(A/N: Hey everyone~ Hope everything is great with you. As you can clearly see, things are much better with me now. I can function like a person again, therefore upload more chapters sooner rather than later. Only thing to get into my way now is work... but lets stay positive! Enjoy!)
The room felt musty and humid, with particles of dust visibly floating through the air. Miriam slouched inside a small arm chair and heaved a heavy sigh as she looked around the place. They had been staying at this motel for a few days now and she hoped things would change soon. Next to her lay her husband on the dingy full size bed, a beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other. In front of him was an old television that was showing some sort of game show that he liked to participate in. Every now and again, the man would yell at the screen or answer the host as if his voice would get through, but never during his TV time did Bob Pataki decide it was a good idea to pay any attention to his bored wife.
Miriam had become much more alert since the fire, as they no longer had anything she liked to drink to dim her senses. The money had to be saved as much as possible in hopes of them finding a permanent place of residency, which Bob made clear even if he himself decided to spend it on himself. After taking the room in and wondering how all this even happened, she gazed over at her husband hoping he would notice her. If she spoke, he would probably ignore her or shout at her to pipe down. This she knew very well. She wanted to discuss their situation, but he would only tell her that he was handling it and not to worry. She wanted to discuss Helga, but all he would say is that she's fine where she is. She wanted to discuss the two of them getting jobs but no matter how she badly wanted to assert herself, the woman knew she would be pushed away.
Next to her on a nightstand sat a newspaper which she idly flipped through. A few ads were circled in hopes of showing her husband, even if she knew the attempt was futile. She picked it up to look over at her choices once more: a housekeeping job, a telemarketer job, a vacuum cleaner sales rep job, and finally a job as a clerk for a small convenient store up the road. All of those jobs would be simple enough for them, even she knew that. At the very least, she didn't mind applying but would only do so once the room was quiet.
A commercial came on which lead Bob to groan loudly and take a sip from his lukewarm drink. He flipped through the channels for a moment but eventually came back to the same channel he was already watching in hopes that the commercial had ended.
"Can you believe these numbskulls? How do these people even get on these game shows knowing absolutely nothing?" He asked out loud.
"I… I dunno, B," Miriam replied, hoping it was directed at her.
He held up the remote and pointed his finger at the screen. "I'd make a killing getting on this show! It's so easy!"
Before the woman could respond, the commercial ended and she closed her mouth.
What were they even doing there anyway? Were they just staying there until the money ran out or was Bob really expecting a phone call? Miriam wasn't really sure, but she wanted to believe in the man as he would typically find his way out of tough situations. There were many times before the girls were born where the two of them had been stuck up a creek without a paddle and through sheer willpower, diligence, and witty speech, Big Bob Pataki ended out on top. Why shouldn't this time be different? She recalled all of their hardships where the man had proved himself to be strong and capable but… was he still that man? She contemplated this until coming to another question, possibly one even more important. Was she the same woman as back then? Definitely not. Before Miriam had decided to settle down and join the Pataki on his life's dreams, Miriam actually was rather confident and intelligent herself. She got all A's in her classes and even took a few college courses on accounting to be able to aid her future life partner in his goals. Although not very athletic, the woman had a fine muscular build and performed quite well in physical activities. She had a love for classical music as well as a few fine arts. Reflecting inwards, was any of that relevant now?
The woman looked down at her frail body. She was worn, aged, and weak. She had little to no self esteem and didn't even know what was going on in her life anymore, let alone anyone else's. All of her talents were meaningless now, and her physique plummeted shortly after her youngest was born. As far as her interests went, her loving husband no longer indulged her in conversations about them, nor took them on dates like he used to. The records she used to own eventually got broken over time with no real urge to purchase them again. Books got lost and trinkets thrown away. Her only real interest now was living day to day in as much peace as possible. Did she know this was selfish? Yes. Miriam was fully aware that her vise was irresponsible; however, she just couldn't bring herself into stopping. Why should she? Everything she once was… was gone. Her husband, the man who was to bring her joy for the rest of her life, through thick and thin, until death do them part was only ever concerned with getting on top and winning the big bucks. Not for his family, of course, but just for his own pride and greed. He always did his best to remain happy so why couldn't she? She's was just as human as the next person. She had wants and needs as well, so why would it be bad to indulge? The obvious answer was putting her family first.
The thought of her daughters swam into the exhausted woman's mind. Olga had been very successful in all of her goals, and proved to be capable, even if a bit fragile at times. Miriam had always wanted to be a mother and once her firstborn came, she put all of her motherly instincts to the test. She nurtured the girl and taught her everything she knew. She would spend nights reading to Olga and coaching her with the wisdom she had acquired over her own lifetime, meanwhile her husband gave her stern and proper pushes in order to help her achieve her goals. Olga was such a bright and shining star from the moment she was born. There was no doubt in her mind that they had done well.
When Olga had reached a mature enough age, she began begging for a sibling. The two parents weren't sure that they would be able to take on such a task but to see their darling daughter's eyes light up always meant the world to them. Miriam couldn't help but want to give in, after all the girl didn't ask for much. The moment she found out she was pregnant; Olga leaped for joy and squeezed her so hard that Miriam thought her head might pop off. Never in her life had she ever seen her daughter so overjoyed. Of course she was always happy when she won awards or was acknowledged, but this was something very different. Her eyes sparkled and her face glowed upon hearing the news. Miriam remembered this day fondly and wished that the days after could have continued that way.
The pregnancy was much harder this time around, putting the poor woman in the hospital many times. The bills began to pile up and Bob put forth many extra hours at the Beeper Emporium to break even. With each passing day, things just seemed to get worse and worse but probably the worst part of all was seeing her husband's disappointed face when finding out they were having another girl. He demanded for a boy, but there was nothing anyone could do. The only person who was happy to hear this news was Olga. The thought of a baby sister to love and hold and teach only made the girl happier. By the time Helga was born, the happy and carefree family had changed into a much dimmer one. Bob was now engrossed in his business and Miriam was beyond exhausted. The baby girl was born healthy but an onset of colic made things very loud and messy. She cried often and didn't sleep much, causing the whole house to lose sleep. Miriam would have to take Helga on car rides in order to calm her down but unfortunately when she had to stop, Helga would wake up and wail. Her head pounded and her body ached. Miriam would beg her husband to give her a break, but he wouldn't budge and would remind her that he had his own job to do. Olga would often offer to help feed the young baby as well as change her, but often Bob would lead the older sister back to her room to study for some sort of test she had coming up or competition she was in. Miriam was alone.
Was Helga alone right now? How was she doing? Miriam really wanted to know but had no number to reach her daughter. She felt like a failure. If only she had jotted her friend's number down when she had the chance… but there was just so much going on. She knew where he lived, but Bob refused to leave the motel.
Feeling guilt rise up from the pit of her stomach, the worn woman looked at her husband's remaining two beers on the bed. She felt the urge to take one but knew it would only lead to the man whining which she wanted to avoid. She didn't even like the taste anyway.
"It's number 9! Pick number 9!" Bob shouted and broke the woman's thoughts. Unfortunately, the contestants did not pick the number he shouted, which caused the boisterous man to slam the remote down on the bed angrily, accidentally turning off the television. "Criminy!" He growled before turning to his wife. "Miriam, what's for dinner tonight?"
The question caught her off guard and the woman found herself fumbling through a bunch of takeout restaurant menus. "Ummm… Well, we had Chinese last night..," she started as she sorted them. "How about Mexican? There seems to be a nice little place down the street."
"Miriam, you know I hate Mexican! Why would you even suggest that?" Bob groaned angrily. "What else is there?"
"Well, there are a few pizza places, or we could order Chinese again?" She suggested, hoping he would just pick one.
"What kind of pizza? Greek or Sicilian?" Bob raised his eyebrow.
"I'm… I'm not sure," The woman replied, defeated.
Bob grabbed the menus out of her hands and began to look through them. Eventually he came to something and threw the flimsy paper back at his wife. "This one. I've seen a few commercials for it so it's gotta be good."
Miriam picked up the menu and looked at it: Luigi's Pizza Palace. "Alright. Would you like me to call and order delivery or do you want to drive over there? They're only about 10 minutes away."
"Do I look like I'm ready to go out to eat?" He asked, motioning to the fact he was in a dirty t-shirt and underwear. "Order for delivery. I want whatever the chef's special is."
Frowning, Miriam picked up the motel room's phone and began to dial the number. She really wanted to leave that room but it didn't ever seem to matter.
After placing the order, Miriam gently put down the phone. Now was her chance to try to talk to him and she knew she had to, even if she felt nervous. "Hey B, Why not go to that nice little boy's house tomorrow and check up on Helga?"
"Who?" Bob asked, picking up his remote again to turn off the buzzing TV.
"H-helga? Our daughter?" Miriam clarified.
"Oh, yeah, the girl. I already told you, she's fine Miriam. Girl knows how to take care of herself and besides," he continued as he flipped through the channels, "What good would it do to visit her? Not like we have some magical lamp to wish back my business and give her, her bed back."
His point was made but lacked concern for the girl's wellbeing at all. Remembering back to the day that Arnold had taken the initiative to help Helga get home, fed and tucked into bed made Miriam feel at ease. It was obvious that the boy cared enough for her daughter to make sure she was okay, but this was now the second day that she would have to be in his care. "It would make… me feel a little better," She replied with a lopsided smile, hoping it would sway him.
Despite his rough exterior, Bob would forever hold a flame for the woman even after all they had been through. Taking in a deep breath and letting out a loud groan, Bob turned to her. "Fine. Tomorrow we'll check up on her but I'm telling ya Miriam, she's fine."
Just then, his cell phone lit up and a small tune chimed from it. Without a second to pass, the man jolted for it and answered. "Yes, this is Bob Pataki," He stated into the small computer. "Yes. Yes. Yes that is my information."
Miriam listened intently in on what he was saying in hopes of them getting some good news but before she could even wish for a glimmer of hope, the man's face turned beet red.
"What do you mean it's still not there?!" He roared into the device. "You listen here, you half-cracked buffoon! I have invested a lot of money into that insurance and there is no reason to why it should have mysteriously disappeared! Either you're not doing your job or someone messed things up and it is YOUR job to fix it!"
With a small frown, Miriam got out of her chair and sat lovingly next to her partner. Luckily she was close enough to be able to hear the caller as well.
"I'm sorry Mr. Pataki, but there isn't anything I can do. We have reviewed your case several times, checked and rechecked our records and unfortunately we have no such records of you owning the insurance you speak of."
"This is absolutely unacceptable! Where did all my money go then?!"
"I would advise you to talk with your bank. If you've made such payments in the past as you've claimed, there should be some sort of information there with them. This is all I can do to help you, I'm sorry," The quiet caller said before promptly ending the call to avoid another loud outburst from the man.
Bob looked desperately at the woman. "Miriam, you remember we had insurance on our building, right? You remember me making out checks to them and paying every single month, right?!"
Miriam nodded. Although her memory wasn't the best, she did recall that he always paid bills on time and thought she recalled some sort of insurance besides the usual health, life and car insurance. "Yes, I do."
The man turned to his phone again and began to punch in the numbers to his bank. He was answered with a robot woman's voice explaining to him that his call was beyond business hours and to call back tomorrow between the times of 9am and 4pm. "You know what? Screw calling them!" He shouted. "Tomorrow I'm going to march down there to the bank and demand to watch them sort through my records. I'll get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I'll do!"
Miriam closed her eyes and built as much courage as possible to ask her next question. "And suppose they do find a paper trail and find our money… then what, B?" she asked him honestly.
"I'll reinvest the money back into my business, of course." The big man responded proudly. "I already got an offer from a few companies. Not beepers, but an old manufacturing company across seas I used to deal with now makes off-brand cell phones. All I gotta do is start anew."
Nodding in understanding of his ultimate plan, she continued her questions. "But are we gonna… live here while you build a new empire? Shouldn't we buy ourselves a new home before you do that?"
Big Bob took his large meaty hand and rubbed his chin in thought. The topic had been brought up before but he hadn't really put too much thought into it yet.
"You know, like maybe rent an apartment?" Miriam suggested.
"The Pataki's living out of some rundown apartment owned by some shady characters? I don't think so, Miriam," Bob replied angrily. "My family deserves much better than that. I'm a King and a King needs a palace!"
His statement was rather ridiculous sounding as Miriam looked around the room again. They were already renting a room in a rundown place ran by shady characters. "What about a nice apartment? We could use this time to search around..," She said, avoiding saying what she really wanted. If she was going to convince her husband of something she wanted, she had to make it sound like he came up with the idea himself.
"Apartments are out of the question!" He hollered back. "You always pay far too much for what you're getting. You remember all the places we had in the past! Something always breaking and you don't get to choose who lives above or below you."
Now was her chance and she had to seize it carefully. "If only there was some way to avoid that, right B?" The woman began softly as she latched on to his large arm. The man looked down at her and she locked onto his eyes. "We have a decent amount of money left, even without the insurance we're waiting on. I'm sure the bank has a few foreclosed houses they're willing to show us… maybe one we could afford? That way, we won't have to deal with a landlord swindling your money."
Bob heard her words and the wheels in his thick head started to turn. "Hmm… you might be onto something..," He said quietly, still rubbing his chin. "Hey, yeah! Maybe we can even get our old house back! That thing's been up for grabs since they took it from us and we've got way more than enough to buy it back. Heck, I could even get them to lower the price due to all the damages I know it has!"
"You're such a shark, B!" Miriam smiled, knowing her plan had worked.
"Those bozos won't even know what hit em tomorrow…"
Dinner had been served with a thick awkwardness that veiled the room. Helga knew that the others staying in the boarding house were nuts, but never quite knew just how nuts. The food was quickly devoured just as soon as it was set in front of them, as well as pointless arguments and even a few physical altercations. Was this how Arnold always lived? This was even crazier than her own family but at least most of these people weren't related.
As soon as everyone was finished, the boarders left the dining room, leaving Arnold's family to clean up after the animals. Helga felt compelled to help but the moment she lifted up a plate, Arnold's mother shoo'd her away back to her room to get ready for school tomorrow. Not that she minded, however. Helga was never a fan of cleaning dirty dishes especially if they weren't her own.
Helga got back to her room and realized something very important. How am I supposed to get ready for school tomorrow when I don't own anything to get ready with?! she asked herself silently. Rolling her eyes, she wondered if she had any spare clothes left at Phoebe's. After a quick phone call, much to her dismay, she did not.
"I would offer you some of my clothes, Helga, but I'm afraid they'd be too short for you…" Phoebe said sadly over the phone.
Knowing she was right, Helga frowned. "It's okay, Pheebs. I'll think of something," Helga replied as she rested her back up against the wallpaper that lined the hallway she was standing in.
"I wish you luck." Phoebe said hopefully before wishing her best friend goodnight and hanging up to get ready herself.
Helga moaned loudly as she slid her back down the wall and plopped on the floor. She cursed her luck. How desperately she wanted to shower. At this point, she almost wanted to burn her clothes just to get rid of the stench that reeked all over them.
Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, Helga moved back to her feet just in time to see her beloved emerging out into the clear. The sight of the boy made her insides relax and her heart flutter.
Approaching, Arnold graced her with his splendid smile. "It's almost bedtime here. It gets pretty quiet here at night… will you be needing anything before you go to sleep?" he asked before scratching the back of his neck. "Yesterday you really didn't get the chance to… you know, settle in."
His question only reminded her of her unfortunate luck. "Sure, Football head. Turn back time and save my clothes!" She groaned loudly. "I'd kill for a shower but what am I gonna put back on? These things?!" She finished as she pulled on her pink dress.
Her complaints lit a light bulb in the boy's head. "You could always wash your clothes here. We have a coin-operated washing machine and dryer in the basement. I know it's late but I'm sure my family wouldn't mind if you washed them now, given the circumstances."
"That's all well and good but do you just expect me to waltz around here naked while they're washing?!" Helga asked, a touch more irritated before.
Arnold thought for a second. Her dilemma was pretty tricky and unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to fit any of his mother's or grandmother's clothes, nor were there any other females residing in the Sunset Arms. There was only one thing he could think of, but the thought brought a blush to his cheeks and he hesitated before speaking. "Well… I know I'm shorter than you, but maybe I could find you something to wear? Sometimes my Grandma likes to buy me bigger clothes than fit me. I probably have a few shirts in my closet… if that isn't too weird for you."
With eyes wide and dilated, Helga was shocked that he even suggested that. His clothes? Me wearing his clothes?! This has to be a dream come true! I'll sleep like a baby if I can smell him all night! she thought dreamily before snapping back into reality and putting on her usual scowl. "Sounds pretty stupid to me, after all you're really short. I mean, did you ever even hit your growth spurt yet? I bet you'll stay a shrimp forever," She said, poking him in the shoulder playfully. "But at this point I'll do anything to get these off."
Arnold nodded and headed towards his room. "Stay right here and I'll be back. I'm sure I'll find something large enough for you to be comfortable in."
Helga watched as he disappeared into his room and lost balance, nearly falling over. She held onto the wall for support. "Oh my love! To be wrapped in your intoxicating scent would be most divine…" She swooned quietly. Helga began to imagine what he might come down with. Would it be so small that it would be revealing? What if it was something that hugged her curves and made herself look sexy for him? Should she show off her goods? Knowing full well how underdeveloped she still was didn't put a damper on her fantasies and the thought of him giving in to his urges and courting her into privacy only made her swoon harder. If it wasn't hearing his bedroom door opening again, her heart might have actually exploded from excitement.
"This is all I could find…" He said softly, descending his creaky stairs. "It's not much but I hope it at least fits. It's two sizes too big and I'm actually beginning to wonder if maybe this was intended for my Dad at one point and not me."
He held out a plaid shirt that was very similar to the long sleeved one he wore in fourth grade, however it was indeed very large compared to him. She took the garment and looked it over carefully. It was obvious that it had hung in his closet for a long time due to its musty smell but the waft of his scent still hit her nose and made her sigh. She measured it up to her body and gave an unsure face. "It might work but it might as well be a dress on me."
"You're always wearing a dress, Helga." Arnold informed her, a sly look in his half lidded eyes.
Just what is he thinking?! Helga demanded to know but didn't dare ask. "And just what am I going to shower with? I don't suppose you got a random gift box of body supplies in your closet too, do you?"
"No. That I don't have but I could see if my mom will let you use her stuff. You're both girls, after all," He suggested with a shrug.
"Your family has already done enough for me as it is," Helga replied flatly, crossing her arms. "I'm not trying to ask for even more handouts. It's bad enough I have to wear your clothes!"
The boy frowned and understood where she was coming from. Helga wasn't one to accept much help and already her pride had been compromised to its max. "I suppose… you can use my stuff? It's not super manly or anything, just basic run of the mill off-brand that my Grandpa picks me up so I can't guarantee it won't dry out your hair or something…"
Oh my sweet and merciful Angel! With how luscious your hair always is, I highly doubt it would to anything to the straw-like hair I already possess but bless your heart for worrying about its health! Helga cooed in her head. "I suppose it will do… for now anyway," She replied to him with a snort before starting towards the bathroom to lather herself up in whatever velvety soft product he happened to use. "I'll just call my parents tomorrow and hope they give me some money to buy my own stuff for the future."
Quickly Arnold ran back upstairs to grab his shower caddy for the girl in waiting. Back in the day he was able to leave his stuff in the bathroom, however Oskar was now in the habit of using other people's things to avoid getting his own and Phil finally implemented a rule to put a stop to it. "No personal items left in the bathroom or they'll be tossed out!" The thought of her using his things wasn't particularly uncomfortable, after all Gerald had used them a few times during their sleepovers, but he couldn't help but feel a little… happy. Unable to place why, he ran downstairs and handed her his belongings.
"Thanks, Shortman!" she replied with a wink before opening the bathroom door. "I plan on taking a nice long and hot shower so don't wait up!"
"But Helga… You don't know how to get to our basement to wash your clothes and I highly doubt you have quarters for it." Arnold replied with a cross of his arms and an obvious look.
With a short blank stare, Helga realized he was right about one thing: She did not have money but she wouldn't let the cat out of the bag that she knew his building just as well as he did. Letting out an aggravated sigh, Helga slammed the door in his face. "Fine! Just wait in your room and I'll make it quick," she yelled from behind the thick wood barricade.
Arnold chuckled to himself before heading back up to his room to wait. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a few rolls of quarters. He wondered how he should feel about all this. Her wearing his clothes and using his shower supplies; it was almost as if they were married or something.
However Helga knew exactly how she felt: Fantastic! She danced off all of her soiled clothing before turning on the hot shower. She sang to herself while steam quickly filled the room and she gracefully stepped inside. The water felt wonderful on her skin and she could already feel her misery melting away with every water drop. If only she could feel like this forever! Carefree and nakedly dancing in her love's shower. The same shower he uses every day… along with a bunch of other strangers but that wasn't the point! She reached for his aromatic shampoo that she loved so much and lathered her hair up in it. The overwhelming scent of the boy she pined for filled the room and she swooned loudly. "This must be what heaven is like!"
The shower finished with Helga feeling very refreshed as she dried her body off with a fluffy white towel and hung it to dry, before adorning Arnold's overly large clothes. The shirt ended just above her knees but still showed a decent amount of leg. She began to button the shirt up and wondered just how much she should leave open? Buttoning it to mid breast, she looked at herself in the steamed up mirror. "No, I don't have enough to sustain this..." She told herself as she buttoned it up more. All the way up to the final button made her look like a geek, so she unbuttoned it a few until it reached just below her collar bone. It was enough to show off a bit but not too much, leaving much to be wondered by the only boy she ever wanted to see her like that. "This ought to do it!"
Wrapping her hair up in the damp towel, Helga opened the bathroom door, letting all the hot air rush out and giving her much needed oxygen. She filled her lungs before looking back and forth to make sure no one would see her. It wasn't like she was indecent or anything but still. The last thing she needed was one of his creepy boarders to see her almost half naked. After gathering her stinky clothing, she hurried up to Arnold's room and tapped on the door.
"One second," she heard him call out.
"We ain't got all night, Football face so let's take the lead out!" She replied in a hushed but rather warning tone.
Arnold opened his door to reveal that he was already in his bed clothes. "Sorry Helga, I had to get dressed too."
Despite already having seen him in these clothes, the blonde couldn't help but blush a little and withhold a squeal from deep within her. She walked back down his stairs and waited patiently for him to follow. "Lead the way."
Slowly stepping down his stairs in hoping it wouldn't creak too much and disturb anyone, Arnold followed her instructions and began leading her down the second floor, then to a door which led to the basement. It was dark and humid and Helga could smell the scent of laundry that had recently been done.
Arnold flipped on a light switch to illuminate their path. "Come on," He said with a smile, leading her through rooms.
Once at the washing machines, the helpful boy showed her exactly how to load the clothes and how much money to deposit. He noticed that his parents left their laundry soap unattended and handed the bottles to her. "Here."
Helga accepted them and went about her business, leaving young Arnold to watch her as she went. He paid mind into not looking her over too much but couldn't resist the blush that unknowingly mounted his cheeks. He'd seen her in a bathing suit before which showed off way more than his shirt, but something about the way it fell on her just made him feel fuzzy. "You know, even after your parents give you some money to get clothes and supplies, feel free to keep the shirt as sleepwear if you want," He said casually, wanting to help with a little extra to hide.
"You assume they'll even give me money," She growled after shutting the lid on the washing machine loudly. Unbeknownst to him, she was fully aware of his eyes.
"They have to," Arnold replied hastily, "They're your parents. They can't just leave you with nothing."
Helga sighed and turned around. "You act like you've never met them before, Arnold. They've left me to fend for myself since I was four years old. Sometimes with no food, sometimes with no ride in the cold rain or snow. It doesn't matter what's going on," She explained. "Worst comes to worst, I'll ask to borrow some money from Phoebe until they manage to give me some. I've done it before."
Wanting nothing more than to offer her his allowance, Arnold knew full well that she wouldn't take it and would only respond in how she wasn't his charity case. "Alright, but I'll be sure to at least get you lunch money tomorrow."
"Whatever," She said with a flip of her hand before walking in front of him and into a doorway. "How long does the wash usually last?"
"About 35 minutes," He said, allowing her to lead the way as he turned the lights off to save his grandparents' electricity.
"I'll shove them in the dryer, then go to sleep. Do you have an extra alarm I can use to wake up early? I'd rather grab my clothes in the morning before everyone is awake than stay up late and not wake up at all," Helga asked, hoping to dear God that no one would be up to see her in this getup.
Arnold nodded and shut the basement door behind them as they entered the first floor once again. "I should have one in my desk. I use it sometimes when I'm afraid my usual alarm won't wake me."
The boarding house was very quiet and as the two preteens made their way through the house, it seemed like every single noise that was made was echoing. They both rushed upstairs until they got to her bedroom. "I'll wait here and you grab it." Helga stated as she opened her door and leaned against the doorway.
She watched as he ran up his stairs and disappeared before making her way to her bed and unfolding the top comforter. Wondering how comfortable the bed would be on the inside, she gently lay down and pulled on the covers. It was significantly warmer than she expected and knew she'd have to keep her window open. She wiggled around to feel the springs resist against her. The bed was clearly old but not older than her old mattress. This will work, she thought, removing the damp towel from her hair and throwing it on the ground.
Hearing Arnold beginning to head her way, she quickly removed the blankets and sat in a cross legged position. If she was gonna show off anything worthwhile, her legs were her only go-to. Helga cleared her throat and did best to get comfortable as she awaited her company.
"Sorry it took so long…" Arnold said as he fidgeted with the small palm sized alarm clock. "It needed batteries."
"No big deal," Helga replied casually, waiting for him to look up.
After a small click of the bottom compartment snapping together, Arnold looked up to walk towards her but stopped in his tracts.
"What is it?" She asked coyly, knowing full well what it was. "You gonna give me the alarm clock or not?"
The image of her sitting in his clothes, suggestively positioned, as well as her damp, wavy hair cascading down her shoulders made a shiver go down the boy's spine. Her image almost reminded him of that weird dream where they were locked in their classroom together. With a gulp, Arnold managed to budge his firmly planted feet from the floor to hand off the clock. "Yeah… Here."
"Thanks!" She said as she quickly snatched it out of his hands and placed it on the nightstand next to her, beginning to set her alarm.
Arnold felt compelled to watch her every move and it stunned him as if taking his eyes off her, even for a second, would be the most regretful thing he had ever done. The way the shirt rose a little up her thigh as she stretched to fiddle with the buttons, the way her hair fell in front of her face and made her brush it away. Did she know how she was making him feel? The urge of walking over to her and getting as close as possible washed over the young man, but his body remained stunned in place.
"You know, if you take a picture it will last longer, Football head," She said, snapping him out of his daze.
A flood of red came over what felt like his whole body as he realized she knew he was watching her. Quickly he spun around to look at her open doorway. "I-I'm Sorry!" He shouted a little too loud for that time of night. "I r-really didn't mean to s-stare!"
Helga let out a small chuckle before finishing her task and looked over at the straight standing soldier. She could help but feel a little sorry for him, even though it was her fault he was feeling so embarrassed now. It was amazing to think that, just mere hours ago, their relationship was on the verge of ending and now she was successfully entrapping him into something that easily came out of a romantic comedy.
Maybe Gerald was right… Arnold thought as he tightly closed his eyes and tried to focus the inevitable red coloring on his skin to go away. Maybe I don't have as much discipline and self control as I thought. But the image seared into his mind wasn't leaving anytime soon.
Feeling a bit sorry for the kid, Helga let out a soft sigh and knew she shouldn't torture him anymore. He was far too innocent for her to play games with this early on, even if it was fun. "It's not really that big of a deal, you know," she spoke, gaining his attention but not enough for him to turn around. "I mean… I am your girlfriend after all, right? If anyone has a right to look at me, it's you."
Arnold's body quaked a little from the permission she was giving him but he refused to turn around even still. "That might be, but it was still very rude of me. I really didn't mean to stare..." He said with frustration in his voice.
Now becoming annoyed with the fact he was being this knightly, she let out a small growl. "Stop being such a dweeb and turn around, Criminy!"
Her demand sent him to obey and Arnold turned back around. She was sitting normal on her bed, covers a little bit messed up and with an annoyed face. The hue still hadn't fully receded but he was still working on that.
"What's so bad about you seeing me? It's not like I'm giving you a peep show," She continued on, trying to defend him for himself.
"B-but still..," he responded, looking at the floor before her, in a low voice, clearly ashamed for his acts. "My Grandpa always taught me to respect others' privacy and this is no different."
"And I clearly wasn't asking for privacy, now was I?" Helga responded with a stern voice. She couldn't help but notice that the boy was still blushing and doing his best to look at the floor and not her. She knew not to take this as an insult but his awkwardness only made her feel a little self conscious. "And… now you're making me feel awkward..," she said, feeling her own face become rosy. Helga had always been rather self-confident, even with her newly blossoming body, but she was beginning to feel exactly how Arnold was feeling: embarrassed. Tucking herself underneath her bed covers, Helga pulled the comforter up to her neck and got comfortable. "Better?" She asked, hoping he would at least look at her now.
Arnold picked his head up and nodded. "Yeah, thanks..," he said sounding rather relieved which made Helga feel a bit worse. He walked over to her bed and sat down next to her, resting his arms over his knees. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. Sorry if I offended you at all… It's just…." His voice trailed off into thought.
"Just new to you?" She suggested, causing him to glance over at her in surprise. "It's not like this isn't new for me too." Her voice sounded honest and almost girlish. "Not only am I living with you, but I gotta rely on you for a while too. You're not the only one feeling uncomfortable, Arnoldo." She finished and nudged his shoulder with her own.
"Yeah…" Arnold agreed, giving Helga a small smile. "It's strange to think how so much can change within such a short period of time. While I was at the park with Gerald, we were talking about how it seems like just yesterday we were entering the third grade where our only real concerns were waking up super early to catch Saturday morning cartoons." He paused for a second, letting it all sink in again. "It's weird, isn't it?"
Helga let out a huff and crossed her arms. "You think that's weird?" she challenged with her usual harshness, "Try fawning after someone day and night for practically your whole life from the shadows, following them, making altars and poems of them and…" As she continued, she realized how much information she was spilling and cleared her throat, "and ignore I said all that," she said with a squeaked, high pitched voice, causing Arnold to let out a small giggle in response. "Point is, try wanting to have someone notice you and then… they finally do. And you live with them. And are using their shampoo and clothes, for cripes sake! That's a little weirder, dontcha think?"
Although he could probably never imagine what this all felt like for her, he did understand where she was coming from. "Try living your whole life practically without parents, thinking they're probably dead just to suddenly have them back again. It's like a dream."
They looked at each other in content silence for a while before Arnold rose back to his feet. "It's getting late and you gotta be up early. I'll let you sleep."
Helga watched him as he walked over to her door and grasped the doorknob. Honestly, she didn't want him to leave but knew it was not only unacceptable for him to stay but would be highly frowned upon by his family. "Good night, Arnold." she said with her shy true voice, letting all her worries and defenses go.
Smiling, Arnold chose to not look back as he knew it would only make him want to stay longer. If only they could always be like this. "Good night, Helga." He said softly before quietly leaving and shutting the door behind him.
Helga let her body collapse back on the bed with a longing sigh. "If only this could last forever…"
The very moment the sun peaking through the hotel's window blinds pierced Bob Pataki's eyelids, he awoke with a mission. He pushed his sleeping wife beside him. "Wake up Miriam, it's time to go," he said, determined, before getting out of bed and searching for a pair of decent pants.
"Huh?" Miriam moaned out with a tired, groggy voice. "Where are we going?"
"To the bank, remember?" Bob answered, thrusting one leg through his pants, then the other. "We gotta find out just where our money is and possibly con them into giving us our house back."
His voice was like music to her ears. Miriam smiled and sat up in bed. "Oh yeah, yeah. I remember."
"Good, now hurry up and get ready." Bob gave his wife back a small smile, something he didn't do often enough. "We got a lot of work to do today."