AN: I was thinking of responding to all of you separately, but I write on a computer that doesn't have internet and I'm to lazy to go downstairs and check your names (sorry, I remember Bookworym though, who reviewed quite frequently thanks a lot!), but anyway you guys don't care bout that. Thanks for all the great reviews! It brings so much happiness to my little heart! You guys are a greatmotivation!
Ok first of all, yes, I know my spelling is terrible, but hey I learned English on TV so give me a break! It's already quite enough embarrassing as it is! But it's true that if I make an error a lot, telling me is quite handy for the future!
Second, I know that Helga is quite different from the usual bully we all love. But she's not like that for nothing, there's more to her behaviour then it seems.
Third, well I'm not going to tell you if Arnold and Helga end up together or not, otherwise no suspense! lol
Enjoy the new chapter:
Chap11: All the things she said
Arnold couldn't wait until the end of the day. Not that he didn't like Brainy or anything. But his dark, gloomy house was making him a bit uncomfortable as well as he's working partner silences and heavy breathing. They had been working on their project since the beginning of the afternoon. Arnold was quite pleased with their work, he was certain to get a high mark for it. But Brainy was troubling him. He was so discreet; Arnold could almost forget his presence. Brainy had grown a lot since the times of PS118. The 16 year old boy had become surely one of the tallest kids of school, always walking in a sort of bended manner, his head looking at his clown-like feet. He could have made the basketball team, but his clumsiness and asthmatic issues had held him back. His glassy eyes were underlined by dark rings giving him a ill appearance due to the fact that he also had amazingly pale skin. Arnold felt like he hadn't seen Brainy in a really long time, although he knew they crossed passes every day. He felt bad for not talking to him, for forgetting about him. All his old classmates from Mr Simon's class meant something to him, and he had tried his best to keep contact with them all, but Brainy had been the only exception. Arnold's friends called him dull, thought he had no interest at all. The teachers never called on someone like Brainy, someone invisible. Only he's breathing made his presence known once in a while. Arnold suddenly wandered what were Brainy's thoughts, hopes and dreams. He wandered what kind of music he listened to, what was his favourite TV shows and what food he ate.
"Brainy?"
The boy fixed his glare on Arnold.
"Shouldn't we take a break?"
Brainy seemed to hesitate, but finally slowly agreed with his head.
"So tell me….how have you been?" Arnold asked
Brainy only looked at him blankly.
"I mean we haven't really talked since Ps118 and even back then we…"
He continued staring."
"Ok…" said Arnold feeling very uneasy.
The whole, one-floor house was completely silent. It appeared that none of Brainy's family members were home. And the boy was not saying one single word. Arnold tried to think about a time when he had actually spoke, but unfortunately found none.
When he had asked him to meet for the project, Brainy had only nodded at the arrangements Arnold made. And today, Brainy had obediently followed instructions without making any sound at all. Not knowing what more to add, Arnold went back to work and silence took over the house once more.
But after a while, something apparently unimportant, but who later turned out to be very instructive happened. The boys went out of glue. And this, small incident would radically changed the course of Arnold's day.
"No more glue!"
"….".
"Do you have some in supply?"
Brainy shook his head.
"Do you know where to get some?"
Nod.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"….."
"Fine…I'll just….stay here and work."
Brainy nodded and left. Arnold sighed, feeling less tensed. For a few minutes he continued working, but finally decided that he needed to check something on the net. He looked around. There was no computer in the living room. Perhaps in Brainy's room? Arnold got up, and walked threw a corridor from where Brainy had came from when he had left to fetch some supplies for the project. Arnold opened the first door on his right to a square white room, with a small bed next to the window on the left and a wooden desk with a computer on the right. "Great", he thought "found it!" He sat at the desk and looked for the information he needed. A few minutes later, after having found all he needed, Arnold reached for the shut down button when his arm accidentally hit a large photo album that lied on the side of Brainy's desk, and made it fall open to the ground spreading a few pictures on the ground. Arnold kneeled down to put them back in, trying not to look at them as he knew he had no right to invade Brainy's personal life, but one of them caught his eyes.
It was a girl, about his age, wearing a grey nightgown which let bare two white arms that could have been mistaken with two skinless bones. She was lying on a, from what Arnold could tell, hospital bed. Her skin was paler then death itself and few strands of her hair were falling miserably on what was left of her skinny cheeks. She looked so miserable, so weak, as if all strength had forever left her small body. Just the look of her made clear she wasn't even capable of moving her fingers anymore. But what really captured Arnold's stare were her eyes. Her lifeless blue eyes, empty from any will to stay alive. Her eyes were dead. Arnold could tell she wasn't far from death herself. He felt distress enter his body. She couldn't die! She was so young. She looked so much like…
"Helga!" he whispered his own voice sounding wrong to his ears.
Next to the picture was lying a paper article written in French. Arnold didn't understand what it said at all, but he did recognize her name written on it.
"Hard to believe isn't it?"
Arnold looked up to see Brainy staring at him from the door. But the young man didn't really care right now that Brainy had caught him looking at his personal belongings. He didn't care either that the pale boy had actually spoken 5 words in a row. All he cared about was her.
Brainy must have seen something in Arnold's eyes that truly showed this feeling because he made no comment about him entering his room with no permission. He kneeled down next to him and took the article from his hands.
"You can't read French can you?" he asked.
Arnold shook his head still looking at Helga's picture blankly.
"But you can?" he managed to ask Brainy
"I learned as soon as she moved there."
Arnold asked no question.
"Lousy translating it's says this: The rich and the famous obviously want more then just being admired and envied. They now want to be pitied as well. Helga Pataki, youngest daughter of the famous Bob Pataki, as recently entered one of the most expensive clinics of Paris in order to treat her long suspected anorexia issues, another living proof that money can't buy happiness. Indeed the 16 year old girl, that seemed to have it all, now lies on a hospital bed, her short life hanging between life and death. Her father refuses to comment on the subject and has paid a high price to ensure that no pictures of his daughter can be taken during her time in the clinic. Very little information is given on how the youngest heiress of the Pataki fortune is doing and we are left to hope for the best. "
Arnold tried to speak but words got stuck in his throat. He knew Helga was ok now, but seeing her like this, like she didn't even want to live anymore, hurt him very deeply. Why was she like this? Why didn't she want to hold on? Was she really ok now?
"Why?" he whispered desperately
Brainy shrugged.
"Nobody knows why, that's why it made the big titles in Europe. She was known for having it all, a perfect example of "living the perfect life". She was rich, beautiful, had good grades, models for lots of ads and had a famous pop star for sister. And one day: Boom! Everything crashes down. When she came out of the hospital her dad took her to some far away region of Italy and then the family came back here where the Medias have no interest in her."
"How did you get a picture of her? I thought you said her dad…"
"Paid the few journalists who managed to get shots of her a fortune to hand him the pictures. Yes. But my uncle, who's a journalist, sent me this one but made me swear to keep it for myself. He knew I wouldn't betray her anyway"
There was something about the way he looked at the pictures.
"You're in love with her." stated Arnold
Brainy smirked.
"Aren't you?" he asked
But he didn't wait for the answer.
"I loved her since pre-school. I loved her more then anything in the world. She was the reason I got up in the morning, the reason I ate to stay alive. There wasn't a day when I would wake up without the image of her in my head and go to sleep with another even more beautiful image of her. I was crazy about every single detail about her. I knew she would never feel the same way about me, but frankly I didn't mind. Caring for her was enough. She knew I loved her, she knew I would always watch out for her. I don't know if she cared to much about it though. She only cared for…"
He stopped and sighs.
"Then she moved away."
Arnold, who had been touched by the confidences Brainy made him, put his hand on his shoulder.
"That didn't stop you from loving her did it?"
Brainy looked at him.
"Do you believe in true love Arnold? Do you believe that there's actually somebody out there that your meant to be with, but do not always manage to find?"
Arnold didn't know what to answer.
"Well I do!" continued Brainy, "And I believe that when you do find that person, no matter how it rejects you, no matter how you know it loves another and no matter how it breaks your heart…You never let it go."
Ooooooooooooooooooo
"Arnold? ARNOLD!"
Gerald sighed
"Snap out of it man! What's up with you? You've been weird all night."
The two friends were sitting at their table, in the corner of Dino's. A band was playing and all the others had left to dance while waiting for their orders to arrive. Arnold had been quiet since the beginning of the evening and Gerald was suspecting Brainy had done some terrible, unimaginable things to his best friend. If that was the case, the nerd was going to pay.
"Nothing Gerald, I'm just…tired."
Arnold regretted going out with his friends. He needed sometime alone, some time to think. Seeing everyone arrive just cheery and happy felt wrong. But what had definitely felt wrong was when Helga had shown up, smiling like nothing was wrong. Why was she smiling? Why was she doing this? She couldn't smile after what happened. Or could she? Arnold just didn't know anymore. He didn't know what to expect or what he even wanted to expect from Helga. He felt worn out, empty.
"You know Arnold…" suddenly said Gerald hopping to get his friend interested.
Arnold just looked up at him.
"I've been thinking about what you asked me the other day. You know? About why I don't like Lila and stuff. And I think I figured it out.
Arnold tried his best to not look enoy. He really wasn't in the mood for this conversation about Lila right now.
"It's not that I don't like her" continued Gerald who hadn't notice anything" It's that I don't think …I just….i think you two aren't right…you know? I mean sure you've been together for almost 6 years with no problem rising up, but that's actually kind of werid. Couples fight, they argue, they question themselves. And you two…it's like...it's just misses something. I think you deserve someone more….exiting."
Gerald stopped talking and waited for his friend answer in anticipation. Unfortunately
Arnold didn't know what to think about that either. What was Gerald saying? Lila and he were great together. Lila was what he had always wanted. Both of them got along so well, they were so much alike.
"Someone like who?" was all he thought of asking
They were interrupted by Helga who sat next to them grinning.
"You guys, sitting around like this is boring. Really we should try to make this night more…exiting!"
Gerald grinned at Arnold in a really subjective way.
"Does that answer your question man?"
Helga raised an eyebrow.
"Did I miss something here? What are you guys not telling me."
"What are you not telling us?" asked Arnold in a monotonous voice.
Helga looked at him confused.
"Is something wrong Arnold?"
"Don't mind him!" shrugged Gerald, "he's been weird all night.
The rest of the gang joined them and sat down, Stinky holding a tray with their food.
"Alright, I'm hungry!" exclaimed Harold joyfully
"Now that something unusual!" muttered Helga sarcastically to Arnold
"Eeeww!" said Nadine, "this new thing I ordered is disugusting!"
They all peeked at her plate and noticed some brownish mixture that didn't exactly had the words "eat me" written on it.
"Order something else." suggested Sid
"It takes so much time, I'm to lazy to get up anyway." Answered Nadine
"Well that's ok," said Helga, "here! You can have my hamburger I'm really not hungry I'll just eat some fries."
Arnold heart missed a beat. What was Helga doing?
"Are you sure Helga?" asked Nadine "You're not going to regret it?"
"Of course not, it's really no big deal!"
But before she could hand Nadine her hamburger, Arnold gave her his and stopped her.
"No, no let me Helga, I ate before leaving my house because…hum….I was really hungry! So now I'm not…and actually I don't like hamburgers…"
Helga just looked at him suspiciously.
"And beside," continued Arnold nervously, "You need to eat you know, eating is life! If you don't eat enough, you could loosed strength and get really sick and…"
His words got stuck in his throat.
"And die?" asked Helga
"What is wrong with you Arnold?" asked Gerald again
"Yeah Arnold, Helga's just not hungry." Said Rhonda
But the two blonds weren't paying attention to their friends anymore.
"I wasn't going to say…to say that!" said Arnold weakly
"Who told you?" just asked Helga coldly.
"Who told me what?"
Helga kept looking straight at him now furious.
"Who told you?" she asked again in a really scary tone that reminded him of the old Helga, back in Ps118.
"Helga…"
She slammed the table with her fists.
"Who! Answer me damn it!"
The others were completely lost.
"Who told him what?" asked Lila
"What's wrong Helga?" added Phoebe worried
"Brainy!" whispered Arnold sadly
"Right!" just said Helga grabbing her coat, "Right!"
She got up and started walking away.
"Wait!" said Arnold going after her, "Helga wait!"
He grabbed his friend by the arm.
"Let go of me!" screamed the blond girl furiously
Thank god the music was really loud.
"Don't go Helga please, it's ok! Don't be mad!"
She looked at him looking desperate.
"It's not ok Arnold. The only reason I didn't completely hated it here was because nobody knew about it, get it? Nobody judged me or scanned me plate, nobody looked away…"
She hated it here? What about him?
"I won't tell anyone Helga! I promise! It's just me!"
She looked even more desperate.
"That's just it, Arnold! It had to be you!"
Arnold was confused.
"I just…" she continued in a broken voice, "I just liked the way you looked at me."
She walked out of the restaurant and Arnold went after her.
"Helga!"
He grabbed her arm again.
"Don't touch me!" she said coldly
Then her voice rose.
"Don't fucking touch me Arnold! I don't need you and stupid pity!Get that in that football shaped head of yours!"
Arnold didn't know what to say to calm her. Her words were hurting him more deeply then he realised.
"Just leave me alone!"
She slapped him hard with her free arm. This time Arnold let go and just stared at her. Helga stared at him too, breathing deeply for a few seconds then walked away in the night.
Arnold just watched her disappear. He didn't have any more strength to go after her.
Ooooooooooooooooooooo
What happened after Helga's departure was a blur to Arnold. He remembered vaguely going back in, finishing his plate and going home. He didn't recalled his friends asking him any question about what was going on or what the hell had just happened. Maybe they had. But then again, it was all a big blur. Today he had just hanged around the boarding house, doing some homework without really paying attention to it. He hadn't answered his phone either. Gerald had called him, and Lila too. Twice. He just wasn't in the mood. It was now getting dark, but since it wasn't too cold out, Arnold was just sitting on his roof top enjoying being by himself. Was Helga going to stay mad at him? What could he do to make her forgive him? He wasn't even sure of what had angry her so much. Something about how he looked at her…
"Knock knock."
Arnold looked up having recognized the voice. Helga was looking at him having climbed the escape latter that led to the roof. Her hair were flowing nicely behind her and she was wearing a sporty sweater and large jeans.
"I…hum" she said looking really embarrassed, "I'm here to make peace."
She raised a bag.
"And I brought cookies!"
Arnold smiled at her.
"Well don't stay there!" he said
Helga let a small smile escape her lips and joined him.
"So…" she said ashamed, "How's your cheek?"
Arnold shrugged.
"Oh, it's fine. It had better days though. Look Helga, I'm so…"
She put her finger on his lips.
"Don't say it!" she pleaded, "Please I already feel terrible!"
Arnold was surprised.
"You're not mad?" he asked
"Arnold! You're the one that should be mad at me! Not the contrary! You were just looking out for me, you even came after me after all the terrible things I said, and you're apologizing? Why can't you just be mad at me?"
Arnold smiled at her.
"You want me to be mad?"
Helga sighed.
"Yes, no…I don't know! You just make me feel so guitly"
"Well don't! I'm not mad, you're not mad, nothing's wrong!"
"Maybe! But what happened last night was…I mean I just… I shouldn't have reacted that way! You should be mad!"
Arnold put a hand on her shoulder and handed her a cookie after putting one in his mouth.
"But I'm not!" he said "Why do you always have to look on the bad side?"
"Somebody has too!" answered Helga eating her cookie
They were quiet for a while.
"These are great!" finally said Arnold after the bag had almost being emptied
"Thanks! Made them myself!" smiled Helga
"Really?"
"Nah! Olga did! She says hi by the way!"
Arnold laughed.
"Doesn't matter who made them! I'm just glad you came here Helga. And about last night…"
She looked at him.
"You don't have to tell me anything about...you know!" said Arnold "I just want you torememeber that I'm here, you can always count on me alright?"
Helga looked down.
"Thank you."
Arnold got out the last cookie of the bag.
"Want to split it in half?"
Helga smirked and grabbed it from him.
"No!" she said playfully, "Mine! I'm really hungry today."
They shared a smile. That was the happiest thing Arnold had heard in a long time. And he suddenly felt really good just watchingher eatpeacefully, hoping that's how it was going to be from now on.
An: Sooooooooo come on, who was really suspecting it? Lol I'm curious to know! Also what do you think is going to happen? You're guesses of the ending are funny to read. I hope you will like it though!
I know this chapter wasn't to long and it took me some time to write, but I've just been really busy lately!
Don't hate me for making Helga an anorexic! It's kind of going to get worst…lol but hey the chapter ends on a hopeful note. Tell me if you would like to see a bit more of some of the other characters. Brainy makes a big appearance in this chapter but I don't think we'll see him again to much. Some characters are about to be more present though, you'll see. Anyway review pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!