(A/N: Hey guys~ Here's an extra long chapter for you! Enjoy my blood sweat and tears lol No really, writing this only took a matter of two days and everything flowed out rather nicely I think. Also, I got my best friend to start editing for me so hopefully you'll notice less typos since I clearly can't catch them!)
Commotion from the scene that had unfolded in the bustling hallway of P.S 118 began to spread from student to student, each with different things to say as well as varied accounts. The wind of the people eventually made its way to Gerald and Phoebe's ears, who stood silently and watched as their best friends exited the school. They looked at each other with both concern and disappointment, knowing how the other felt.
Gerald crossed his arms and shook his head. "Just when will those two learn to get along?"
Phoebe frowned and looked back towards the school's large metal doors. "Although it's normal for relationships to have their ups and downs, I do agree that they have them more often than most… however, that's not necessarily a bad thing," she explained.
"Come again?" Gerald raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend's odd opinion.
"Well you see, it's proven that the more conflicts in a relationship people have actually helps build a stronger one as wrinkles get ironed out over time—so to speak. Of course, if two people prove to be too different or expect too much from the other person, then they'll undoubtedly break up in the end. They can either work together to create an understanding, thus building a strong bond or find they're unwilling to move and break."
"So you actually think fighting is… good?" Gerald understood what she was trying to say, however when he repeated the theory out loud, it still sounded a bit ridiculous to him.
Phoebe took the boy's hand and squeezed it softly. "Not excessive fighting, but a few quarrels here and there can be quite beneficial," she said with a smile, hoping he saw the bigger picture.
The two exchanged small glances of affection before leaving.
"Yeah, well I just wonder what she could have done now to make Arnold so mad." Gerald decided to continue on the conversation. "It's not every day I see him so flustered, even with Helga."
Gerald's bold accusation struck a nerve in the small girl that she did her best to ignore, as she understood the statement came out of concern even if they were both unaware of the conditions which caused the fight to begin with. "Why are you so sure Helga's the one who caused the fight?"
"Are you serious, babe?" Gerald asked with a small laugh of disbelief. "You do know who we're talking about, right? That girl's always starting problems."
The ignorance in his voice only caused Phoebe to take back her hand. "I'm very aware that she can be unreasonable and stubborn, however neither of us know what exactly happened except for what we heard in the hallway. For all we know, Arnold could have unintentionally done something inconsiderate that hurt her feelings which caused her to lash out," she retorted firmly. "How Lila came into the mix is well beyond me but with Helga's feelings of insecurity, I'm certain that her being there only made things worse."
"Arnold was helping Lila catch up with school notes… How could he have done anything wrong except be a good friend and classmate? Heck, if he didn't do it, I would have volunteered as well just to get out of that class… it's not very comfortable to sit there and have Nurse Shelley explain saying no to drugs," Gerald argued, feeling a little hurt that she had taken back her hand as he placed his in his pants pockets.
Phoebe remained quiet for a moment to think of an alternate scenario to where Gerald would have to put himself in her best friend's shoes. Once an acceptable one came to mind, she cleared her voice. "Alright then, how would you feel if I asked Jamie-O for tutoring sessions?"
"You? Needing help with school?" Gerald laughed. "And asking Jamie-O of all people? Let's be serious here."
"I am being serious and I'd like a serious answer," the girl replied, unmoving.
"Well why wouldn't you ask me for help if you needed it? Why him?" Gerald continued to ask, now feeling a little uncomfortable with the question.
"Maybe it's something along the lines of sports history, something he might be good in," Phoebe suggested. "However the topic really isn't the point I'm getting at. How would it make you feel?"
Not liking the question one bit, Gerald flared his nostrils and grunted. "I'd be kinda upset that you went to my older brother for help instead of me."
"And what if I happened to have affectionate feelings for him in the past, and you were aware of that even after knowing I reached out to him? You would be very displeased, would you not?" Phoebe continued, hoping that her hint was getting across.
Letting out a defeated sigh, Gerald turned to her with a face of discontent. "Look, I get what you're trying to say but this is Arnold we're talking about. I'd expect my brother to make a move on you but Arnold? He may be a bold kid but he doesn't strike me as someone who would cheat, especially if it caused the wrath of Helga. G Pataki. My man isn't stupid."
"That may be so, but however innocent his actions may have been when offering his help to Lila, it doesn't change the fact that he did once seek her to be his girlfriend and naturally him offering to give his undivided attention to her might stir up feelings of insecurity inside Helga." Phoebe gave Gerald an empathetic look as she imagined how her best friend might have felt. "Not to mention what she's already going through?"
"But we also don't know if that's even what happened. For all you know, she could have decided to take her aggression out on Lila just because she's having a bad day, which then caused Arnold to get mad. It's not like this would be the first time she took out her anger on someone that wasn't the root of her problem," Gerald firmly suggested, recounting all the times she pushed and shoved people out of her way simply because she was in a bad mood.
Phoebe's upper lip stiffened as her emotions became the better of her. She knew very well that Gerald didn't always think highly of Helga; however she also didn't pin him as the type to be ignorant. Unsure if he was just trying her patience or if he actually believed that Helga would do something so aggressive to an innocent person that it might threaten the relationship she's longed for most of her life, Phoebe let out a flustered noise. "As much as I understand wanting to stick up for your best friend, your inability to look at the larger picture is becoming intolerable and I think it might be best if I walked home by myself today," she explained in a calm and collected manner.
Feeling shocked and rejected, Gerald decided to mask his feelings by crossing his arms and looking angry. "Fine then." He snorted. "It might be better if I go on ahead to Arnold's house anyway just to save him from whatever he got himself into."
The words—whatever he got himself into—played in Phoebe's mind a few times, only fueling her frustrations and giving her the go ahead to feel the way she did at this moment. "Alright. Goodnight then, Gerald. I will see you tomorrow at school," she replied simply.
"Okay. Goodnight then," Gerald responded back, mimicking her reply with a sharp tone.
He watched as the small girl turned around and began to walk another route, assuming it was just to get away from him. It burned him inside that she wouldn't listen to reason especially with the record Helga had. Arnold doing something inconsiderate? That boy thinks about others' feelings way before he thinks of himself and that's how he ends up in most of his problems! You just don't know the boy like I do, babe… He may not be innocent all the time but I highly doubt this is on him.., he thought dejectedly before turning around himself and heading towards Arnold's boarding house.
The steady walk home between the couple in question was quiet and thick with complex emotions. Neither of them said a word to each other, as neither of them really knew what to say. Arnold replayed the scenario again and again in his mind and tried to find even a small window to where things could have ended peacefully, but unfortunately the outcome always would remain the same so long as Helga didn't trust him. Did she want things to change between them at school? Or did she want to remain the same basic bully that she always played herself out to be? Both her previous actions and words seem to always contradict themselves and only caused the young man to become further and further confused. Should he have outright told Lila about their relationship himself? Would that have even made a difference? Should being in a relationship with Helga really mean that he had to pick and choose who he was friends with as well as how he was friends with them? As much as he wanted her to trust him, it seemed absolutely unfair to think that he had to stop helping out or being friends with Lila simply because she felt jealous over a past flame.
Helga's heart began to tremble as she repetitively glanced at the back of Arnold's head and the ground below her. He was so quiet and it felt like her world was slowly skidding to a stop. Just what was he thinking in that large oblong head of his? Was he seriously so mad that he wasn't going to talk to her at all? Sure, she knew she had made him mad plenty of times in the past but that big lug always found it in his heart to forgive her so why would this be any different? Besides, he was the one who decided to have a flirty one on one tutor session with Lila while she stay stuck in Health class having to silently deal with the dread and doubt in her head. Just how did he think she would feel? Did he even consider it? Was Lila really all that special that she was all he could think about now and Helga was left on the back burner? The thought caused her throat to feel as if air was becoming thin and her head swam.
As they both walked up the steps to the Sunset Arms, one thing became certain. Everything was messed up and although they both wanted to fix it, they couldn't think of how.
Arnold turned the doorknob and quickly moved out of the way to let the flood of animals egress. As he did so, he managed to capture a glimpse of Helga's forlorn expression as she dealt with her physical ill feelings. Swallowing hard and wishing things were different; he turned back around and walked inside his home, holding the door open for her to safely walk inside.
Helga stared at him lost for a moment, before taking his invite and walking inside herself. Only seconds later they were approached by his parents who seemed very happy to see them.
"Welcome back, you two! Did you guys have a good day at school?" Miles smiled as he bent down and hugged his son, not reading the room at all.
"It was pretty… normal," Arnold replied quietly as the air was being squished out of him.
"Oh and Helga, I have some good news!" Stella said as she placed her hands of her hips. "While you two were gone, Miles and I set up the extra bedroom. That way you can have a more comfortable sleep while you're staying with us."
"Yippee…" Helga replied, unenthused.
Completely unfazed, Stella took both the preteens' backpacks and hung them up in the closet. "Now go ahead and make yourself at home, the room is all the way down the hall on your right, room 8," she said before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small key and handing it to Helga. "You can't miss it."
"How can I make myself at home when I don't own anything anymore?" Helga asked bluntly, causing the delightful woman to halt for a moment.
Carefully thinking, Stella smiled again. "When something ends, something else begins anew. Take this room as a fresh start and make it whatever type of home you want it to be, even if it's temporary."
Helga's mind immediately went to the fact that she still hadn't had a proper shower in what seemed like ages, as well as having no clean clothes to change into. "If you say so," she replied as she took the key and headed upstairs, causing the two males to watch her as she went.
Miles scratched the top of his blond head and stared up at her in confusion. "Is she always this moody?" he asked his son.
Arnold let out an exasperated sigh, feeling as if he could let all the wind out of his body and collapse on the floor just to take the load off his body that he was still currently carrying. "Sometimes."
"Women," Miles responded with a friendly wink and nudge to his boy, causing his wife to give him a glare.
"I'm sure she has many reasons to feel a little grumpy, boys. I wouldn't take it too personally," she said thoughtfully, wishing there was more she could do to help the poor young girl in her time of need.
The small family reunion was then interrupted by a small knock on the door. Turning to it curiously, Arnold opened it up to find Suzie Kokoshka standing there with a cheerful look about her. It had been sometime since she had moved out of the boarding house in hopes of starting a better life someplace else without her now ex-husband's problems looming over her.
"Hello, Arnold! Nice to see you again!" she greeted politely.
"Hi Suzie, what brings you here?" Arnold asked before opening up the door wider to let the woman in.
"Oh, there are just a few things Oskar and I have to sort out, as well as a few things I realized I left here. Nothing big," she replied casually, despite the dread she was feeling knowing that once she walked up those stairs and knocked on that door, her ex-husband was going to plead and cry for her to come back.
"Oh, alright then. Oskar should be in his room," Arnold said as he watched the woman head to the staircase leading to the second floor.
"Yes, him and Dad just finished playing a game of backgammon," Miles added, before giving a weak smile and chuckle. "Although I'm not sure I can count that as really playing…"
"Oh I'm sure Phil caught him cheating again and ended the game soon after it started," Suzie said as she continued up the staircase. "Classic Oskar."
The parents grimly looked between themselves as they could only image what being married to that man would have been like. Phil had told them stories and none of them were very nice, making them wonder why he still let the selfish man still live there.
"Good luck!" called out Arnold as he gave a small wave before she disappeared between the floors.
Helga opened her bedroom and took a good look around. It was small and dingy with a strong scent of some sort of lemon cleaner in the air. She could see where they had fixed up a few things like the windows and some floorboards as well as possibly getting a new/old dresser. What good was it anyhow? She had no clothes to put in it.
Flopping herself down on the small twin sized bed; she felt it spring to life and almost throw her off. "Criminy!" she shouted, steadying herself. She took a deep breath and realized that the room was much too stuffy and opened up one of the windows. At first it resisted her due to a freshly dried coat of paint; however it eventually gave way and let a soft breeze waft in. It was the end of September and was soon giving way to autumn. Helga liked autumn the best as it cooled down from being swelteringly hot, the annoying bugs all died, and a few important holidays were getting closer.
The window didn't have a very good view, as it was adjacent to the building next door, but she had a rather good spying view if she wanted to watch the neighbors eat dinner. Such riveting entertainment that would be.
Turning around, Helga placed her palms on the windowsill and leaned back towards the open air, viewing her new room some more. "Home, huh?" she said to herself in a flat tone. "I don't even know what that word means anymore."
Suddenly a knock on the door startled Helga's contemplation. "What?!" she yelled out, signaling whoever was disturbing her to come in at their own risk.
The door slowly opened and Arnold's grandmother allowed herself inside. "Hello there Eleanor," she said as she walked in. "How are you finding the Presidential suite? It may not be up to your standards but I hope it will do in a pinch."
Helga furrowed her brows at the name she was being addressed as again, and snorted in disgust. "Look lady, I don't know who you think I am but my name isn't Eleanor, it's Helga."
"Oh yes, yes, I know Eleanor," Gerty replied as she shut the door behind her and gave the angry girl a blissful smile. She was used to Helga's cruel demeanor but could easily sense there was something off. "Are the accommodations to your liking? What seems to be the trouble?"
"The accommodations are fine if you consider yourself homeless," Helga said as she crossed her arms. "So I guess I don't have room to complain, do I?"
Gerty sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. "Sit down, dearie. Let's talk."
"Oh great, is it time to get advice from some old soul? I'll pass," The young girl stated with a huff.
"I can only imagine how you're feeling right now and would like to lend a quiet ear," Gerty continued, "but only if you'll allow this 'old soul', so to speak. Maybe the First Lady could use a second opinion from the common folks' eye."
Knowing that the woman had no intention of backing down, Helga rolled her eyes and gave in. Sitting down next to the elder, she did her best to keep her thoughts in check. "If it will make you leave me alone, I'm listening."
Nodding with a smile, Gerty took a moment to look the young woman up and down. "Being the First Lady is a very important job and definitely not one to take likely. Are the rebel forces at it again? Are the communists rising?!"
"What rebel forces? Speak English, lady," Helga demanded, feeling at her wit's end with this Alzheimer's lingo.
"Oh you know, all those who oppose you and the President from being in office. Rumors and propaganda can really tear a couple apart but don't let the paparazzi and bloodhounds get to ya. They'll back off once you start making the necessary changes," The grandmother replied, doing her best to clarify her meaning.
After mulling over the sentence for a second, Helga began to understand the double meaning to the woman's words. I think she's asking if me and Arnold are getting picked on at school…? Helga sighed, "No, the rebel forces are at bay… for now."
"As I suspected, you've already laid a firm grasp on your role! Very expected of you, Eleanor," Gerty said enthusiastically before calming down and becoming serious. "Then is there trouble in office already?"
Helga leaned back on the bed, causing it to creek and peered up at the popcorn ceiling above her. "Sure, I guess you could say there's trouble in office."
The old woman pondered for a moment. "I see. What seems to be the issue? Are your ideas and the President's clashing? Or are those darn White House officials putting too much pressure on the two of you?"
Thinking of a way to formulate what had happened in the lingo that Gerty was using, Helga let out a groan. "Let's say… The President and I had a falling out over how he's handling internal affairs," she started, feeling even more exhausted than when she got in the room. "I want to be open and honest with the people about the inner workings of the government, however the President seems to feel that everything's on a need to know basis. While I totally agree that some things should remain hush-hush for the people's sake, some things are best if told sooner than later, before the public misunderstands and thinks differently. Get it?"
"I totally agree!" Gerty shouted, standing up and planting her wrinkled feet on the floor. "The people deserve to know the truth! Why, how could we ever trust our leaders if we're shielded all the time? There have already been too many shady politicians running things! Too long, I say!"
"Geez lady!" Helga said, startled at her sudden outburst. "Would you calm down already?"
Gerty placed a hand over her mouth. "Right! Internal affairs can be rather sensitive. My apologies, Eleanor," she said, sitting down once more. "Please, continue."
Hesitating a little bit and becoming unsure how stable this woman really was, Helga decided to proceed. "Whatever… Anyway, that's really all it is. We had a disagreement. I think he's betraying his role as President and leading his people on to believe what they want instead of telling them how it is. At least… certain people," she said the last part sort of low enough to where her companion couldn't quite make out. "Now it seems we are not on speaking terms."
"That's no good. A good President needs his First Lady," Gerty mumbled to herself as she contemplated the complicated situation. Her face turned into a gentle smile and she placed her soft old hands down on Helga's. "A strong hand will always need a kind heart to support it."
"Huh?" Helga gawked, feeling a little awkward at the woman's touch.
"Becoming such an important figurehead can be very hard on a couple, but I believe that the bond between the two of you is strong enough to withstand all the issues you'll be facing… some harder than others," Gerty continued. "Opinions may differ and conflicts will happen, but so long as you stay true to your bond and sort things out privately, I'm sure things will fix themselves in time. I do agree that telling the people the truth is most important, however I also agree in telling them the right way," she spoke, almost hinting as if she knew there was more to the story than Helga led on. "Once something leaves your mouth, it's always recorded by reporters and will wind up twisted in the tabloids in order to cause a rise in the people and you definitely don't want that. You both ran your campaign too long and too hard to wind up ending the Presidency on some sort of impeachment due to common misconception. Talk to the President and I'm sure you'll both come to some sort of agreement on how things should be handled. In the end, you two must work together in order to run this country successfully."
Helga sat there in awe of the woman's confusing yet completely understandable words. It was if she completely knew what happened and what Helga should do.
Gerty let herself up and walked to the door. "I'll give you some time to think things over, Eleanor, but you're a strong, smart woman. I have no doubt in my mind that things will work out," she said with a wink before leaving.
A low melody of jazz music hummed throughout young Arnold's room as he lay on his bed. He was still frustrated and confused at the turn of events, but most of all wanted to clear the air between Helga and himself. Hadn't he just promised to help her and care for her? But at the same time, does that mean throwing away his personal feelings and beliefs for her sake? The boy rolled over and smothered his face in the pillow; it still smelled of her. Why did relationships have to be so complicated?
I just gotta think things through and logically.., he told himself in silence. I really care about her and I really do want her to be happy… Helga has been through so much bad in her life, I really want to bring some good in it, even if just a little bit, but how will that be possible if she twists the reality of things and believes what she wants? After feeling a little suffocated, Arnold rolled himself back over and stared off towards his computer in the far distance. She went out of her way to be a bully to me in school. That wasn't fair, right? So if she wants to act like that then why is it bad for me to go out of my way to help a friend in need? That's just as normal for me as bullying is for her, right? However, in his head he remembered his Grandpa's wise words of not giving in to vengeful urges, which caused the boy to groan. I should have thought of how she was going to feel though… She's trusted me with her insecurities and I seem to just be making them worse rather than better. If I had been helping Rhonda or Nadine, I bet she wouldn't have reacted as bad as she did… but going so far as to spy on me? Would she have done that no matter who it was? Arnold thought; unaware of how much of a sport Helga had made in the past of spying on him and to what lengths. He then decided maybe he would find an answer better if he looked at their problem from a third person view. What if a friend of his came to him with the same problem, what advice would he give? Well first I would probably tell them to talk about how each other felt to find out the root of the problem. Next, they would have to come to a compromise in order for both parties to feel they are getting fair treatment. I know how I feel, and I know that Helga feels she can't trust me around Lila because of my past feelings for her but… what sort of compromise could we come to from that? Not to hang out with her? Not to help her anymore? That's unreasonable for me and unfair to Lila. Helga's insecurities need to be helped but… how?
It was beginning to dawn on the young sage that he wouldn't always have the answers, at least when it came to his own problems, yet he didn't have the strength to go and seek out an opinion. Luckily for him, he heard his Grandpa calling his name from downstairs.
Arnold jumped up and opened his bedroom door. "Yeah Grandpa?"
Phil moved aside to show that Gerald was next to him. "Young Gerald is here to see you. Just showed up."
"Hey man…" Gerald said with a slight smile. "You busy? I was hoping we could play catch in the park or something."
"Ohhh, a game of catch in the park! That sounds nice, doesn't it Arnold? Oh how I miss being young and playing catch in the park with my best friend Jimmy Kafka… of course he would end up missing my throw and blame me for bad aim but what does he know?!" Phil rambled on before heading on back down the staircase towards the living room.
"Sure Gerald, let me get my glove and baseball. I'll be down in a minute," Arnold said happily as this distraction might be what he needed. He headed back into his room, ran into his closet and pulled out his worn catcher's glove and baseball before running down to meet his friend.
They made small talk and walked to the park, avoiding the one topic on their mind and doing their best to focus on the simple things. There were still a few more hours in the day left of good sunlight and the boys took this advantage to find a nice sunny spot with a freshly mowed lawn to start their back n forth.
"So what did you think of the newest episode of Pop Daddy? Man, I thought it was crazy how he had to go through such lengths just to capture that guy!" Gerald called out, remembering his favorite part. "And just when he thought he was gonna get away; he got outted by his old crew? Shows you gotta be true to where you came from."
Arnold frowned and threw his baseball to Gerald. "Sorry Gerald, I've had a lot going on that I totally forgot that the new episode was last weekend. I'll have to watch it when it reruns."
"You missed a great one, man, but I'm sure it will play again soon," Gerald replied, tossing the ball back at his friend. "They've been slowing down on episodes so they rerun more often. I hope they're not thinking of ending it."
"They couldn't do that; the show has way too many fans!" Arnold said, tossing the ball back at his friend again.
"I dunno, man. You remember how they suddenly ended 'Yo Ernest' last year? And on a cliffhanger no less…. Crazy things happen." Gerald frowned, tossing it back. "If the network thinks it's losing its edge, sometimes they kick off really good shows. Pop Daddy's been around for 3 years now- almost 4!"
Arnold caught the ball and stood still for a moment, using his bare hand to feel the smoothness of the surface as well as the bumps of each stitch. Three and four years ago, everything was a lot simpler. The only problems he ever faced were being forced to eat one of his Grandma's new concoctions she wanted to test on people. His life consisted of friends, cereal, and cartoons after school. "That seems like it was just yesterday, doesn't it?" Arnold asked thoughtfully, releasing the baseball and throwing it back.
Gerald also felt the nostalgia wash over him as he recalled just how far away that past was. He remembered their petty little fights as well as the great adventures they had went on just around the city, trips to the ice cream shop as well as Dinoland and the aquarium being much more fun. "Yeah man, time sure flies..," he said solemnly, with a frown. "But I guess this just leaves us anticipating what's to come, right?" Gerald finished with a little hope in his voice.
What's to come? thought Arnold as he caught the ball again. The boy turned to look up at the sky in wonder. Clouds were moving in and he knew it was only a matter of time before the street lights turned on. He could hear the sound of the Jolly Olly man's music in the distance and turned to look for the sound. The park was always the man's last stop but he knew all the good ice cream was gone by then. Putting his hand in his pocket, he could also feel he didn't have anything but change left anyway.
A silence passed through the boys as they heard the sound get louder and louder, before slowly being drowned out. Seems like no kids took the bait. Gerald could feel his stomach rumble a little at the thought of ice cream, however he also knew his mom would be mad if he spoiled his dinner this late. Speaking of it getting late, the young man also knew there was a looming question in his mind that he had done well to procrastinate asking upon. He threw the ball back to his patiently waiting friend before clearing his voice. "So umm… you know I hate to ask man, but you also know I gotta ask..," he started as he fidgeted a little. "All the kids were talking and you know I'd rather hear it from you before believing any of them…"
"You mean about the fight, right?" Arnold bluntly asked, wishing his friend hadn't brought it up.
"Yeah…" his companion breathed out. "I gotta look out for my best friend, right?"
Arnold rolled his eyes a little at the thought, but also knew it would eventually be asked. Heaving a big sigh, he started to walk over to a nearby bench, causing Gerald to follow. After sitting down and relaxing a bit, he decided he might as well come out with it. He knew Gerald meant well and was often a wealth of knowledge when it came to various things so what would it hurt venting to him a little?
"I guess all there is to really explain is Helga got upset that I helped out Lila and assumed something might be going on between us due to me once like-liking her. I told her the truth but instead of her actually remaining calm and listening, she got all angry and… well, acted like Helga," he explained, feeling both drowned from exhaustion at the thought as well as a little irritated. "But what made it worse, is she actually blamed Lila for it!"
Gerald sat there patiently as he listened to his friend go on, ignoring the arrogance of feeling like he was right all along.
"I can understand jealousy just as well as the next person, but what I don't understand is getting aggressive and lashing out at someone who wasn't doing anything wrong. When I saw Lila liked Arnie, I didn't treat my cousin any different. Sure, I really really… really disliked him for it but he didn't do anything wrong." Arnold looked up at his friend with pain lingering behind his eyes. He really wanted to understand Helga, he truly did, however her anger and ways of going about expressing herself were always very obnoxious and outlandish to him. "I just don't get it, Gerald."
Gerald shrugged. "I dunno man… it's just Helga, you know? I mean, I thought you knew that going into this?"
"I did," Arnold admitted before feeling a little foolish at himself, "At least, I thought I did."
"Helga's always been mean and rude to everyone. It's just who she is, man," Gerald continued before thinking back to all the things he had learned about her personality over the last year. "Sure she can be really surprising at times but really you were only the exception to that because she like-liked you. You don't see her going out of her way to help me, do you? She's even mean to Phoebe, her own best friend, Arnold. What makes you think that she'd suddenly stop?"
Recalling all the cruel things the girl had done in the past, Arnold couldn't help but feel a little defeated. Gerald was right. He knew that she wouldn't just suddenly up and change, even if he did come to understand her so why did this come as a surprise? He also knew how much of an amazing person she could be when she wanted to be which was part of what he couldn't comprehend about her. She was smart. She was dedicated and loyal. She was strong and passionate yet inexplicably cruel to those she disliked. Why continue to be jealous over Lila when he no longer had eyes for her? He was the one who asked Helga to be his girlfriend, after all, so in her eyes she should have already won the fight. What was left to fight for?
"I just see so much good in her that it's difficult to accept the bad," Arnold finally said out loud. "I want to understand her but instead of being reasonable, she just flies off the handle."
"Well yeah, that's sort of my point Arnold," Gerald replied, placing his arm on top of the backrest of the bench. "She's Helga. Flying off the handle is sorta what she does." He could see that his friend was becoming more and more depressed over his situation but decided to continue. "Look, I get that you always want to see the good in everyone Arnold, and that's a great thing but sometimes you also have to accept the bad. Sorta like your grandpa and raspberries." The topic caused Arnold to raise his head a little in interest. "Your grandpa really likes the taste of raspberries despite the fact he always winds up regretting it in the bathroom. It's classic, man. This is basically the same thing."
"I don't get it," Arnold said, looking confused.
Gerald sighed. "Just because you like the taste of something doesn't mean you should put yourself through something painful just for the sake of being able to taste it, man. Helga is like your raspberries. You like her, even though I can't comprehend why, and you seem to be willing to put up with all the flaws that come with her. I guess what I'm trying to get at is: is it worth it?"
The point his friend made was valid, however Arnold had a much better example. "Do you think all the pain and hardship we went through in the jungle was worth the outcome?" he asked curiously; eyeing his friend.
"Yeah but Arnold, finding your parents and being with this one girl are two completely different things," Gerald replied, with pain in his voice at even having to compare the two situations. "There's many fish in the sea but you only have one set of parents."
"Fair point," Arnold admitted. "But how about those really cool roller blades you wanted?" he continued to ask. "You went through a lot to save up the money to buy them. Isn't this the same thing?"
Gerald remained silent for a second, before giving his best friend an odd look. "Sorta but my roller blades don't bully my friends or hurt people." He could see his friend wasn't giving up justifying his relationship and knew he needed a better example, and he knew just the one. "Do you think all the crap that Jamie-O went through with his ex-girlfriend was worth it? All the chores he did for her, all the things he bought her, all the money he gave her just to keep her happy? Was that worth it, Arnold?"
Feeling as though he had just been punched in the gut by the question, Arnold choked. It was true, Gerald's brother put up with a lot of mistreatment over a girl he liked, so how was this different? Allowing Helga to hurt his friends and cause them issues just to satisfy her insecurities was actually worse because it affected everyone, not just himself. Frowning, Arnold turned away.
"Look brother, I understand that she means a lot to you and that you see things I don't but you gotta look out for yourself too. Do you really want to be a pathetic mess when you realize this is hopeless?" Gerald asked, placing his hand on his friends shoulder with compassion. "I don't want to see you get hurt."
Hopeless… is this really hopeless? Arnold thought to himself as he let the sounds of the park deafen his ears. He could feel his soul being sucked down to oblivion as he considered the thought. Was everything really for naught? Was his situation really comparable to that of Jamie-O?
Gerald could see that the conversation was really getting to his best friend and started to regret ever saying anything in the first place. Getting up from the bench, he thought maybe the walk back home might help Arnold feel a little better. "Come on man, let's go before it gets dark."
Thoughts began to flash before Arnold's eyes as he remembered all of Helga's hardships he had witnessed but forced himself to ignore in the past, all her pain and all of her turmoil from such a young age until now. He recalled how strong she had been through it all, and then remembered that it coupled with her everlong feelings for him. He remembered what she recently had to go through and then some. A scowl suddenly planted itself on the boy's face. "No…"
"Huh?" Gerald asked, a little confused. "Your parents might get worried if we're gone too long; you know how overprotective they can be sometimes."
"That's not what I mean," Arnold said as he got up and looked Gerald square in the eyes. "It's not hopeless, Gerald. She is nothing like that girl your brother dated. She isn't taking advantage of me or using me. In fact, I haven't given her anything but a place stay for a while until her family gets back on their feet," He explained sternly, with a sort of ferocity in his voice. "You are right about one thing though, if I let Helga do what she wants, things will get out of hand but that doesn't mean ending our relationship. It means reaching an understanding, Gerald. Helga may seem strong but deep down, the reason she acts so mean is mostly because it's the safest emotion she has especially when things are bad for her. No, I can't exactly understand why, but what I do understand is that I have to try to understand."
"Arnold, why do you always have to try and act like an adult? We're not even teens yet!" Gerald replied, beginning to become short with how ridiculous his friend was sounding. "Just admit when things are impossible and let them go! Even if you try to understand Helga, she isn't going to change for you!"
"When I thought finding my parents was impossible, was it really right to give up all hope? If I had given up and believed they were gone forever, they really would be Gerald. Not giving up hope and believing they were still alive out there was what helped me get them back!" Arnold defended, "Think about it Gerald, how hopeless does being missing for 9 years sound to you?"
Arnold's words had much truth to them and Gerald recoiled. "…Pretty hopeless, man."
"Exactly, but I have them back and it's all because I kept on believing they were out there and because Helga did everything she could to help me get them back." The frustrated boy finished with a long winded sigh.
The two exchanged looks of unwavering opinions before Gerald finally accepted his defeat. "If you really think that Helga will actually change over time then… I'll stick by you," he said painfully, earning a look of appreciation. "But it doesn't mean I'll enjoy watching you get hurt. I've gone along with your crazy plans before but promise me that you'll back down if it gets too bad?"
"I promise," Arnold agreed with a nod.
Street lights started to flicker around them as they slowly turned on one by one. They both knew it was time to go home and Arnold knew what he finally had to do now. He also knew it wasn't going to be easy reaching an understanding with his impenetrable girlfriend but he knew he had to no matter what. If it meant finally helping her turn a new leaf and letting herself enjoy life a little, the long fight between now and then was well worth it. He promised to protect her and promised himself that he would finally get to see her happy… truly happy.
"Let's get going before we both get in trouble," Gerald said as he pointed his thumb to the now bright lights in the distance.
As Arnold reached his front door, yelling could be heard on the other side. He opened it up and rushed inside to see his grandpa pushing little foam ear plugs into his ears, as well as his parents looking worriedly at each other.
"What's going on?" Arnold asked; a little bewildered.
"Oh just the same as always!" Phil yelled as things were heard being smashed in the distance. "Oskar doesn't know when to give up!"
"Should we step in?" asked Miles to his dad, "it sounds like it's getting pretty serious in there!"
"It may sound like it but nothing good has ever come from trying to butt in, boy," Phil replied with a shake of his head. "Meddling in someone's relationship will never solve anything. Just let them yell it out and eventually it will be over."
Gerty walked over to the old record player and began to play some loud music. "This might help a little. Saddle up, boys and girls! It's time for a good old fashioned hoedown!"
"I suppose you're right, Dad, but…" Stella said with a frown, listening for the bits of yelling she could hear over the speaker. "What if someone gets hurt?"
Phil let out a loud raspberry. "The only thing that ever gets hurt up there are their plates and Suzie's wallet."
Arnold shook his head with a frown and headed on upstairs. The loud noises just got louder and louder as he could hear the other boarders yelling "Be quiet!" and "Other people live here, you know!" mixed in with the original madness. As Arnold got to the long hallway of rooms, he couldn't help but eye what was now Helga's room. Was she in there? He wondered how she felt with all this yelling. Her father wasn't a quiet person and he knew she was probably used to it all, which only made Arnold feel a little sad. She went from one dysfunctional family to another…
"But Suzie, I want to start a family with you!" Oskar cried from behind the sturdy wooden door.
"A family?! How can you even think of a family when all you can think about is yourself?!" Suzie cried back in a hoarse voice.
Arnold did his best to ignore the voices as he reached the pull string which lead to his bedroom stairs. Pulling gently on the string, the stairs slowly descended. Once dinner was done, he knew the fighting would end. Food always seemed to shut them up.
"That's it! I've had enough of this!" screamed a familiar angry voice.
Just then, Helga's room door swung wide open. She stomped out and headed towards the Kokoschka's door. "Will you two pipe down! No one wants to listen to your soap opera bull crap!" she screamed at the door, however the yelling behind it didn't cease.
Knowing she was only going to rile herself up further, Arnold walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't bother…"
"Don't bother?!" she hollered over the couple's voice. "How the hell can you stand it? Do you know how long they've been going at it?! An hour, Arnold! An hour!"
"I know…" he replied sympathetically, "But they'll eventually tire out by dinner time, Helga. Yelling along with them and the rest of the boarders will only make things worse."
Loud clanking and thuds came from beyond what they could see; giving their minds enough information to imagine what was going on. "And breaking things isn't worse?! Bob didn't even break things!" Helga shrieked at the boy, motioning her hands dramatically at their door.
"It's none of our business, Helga," Arnold reminded her with a painful smile.
His words only agitated her more. "Yeah well my business is being disturbed by them! So I think it is my business, Football head!"
Just as Arnold opened his mouth to refute her words, he was interrupted by the fighting adults.
"Please Suzie! Just give me another chance! I promise I'll change this time! I swear it!" Oskar pleaded sadly.
"Just like you changed the last time and the time before that? I should have listened to my mother a long time ago! You'll never change!" Suzie shouted back.
"This time will be different!"
"Different how, Oskar?! Have you found a real job? No, of course not! That's why you sold my things!"
"I had to Suzie, how else would I pay to live here? Do you want me to live on the streets like an old beggar man?"
"Maybe by getting a job like a normal man your age?! My father worked two jobs to support our family! Why must you forever act like a child?!"
"But please… Suzie…"
"And you want to bring a child into this world?!"
"It might bring us closer together!"
Arnold and Helga exchanged looks as they continued to listen on; not like they had much of a choice.
"You're unbelievable… you know that?" Suzie said in a much calmer but almost amused tone. "That's how selfish you are, Oskar. You would bring a child into this world and let the poor innocent thing suffer at the hands of your selfishness just because you think it might make me come back. If I was to defy all my self-respect and come back to you and have a child with you… what do you think would happen?"
"We would be a family, just like you want?" He asked, a little confused but with a sound of hope in his voice.
"No, Oskar. Then not only would I have to clean up after you and pay your debts and support you—but I would have to also tend to the child as well. I would have to feed all three of us with my minimum wage job, Oskar."
"You're a strong and beautiful woman, Suzie! You can do it! I know you can!"
An eerie silence washed over the boarding house for a few seconds before more smashing occurred.
"You're unbelievable!" she screamed. "I didn't think I could be surprised anymore by your selfishness but you just proved me wrong again! Congratulations, Oskar!"
"Suzie please, it was a compliment!"
"No it was you justifying your intentions towards me and my feelings into meaningless words! You love me but you hurt me! You need me but you abuse my kindness! You are nothing but the leech my family said you were in the beginning but I didn't listen to them Oskar, and do you know why?! Because I had some delusion in my head that if I loved you enough and showered you with all the love your family never gave you that you would see the errors of your way and change!"
"But I have changed! I want to do so much more now! Look, I've even circled jobs in the newspaper!"
Suzie took a moment to get a hold on her emotions and took in a deep breath. "You have to either sink or swim and I will not sink with you anymore, Oskar. This is done. We're over and I'm leaving and not coming back. Not like I have anything to come back to since you sold all my things! Maybe once you sink, you will finally learn what real struggle and suffering is like."
Arnold knew that the fight was over and grabbed Helga's hand and pulled her back into her room before the couple could catch them outside their door. They heard the room door swing up as the woman stomped down the hallway.
"Suzie wait! I'll get your things back!" the sad man shouted after her.
"It's too late for that Oskar," she replied as her voice got quieter in the distance.
Muffled arguing could be heard as they got further and further away and all Arnold could do was swallow in hopes that their arguing would never reach that point. In fact, if it ever did he would have to keep his promise to Gerald after all.
Helga let out a loud noise of relief before collapsing back on her bed with a squeak from the springs. "Finally! I thought it would never end!"
Arnold scratched the back of his head and nodded. "I know they can be pretty bad… but hopefully that's the first and last time you'll ever need to hear that."
"Geez, if that guy was always that bad then it's her own fault for sticking with him for so long…" She mumbled into her pillow. "Serves her right to get her crap sold."
"Don't say that Helga…" Arnold frowned. "You don't know their relationship."
"I don't?!" she asked loudly, raising her head to look at him in anger. "I just heard it loud and clear for the last hour. He's selfish and insensitive and she's so much of a meat head that wasted 12 years of her life because she couldn't take the hint!"
"You could look at it that way…" Arnold replied, "Or you could see it as she tried her best and fought for what she believed in, even if the end didn't turn out how she wanted."
Helga huffed and rolled her eyes before laying on her back and staring at her ceiling. "At least she eventually called it quits… I gotta give the woman that much," she said softly. "If she had brought a child into this world for that man, that child wouldn't have a very happy life. I'm proof of that."
Arnold understood where she was coming from and sat down on the bed next to her. "That may be true but if you weren't here, I'd never know you," he said, trying to give her some sort of pleasant feeling. "I'd never have my parents back."
"You can't excuse one misfortune for another, Football head. That's not how life works," The girl explained with a grim expression. "If Miriam had called it quits when she should have, neither Olga nor I would exist. She probably would have moved on to get some sorta successful accounting job and maybe even had found a better man. She would be happy. On the other hand, your parents probably would have died due to that sleeping sickness and your life would be sad. How can you measure your happiness over that of my mom's?"
Frowning, Arnold knew she had a point and it made his heart sink. "You're right… I never thought of it that way."
Helga gave a small glance over at him once she heard the sadness in his voice, and regretted her words even if they were true. With a growl, she got up and faced him. "Stop it with that stupid face you're making! I'm alive and here and so are your parents. Things happen for a reason, right? Get over it and move on! Sheesh!"
He could see she was putting her personal feelings aside for him, and let go of a little smile. There was some irony in their situation, however and it only brought on a good lead into the pressing topic of their own relationship and personal feelings. Inhaling a large breath, Arnold straightened his back and gave her a serious look. "Yes, you are alive and I'm very happy about that," He started on a good but serious note, "and I want you to be happy as well."
"Okay….?" Helga said, suspicions now dwelling within her. "What's your point?"
"I know you weren't happy today because I helped out Lila, however I won't change who I am or who I'm friends with just to make you feel better, Helga." He continued even though he knew it would only start another fight. He could see her face beginning to flush and knew if he didn't continue before her outburst, he would never get a word in. "I think its admirable that both your mom and Suzie stuck with their relationships as long as they have even if you think they were both dumb. Everyone has redeeming qualities and not everyone can see them. I'm sure you mom sees something in your dad which keeps her around, just like Suzie saw something in Oskar that she wanted to help bring out. I know you're a wonderful person and I know you mean well even when you're yelling and angry but at the same time, you can't stomp on my feelings to get what you want just like your dad and Oskar. It's not fair to me…"
Helga took in a deep breath to quell her emotions to let the boy continue. She knew that he had probably been thinking about what he would say to her all day, just as she had done the moment she got into her new room.
"Lila is my friend, Helga. I have every right to help my friend, even if you don't like her," Arnold said as he placed his hand close to her leg, trying to show his compassion. "I will always be as patient with you as I can, but if you care about my feelings as much as you say you do… you'll push these feelings of irrational jealousy aside and realize that you've already won." The boy smiled as he said his last two words, hoping he got his point across.
The redness in her cheeks faded and Helga looked away. "It's not as simple as you make it seem. You didn't watch the person you're dating getting all cozy with someone they once liked—nor will you ever because I've never loved anyone but you."
"But Helga, I wasn't getting 'cozy' with her. I was helping her with math!" Arnold pleaded, hoping he could get her to look back his way.
"Math doesn't require someone to be only centimeters away from the other person's face, nor does it require people to practically hold hands!" she finally shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of her nearly empty room.
"When was I centimeters from her face or practically holding her hand?" he asked, honestly wanting to know at this point.
"Oh, I don't know, when you were out stretched across the table and writing her notes down for her? You might as well have taken her hand and wrote them for her! Oh wait, you did write them for her! Helping her isn't doing her work for her while feeling her breath on your face!" Helga explained. "It almost seemed like helping her was just an excuse to be alone with her now that she's back! Just couldn't wait to get her all to yourself, huh Football head? Just needed to hear all her stupid witty farm jokes in the quiet sanctity of the library!"
Recalling the exact moment she must have seen, Arnold sighed. "Helga, I was showing her a better understanding of fractions by drawing them out. She was having trouble and needed to visually see how breaking them down was done. Yes, I was reaching across the table but would you have rather I sat next to her? I'd have been just as close."
"I'd rather you not have been there at all!" she replied and crossed her arms. "But no! You just had to rise and shine in the moment, offer your help and be the good little teacher's pet you are by sacrificing your time to aid another." She finished with a mocking tone.
"See? And this is the attitude I mean," He said; becoming cross. "I understand that you didn't want me to help her or be alone with her, but you don't get to decide what I do. The library happened to be mostly vacant during that period and I can't help that. We might be in a relationship, but she is still my friend and I have every right to offer my time to help her just like I'm offering my time to talk things out with you here and now."
"So now talking to you is a privilege?" Helga sneered back.
Giving the girl an annoyed and dull look, Arnold rolled his eyes. "You know I didn't say that."
"No but you didn't have to," The girl replied, feeling a little hurt. "You make it seem like you deem people worthy of your time and your help as if you're some high authority. This just in, Arnoldo-you're just a regular kid like me!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Arnold shouted, giving her a small shock. "You're right, I am just a normal kid. A normal kid with friends. A normal kid who wants to help his friend." His voice slowly calmed down as he talked. "A normal kid who has these complicated yet fascinating feelings for a girl he wants to help but won't let him. A normal kid with problems that he wants to solve. So stop damning me for being a normal kid who wants to lead a normal and happy life…"
Arnold searched her eyes for understanding as his heart pounded deep within his ribcage. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins as his testosterone was let loose and into his brain. He stared at this complex girl and hoped with everything he had that she would feel what he was feeling. He wanted to reach out and touch her while she was still silent, but his body betrayed him as he remained as still as the dead just peering into her eyes. Would his words and feelings reach her or would her barricades and pride be too thick and stubborn?
The sound of a car passed by outside her open window, causing a draft to blow in and make her off white sheer curtains dance. She had heard his words. She understood their meaning. She could see he was reaching out to her with his eyes of longing, however her throat remained dry and her mouth shut. What could she possibly say to the boy in front of her? Would saying okay be enough? Should she throw herself at him and lose herself in passion? Surely the answer had to be something in the middle but as she wracked her brain, the answer wouldn't come. Instead they both sat quietly, listening to the sounds of the city.
Beginning to feel as though everything was for naught, Arnold let his hormones calm themselves and give way to a lonely feeling. He got up from her bed and headed to her door.
"Dinner is probably gonna be ready soon. I know you didn't eat lunch and probably have been in here since you got home," He spoke quietly as he gave into defeat. "I don't want you to get any more sick than you have been… so please join us?"
As he reached for her door knob, Helga quickly rose and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her forehead against the back of his head. His body was so inviting and warm. His very essence was as comforting as a mother to an infant. Just what was he that he could stir her so?
"Thank you..," She whispered out into his fluffy blond hair.
He could feel his heart begin to race again as he felt her body so close to his. Her words so quietly spoken into his ear made his body tingle all over, causing him to close his eyes and breathe deeply, allowing all his muscles that were once tense to calm down. He could feel her heartbeat against his back and placed a hand over her arms that embraced him so tightly. A shy but delicate smile grew across Arnold's face and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and engulf them in a full embrace; however he knew she was currently doing as much as she could and didn't want to force it.
"You're welcome," He whispered back, simply enjoying the moment of understanding they could share before going down to whatever chaos awaited them in the dining room.