Chapter 15: Let's See How This Goes

Helga's House

Helga was on her way out the door with her book bag and money in her pocket for lunch. Before she could head out the door, she heard…

"Hold on baby sister!"

The annoyed pre-teen clenched her fists while keeping her back turned to her older sibling.

Olga then walked up to her younger sister to hand her her lunchbox. "Don't forget this, silly!"

Looking at the lunchbox, Helga replied "Thanks but, I've got money in my pocket for lunch. See ya."

Bob was walking down the stairs to make himself some coffee when he couldn't help overhearing the conversation. "Oh no you don't! That cafeteria food's what got us into this mess into the first place! You'll take what your sister made you and eat it!"

Helga snarled at the command, grabbed her lunchbox and snapped "Fine!"

Outside

Too annoyed to be surprised by Arnold's appearance, she came stomping down the porch steps to hear him ask "So, how'd the rest of your night go?"

Helga held an annoyed finger to her lip as she responded to that question. "Well that's see. Not long after you left, my sister decided the best way to help with my homework would be to suggest adding a salad to it."

"Then once I decided I should try filling my stomach, I came downstairs to find Bob ready to chew my head off about the mess my condition has gotten the entire family into. If something like this happened to Olga, they'd be doing nothing but showering her with sympathy and loving affections. But no, it was ME this just had to happen to!"

A sympathetic look formed on Arnold's face as he picked up her hand and said "I know he doesn't do the best job of showing it, but your dad does care about you. He wouldn't work as hard as he does to support the family if he didn't."

As the two were walking down the street to get to school, Helga couldn't help but stop to point out something to him "Arnold, he'd still be doing that whether or not the family included ME!"

"Think about the times he's shown his concern for you though, Helga?"

The frustrated girl crossed her arms, as she smirked "Oh yeah, gimme what ya got."

"Well, he tried stopping the bulldozer when he saw you were in Might Pete with us. Then there was the time the whole family was concerned you disappeared on Thanksgiving. On Halloween, the only thing that scared him more than being attacked by aliens, was that his own daughter was who he almost killed. I saw him when we did the school play…"

Helga stopped him right there before she could blush too hard and said "Alright, alright, you made your point. Sheesh!"

P.S.118

When was approaching Mr. Simmons desk with the finished homework she and Arnold had been helping her with through recovery.

"I'm pleased to inform you Helga should be returning today Mr. Simmons."

"Oh that's wonderful! You hear that class! I'm sure all your cards and warm thoughts about her had something to help her recovery as well" the emotional teacher assured them.

"I told you guys those cards were a bad idea!" Harold pouted, while the rest of the class couldn't help but chuckle.

Still being upset with him, Mr. Simmons replied "I wasn't planning on doing this Harold, but I want you to read your poem out loud in class."

Sid and Stinky began to laugh at their classmate's inconvenience as they listened to the teacher add…

"Not only that, I want you to skip recess and redo your poem. Make it about Helga, and how she's the one to inspire you!"

While the teacher couldn't have been more content with his idea, the boys looked over at their overwhelmed classmate.

"Boy howdy! Look at the mess you got yourself into AGAIN Harold!" Sid couldn't help but point out.

"Yeah. To think if you'd just kept your mouth shut, none of this would of ever happened to ya." Stinky smiled at the simple thought.

"Shut up before I pound ya!' the angry boy threatened.

Mr. Simmons was going through his lesson plan for the day. Rather than paying attention to the students' conversation, Gerald turned to Phoebe and asked "By the way, where are Arnold and Pataki?"

"Although Helga would normally escape her home as quickly as she could, I don't think she was in any rush to get the class' opinion on her condition." Phoebe explained.

Gerald lifted an eyebrow wondering "How does she know anyone knows what she was out for?"

Not normally being one to pass out personal information, Phoebe admitted "Well, I'm afraid her family isn't the best at keeping personal problems to themselves. It was only a matter of time before the class found out what the purpose of the cards was for."

Just as Gerald was about to give his response, the two missing students walked in. Arnold and Helga took their seats beside their best friends.

Mr. Simmons noticed his missing student and said "Wonderful to have you back Helga!"

Tapping her fingers against the desk, with her head propped in her hand, she sighed "Yep. It's great to be back."

Although she wasn't ecstatic, a part of her was happy to be away from her family.

"I'm happy to tell you, Harold has a special surprise planned for you after recess!" Mr. Simmons admitted.

Helga cocked her brow as the rest of the class chuckled. Looking back at the boy with his arms crossed and a grumpy facial expression, she knew it couldn't have been his idea.

Cafeteria

Arnold and his friends were sitting at their usual table when he couldn't help but notice something. "There's your lunchbox Helga?"

"Pttss… you seriously think I'm eating that salad Olga made me? Get real football head."

Arnold rolled his eyes at her lack of interest in changing her diet and replied, if you're not going to take this seriously, I'll just have to do it for you."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Helga stood with her hands on her hips, not liking the idea of people telling her what to do.

"I'll be back with your lunch. You better not try anything funny!"

Helga stood with a blank stare on her face, thinking to herself…

Since when does he speak to me (or anyone) like that?

After watching the performance, Gerald shook his head and said "Mm…mm…mmm. Looks like you maybe rubbing off on him, Pataki."

Helga then crossed her arms as the took a seat and replied "Oh, what do you know, Geraldo."

Watching her friend sit there unhappily, Phoebe explained "Although I know this isn't fun for you Helga, Arnold's merely trying to help. If you can force yourself to follow through on your doctor's requirements for just one year, things should go back to normal. That is, if you're willing to keep a balanced diet afterwards."

"Oh criminy!" Helga smacked her face, not liking the idea of it. While there was hope this wouldn't last forever, that didn't mean she would ever be able to go back to her regular way of eating.

The sweet boy then returned with a plate of food similar to what Sheena had shown her. "How about I do this with you?"

Helga sat with a blank stare on her face, thinking to herself…

Oh my beloved! So kind and supportive. Always looking out for those in their most difficult situations…

The frustrated girl then shook her head and sneered, "It's your funeral."

While Arnold didn't have a problem with it, Gerald couldn't help but add "You're a bold kid Arnold."