It seems like years since Helga has stepped foot into Dr. Bliss's office. The entire building is the same, cold yet comforting with the aroma of lilacs in the air. The receptionist at the front desk looks a teenager probably only a few years older than Helga, herself. The only reason that Helga is down here to begin with is because of Arnold. He wanted her to discuss her anger towards people with the same woman that had helped her throughout elementary and part of middle school. He remembered how it seemed like every time Helga had walked out of the office, she was like a new person. He wanted to help her find a way to stay like that. About a week ago, Helga and Rhonda had gotten into a yelling match in the school parking lot. Thanks to Arnold, Helga was able to stay calm and refrain from violence, thus ensuring that she would not be punished, unlike Rhonda who had gotten two days of detention for public disturbance. People in school started looking up to her as more of a hero than a bully. All Helga wanted to do was to keep that title and thanks to Arnold, she was able to. She was over ecstatic to have Arnold as a friend. He made it clear that they would never be anything more than friends, but knowing that he never gave up on her, just like she never gave up on him, made the whole thing worthwhile. A couple more days into school, Helga felt herself getting angry again, probably due to her home-life and a few other students who still made fun of her looks and old personality. When Arnold could see her struggling to keep herself under wraps, he knew that he had to do something. He told her that she needed to talk to someone. He would have offered himself, but he felt like that would have given the wrong message. Instead he directed her back to Dr. Bliss, and that is why she is standing at the receptionist's desk right now.
"Hello I was wondering if I could talk to Dr. Bliss?" Helga asks in her polite voice. The one people often use when talking to professors or their employers.
"Do you have an appointment?" The young girl behind the counter asks. She doesn't look up but instead stares at the computer. Helga leans in a bit to try and see the screen, suspecting the girl to be on some social networking site.
"No, but trust me, Dr. Bliss will be happy to talk to me." Helga ensures the girl. She leans in a bit more, almost falling over the counter. Aha. The girl is on twitter.
The girl clicks the red X at the top of the screen and actually looks at Helga. She sends her a coy smile and says, "I'm sorry, but Dr. Bliss doesn't take visitors unless they have appointments."
"Then can I make an appointment?" Helga asks hostilely.
"I'll have to check, but the computers are being slow today so it may be better if I just asked her later. Can I get back to you?"
"The computer is slow?" Helga yells. "Are you kidding me?! I just saw you tweeting about your job, but you are going to say that they aren't working?! Well I wonder why that would be! How about you go and get Dr. Bliss right now or I'll..."
"Helga?" Calls a friendly voice from the doorway to the offices. Helga sees Dr. Bliss and all of her anger disappears. She runs over and can't help but to give Dr. Bliss a hug. "Melanie, why didn't you tell me that Helga was here?"
"Because she didn't have an appointment." Melanie grumbles.
"Well, Helga is on an elite list. She doesn't need an appointment as long as I'm free." Dr. Bliss explains. She ushers Helga into a room a couple of doors down. "Sorry about Melanie. She isn't all that friendly with people sometimes, but she is my daughter. "
"Hey this is a new room." Helga says as she looks around. Although she is upset about the different view, she is content with the fact that the furniture is in identical places.
"We all felt like there needed to be a bit of change around her, we lost some people and gained some others, it was only natural that some of us can be upgraded. I feel like this room really does have a good energy surrounding it. Don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess." Helga says as she lies down in a chair.
"So, Helga, it's been a while." Dr. Bliss starts. Helga looks at her for the first real time in years. She sees the little gray hairs that seem to fall in between the dark brown color of her natural locks. "What's new? How's Arnold? Do you still like him?"
"Actually, yeah, I do. We're friends now. I had tried talking to him and telling him that I liked him, but that actually made it worse. Then I tried to talk some mean girl into helping me forget about him and that just made everything worse."
"Sounds like a lot has happened." Dr. Bliss says as she takes notes in a small pink notebook that she reserved just for her visits with Helga.
"But, then in the end, Arnold saved me. That's just what he does though, he helps everyone out. He was the one who encouraged me to come and see you again. He thinks that you have been a big help." Helga explains. She waits for a second. She doesn't hesitate for Dr. Bliss's sake as much as her own. "There was something that you told me in our first meeting that I don't agree with, and it's been bugging me a lot this past week."
"Oh? And what is that?"
"You said that although I shouldn't sock Brainy, it would be okay for me to boss around the other kids." Helga says as she sits up to look Dr. Bliss in they eye.
"Helga, I just didn't want you to completely change. I wanted you to know that it is okay to be you. If I had told you not to, then you might not have come back. Think of all the progress that we could have lost."
"Well yeah, but because I thought it would be okay to keep bossing people around, I lost a lot of friends. I actually made quite a few enemies."
"Helga, I'm sorry, I didn't know that all of this would've happened."
"No, it's okay Doc. I should've been the one to know better. Arnold has been bugging me about it for years" Helga lays back down and stares at the ceiling, tracing the pattern with her eyes.
"Sounds like this Arnold kid is a really good friend. I'd like to meet him sometime." Dr. Bliss adds.
"I just have one more question for the day."
"Yes, Helga. What is it?" Dr. Bliss says relieved of the subject change.
"Am I really that ugly?"
Dr. Bliss smiles and says, "Helga, you are one of the most beautiful young ladies to ever step foot into my office."