Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
A Broken Heart
Chapter 96: What Have I Done?
Helga ran out of the alley, like she was running for her life.
Her nose was still bleeding and throbbing in pain but she ignored it.
She also ignored Arnold and Drake calling out to her, and ran as fast as she could. She just had to get away from the crazy, chaotic scene and the two boys who did nothing but confuse her.
She managed to sneak away by running into another alley, climbing up the fire escape, and making it to the rooftop, using all her sneaking skills that she acquired over the years.
It worked, as she managed to shake them off, and both boys kept calling out to her.
"Helga! Come back! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!..."Drake desperately called out.
"Helga, I'm sorry! Where are you?!..." Arnold's voice was heard.
Helga remained on the rooftop, being silent until they left. She stood there, panting heavily, her face contorted with horror and guilt, but she remained silent the entire time.
Her emotions were a tangled mess as she hid on the roof top. More so than usual.
Once their voices faded and she could no longer hear them, she allowed herself to do something she didn't want to do.
She cried.
The blonde girl held her bloody nose, and cried...not out of pain but out of misery and guilt.
"Criminy...why am I such a idiot in these moments?!..." She cried, tears streaming down her cheek.
The blonde girl's tears blurred her vision as she tried to make sense of what had just happened a while ago.
Arnold kissed her out of the blue, Drake attacked Arnold...both boys were fighting and she had to break up their fight...and she unintentionally bore the brunt of their punches as she tried to intervene.
"Why is this happening now, of all times?..." She thought, in turmoil.
Her thoughts were rushing at more than a 100 miles per hour as emotions flared like wild fire. Panic would have settled, but there too much to process for that to kick in. Her heart ached, not from the physical pain but from the deep emotional wounds inflicted by Arnold's sudden kiss and the boys' fight, as well as her complex feelings for both Arnold and Drake.
She had thought she was over Arnold and had moved on from her unrequited love...but if so, why did she allow herself to be kissed by him, even for a moment before she pushed him off?
Why? Why did, for that moment...she LIKED that kiss?!
None of it makes any sense!
She was SUPPOSED to move on already and have a happy life with Drake!
Why did this happen?! Why was Arnold now kissing her out of the blue after seemingly moving on?!
Confusion swirled in her mind as she replayed the events in her head, the emotions, the angry words, and the physical blows from that fight.
A fight she never expected nor wanted to happen.
"Just what is happening right now?..." She thought, gripping her head.
Why had her old love, Arnold, kissed her and so suddenly? And why did Drake have to see it and start a fight?
Now both boys are on the war path for each other and Drake probably thinks she is a cheater now.
Something she NEVER wanted to be. Ever.
The blonde girl lied on her back, wondering why cruel fate always jolted her like this.
A hand was on her chest, unaware that the entire time, she STILL had her locket in her hand, gripping it, squeezing it with infuriated vigor.
A locket belonging to someone who has just ruined her love life without meaning to.
Meanwhile
Phoebe was not feeling good right now.
She was worried about her best friend, Helga.
She hasn't heard from her in hours and worry was getting the best of her. She had been hoping that after her one month anniversary with Drake, thongs would be looking up but now it seemed a wrench was thrown into her friend's life again.
"I hope that nothing bad comes of this..." She thought, as she looked to the sky.
She tried reading on a park bench to ease her mind, but it did little to help. Now she was more anxious than before.
However, as she passed an alley, she could hear muffled crying.
"Huh?..." Phoebe said, investigating the noise.
Despite all precautions about wandering into alleys alone, she ventured forth, homing in the noise before looking up to pinpoint its location.
Phoebe climbed up the fire escape and soon found one of the worst outcomes she could think of.
It was Helga, crying and with a bloody nose as she laid down, staring at the sky.
"HELGA?!..." Phoebe exclaimed.
Helga saw her and bolted up, turning away to keep her sovenly appearance from being seen.
"P-Phoebe?! Uh...I...what are you doing here?..." Helga asked, trying to hide her tears and put up a tough front.
Phoebe didn't even bothered to be stoic to logical as she rushed to her in concern.
"Helga, what happened to you?!..." Phoebe asked, her concern evident as she saw her physical state and the distress in her eyes.
Helga was always one for keeping up a brave facade, but after everything that had happened, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Cracking like a dam, the tears flowed out like waterfalls as she buried her face into her friend.
"My life is turning upside-down again, that's what!..." Helga said, as she collapsed in exhaustion right there.
She was experiencing such emotional turmoil that one could compare it to the aftermath of a tornado at a trailer park.
Phoebe petted Helga's head, offering her comfort and security as she leaned in.
"Helga, I'm here for you. I always am. Just tell me what happened..." Phoebe pleaded, worried about her.
Through choked sobs, Helga confessed everything that had happened today to her best friend, no longer clinging to any hostile tough girl act.
Right now, she is too broken for such an act.
"It started when football head kissed me..."Helga confessed, explaining in detail the fight between Drake and Arnold...and how she tried to break it up and got hurt in the process.
Phoebe listened closely, her face filled with sympathy towards her best friend.
"Oh my goodness, Helga. I can't believe that ..." Phoebe was in shock, only able to comment at such a surprising outcome.
"Your telling me?! Criminy, Phoebe! It's like I got out of the oven, only to be friee in oil or something! And life's trying to make me into a sandwich!..." Helga said, increasingly sobbing with every word and not even caring how random her metaphor is right now.
"There. There. I'm here..." Pheoebe never stopped soothing her friend, nor would she move an inch as Helga gripped her shirt.
Helga couldn't stand this.
All of her progress, her hardships, and her new found happiness...all of it was shattered by that sudden clash between two boys who pulled at her heart.
And she herself was hurt by said crash.
She wondered whether she had made the right choice in moving on from Arnold and starting things with Drake so soon?
Did she rush into things because of her broken heart?
In her heart, she longed for healing and sympathy between her and another. She wanted a normal, healthy relationship. Something she could not find at home.
She just wanted love.
She just wanted to be...happy.
"I just don't understand why it happened. It's all so messed up. I thought things were looking up, but-but..."..."Helga said, as her friend squeezed her shoulder in comfort.
Phoebe was silent, giving only her willing attention as she held onto her friend.
"I just don't know where I am anymore with this...romance...this...I don't know..." Helga said, more tears falling from her eyes.
Phoebe saw this and felt her own heart breaking. She couldn't stand seeing her best friend like this.
"Helga, listen to me. This is NOT your fault. This was never your fault, and you know it..." Phoebe said, holding on tighter.
"Thanks, Phoebe..."Helga said.
"Helga, your nose..." Phoebe said, pointing at it.
Helga touched her bloody nose delicately, wincing at the pain, but the physical ache was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil that was tearing her apart.
"Oh...uh...yeah...I forgot about this..." Helga said, wiping the blood away with one hand.
"Here, let me help..." Phoebe said, as she pulled out a handkerchief and helped her friend with her nosebleed.
Dabbing at the broken nose, the bespectacled girl felt her grip tighten. On the inside, Phoebe felt her own anger rise as she cleaned off the stained blood.
She was angry at Drake for hitting Helga, even if it was an accident...and Arnold's actions were worse.
"This is unforgivable. Those two are not walking away from this!..." Phoebe thought in anger as she continued to comfort her best friend.
All the while, she continued to clean and address this mess caused by Arnold and Drake's course of action.
The only mess she couldn't help clean was the pain in Helga's heart, something only Helga herself can clean up.
When she was able to, of course.
Elsewhere
Drake was a complete mess.
Guilt weighed down like an anvil he carried on his back, growing heavier with every step.
"Helga, come on babe. I'm sorry. I didn't-I would NEVER hurt you!..." Drake called out, tears forming in his eyes.
But his words only echoed in the alleyways as he ran though them like a lab rat. Lost confused, angry, sad, and everything else his mind and heart had chained to him.
Helga had run off and he lost track of her. Now, he is alone and feels a sense of dread that cuts deeper than any bruises.
The worst part was how he could do nothing to soothe the pain, only able to shallow in his misery. This lit a spark, firing up his blood.
It wasn't directed at someone else, but towards himself. His uncontrollable anger came out in the worst possible way...and he hurt the girl whom he loved.
"What have I done?!..." He whispered, whispered, his eyes filling with regret.
He was feeling pain and shame deep inside him. A pain and shame he has not felt since he hurt Gwen all those years ago.
Now, he hurt Helga and all he could do was chase shadows in the alleys.
"Where are you, Helga?..." He whispered, hating himself.
He fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of his actions eating him alive.
He could barely stand anymore, opting to leave. He knew Helga was safe; she was a tough girl, and he needed some time to help with the pain.
Drake stormed into his home, his face a contorted mix of anger, shame and regret.
He ignored his mother as he ran to his room and locked the door.
"Why do thing happen like this?..." He said as he covered his face with his hands.
He hadn't meant for things to end up the way that they did, but his anger had clouded his judgment, leading to a fight that now gave his girlfriend a bloody nose.
Worse, he hurt the only girl he ever truly loved.
He looked at hjs hands, he recalled the sight of Helga on the ground, her bloody noses, and recalled his role in that event.
He snarled as his hands curled into fists, punching his pillow with fury.
"UGH!..." Drake shouted as he grabbed his lamp and flung it against the wall, breaking it.
This noise was worrisome, alerting him to a knock on the door as his mother could be heard on the other side.
"Drake, what's wrong? Open the door. Mijo, you are scaring me. Please, open the door and talk to me. What happened?..." His mother said, as she kept knocking on the other side.
Drake felt awful for making her worry and did not want to hurt anyone else. Reluctantly, the door and let his mother inside. Once he did, his mother embraced him in a hug.
"Drake, my son...what happened?!..." Carmen asked as her son breathed heavily.
Drake broke his anger as sorrow took over. He couldn't hide it any longer; he needed to tell her the truth.
"The mad dragon strikes again..." He said bitterly, tears now rolling down his face.
Tears welled up in Drake's eyes as he kept on explaining what happened. Drake confessed everything to his mother, from seeing Arnold kiss Helga to the fight that ended with Helga on the floor with a bloody nose.
Without saying another, he hugged his mother tightly. She didn't say or do anything to stop him, just patting him on the back to soothe him.
Once he was done, he pulled back. Tears stopped for now as he was able to speak.
"Mom, I don't know what came over me. I saw that jerk Arnold macking on her...and I don't think she was consenting to it...and...I saw red...I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't even realize she was trying to break up our fight..." Drake said, wiping his nose.
His mother heard all of this, forming her opinions on her face. Her expression shifted from shock to disappointment...as well as sympathy and motherly affection.
"Mijo..."
"She got hurt...I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear..." Drake said, his voice quivering with guilt and regret.
"I know, mijo. You would never do that on purpose..." Carmen said, as she held her son in her arms.
"I messed up. I didn't mean for it to happen. I was just so angry...and...I lost control..." He said, keeping his voice low.
"You did. I'm disappointed in your actions, but I also know that you're struggling with what you've done. That boy should not have done what he did either..." Carmen said as she held her son.
"I should go pay him a visit and-..."
"You will do no such thing. You do that in front of his parents, they'll talk and it'll just be what happened all over again..." Carmen stated.
Drake remained silent.
He lost control of his anger, let it blind him and now something terrible happened. Helga got hurt and it was all his fault.
"No...I'm not the only one to blame here...that Arnold...he needs to pay for what he's done..." He thought, his anger and hatred festering inside of him as he chose not to voice his thoughts.
"Let me get the first aid kit, to check and see if you are alright..." Carmen said.
As his mother left to go get it, Drake resolved to fix this mess somehow.
He got up and went to his room to make a call. He had to find Helga and make things right, as well as get even with Arnold.
He had to find her, make sure she is okay and apologize, hoping to save their relationship before it becomes irreparable.
Thanks to Shortman.
Meanwhile
Arnold had been walking aimlessly through the block, trying to find Helga.
However, he had no luck, almost as if she were avoiding him.
"Helga, where are you? I need to speak with you...I'm...I'm sorry..." He said as he kept searching.
With each passing second, he got more silence.
Arnold felt anger directed at himself. He let his jealousy get the best of him. And now, because of him, something awful happened.
Helga had gotten hurt and it was all his fault.
"I can't believe I did that... I'm so stupid!..." Arnold said, tears falling from his eyes.
The sight of Helga crying as she ran away stuck in his mind.
He rushed into the boarding house, ignoring his family and the boarders until he hid in the safety of his bedroom.
Once there, he leaned on the closed door. Tears fell down his face as the last events ran through his young mind.
"I messed up, big time. I hurt her..." He said, guilt weighing him down like an anchor in water.
He couldn't believe what had happened, that he caused someone pain. That he kissed Helga out of nowhere...in front of her boyfriend, for getting into a fight with him and over her...and she got hurt trying to break it up.
He had never felt so overwhelmed by guilt and regret. It was crushing him like stepping on a worm.
"I can't believe I let myself do that..." He said as he had his face in his hands.
This was so out of character for him. Even he himself would never think was capable of this.
With his eyes closed, he let what happened repeat in his head. He recounted the events of the day, the jealousy, the anger, the pain and trouble that he caused Helga. And the sight of her running away replayed the most.
He ignored his parents and grandparents attempts to talk to him. He couldn't bear talking to anyone right now, not after what he did.
"I mess up. I gotta fix this somehow and make things right with Helga..." He vowed.
With that thought in his head, Arnold got up and wiped his eyes clean. He had to find Helga and make things right, as well as apologize to Drake.
His foolish actions had caused her trouble, stress, and now physical injury.
He had to find her, make sure she is okay and apologize, hoping to save their relationship, whatever it is, before its too late.
With a breath, he got up, opened his door, and headed out.
"I can't ignore this. I gotta find Helga and apologize to her...even if it means apologize to Drake..." He said as he had a difficult task ahead but he had to make that happened...and swallow his pride.
First thing was first, he has to find her...and he had to be quick.
He was determined to do so. Little did he know, he wasn't the only one finding her.
Later
At Phoebe house
Phoebe brought Helga here to treat her nose, as well as give her someplace to be at peace.
Her parents were out right now, which gave the girls some privacy. Phoebe brought out the first aid kit and helped treat Helga's nose.
"Thanks, Phoebe..." Helga said with a smile after her nose stopped bleeding.
"Anytime..." Phoebe said as she left the room to give her peace.
As she left, Helga took a deep breath.
"I should stay here for now..." She said to herself.
Phoebe kept comforting her and Helga kept stewing in her turmoil.
"You can stay here as long ad you need to..."Phoebe said.
"Thanks, Pheebs..." Helga went, too emotionally drained to do anything right now.
As the blonde girl kept being comforted by her friend, Phoebe was still dealing with her own anger towards the two boys.
"I can't believe those two. Once Gerald hears this...oh...this will not go unpunished..." She thought, her own temper rising.
Helga, on the other hand, was still too emotionally weak to do anything else but hide here.
"I wonder how long I can stay here before Bob notices or Phoebe's folks think I am freeloading..." She thought, not wanting to leave.
She didn't want to leave, running the risk of running into those two
Her concerns were not invalid as they were looking for her. They knew one place she'd be and were on their way there, or here, right now.
Outside
Arnold walked as fast as he could. He was trying to find Helga..
"I didn't see her in her dad's store, so she's probably somewhere else. She has to be with Phoebe..."He thought.
He went there, unaware that someone else was heading there.
As he kept running, he kept thinking over his apology over and over. He would do anything to earn her forgiveness.
"Please...let me find her and get her to forgive me..." He thought.
He soon arrived to the block where Phoebe's house is. He ran there. However, that's when he walked into someone.
"OOF!...!"
"OW!..."
"Oh, my bad!.."
"No, my fault..."
"Wait... that voice..."Both boys thought in unison.
Arnold looked up and soon saw that it was an angry looking Drake Sanchez, who was now glaring at him.
"YOU!?..."The boys argued in sync, as things got even worse now.
-To be continued-
Next time on A Broken Heart
Confrontations and Confessions
A/N(1): Special thanks to NeoMark, 61394 and BCW for their help. You guys are the best ;)
A/N(2): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(3): I wanted to apologize for not posting in a long time. I was dealing with writer's block, other fanfics and real life stuff. I hope that this chapter makes up for it and I will try and post the next one sooner.
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
Invader Johnny: Oh boy indeed.
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Metehor: Thank you :)
HumanDictionary: Yes, it is a drawing of Drake.
Esmeralda: How is this so far?
Schlummerpieps94: I will think about it.
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:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)