(A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I'm telling ya, I know the cliffhanger got most of you but it got me too! I immediately started writing the next chapter right after posting the last one. A lot of you have are on the right track with your ideas, though so kudos! Please continue to let me know your thoughts! I always get really excited when I hear them!)
Smoke and ashes clouded the area around the two preteens, as both men and women in red uniforms rushed back and forth to put out the flame. Neither said a word, just watched. It wasn't long before the local news network showed up with their station truck in order to film what was going on and more and more onlookers came to the scene.
Helga slowly walked towards chaos as if she was hypnotized and Arnold followed. He swallowed a lump in his throat and could feel his insides becoming queasy as his muscles tensed all over. He couldn't begin to imagine how she felt and didn't even know what to say. Would now be a good time to offer words of encouragement? No, probably not until there were answers. He looked down at her pale hands and wanted to hold them, but feared it might wake her from her trance and send her into some unpredictable irrational behavior that he'd regret.
"We're here right now standing in front of what seems to be Big Bobs Beepers where it has unexpectedly caught fire. I am Michelle Gibson, first on the scene, bringing you here live." The reporter said in front of her cameraman as the team hustled to get shots of the fire from all angles.
Arnold looked back towards them with a grim expression, then back up at Helga whose expression had yet to change. There was no use asking if she was okay, and he knew it. No one was okay right now, except maybe that reporter with their big scoop.
The heat got greater and greater as Helga continued forward. It was as if her body was moving on its own, as her mind was blank and she felt nothing. A fireman bumped into her as he hurried past the two to join his other comrades but she couldn't feel the pain of the impact or noticed anyone close to her.
Now thoroughly worried that Helga had intentions of walking into the dangerous zone, Arnold caught her arm and pulled her closer to the wall of the building they were closest too, allowing more room for the busy workers to pass by.
"I know you're worried about your family but we have to stay out of their way so they can do their job, Helga." Arnold spoke softly to her. Speaking of her family, Arnold found it strange that there was no sign of either of her parents and the knot in his stomach grew.
"Hey!" A tall blond police officer walked towards them urgently, "You kids can't be here! Why has no one roped off this area?!"
"Please sir, this is Helga Pataki, she lives here." Arnold explained as he motioned towards his still stunned girlfriend, "Where is the rest of her family? Are they okay?"
The officer's face softened as he glanced over at the girl then back at Arnold. "Yeah kid, they're fine." He said as he pointed his baton towards the row of ambulances that had been hidden amongst the long row of fire trucks. "They're over there."
Arnold squinted but could see what looked like Helga's mother talking to another officer off in the distance and he nodded. "Thank you, sir." He said to the officer before tugging on Helga's arm that he was still securely attached to. "Come on; let's go see your parents."
"We're here right now standing in front of what seems to be Big Bobs Beepers where it has unexpectedly caught fire. I am Michelle Gibson, first on the scene, bringing you here live." The female voice spoke from the open television that was currently on in Arnold's living room.
Phil sat in his arm chair and pushed his boney body forward to get a better look at the T.V as he looked upon the smoldering building from a distance. "What in the world?!" He shouted, causing the attention of his son from the kitchen.
"You okay in there, Dad?" Miles called out before walking into the room with a dish rag in hand, along with a dinner plate.
"Oh ya, I'm fine but that building sure isn't." The elder replied with a mix of feelings in his voice.
"The local Beeper Emporium of Hillwood, owned by the Beeper King himself: Bob Pataki has been a staple in this community for the last few years. There has been no reports of injury as of yet and the cause of this fire still remains a mystery. We'll have more to bring you shortly…"
Miles set his dry, clean dish down on the sofa and got closer to the television. "That's Helga's family business, isn't it?" He asked as he recalled having met her large father on their way back from San Lorenzo.
"Yeah…" Phil replied as he rubbed the top of his bald head, "We better tell Arnold before…" but before the old man could get out of his chair, he noticed a familiar blond boy pull his familiar companion across the screen and out of focus.
"Is that…?" Miles asked as he watched the same scene his father was.
"Never mind then!" Phil's face grew wide with a smile. "Guess we'll have to find the scoop out from him when he gets home." He said with a laugh.
"And here I thought he was upstairs doing homework…" Miles looked at the old clock in the living room, then at his father with a puzzled look. "Is it normal for him to sneak out at night?"
The old father leaned back in his chair and grinned at his son, "No but young Arnold is growing up, Miles. I'm sure he has a good reason to why he snuck out and why he's there." Phil turned back to the T.V which had turned to a commercial. "It probably has to do with his little blond girl friend with the one eyebrow, if I had to guess."
Miles hummed to himself as he tried to remember himself at that age. He was much more rambunctious than his son; as he took after his mother at an early age, however a small feeling of disappointment lingered in the adult male's heart. Ever since coming back to Hillwood and realizing he missed so much, it dawned on him more and more of how much his one and only son had grown so much without him. It was bittersweet to see the boy have so many problems that Miles could honestly relate to. No amount of stories of Arnold's past could ever make up for the time or experience lost with him and all he could do was rely on his elderly father to fill in the gaps.
"You don't think Arnold will do anything… irrational, do you?" Miles asked his father with a worried look.
"Mmm no." Phil replied as he thought about the question. "Not if he can help it."
"What do you mean, Dad?" Miles pressed for more information as he sat back down on the sofa closest to his father.
Phil gave his son a soft and understanding look. He knew very well the difficulties that his son was having, even if he hadn't experienced them himself. He too lost out on a lot of Miles life and wished to have that time back, however 10 years of an adults live versus 10 years of a child's life was drastically different.
"Why don't you sneak me one of them puddings from the kitchen and I'll tell you a story." He replied warmly. It was about time that Miles learn more about his son from the eyes of the guardian that had been watching over him all this time.
Arnold pulled Helga along towards her parents and hoped it would snap her out of her trance. "See Helga?" He called out to her with a small squeeze of his hand. "You're parents are right there."
She could hear the voice of her love speak, yet for some reason she just couldn't respond. Yeah, she saw her parents in the distance but it honestly didn't make her feel any better. Helga hadn't been worried about her parents; she had been worried about her home. Everything that she had created was in that place. All her poetry books, her shrines, her video surveillance of Arnold and everything he's done for their city, her computer with a million images of him that she had hand selected to gaze upon… gone up in smoke. What was the point of cherishing anything anymore if it was so easily taken away?
Helga looked over at the boy holding her hand. His grip was so tight and his hand was so clammy it was almost as if he was scared for her. If he was going to be in it for the good and the bad, he was about to experience a lot of that bad and a lot sooner than he knew.
Miriam immediately recognized the two as they emerged from the smoke that had been surrounding them. A look of relief came upon her face as she saw her daughter safe and sound with her friend.
"Oh Helga!" Miriam cried out as she walked quickly towards her daughter and engulfed her in a tight hug; something similar to that of which Olga would give. "I was so worried! Where have you been?" She asked as she let go of the girl to take a better look at her.
"She's been at my house." Arnold replied, causing Miriam to look over at him.
"Thank goodness! We had no idea where she was and I was so worried she might still be trapped inside." The distressed woman explained. "The firemen have been in and out of the building since the fire started and saw no trace of her, but thought it was possible she was in the basement." She became overwhelmed with relief once more and embraced her daughter. "I'm so glad you're safe, honey!"
It was an odd feeling to have her mother hug her in the way she was, but it wasn't exactly a bad one. Helga hugged her mother back awkwardly in surprise. "T-thanks… Miriam?" She finally replied.
Arnold smiled at the sight of them both as it was comforting for him to see her being cared for, even if it wasn't a usual occurrence.
"What happened?" Helga finally asked after her mother let go of her once more and stood back to look at the wreckage.
Placing a hand on her head, Miriam frowned. "I'm honestly not sure…" Her voice became quiet and back to her usual self. "I had left shortly after you got home from school because I had to pick up a few things from the corner store when I happened upon this new little shop that had opened up around the corner. I went in and saw all these cute figurines and they reminded me of you and your sister when you were younger." The woman sighed with nostalgia before continuing on. "I ended up losing track of time in there and before I knew it, they were about to close! So I left and as I was walking back home, I came across a young boy named Johnny who had lost his mother… oh it was so sad…"
"And then you went back home to see that it was on fire?" Helga asked, breaking her mother from her thoughts.
"Well, I helped him find her and then the two of us had a very nice talk. It was after that I started walking this way and saw the smoke and, Oh Helga, I was so scared! The fire department had already been notified and I couldn't find your father…" Miriam continued as she turned her head to look at the angry man on the phone behind her. "He's fine, of course but I just didn't know what to do."
"Do you guys know the cause of it yet?" asked Arnold as he politely made his way into the conversation.
Miriam shook her head. "Unfortunately, they said there is no way of knowing the cause until after the fire is completely out and everything has cooled off… B's on the phone right now with our insurance agency to try and find us some place to stay for the night…"
Just as the woman finished talking, Bob closed his flip phone and angrily shoved it into his pocket. "Scammers! All of them!" He shouted as he made his way towards his family. He then noticed Helga and growled. "Where on Earth have you been, girl?!" He shouted.
The mood between them all changed drastically and Helga's face twisted into something ugly. "I thankfully decided to leave before this happened!" She shouted back as she pointed to the blaze. "Who knows if I'd even be alive right now if I hadn't decided on taking a walk?"
Bob opened his mouth to holler back, but was interrupted by the soft hand of his wife. "What is it, Miriam?! Don't you see I'm talking to Olga?"
"What did they say on the phone, B?" She asked, urgently changing the subject out of both curiosity and to avoid further confrontation between the two.
With a tight grip of his fist, Bob fought back the urge to punch something. "Apparently our homeowners insurance only covered our actual house and now that the bank owns it, all the money goes to them!" He yelled.
"Wait!" Helga butted in, "So you're trying to tell us that you only got insurance on our house and not on your business?!" The small hairs all over her body began to stand up as she fully understood. "What kind of moron has a business and doesn't get insurance on it?!"
Bob put his hand up to silence his daughter and continued. "Pipe down and let me finish!" He scolded. "As far as I was aware the insurance was to cover BOTH buildings but the pinheads down in Utah or wherever they're office is can't seem to find that on file. There is no way I've been paying as much as I have for so long for only covering one place!"
Patting his arm gently to calm the big man down, Miriam smiled. "Don't worry! I'm sure they'll find our information…"
"What are we going to do about tonight?" Helga asked bluntly, figuring if anyone was to ask the obvious and real problem, it would be her.
Bob thought for a second. "We have enough to stay in a motel." He replied; placing his hands on his hips and looking disgruntled at the idea. "Nothing fancy but it will do."
Arnold raised his hand in order to gain the group's attention. "My grandpa has actually just finished renovating one of the older rooms in our boarding house. It's nothing special but I'm sure he'd rent it to you."
Big Bob laughed. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks kid. I'd rather sleep outside than in that dump."
Helga frowned at her father's comment and looked sadly at Arnold. She knew he was still doing his best but he was up against a formidable opponent. "Come on, Dad. It would be cheaper…"
With a laugh, he looked at Helga in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me! We may be broke but we're not that desperate to be accepting handouts!"
A few officers hailed down Mr. Pataki who stomped on over to them, leaving the three to stand in silence.
"Miriam, could you please talk some sense into him?" Helga pleaded with her mother. "Even if it's for just one night to get our situation clear and let those insurance guys call you back?"
The older woman smiled warily and patted the blonde girl on the head. "You know your father doesn't listen to me, honey. Let's just do what he wants and who knows? Maybe this will be fun."
Arnold could feel the situation becoming muddy and despite wanting to offer more help, he had no suggestions.
"Fine then." Helga crossed her arms. "You two go! Go to your stupid motel and I'll take the Football head up on his offer." She told her mother with a stubborn look. "It's getting late and, in case you guys haven't noticed, I still have school in the morning. It would be easier to stay with him and have a way to get to school on time rather than to go to who knows where and probably miss the day all together."
"Are- Are you sure, Helga?" Miriam asked with an unsure look as she looked between her daughter and her husband off in the distance. "Don't you think the family should stick together?"
Helga let out a loud laugh. "Hah! Family? Yeah right! No one had any idea I was even gone up until now. I could have been stuck in the basement practically dead, remember?" She said harshly as she watched Miriam's expression turn sad, quickly regretting her words. Her anger was easily placed on both of her parents, however her mother was not to blame for this incident and at the very least she was relieved to see her alive. "I mean…" She continued and cleared her throat, "I'll be fine at Arnold's, Miriam. You handle stuff with Bob and at least you know where I am, right?" Helga finished with a nicer sounding tone.
Depression filled Miriam's lungs as she sighed. Helga was miserable… always so miserable. She had every right to be in this situation; however her independence was only going to complicate things. "Alright honey, you stay with your little friend and we'll come by once we have more information. I'll let B know when he comes back." She agreed unwillingly. At least maybe this would make her happy.
"Maybe you can convince Mr. Pataki to join us?" Arnold suggested with a little bit of hope in his voice.
Putting on a small smile, the woman nodded to him. "I'll try. Take care of Helga for us."
The words seemed odd coming from her mother's mouth but she took them and grabbed Arnold's arm and figured she better make a move on it now before Bob came back and changed the plan. "Come on, Football head."
Having mixed feelings about the whole situation; The Emporium burning, Bob's lack of information and control of it all, as well as Miriam's obvious painful expression and Helga's harsh demeanor… Just what was this family? He could feel Helga tug on him a few times as well as the piercing glare. "I will, Mrs. Pataki. Don't worry." He said as he returned her small smile with a gentle one.
"Any day, Arnoldo!" Shouted the girl as she tugged him so hard he lost balance and stumbled a bit before following her.
Miriam watched sorrowfully as they walked far into the distance before disappearing. Everything around her was chaotic and the overwhelming desperation that filled her body was beginning to make her tired. She took in a deep breath and patiently awaited her husband. Who was he talking to? What were they talking about? Was she even going to get answers to those questions when he got back? Did they even matter?
"Ma'am?" A male voice said from behind her. It was the ambulance driver and he was holding out a white blanket to her. "Would you like a blanket? You look cold."
She hadn't noticed but her body shivered despite the scorching blaze that burn only a few buildings away. "Yes… thank you." She replied as she took his generous offer and placed it around her shoulders. Why couldn't everyone be kind like this?
"Heh, would you look at that? I'm going to be staying at your place anyway." Helga chuckled after they had gotten a far enough distance away and let go of his arm. "Could have saved myself the trouble of watching all my crap burn down if you'd have agreed to hide me there in the first place but oh well, right?"
Unsure if she was being sarcastic or genuine, Arnold chose not to respond. Why add fuel to the fire, right? Speaking of staying at his place, the boy hadn't thought his offer through completely before offering it and now was dealing with the consequences. Surely his family wouldn't mind Helga staying there, given the circumstances, however who knew how long she would need to be there? How would he feel about her being so close to him especially after his conversation with her up on the roof? Arnold could feel heat begin to prickle his cheeks as the thought occurred to him. It was bad enough that he had confusing urges and dreams about her, but he had finally begun accepting his feelings for her- his real feelings for her.
His silence after her rude statement caused Helga to glance over at him. She could see he was deep in thought. Wanting to focus on him rather than her own negative feelings, Helga unconsciously began pushing her dismal reality into the farthest part of her mind. What's got him so quiet? Was it something I said? She wondered as she took in his image. She could still hear the commotion even after they were blocks away from it all and it was trying to remind her…
"Sooooo…." She started whimsically, feeling a little nervous. "Crazy night, huh?" Her question rewarded her with a look up from him. His face looked complicated. "What?"
Arnold swallowed and wondered if he should tread lightly. "Was it really okay to leave your parents back there? Your mom looked pretty worried about you."
Helga snorted loudly and looked back in front of them. "My parents can take care of themselves, you know that. Big Bob is the 'leader of the family' and nothing can stand in his way."
"That's not what I mean…" Arnold could feel a small clenching in his stomach and looked at her sympathetically, causing Helga to seem a little alarmed.
"Then… what do you mean?" She asked.
Still juggling the idea of proceeding with the presumably sensitive topic, Arnold stopped walking which lead his companion to do the same. "It's just…"
Helga had a gnawing feeling inside her and she began to get nervous as he was clearly tiptoeing around something and hoped it had nothing to do with their discussion earlier. "It's just what? Spit it out for crying out loud!" She blurted out, feeling her composure starting to become shaky.
"Look, I know you don't have the best home life… as you told me so yourself, but I don't know if it was right to just abandon them to figure everything out themselves. You are a family and families should figure things out together." He finally spoke as he stared up at her. He knew her private business wasn't his own but he also knew that not saying anything would have also been a betrayal of himself. "Call me nosy or a busybody or whatever, but your mother seemed like she actually cared what happened to everyone and I think you saw it too. Why did you just leave?"
Helga's face molded into a scowl as she listened to his words. Did he not listen to a word I said up on the rooftop? Does he not care how much I've already suffered at the hands of my own 'family'? How could he say something like that as if he knows them?! She thought as rage began to build up.
"You 'look', Bucko!" Helga shouted out. "You don't know my parents! Did you hear nothing I told you earlier?"
"I did Helga, but-"
"But nothing!" She continued, not letting the boy get a word in. Helga pointed her finger at him and jabbed it into his chest. "You heard what Miriam said. It doesn't even matter what she says to him, and you know damn well that he doesn't give a crap about anything I have to say! And as far as I'm concerned, they can both sleep out on the street if they want to since your place isn't good enough. Why do you care about them anyway?"
Her jabs were rough and he could feel they were probably going to cause a bruise but his conviction didn't waver. "I just think that we could have waited a little bit longer to see if they changed their mind. Don't you care where they're going to sleep tonight at all? You're not the only one who lost everything tonight."
"No! I don't care!" She shouted back, retracting her index finger from his chest and balling it up into a fist. "What part of that don't you get, Football head?!"
"I think you do and you left before it could bother you." He finally said, telling her what had been bothering him since they left.
His words stunned her for a moment and the girl didn't know what to think or say.
"And I think you know I'm right." Arnold finished with a soft and kind tone.
Thoughts and feelings rampaged in the girls mind as she contemplated his words. They didn't make sense and the less and less she understood, the angrier she ended up. Remembering her mother's expressions from earlier played in her mind and left a sour taste in her mouth. Choosing not to confront him about it, Helga turned around and began to walk towards his boarding house once more.
"Helga!" He called out to her, giving her a few steps ahead of him before eventually chasing after her.
Her stride turned into stomps as he got closer, "What's the use of letting their feelings bother me when my feelings don't bother them?" She hissed as she balled up both her fists and gripped tightly. "You practically just got parents yesterday and now you think you're a master on the subject? Don't preach things you know nothing about and drop the subject, Arnold."
The words stung as he knew there were truth to them but he refused to change subjects, even for her sake. "I may not know about having traditional parents, but I've always had a family." He spoke from the heart. "And I'm only saying something to you because I care, Helga."
The two were nearing his boarding house and both could see its red brick from the distance. Helga quickened her pace in order to near the building but was caught short by his sudden grip on her arm, causing her to halt. She stared him down forcefully however his stern but tender eyes stared back and pierced her soul. Helga could feel her will begin to deteriorate as she lost herself within them. It was clear that he did care but this wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now.
Before Helga could open her mouth to reply, the large green door to the Sunset Arms opened up and distracted them both. Arnold's grandpa walked out and looked at them before shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. "You kids gonna stand out here and chit-chat all night? It's getting late."
"We'll just be a minute, Grandpa" Arnold replied but to his dismay, Helga snatched her arm away from him and headed to the stoop.
"My family's business burned down and now I'm basically homeless. Can I stay here tonight? My parents know and don't care." She told the old man with a casual tone, ignoring what Arnold had said.
Phil raised his eyebrows and looked over at his grandson. "Well… If the Shortman says it's okay…" He said as he scratched the top of his balding head.
Arnold replied to his elder with a half hearted smile and a nod, before Phil opened the front door wider to let the young lady escape, leaving the two males to stand there awkwardly.
"Luck hasn't seemed to be on your side lately, Arnold." Said Phil as he shut the door to talk to his grandson privately.
Arnold let out a loud sigh before walking up and sitting down on the stoop next to him, propping both his arms on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "Not so much, Grandpa."
"We saw Big Bob's Beepers on the news tonight…" Phil revealed before struggling to sit down next to the boy. "Pretty big fire… they find out what caused it yet?"
"No…" Arnold replied, although muffled through his hands.
Phil let the summer crickets chirp around them and took a nice breath of fresh air. He could somewhat taste the smoke even with how far away they were and he smacked his lips. "That's a shame. I'm sure they'll find out tomorrow. Doubt any of their stuff will be salvageable though." He gave Arnold a window of opportunity to speak but when the boy didn't take up the chance, Phil continued on. "Where's the rest of the Pataki's?"
"Probably in some hotel by now." Arnold replied, removing one of his hands from his face and looking up at his grandpa. "I asked them if they wanted to stay here but-"
"But Big Bob probably laughed in your face and called you a puny little peasant boy, right?" Phil suggested, cutting the boy off. "Oh Arnold, your kindness is one of your best traits but not everyone deserves it, you know." He stated with a small pat on the boys fluffy blond hair. "You're a better man than I, Shortman. I wouldn't have offered that hulking blowhard my left sock with the hole in it even if he offered me a million dollars!" Phil paused with a thought. "Well actually I would probably accept it if it was a million dollars but you get what I'm trying to say."
Arnold sighed and looked back at the gray cement. "It just seemed wrong leaving them while their home burned down…"
After thinking of what Helga said before walking into their home, Phil frowned. "And what does your little lady friend think about it?"
"She said she doesn't care but…" Arnold paused and looked up at his grandfather with sadness looming in his eyes. "I know that's not true."
Phil smiled painfully before wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders and squeezing him in. "Just give her some time, Arnold. A lot just happened to the poor girl. Maybe she just needs some time to think quietly or maybe reality will never set in and she'll be like your Grandma and think she's still in Zimbabwe protecting rhinos from poachers."
Knowing his grandfather had the best in his heart; Arnold gave a small light hearted chuckle. "Thanks, Grandpa."
"And if you smell something really bad… it wasn't me." Phil said with a confident voice as he squeezed his grandson closer to him.
"Oh…"
As soon as Helga had barged into the boarding house, she had looked for the safest route with little disturbance. Where was her room going to be? It didn't matter; she just didn't want to interact with anyone right now. She ran up the stairs and headed for Arnold's room. Just as she turned the corner, she heard someone opening their room door and ducked into the nearest available room: The bathroom.
Inside she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She needed some privacy to get her head straight and without interruption. "What's wrong with me?!" She demanded from herself. "I know Arnold was just trying to help, in his stupid little annoying prying ways, but just to push my way into his house and act like I own the place?!" Helga stopped for a moment after hearing her own words. "Well that does sound like me but that's not the point! Here he is showing me all this hospitality and the best I can do is fight with him and run away! He even went out of his way to offer my parents a place to stay, despite how horrible they are! He's such a benevolent angel and what am I?"
The girl walked over to his bathroom mirror and took a long, hard look at herself. "I'm… this." She said. The day had been far more stressful than any other day in her young life and it shown. Her hair was sticking out all over the place and there were black particles all over her face and clothes from the ash that was scattered throughout the air. Taking a clean washcloth, she dampened it with some water and attempted to clean some of the specks off her face but only smudged it and made it worse. It was crazy to think that this black stuff used to be her family's belongings and now? Now it was a pile of ash being scattered to the wind; things that once held so much meaning and memories, gone in an instant.
Helga could feel her body begin to shake as the reality started to set in. Her one and only wish was to get her home back and now the only thing she had close to a home was burning down. She was now officially homeless, along with her parents. Just a few years ago, her family was racking in the cash and now they were practically penniless comparatively. No more Big Bob's Beepers to keep them afloat, just… Big Bob.
With wobbly legs, Helga turned around and sat down on the toilet in the corner of the bathroom. Her head was becoming dizzy and the room began to spin. Feelings of nausea made themselves aware to the young girl as she closed her eyes and pulled her legs up to her chest to rest her head on her knees. The toilet seat wasn't very big, but it held her folded up body fairly well. She began to breathe in and out slowly in order to keep consciousness as a form of first aid. When was the last time she ate? Probably school lunch and even then all she did was pick at her plate. Was she hungry? Was she dehydrated? Was this what it felt like to hit rock bottom? She wasn't sure, but the one thing she was sure of was she could vomit any minute.
Suddenly, a small knock came from the bathroom door. Helga picked up her head to look towards it but had absolutely no energy to do anything about it. More knocks came followed by a soothing voice.
"Helga? Are you in there?" Called a feminine voice from outside the door; it was probably Arnold's mother. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She forced out with her usual strong tone, but recoiled with a quiver. She knew it was a lie.
There was a pause before the woman continued. "I'd like to talk to you… Could you come out?" Stella asked.
Realizing that she had instinctively locked the door, Helga growled under her breath before picking herself up and wobbling over. Once she got there, she placed her weight on the handle to steady herself before taking in another deep breath to calm her body before opening it.
In front of her stood the tall brunette woman with a head similar to that of her love. The woman gave a concerned look with a smile. "One of the boarders said you ran in here a while ago so I wanted to come check on you." She explained; sounding a bit nervous herself.
A while ago? Helga thought. I've been in here like 5 minutes! I think…
"I heard what happened to your family's business and that you might be staying here a little while until your parents find a solution. I just wanted to let you know that you're welcome to stay as long as you need to." Stella continued, slowly warming up to her recipient. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now and I'll be here if you need someone to talk to."
Wanting nothing more than to just be alone, Helga steadied herself with the door and huffed. "I appreciate the sentiment but I said I'm fine, didn't I?" She said, struggling to concentrate. Her vision was becoming a little blurry and she could feel her strength being drained every second she stood.
"Yes… You did but you also don't look too well, dear." The woman replied, now feeling more concerned than ever. She watched as Helga's color started to turn pale. "I think you should lie down."
"I can take care of myself!" Helga snapped back through the now loud ringing that was piercing her ears. She could feel her body getting hot and she started to feel sweat beginning to form all over her body. Arnold's mom was right, she wasn't well. Something was wrong but before Helga could say anything further, the room went dark and she collapsed.
Noises. Voices. An annoying light that was now finally coming through her eyelids… Helga stirred before slowly opening her eyes to see Arnold sitting next to her. Looking around, she could see that she was in his room. "What happened?" She asked quietly.
"You fainted and my mom carried you up here so you could lie down." Arnold replied with a frown. "Helga, you should have said that you weren't feeling well. You could have gotten hurt if she wasn't there to catch you."
She could feel herself shiver, even beneath the blankets that she was wrapped in. Forcing her body to sit up so she could get a better idea of what was going on, the young woman noticed that she was in his bed and immediately her face lit itself red.
"No, you should really lie down!" Arnold insisted as he placed his hands on her shoulder to usher her back down.
Unable to fight him, she did as she was told and placed her head back on his pillow. Now feeling completely embarrassed by the situation, Helga closed her eyes and placed her palm on her face. "Out of all the places for me to be… Why am I in your bed?"
"My mom wanted you to wake up in a familiar place, so you wouldn't be startled when you woke up." He explained, pushing back his own embarrassment for her sake. "I figured my room was probably best."
She was right in letting me wake up in his room, but his BED?! Helga screamed inside of her head. Does she not know we're dating? What kind of mother purposely puts her son's girlfriend in his BED?! It's like she's begging for unspeakable events to happen! She groaned out loud at the thought. Not like she's been a mother for very long though, so I can't exactly blame her but still… That's something Miriam would pull.
Images began to flood the girls mind until she was in her own lengthy daydream of the two of them in an ideal moment. There she lay on his bed, his hands in hers, looking into each other's eyes. "Oh my darling, how I've always waited for this fateful day." The dream Arnold spoke to her in a raspy tone.
"Yes, my love." She cooed back, looking into his dreamy eyes and getting lost in their own endless maze.
"And now you are finally here, with me, alone in my bed." He continued as he brought his face closer to hers. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he bent down and began to kiss her neck.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked him with a slow moan escaping her lips as he kissed. "Are you sure you are satisfied with… me?"
"Yes!" He said loudly, breaking away from her skin and looking deeply into her eyes. "It has to be you. You and only you."
"Oh Arnold!" She gasped happily.
Her daydream suddenly broke as she heard him continue to talk but much of it was lost to her ears.
Arnold let out a heavy sigh and looked down at the floor. So much had happened today and he wasn't exactly sure what to say anymore. Should he continue to apologize? He had pushed her to her limits to a breaking point of fainting in his bathroom. Maybe it would be best if he just stopped talking and they went to sleep. He glanced over at his alarm clock. It was already past 10pm.
"Look Helga, I'm really sorry about today. Maybe it would be best if we just went to sleep." He said as he shuffled his feet. "You can sleep here in my bed, and I'll sleep on my sofa over there. Sound good?"
"Sleep? In your bed?" Helga repeated, her face becoming another shade of red at the thought and images of her daydream coming back. "A-Are you s-sure this is what you w-w-want? This is y-your bed, after all. I could move."
He turned to her with a small sympathetic smile. "Yeah. It would be unhost-like of me to make you move when you're already there and besides," he said as he brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face, "You look comfortable enough."
Arnold turned to get up and walk away but his arm was suddenly grabbed and he looked at her shocked. She had a strange expression on her face that he had never seen before and it made his heart thump inside his chest. A silence played between them as unspoken emotions danced throughout the atmosphere.
"W-wait…" She said meekly, as she pulled her body up to a sitting position again, still holding on to his arm.
"Y-yes?" He asked, strangely hoping she might say something that he himself wasn't sure of.
Helga could feel her body begin to shiver again as the unusually cold air hit her skin. She had been sweating under his blankets yet the only thing her body yearned for right now was the warmth of his own. Another silence hung as the two of them could only hear the steady beat of their own hearts.
"I…umm…" Helga spoke quietly, forgetting why she stopped him in the first place. "Are you sure you should leave me? Right now? I think I'm sick."
Hearing her words made the boy curious. He reached over to the top of her forehead and placed the back of his free hand on it. Immediately alarm shot through his body. "Helga, you're burning up!"
"H-huh?" She replied; completely not expecting what he had said. "I mean, yeah I'm really cold and could use more warmth right now."
"I'll get you more blankets." Arnold assured her as he managed to get away from her grasp and headed into his closet, causing her to frown. "I don't get sick very often so I'm not sure what to do but my Grandma usually makes me soup. Do you want me to get you some?"
Despite him doing his best to be helpful in her bad luck, Helga growled under her breath. Food did sound really good since she barely had eaten that day, but it wasn't exactly what she was aiming for.
He came back with a few more heavy quilts and gently placed them on her lap. "I'll run downstairs really quick and find something for you to eat, okay?" He said with haste before spinning around and quickly exiting his room.
After he shut his door, Arnold ran down his steps and stopped. My heart is still racing… Why? Did she get me sick as well? He wondered, slowly walking towards his second floor stairs. He wanted nothing more than for her to feel better. What could he find her to eat? Arnold ran down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. No one was around and he began to rummage through the cupboards; nothing. He then turned to the refrigerator. After moving some things around, he stumbled upon the left over rice from tonight's dinner and pulled it out. It wasn't much but it was something, right?
"Whatcha up to there, Kimba?" His Grandmother's voice suddenly came out from behind him, causing him to bump his head on the freezer door above him. Arnold turned around to see her smiling at him in the doorway. "Fixing yourself a snack before bed?"
"No, this isn't for me." Arnold replied; rubbing the top of his head. "Helga has a fever and I figured she might want to eat something. We don't have any soup, do we?"
Gerty thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "Afraid not but maybe I could whip up something for dear old Eleanor. Can't have the first lady appear weak to the public, they'll rip her to shreds in the paper!"
"Thanks Grandma, but you don't have too. It's late and I don't want to wake anyone up." Arnold replied before popping the bowl into the microwave and pressing a button. "Do we have any medicine that could help bring the fever down?"
"That I can definitely help with!" Gerty announced before quickly leaving and coming back with a bottle before Arnold could take out the hot bowl. "Here!" She said as she popped it open and spilled out a few pills. "This will help her get back into tip top shape."
Curious, the boy reached out and accepted the little white ovals that she was providing him. "What are these?"
"Oh just something I keep lying around in case of situations like this. Don't worry Kimba, you'll be able to go back to adventures with her in no time." The elderly woman said with a soft grin. "Give her my best wishes and then go right to bed afterwards, got it?"
"Got it." Arnold nodded. "Thanks, Grandma." He said as he watched her quietly leave just as she came. He looked at the small pills in his hand and rolled them around for a moment before remembering her food and quickly retrieved it along with a glass of water for her to take the pills with. Would the pills really help? What exactly were they and where did she get them from?
Once up the stairs, the blond boy stared up his own steps to his room. His pulse began to quicken again as he thought of her waiting there for him. The image of her face while they stood there in silence came back to him and he could feel his face turn red. Maybe I am getting sick… He thought before slowly ascending and reaching his doorknob. I should probably knock… I don't want to startle her.
With a few raps from his hand, Arnold stood and waited for a response. "Helga, I have your food and am coming in, okay?" He called out before opening the door.
There she sat on his bed, right where he left her, still rather pale. Arnold swallowed and brought the food over to her. "I'm sorry it took so long. I got you medicine too." He stated as he handed the small white pills to her.
"Thanks." She replied dully, still a little miffed that he didn't understand what she had wanted in the first place.
"Grandma said these would help. Here," He said, handing out the bowl of rice and water. "I know this isn't much but it should hold you over for tonight."
Taking the warm bowl from his hands made the girl's body shiver again. She frowned as she looked upon its contents. "Rice? That's all you had?"
"It's what was left over from tonight's dinner. My mom made it." He said as he sat next to her again. "I know it doesn't look very appetizing but it tastes better than it looks."
With a skeptical look, she took a spoonful into her mouth. Flavor burst throughout her pallet and she was amazed. The rice looked so bland and yet, it was packed with some unknown flavor. "What's in this?" She asked; her mouth still full of its contents.
"I'm not exactly sure…" The young man admitted with a scratch of his head. He noticed a bump was forming where he had hit it on the refrigerator. "Some spices she got from Indonesia, I think."
Scarfing down her meal relentlessly, Helga could begin to feel her body returning some of its strength. It only took a few moments for her to be done, and she set down the bowl and popped the pills in her mouth, then swallowed with some water. I can't believe my love is taking care of me like this. I know it's not the first time but it's the first time that I can remember. Oh, how the bringer of luck wavers in his feelings towards me. Is there some meaning in him taking things away in order for me to gain others? She thought as she continued to drink the rest of the provided water.
Arnold smiled at her apatite. "I hope the medicine works. You look a little bit better now, anyway."
It was true, she felt much better now that she had some substance in her belly. With a genuine smile, Helga snuggled back under the blankets and got comfortable. "Thanks, Arnold." She said softly.
Her voice sounded much different than it usually did and a red glow graced the boy's cheeks. "N-no problem." He replied shyly. "Do you need anything else before we go to sleep?"
Yeah, your body lying next to me, Doi! She thought at his silly question but obviously would never admit out loud. "No… probably not. The pills are making me feel a little bit sleepy anyway."
He nodded and collected the dishes to place on his computer desk. "Alright. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you."
Helga scoffed at the thought. "Yeah right. The Beeper Emporium burning was probably all over the news, Football head. Everyone is going to know and hassle me about it and you know it."
Retrieving his own small blanket from the closet, as well as a spare pillow that Gerald used when he slept over, Arnold built his small makeshift bed up. "That's true but look on the bright side." He said as he looked up at her with an honest smile. "At least you'll be with friends who care, right?"
"If you consider snooping into my business caring, then sure." She replied; annoyed at the thought. "If there is any sort of bright side to that, than its being able to deck them when they become too annoying!" She finished with a familiar chuckle.
"Helga." He warned before walking over to flip the lights off.
"Yeah, Yeah I know. Don't even say it, just turn the lights off and go to bed. Sheesh." She responded before rolling over to face away from him. A goofy grin grew on her face at the thought of actually sleeping over his house and inside his bed.
Watching her, Arnold gave a calm sigh before hitting the switch and returning to his sofa. After he got comfortable, he looked over towards her direction. The moonlight was hitting her outline in just a way that he could see her completely, even in the dark. Once he was satisfied with taking her image in, he closed his eyes. "Good night, Helga." He whispered to her, but mostly to himself.
"Good night, Arnold." She replied back in her heart.