October 21st

"This school would be a much better place without Helga Pataki."

Unknown to the tall haired boy speaking to his best friend; that same Helga Pataki was standing behind the open door to a now empty classroom listening in on their conversation. Helga had been coming out of her last class for the day when she saw her beloved football head at his locker and overheard the two talking about her.

"Oh come on Gerald. She's not that bad." Arnold shoved his books into his locker and shook his head. "Yeah, she's annoying, and irritating at times, but she's also proven herself to be a good person."

"Yes, because spending all of elementary and middle school bullying people is the definition of a good person." Gerald rolled his eyes as Arnold zipped up his backpack and shut his locker.

"You know that's not what I mean."

"I know. I know! But come on man. We're in 8th grade now! She's still on this game. She picks on you the most. Wouldn't it be nice to just not have to deal with her for a day? No more spitballs, name calling, being pushed around."

Arnold thought it over. He felt wrong for it, but he had to admit, a little break from Helga sounded kinda nice. "I mean yeah. It would be nice not to deal with her everyday, bu-"

"No! No 'but's' Arnold! I know you see some type of mythical good in everyone, even Helga. But she makes your life miserable in school and outside! There's nothing wrong with admitting you'd be better off without her here." Before Arnold could argue anymore Sid ran up to the two boys.

"Hey guys! My mom says she's outside, and got us snacks to sneak into the movie." Sid then took off without waiting for a response from either of them. Both boys ran to catch up to him, the previous conversation suddenly forgotten.

Helga held her pink book close to her chest, fighting back tears. It was this moment, that was the final push to Helga running away.

--

It was 3:40pm when Phoebe saw Helga cleaning out her locker. School had ended 10 minutes ago and Phoebe had grown worried when Helga hadn't gotten on the bus and decided to look for her.

"Helga?" Phoebe slowed her pace as she walked up to her best friend. When Helga looked up Phoebe could see tear marks running down her face, but it looked as though she had fire in her eyes. "What's wrong? What are you doing?"

Helga hated lying to Phoebe, she knew her plans would hurt Phoebe the most, but she remembered what she heard Phoebe's lab partner say to her yesterday. "I don't see why you're friends with Helga. She's always pushing you around. You would be SO much better off without her." It was the same thing everyone had been telling Phoebe for years! She hated the thought of it, but if Helga was honest with herself, she knew it was true. So she lied. She lied, to the only person she's ever be completely honest with her whole life. Just another reason why Phoebe was better off without her.

Helga quickly wiped her eyes and tried to hide her locker the best she could. "Nothing Pheebs. My locker door isn't shutting, so they're moving me to a new locker." Helga tried her best to shrug it off.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you crying?"

Helga sighed and looked down. She wasn't going to give Phoebe the whole story, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to her about him. "I overheard ice cream talking about me."

"Oh." Phoebe wondered what could he have said that would have her best friend in tears? She couldn't imagine him saying anything bad about her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Helga shook her head. "Nah. If it's ok Phoebe I rather be alone right now."

"Sure Helga. If you need me though, call me ok?"

Helga nodded as she watched her best and only friend walk away.

--

When Helga got home the first thing she did was steal cash and credit cards from her mom's purse as she slept on the couch after drinking her famous smoothies. Then she went up to her room and changed her clothes. She threw on a pair of blue jeans, her favorite band t-shirt, and a pink hoodie. She left her bow laying on her bed. She didn't need it anymore. The less reminders of him, the better. She then emptied out her backpack, and threw in some clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, hair brush, deodorant, phone charger, and the new book she had been reading.

Once she had everything, she sat down at her desk and decided to write a letter to her parents. She knew they probably wouldn't find it. So she thought it best to tape it on the front of her bedroom door. She read it over and over again to herself, wondering if it was even enough. Finally she gathered her things and went down stairs into the family room to see Bob watching tv.

"Hey Bob? I'm going to hang out with Phoebe to do some homework."

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah. Whatever just be back home by 9. It's a school night." He didn't even spare her a glance.

Helga stared at him for a moment. Could he not see she was about to leave and not come back? She looked to the front door then back to him. If she was going to leave she might as well ask the question that's bothered her since last Saturday. "What would you do, if I went missing?"

"Huh?" This time he looked at her.

"What would you do if I went missing?"

"You're not going to go missing, Olga."

"Helga!"

"Right right! Helga. You won't go missing Helga." And with that he was back to watching tv. Helga didn't think her heart could break anymore than it already had, but seeing her father so clueless, so uncaring, and so close but yet so far away, it broke her heart even more.

Quietly she grabbed Bob's bus pass he left near the home phone. It was 5:13pm when Helga walked out the door.

--

Helga sat on the bus heading to Varadal, a city 5 hours away from Hillwood. She didn't really have plan. She figured she would just keep on taking the bus until she landed somewhere that felt like she belonged. She turned her phone off to not only save battery but to prevent it from pinging her location. She would only use it in case of emergencies.

As she watched the familiar buildings of HillWood pass by she wondered how long it would take for her parents to notice she was missing. Probably not until the school called to let them know of her absence. She wondered what their reactions would be? How would they feel about her letter? Would she even want them to find her? It's not like they truly cared about her anyway. It was always Olga who was their beloved daughter. It was better for everyone this way. Including herself. She could make a new name for herself. She could find people who truly loved her. There wasn't anything left for her in HillWood, and everyone here was better off without her.