(A/N: Welcome to the year 2021! Where everything is already insane and nothing makes sense! I'm your fanfiction writer, Saki and I'm here to let you know that I'm gonna do my best to post a chapter every 2 weeks. It's come to my attention that posting chapter sporadically isn't the best thing and that I need a bit more self control. This way, it gives readers to catch up! Can't promise anything except that I will try. Currently, I'm pretty excited to announce that I'm finally gonna have a commission done for this fanfiction! Hurray! It's always been a dream of mine for a wonderful artist to wanna draw a scene from my works and its finally coming true! So excited! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!)
"So… let's go over this one more time, shall we?" The blonde pigtailed girl started as she gestured to the shorter male companion next to her. "You tell no one about what you know and this includes Gerald…"
Arnold opened his mouth to say something but froze the moment she gave him a piercing glare. He swallowed and faced forward while they walked down the dirty sidewalk on the way to school.
"This also includes anyone you know, including people you DON'T know. Got it?" Helga finished with a concentrated look.
"Got it." Arnold said in a low, downtrodden voice. He hated that he had to keep this information to himself, but knew there was no real solution even if he was to confide in someone.
"And finally, you are not, under ANY circumstances, going to talk to Brainy."
The moment the girl finished her added insert, Arnold shot a look of astonishment at her. "What?"
"Get it through that thick, football shaped skull of yours!" Helga growled as she poked his forehead. "This isn't your business! HE isn't your business! Got that?"
"But…" Arnold tried but was cut off almost as soon as he uttered the first syllable.
"BUT NOTHING!" Helga howled back. She took in a deep breath and steadied her thoughts. "I'll deal with him myself. It'll only complicate things more if you butt in!"
Arnold huffed but said nothing in response. There was nothing he could say to change her mind, and he knew that. This was just something she was going to have to handle on her own even if he did disagree with her. He thought back to their conversation the night prior and frowned. It was plainly apparent how uncomfortable she was being the center of all of this mess and he wanted to do everything in his power to make things right, even if it meant him not being in it at all.
They both rounded a few more corners until they could just make out the school in the distance. The morning had been a little more chaotic than normal which led to the two preteens becoming a little later than usual in running out of the door.
A large swarm of students were congregated in front of the steps of P.S 118, which caused interest amongst the couple but before they could get anywhere close to the kids, Helga grabbed Arnolds arm and held him back.
"Remember what I said Arnold, or so help me-"
"I got it, Helga." Arnold reassured her with a just as warning tone, causing her to back down from her stance. "I won't speak a word of it to anyone."
"And?" She pressed forward, nudging towards the spikey haired quiet kid who happened to also be in the gaggle of students.
Arnold shook his head. "And I won't approach Brainy either."
Helga looked at him warily but when she saw in his eyes that he wasn't backing down from his word, she gave him a small sigh and freed his arm. She watched as he continued to walk ahead of her to see what the commotion was about and took this moment to self-contemplate.
"Oh Arnold… what a feeble-minded fool, what a near-sighted nincompoop…. How I hate the way he insists his personal opinions on others. Always throwing his two cents into people's lives without them asking for it! How I loathe him…" She whispered through her grit teeth in frustration. "And yet…"
Helga looked around to see if anyone had noticed her standing by herself at the end of the sidewalk. She noticed the way the morning sunlight shown on his golden locks that stuck out whimsically; the way he was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet while he tried to get a better look through the cluster of eager kids without pushing anyone out of his way.
"Oh, how I love him!" She cried as quietly as she could as to not disturb anyone in earshot, "The way he cares for the wellbeing of others without a need of gratification! Always looking out for the little guys without even thinking of the repercussions from the big guys! His perfect shining example of goodness with the creamy center of wholesome intentions always seeping its ways into the very core of everyone's tough expectations of the world… A world of cruel, unloving and selfish souls that don't deserve him. I… don't deserve him and yet he still chooses to remain by my side despite the peril he knows will come. His stupid blind optimism always remaining ever vigilant even in the face of concrete doubt. If only I could think the same way…" She watched as he managed to finally wiggle his way inside the crowd and decided maybe it was a good enough time to get in on the action for herself.
Marching up to the students in her usual hostile manner, Helga started to push and nudge anyone that was in front of her. "Move it or lose it, geekbaits!" She shouted, nearly throwing a third grader that didn't see her coming. "Out of my way!"
In the center of the children stood Eugene with a shiny new razor scooter as well as a sparkling smile of new braces.
"How come you get to have something so cool, Eugene?!" Harold asked with an angry pout as he placed his fists on his hips.
The bright boy gave a shy smile. "My grandma came to visit me yesterday when she heard I was going to have these braces put on, and as a gift, bought this for me!" He explained as he pushed the scooter forward so everyone could get a good look. "Isn't it perfect? It has two big wheels and its dual suspension system reduces vibration and allows for a smooth ride even in the toughest parts of the city, a large reinforced braking system so I can stop easier and smoother without risking falling off and hurting myself, and a high-density durable aluminum alloy frame so it's safe and sturdy for years of enjoyment!"
"As if it's going to last that long…" Gerald said in a hushed tone to Arnold who was standing next to him.
"Gerald…" Arnold scolded with a solemn look.
The young man shrugged in response. "What? You know it's true. That kid couldn't keep from falling off of it if it was glued to his legs."
"Hey! Can I ride it?" Harold asked as he slowly walked towards it, eyeing its shiny paint and cool decals.
"Yeah right, Harold." Sid smirked. "You'd probably break it the moment you stepped on it!"
Harold thrusted his fist in the short kids face, but Sid took a step back just in time to dodge and laugh again. "Say something like that again, and I won't miss next time!"
"You only missed on account a you're so big, Harold." Stinky snickered.
Eugene waved his hands in front of his friends in order to get their attention. "Guys! You don't need to fight!" He then rolled it over towards the angry boy. "Don't' worry Harold! It can hold up to 220 pounds so your weight wouldn't even be an issue!"
"See? Even Eugene is calling you fat!" Sid mentioned, causing all the kids to laugh in unison.
"No… I…" But before Eugene could defend himself, Harold rushed towards Sid and chased him out of the crowd.
"I'm going to pound you!" He screamed as he disappeared into the school, leaving the rest of the kids to laugh at the sight.
Rhonda shook her head. "The scooter is cool in all, but what about the metal in your mouth. Isn't it disgusting?"
"It's not all that bad, Rhonda." Eugene smiled, showing the braces off. "Sure, I'll have a metallic taste for a while but the dentist told me that it will wear off in a few days!"
"Why not opt for a more discreet option like those invisible ones?" She asked and crossed her arms. "Those brackets make you look even more like a geek than before and I didn't even know that was possible."
"Because not everyone has money like you do, Princess." Helga remarked snidely, earning a scoff from the girl.
"I think they make you look more mature." Said Sheena with a warm smile as she touched her ginger friend's shoulder.
Eugene looked up at her with an encouraged smile. "Thank you, Sheena! It means so much to me that you think that."
"Did they hurt?" Someone called out from the group.
"How much did that scooter cost?" Another called out.
Knowing that the bell was going to ring at any moment, Lila walked over to Eugene's side in order to control the madness that was starting to ensue again. "I'm sure everyone has ever so many questions for our friend Eugene, but I'm afraid school is starting soon and we might be late." She smiled courteously.
"Yeah." Arnold agreed. "We should probably head to class before we all get in trouble."
The mass of students started to groan and protest but with a quick show of her fists and a growl, Helga had the herd scampering away into the school. Arnold looked at her and smiled but she rolled her eyes and stomped forward. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go already!"
The moment the class was settled in their seats, Rhonda took this time to shuffle inside her backpack and pull out the party invites along with the special invitations for the girl's only day. She handed half of them out to Nadine and quickly they went to work with handing out the individual envelopes to their respective owners.
"As you all know, Halloween is approaching so I decided to honor you with an invitation to my costume party!" She explained as she handed a set of invitations to Phoebe and moved up the row to Arnold and Lorenzo. "Be sure to wear your best costume and stay for some party games and refreshments!"
"Hey!' Curly shouted as Nadine handed him his invitation. "Why are the girls getting an extra invitation?!"
"Because we're having a separate party for just the girls first." Nadine explained calmly as she passed him with ease and handed a pair of invitations to Lila. "And you're not a girl."
"Criminy…" Helga rolled her eyes as the pieces of papers were handed to her. "Not this again. Thanks, but no thanks, Rhonda. I'll pass."
Rhonda growled and slapped the colorful pieces of laminated paper on the blonde girl's desk. "No can do, Helga. Participation is a must." She tried to explain with a sugary sweetness despite her resentment for Helga's outright refusal. "Trust me, you're gonna wanna come."
"Oh yeah?" Helga asked skeptically, crossing her arms and slouching in her seat. "And why's that?"
Shoving the invitations closer, Rhonda eyed her. "Just trust me on this one, okay? Come to the parties! You'll have a great time! I guarantee it!" She finished with a wink before walking back to her desk.
Helga cringed and looked over at Phoebe who just flashed her own invites and shrugged. She stared blankly at the pieces of paper; reflecting briefly on the fact she hadn't been invited to the last one and initially crashed it, and actually wondered why on earth she had been invited to this one. Nothing had changed between her and Rhonda's friendship, nor her appearance or how she carried herself. Helga wasn't typically labeled as a girl so why now? It was possible that Rhonda had something up her sleeve, or it was simply that she wanted to show off in front of everyone for some reason. Regardless, Helga placed the invitations in her backpack to think on them later. The parties were still weeks away and there was a more important event coming up much sooner: Arnold's birthday.
Over the past week, whenever she had a quiet moment alone to herself, the fact of the upcoming date would run across her mind and cause her to halt all other thoughts. What would she get him? What would they do? Should she remove herself from the boarding house in order to let him have family time? Would he even really want to spend it with her? So many questions would press in the young girl's mind until she would forcefully throw them out. The most important of those questions was the gift. She didn't exactly have money anymore so maybe she could make him something? Maybe plan something for him?
"Good Morning class!" Mr. Simmons shouted to his class as he entered the room, full of pep and joy and completely disrupting the girls thought.
The class responded back in their own way and Helga watched as her teacher got ready. He was going on about how he was inspired by something he had recently read and urged the students to do some creative writing on their own. Most of the students grumbled about this, but Helga felt rather indifferent. She enjoyed writing as it was a type of outlet for her most of the time but with all of her volumes now turned to ashes and tossed into oblivion, what was the point? The thought of starting again seemed almost obligatory and that wasn't a good feeling about something you had genuine passion for. From time to time, she considered grabbing a spare notebook from Phoebe or maybe seeing if the Football head had one he didn't need and was willing to part with but so much about her surroundings had changed, she wasn't even sure if she would be able to become comfortable enough to let the juices flow.
Helga glanced back to take a quick look at her muse in question. He sat there looking straight ahead with his usual smile, as if he didn't have a care in the world. It was the clueless smile that always made her want to toss spitballs at his head but given the new seating arrangement, that was impossible. It was plainly obvious why the seating had changed since the last few years. All the troubled kids seemed to be sitting in the front row while all the easy students were seated more so in the back. This made it impossible for Helga to pull any sort of shenanigans she usually would to keep herself occupied but now her only real option was to actually pay attention.
"Alright, now I have something very special for today's class!" Mr. Simmons explained as he stepped out of the room for a second to pull a tv on rollers into the room. "After reading that article, it really made me think all morning long about a movie I'd really like you all to watch! It truly shows the significance of looking out for your fellow man and hearing the call to adventure! Doesn't that sound great?!"
"What sounds great is no class." Sid said snidely, causing a few of the students to chuckle.
"Now Sid, of course there is still class." Mr. Simmons corrected, "I have prepared a worksheet with questions about the movie so be sure to pay attention!"
"Awwww!" moaned Harold and he smushed his face on his desk. "Come on! Can't we just have a break! And here I thought we were gonna have a fun day!"
The older man frowned at the large boy's remark. "We will, Harold! This movie will be very fun and I believe that you'll really enjoy it. So, sit up and relax. Helga, can you get the lights please?"
Hearing her named caused her to snap back to attention. "Huh? Yeah, sure whatever." She said as she got up and flicked off the lights and sat back down.
The students began to quietly mumble to each other until the teacher stood in and hushed them. Helga opened her backpack and fumbled around for her work notebook so she could distract herself while the movie played. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, but it was always helpful to have something else as a distraction when the more boring parts happened. She found herself drawing a familiar Football head with a goofy smile holding a neatly wrapped present. The darkness of the room was comforting, as well as the movies background noise. Placing her head down on her notebook, Helga found herself dozing off to sleep.
The light was dim and flickering rhythmically as the fire inside the fireplace swayed and crackled. The room smelled of earthy wood and smoked logs as well as something faintly sweet in the air, music played softly from a record player that was placed somewhere in this mysterious yet sensual cabin. It was warm and comfortable as the two loving couple sat on a bearskin rug in front of the blaze that caressed their skin with every fiery snap of its flame.
"Would you like another cherry, my darling?" Arnold asked as he graciously offered a bowl to his loving partner. He was wearing a black suit and tie with gold trim and a red collared undershirt. His hair was slicked back and face wearing his finest debonair smile.
Helga ignored the fruit in question and set her eyes on him and only him. She wore a silk red gown that was cut to hug every one of her luscious curves but gave plenty of the imagination to crave. Jewels around her neck and wrists as well as fine gold that hung from her ears in droplets. "Only if you feed them to me, my love." She replied as she stared into his sparkling green eyes. With every lick of the flame, they shimmered and made her figure even more bewitching.
Without question, Arnold took a small round cherry and offered it to her lips. She parted them slightly, allowing him to pop the object in without resistance. He watched as her lips formed a grin as she enjoyed the taste of the fruit, and the man couldn't help himself but brush her bottom lip with his thumb as he looked hungrily at her. "How is it?"
"Why not try one for yourself?" Helga asked with a shy smile, looking down at the bowl and gathering one up for herself but before she managed to grab one, Arnold grabbed her wrist and stopped her, causing her to look up at him with concern.
"Why would I want to sully my mouth with the taste of such inferior fruit when I could have the lips of my angel?" He asked as he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed each individual fingertip.
Helga blushed and looked away shyly. "Surely, you jest…" She said, wanting nothing more than to hear more from him.
The man looked shocked at her words and pulled her closer. "Not at all. Why, nothing is as superb and delectable when compared to the fruit of our love." Arnold pulled her as close as possible then brought his other hand around to the small of her back. He let his hand trail up and down her smooth gown, feeling her shiver at his touch.
Her face adorned a crimson glow that rivaled that of the fire that burned in front of them. She could feel herself be drown into those eyes as well as her body giving in to all his small touches. She could feel herself melt in the palm of his hands and become helpless. Nothing was to pull her away from him, ever. She belonged to him and only him. "I'm forever yours…" She whispered, looking down and noticing a shiny gold ring on one of her fingers that matched his own. "As always…"
Arnold smiled at her words. "And I could want nothing more… Spending the night with you, like this, is the most wonderful birthday gift I could ever hope to receive…" He wasted no time in kissing the lips he wanted most. The kiss was not of that of a shy boy or even a nervous teen. It was the kiss of a man and the man she loved.
Letting herself become consumed by the cozy environment and the strong arms of her beloved, Helga let all her worries and self-doubt go. There was nothing in this world she wanted more than this; more than his lips on hers, his breath on her skin and their hearts beating as one. She could feel his hand gliding up and down her spine and eventually around her back and to her hips. Was this the moment she was waiting for? Would all her dreams come true?
The room became hotter and hotter, causing the blonde woman to open her eyes and see that the fire had escaped the pit and started to circle around them. Her body sat frozen as it devoured everything in its wake. The floor beneath them started to crack and splinter, causing Helga to stand but the moment she did, it broke apart and swallowed them whole.
Falling felt like an eternity but eventually she felt herself hit the floor. It was cold and damp. Looking around she noticed that she was in some sort of cell and Arnold was nowhere to be seen. Standing up, Helga brushed herself off and noticed that she was in a striped black and white suit that looked worn and tattered. "What the?" She spoke aloud as she observed her surroundings. Where was their cozy cabin in the woods? Where was Arnold and where was she now?
Before she could ask any more questions, Helga could hear what sounded like footsteps in the distance. Each step echoed and bounced off her room with a deafening noise. Closer and closer it came until a dark figure came in front of her. Helga walked closer to it until she was stopped by the metal bars in front of her. The outlined figure was tall and lanky. Its eyes glowed a yellowish tint and it breathed ragged and loudly. Clouds parted and moonlight shone into her cell from a window, illuminating the person in question. "Brainy?" She asked it.
The figure nodded and gripped the bars with both hands.
"What are you doing here? Why am I here? What's going on?" She asked angrily. None of this made any sense and he had ruined her perfect night. "Where is Arnold?"
Brainy backed up again and the moons glow seemed to follow him, brightening up what looked like to be another cell. Brainy was wearing the same outfit she was, and he smiled at her as he sat on his cot. They were both in jail.
Panic started to creep into her body as she wandered around her small cell in thought. Why was she here? What was she going to do?
Suddenly, she heard a loud crash that sounded like metal colliding with stone. Helga looked up to see the door to her cell had been kicked open and in front of her was Arnold in a ninja costume. He ran up to her bars and reached his arm through to touch her. Quickly, she grabbed his hand and placed it upon her cheek.
"I have come to save you." He said powerfully. "Stand back."
Helga nodded and walked to the back of the room. She looked over at Brainy who still sat on his cot with a stupid grin on his face. Looking back at Arnold, she noticed a few more men rushing in the room with army attire on. They wrapped C4 around the bars that came between them and signaled her to take cover. She flipped her cot over so that it shielded her from the harm. A loud BANG cried out and soon pieces of shrapnel rained around her.
"Are you okay?" Arnold asked as he ran to her, reaching out for her hand and pulling her up. He looked her over in grief but to his relief found no wounds on his woman. "Thank Goodness. It's time to get you out of here!"
Helga grasped her loves hand and began to run with him out of the room but the moment she neared the exit, she stopped them both. "Wait."
"What is it, my love?" He asked in utter shock.
She looked over at her cell mate who still sat in the same spot. "What about him?"
Arnold let out a laugh. "Him? You can't be serious?" He cupped Helga's cheek with his hand. "Don't worry about a fool like him. He got himself into this mess now let him get himself out. Come on, we don't have time to lose."
"But…" Helga spoke but her words fell on deaf ears as Arnold pulled her out of the room. They ran up several flights of winding stairs until eventually making it on to a roof where a helicopter awaited them.
"Get on." Arnold insisted as he held the door open. She glanced inside to see a few more army men and a pilot waiting for her.
Looking between her love and the getaway vehicle, Helga felt conflicted. I can't leave Brainy to rot down there by himself! Who knows what could happen to him! She thought sorrowfully. It was all her fault he was there, and she could feel it in her bones. If she left now, what sort of monster was she?
"Helga, we don't have much time." Arnold pleaded, "You have to get on. Now!"
She could hear footsteps getting louder and louder behind her as well as shadows in the doorway. There was no choice now. Regretfully, she listened to her partner and jumped in the helicopter. The doors shut tight and soon they were levitating to whatever destination awaited them.
Arnold held her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. "I knew you'd make the right decision…" He whispered in her ear but it only made the rock in her stomach become heavier. Was leaving him to die really the right decision?
The helicopter was flying towards the sun and its rays blinded Helga. Squinting and doing her best to shield her eyes from the light, she looked over at the pilot. "Geez bub, what are you trying to do? Blind me?" She hissed in his direction. The unknown person ignored her and continued to fly closer and closer in that direction, causing her to close her eyes in pain.
"Are you okay, Helga?" Arnold asked lovingly in her ear.
She wanted to respond but her head was beginning to pound from the headache.
"Helga?" He asked again, a little louder.
"Helga?"
Snapping back awake, Helga noticed she had fallen asleep in class. The classroom light had already been turned back on, causing her headache to shoot into the back of her eyes. "Ugh!" She hissed and covered her face with the crease of her forearm, "What?!"
"Someone clearly didn't get enough sleep last night." Rhonda commented. "School is hardly the place for it. You're lucky that Arnold woke you up before Mr. Simmons comes back."
Helga could feel her eyes were adjusting to the room and looked up to see Arnold standing next to her with his hand on the back of her seat. The sight of him gave her mixed emotions but she knew what she had to do.
"Lucky? Yeah, right." She blurted out. "Who on earth would be lucky to get woken up by a Football head! Now I'll have nightmares for weeks." Her words caused the boy to scowl and make his way back to his seat. Helga immediately hated herself for it but it was really the only save she had.
Rhonda rolled her eyes and looked down at the moist notebook. "The least you could do is not drool all over your notebook. Disgusting!" She shouted, causing the students to comment to each other.
Helga ripped the wet page out of her notebook, crumpled it up and threw it at the girl, causing her to shriek and the class to laugh. "I think that's the biggest spitball I've ever thrown. You should feel honored, Rhonda."
"Ugh!" Rhonda wiggled away from the ball of paper until it hit the floor. She kicked it and glared at her aggressor. "What is wrong with you?!"
"What? I can't exactly throw them at that geek anymore so I guess you're my next best target." Helga smirked. It was after those words that Mr. Simmons entered the room once again and began handing out the copied pieces of papers to each of the students. Rhonda continued to glare at Helga angrily but didn't say a word.
The bell rang loudly, indicating it was finally time for lunch. All the kids picked up their various belongings and started to head out the door.
"Phoebe, you got a minute?" Helga said, catching her best friends arm as she was about to pass her. She watched as Phoebe made a face at Gerald before he and Arnold left the room.
"Of course, Helga." Phoebe smiled down at her friend who was still sitting in her seat. "What's wrong?"
With a large huff, Helga opened up her notebook and showed her the picture she had drawn. "It's his birthday soon and I have absolutely no idea what to get him!" She shouted in frustration.
Phoebe gave her best friend a quizzical look. "You would be much more of an expert on that then I would." She explained. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't thought of this sooner. Isn't the date rather close?"
"It's next week…" The blonde girl grumbled as she slammed her notebook shut, crammed it back into her backpack and flung it onto her desk.
Stepping to the side to allow her friend some room, Phoebe frowned. "I see. That only gives you a few more days to plan. Have you not thought of anything?"
"No!" Helga shouted as she stood up and threw the backpack over her shoulder. "Not a damn thing! It's not like I have the money I used to where I could just throw it at some expensive and flashy gift and call it a day!" She walked out of the classroom and into the hallway with her friend in tow. "I need something inexpensive that really shows the twerp how much I care!"
"You could always make him something?" Phoebe suggested thoughtfully. "Something handmade generally shows its giftee that you really took the time to create it. Its genuine and can easily be inexpensive."
Helga scowled. "What? Like a macaroni picture, Pheebs? Get real!"
"I'm being quite real, Helga. It doesn't have to be something related to arts and crafts. It could be a poem or you could even draw him a picture." The small girl explained, "The picture you showed me, although a sketch, is easily something better drawn than most kids in our class."
The suggestion wasn't a bad one, however it made Helga cringe. "That seems too mushy."
They made their way to the lunch room and stood in the hot meal line. The subject now had to be more classified. "Somehow I feel Ice cream wouldn't mind something mushy or sentimental." Phoebe continued. "He might be more flattered than you think."
"It's not about him being flattered!" Helga growled impatiently, causing and awkward stare from her companion. "Well… I mean, it is but I just don't think I could handle something like that yet! I need something that says how I feel without it literally saying how I feel!" She thought back to her Christmas gift to him a few years back. It was from the heart. It was sentimental. It costed her no money at all, just a sacrifice she really didn't want to make but had to in light of the situation. If only something like that could happen again where he said what he wanted out loud and in front of her.
Phoebe placed her hand on Helga's arm and smiled. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Helga. Just be patient."
"Patient? Phoebe, I don't have TIME to be patient!" Helga bellowed, causing a few kids in the line to look over at her. "It's only a few days away!"
Furrowing her brow, Phoebe contemplated the subject even harder but came up with nothing. "Why not ask him what he wants? After all, you're at the ice cream shop daily."
Helga wanted to shush her best friend so badly but knew there was no use. It wasn't like the ears around them had any idea what or who ice cream was, nor did they know where she was currently staying. "I can't just ask him what he wants!" Helga replied in a hushed but serious tone. "It ruins all feeling behind something well thought out."
"Well, unfortunately you've had all the time in the world to have thought it out." The smart girl frowned. Her words seemed insensitive and she hated seeing Helga in such a tough spot, however there wasn't much she could do to help. "Desperate times call for desperate measures and it seems to me that you're at the point of desperation."
The truth caused Helga to sigh. She thought of the little bit of cash her mother had given her. It wasn't much but it was all she had to work with. "Wanna come search around town with me after school? I could use a second pair of eyes."
"As much as I'd love that Helga… I already have plans, but I'll be free tomorrow after school." Phoebe said, regretfully as she placed a fruit cup on her tray. The small girl grabbed her hot lunch off the line and followed Helga to a nearby table. She watched as her disgruntled friend opened up her bagged lunch and set out an array of food in front of her. It made her feel good to know that Helga was finally eating a normal lunch daily and couldn't help but smile.
Helga looked up at her friend and cocked her eyebrow. "So, what are these plans of yours?" She asked as she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "You never have plans."
Phoebe pushed her food around with her fork and avoided Helga's gaze. The thought wasn't a really pleasant one but it was something rather inevitable. "Mother is having me see a new doctor considering my… development." She said meekly.
Propping her elbow on the edge of the table, Helga rested her head in her hand and continued to eat her sandwich. "Crotch doctor, eh?" She asked simply and watched with amusement as her best friend became startled. "It'll be no sweat, Pheebs. I went with Miriam once because she 'didn't want to leave me home alone' and they mostly just asked her a bunch of routine questions."
The expression on Phoebe's face soon changed into a calmer one and she decided to finally take a bite of her food.
"Well, that was until they made me leave the room so they could do the exam." Helga smirked as she watched her friend's expression changed to one that had her on the verge of choking.
"E-exam?" Phoebe managed to say after a forced swallow. She straightened her back up in order to gain more confidence. "What sort of exam?"
With a shrug, Helga took another bite of her food and waved her sandwich around casually. "I dunno but they threw a robe at her and told her to get undressed. Probably had to do with the object in question."
Phoebe's face burned a dark red and she hid it in her hands. "Mother didn't tell me any of this."
"Probably didn't wanna scare you." Helga shrugged. She could see how outwardly uncomfortable the girl was getting and decided to ease her pain a little. "But like I said, Pheebs. It will be no sweat. Not a big deal. She came out of it fine and life went on." Helga chuckled a little to try an minimize the awkwardness around their table. "Olga probably went too after getting her monthly visits from Aunt Flo."
"That's… not really helping, Helga." Phoebe managed out from behind her palms.
With another shrug, Helga put down her sandwich and opened up a plastic water bottle. After a few gulps, she put it down and decided to change the subject. "Planning on going to Rhonda's party?"
"I was considering it." Phoebe sighed, trying to regain her composure. "The all-girls party sounds like it could be rather pleasant. It's been quite a while since all of us have gotten together to do anything. Her costume party's every year are also very fun. I'm sure this year will be no different." She thought about her words carefully and looked over at her blonde friend who looked uninterested. It was obvious why she didn't want to go. Without a doubt, Rhonda had planned on them doing all sort of standard female activities and that wasn't exactly Helga's forte. "How about you?"
Helga picked up a piece of bread crust that had fallen and rolled it back and forth between her thumb and index finger. "Probably not. First of all, it's not like I have a costume nor the money to get one. What am I going to do? Show up as myself? And second of all, I'll be damned if I have to be stuck in a room with little Miss prissy pants while she gossips about the school and paints her toenails."
Taking another bite of her food, Phoebe chewed it and the information given slowly. "You could always make your own costume." She suggested, knowing a quick rejection was coming.
"Yeah, right." Helga scoffed, "I don't exactly have materials just lying around to play with and I'd rather shut my foot in a door than ask Arnold's family for help. I don't need any more handouts." Her voice was melancholic and her face sullen. It was just another jab at her current reality that she really didn't have anything anymore. "Besides, I've already decided that the little bit of money Miriam gave me is going to be used on Arnold's birthday present. He deserves it more than I do."
"At the very least, I would enjoy it if you attended her all-girls party with me." Phoebe said to break the tension. "As much as I enjoy the other girls that will be attending, I would enjoy it much more if I had my best friend with me." She noticed Helga slight smile and decided to continue. "And to stop me before I do anything stupid like smear guacamole on my face."
Helga gave Phoebe a hard stare before finally giving up. "Fine. I'll go." She sighed. "I won't like it, but I'll go." When she saw her companions face light up with a grin, she felt a little bit better and finished her water. "But if things get weird, I'm out of there. Got it?"
"Got it." Phoebe nodded and gave a thumbs up.
Arnold knew Gerald was talking to him. His mouth was moving and he knew that there definitely was words but for some reason, Arnold was retaining any of it. His eyes were fixated on the quiet intellectual a few tables down. He was sitting with Curly and Park who seemed to be in a heated conversation about something, but of course, not partaking at all. He thought back to the emails and it made his blood boil for some reason. Was it the possibility that Brainy was a threat? And what sort of threat was that, exactly? Arnold mulled through the reality that this quiet and odd kid seemed to know more about Helga than he did. He seemed to care about her a lot and for how long? He wasn't sure. Arnold was aware first handed how he was able to surf through computer programs with ease, but to the extent of hacking into a company's data base and freezing and account? Wiping it clean? Where was his limits and were there no boundaries that he wouldn't cross?
Gerald stopped talking when he realized that his companion was off in another world. He called out to him a few times but when he realized that it wasn't going to be enough, Gerald lightly punched him in the shoulder, causing Arnold to recoil and look his way in surprise.
"Sorry man, but you wouldn't come back down to earth." Gerald explained with a shrug. "Just what's got your attention this time?"
Arnold avoided the real topic just like he was instructed to and thought of something else. "Huh, oh just a dream I had last night." He deflected. "It was just pretty weird. Everyone was turned into random animals and we all had to try and work together to find the spell to turn us back." Truthfully, that wasn't the dream he has last night but it was the most interesting one he would admit to having all year.
"Uh huh." Gerald replied with a raise of his eyebrow. "You don't say." He looked at Arnold curiously and searched this face of any hidden secrets but decided to concede. "What animal was I?"
Going back to the dream, Arnold thought a while to try and recall but realized he honestly didn't remember. "I'm not really sure anymore." The blond boy scratched his head and giggled awkwardly. "I'm pretty sure it was pretty cool though."
"And what were you?" Gerald asked plainly, now definitely sure that Arnold was hiding something. He was far from the best liar.
"Uhh…" Arnold thought nervously. "I was some sort of dog. I was brown and I don't think I had a tail." That part was the truth as far as he could remember.
Looking his friend up and down, Gerald could feel himself becoming aggravated with this charade. Why was Arnold always trying to hide things from him now? He considered the possibility of it having to do with his new house mate, or his parents but normally if something was really bothering him, Arnold would have no problem in confiding in him so was wrong now?
He remembered Arnold's plan to hang out with Brainy the day prior and decided to touch on that instead. "So, what did you and Brainy do yesterday?" He asked casually to steer the conversation in a different direction. Gerald took a bite of his food and when he noticed that his friend wasn't answering, looked up again to notice that Arnold's face went pale. "What? It couldn't have been that bad." But when Arnold's face didn't change, Gerald felt suspicious. "Could it?"
With a shake of his head, Arnold focused on taking a few more bites of his own food before finally answering. "It went okay." He could tell his friend's eyes were on him but he didn't dare look at him. "We went to his house and it was normal. His room was really plain but he had a pretty nice computer."
"A nice computer?" Gerald asked, skeptically.
"Yeah." The boy confirmed with a nod, but still refrained from facing his friend. "I could tell it had to have been really expensive." Arnold pictured the boy's room in his mind. "It was really weird that he had no pictures or posters on his wall. Everything was very… plain."
"Plain?" Gerald started to take interest but at the same time, it seemed like the room reflected its owner. "Well, what did you expect? The kid is kind of plain."
"He showed me some pretty cool things he could do on his computer though." Arnold knew he was going into dangerous territory so he proceeded with caution and only would divulge the needed details. "He can even make games. He showed me some."
As much as Gerald was slightly interested in Brainy's one hobby, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Alright, anything else happen?" He pushed, hoping to get something more out of his hesitant friend.
With a few more moments of silence, Arnold shook his head. "Not really. I mostly just sat there awkwardly while he showed me things then I left."
"Whatever you say man. So long as you got that thing out of your system." Gerald sighed before finishing his last few bites of lunch. He knew that he sounded sort of cruel but at the same time, the boy in question just gave him a bad feeling. "I mean, I have nothing against the kid, as you know, but sometimes…" Gerald looked over at Brainy. He watched as Brainy took a few bites of his food and smiled absentmindedly as Curly started to howl like a wolf with one foot on his seat. "You ever look at someone and just wonder what goes through their heads? When it comes to his case, Arnold… I honestly think the answer is nothing. Nothing goes through that kid's head. It's just an empty breeze."
Arnold looked in the same direction as his friend and understood what he meant, even if he did have the inside scoop of it all. You would never in a million years think that silent vague boy was capable of taking away the Pataki's insurance away with a click of his mouse. "I know what you mean, Gerald." Arnold said as he continued to stare, silently holding back his feelings on the matter. "But sometimes… it's the silent type that you've gotta look out for."
With a loud laugh, Gerald looked over at his friend in surprise. "You've been hanging out with Helga too long man. She's warped your brain."
"I'm serious!" Arnold looked over at Gerald with desperation in his eyes. "Curly was a quiet kid before he held himself captive inside Principal Wartz's office. Now look at him."
They both looked back over at the table. Curly was making goo-goo eyes at Rhonda from afar who was clearly ignoring him. After a few seconds of not getting through, they saw him whisper something in Park's ear before strutting up to her table. He made some sort of gesture that made her scream, pick up her empty lunch tray and threaten to throw it at him.
"It's hard to believe that, that kid used to be quiet." Gerald nodded in agreement as he watched Rhonda chase the kid out of the lunch room; Curly cackling loudly as he ran.
"I wonder what he said." Arnold packed up the rest of his trash and got it ready to be thrown out.
"Really?" Gerald looked over at him dully.
"Actually…" Thinking about it, Arnold shook his head. "Not really."
The two gathered up all their trash and headed for the garbage cans, each with their own curious thoughts thoughts.