the paper and nodded before rushing out the door.
Diane had ran passed the doctors and nurses that lingered the halls and made it to her front desk. Picking up her phone, she dialed the number on the paper and waited for someone to answer her call. After a moment, a sleepy sounding woman answered the phone.
"Hello? Yes, I'm calling from Saint Paul's Hospital. We've stumbled upon one of your going out of business fliers and wondered if you have liquidated your assets yet?" The woman paused and gave a concerned look. "If you've sold all your beepers, ma'am?" Waiting another moment, her eyes then lit up in happiness and she nodded. "Yes, yes we're interested in buying some. Maybe all of them, depending on what you have left!"