Hello one and all! It's finally that time...an Update! Sorry to all you readers for that long delay. But after losing the rest of the story and unable to recover it... it's been a struggle to re-do it. Thus far not much has been done as to where I'm happy with it. This section is essentially part of the original Chapter 13... obviously modified since it isn't the original. It's not much of an update, but at least its something right?
I do hope to get Chapter 14 out sometime in Mid. November. Though, I'm not promising anything with this story. Especially when I do have another fanfic in progress (that for one reason or another is lacking reviews).
Remember, feel free to ask any questions you may have. All comments welcomed.
A/N: During the flashback there'll be dialoge with a " - " at the very beginning of it. This means it's actually not part of the flashback and is the characters talking "in the background".
Disclaimer: Still don't own HA! So for the love of it all, don't bug me about it...
Chapter 13 "Admitting is not so Easy"
"So Arnold. What happened last night?"
"Well…"
Arnold stared down at his hands, unsure how to begin. His mind raced wildly as images of his meeting with Helga flooded his vision and thoughts. Without much processing, words began forming and before he knew it, his tale was being told…
-Flashback-
-"I found Helga in the park…thought it to be a good time and chance to show myself…"
Helga stood, turned, and ran dead smack into someone…knocking both of them to the ground.
"Here…let me help you."
-"I said to her, trying not to sound all too cheerful. Though I was."
Helga merely pushed it aside and stood on her own, brushing her black dress off. She then looked up at the person and jumped back in shock and terror, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Backing against a tree in absolute horror, Helga was panting heavily.
"Is something wrong?"
-"She looked frightened. As though she saw a ghost."
-"Arnold, to her…you probably were." Phoebe commented.
"A…A…Ar…Arnold?" She barely squeaked out, unintentionally. But the shock overpowered all of her defenses… and lulled the squeaky sound out of her.
-"Helga Spoke!" Arnette and Phoebe simultaneously shouted. Arnold nodded and continued.
"Yes Helga…it's me. Arnold."
"No…no…get…get away from me!" She still said in a barely audible tone, grasping the tree for dear life as Arnold moved closer.
"Something wrong?" Arnold asked, noticing Helga's behavior.
"I…told you…get…away from…me! I…I……I Hate You!" Came the high pitch, and raspy tone that came from Helga due to lack of talking over the years.
"But Helga, what did I do?"
–"I had a pretty good idea…"
She spoke her reason, "Because you…you left me. You left me…alone without an answer to…my confession. …You left me…without any…hope…" that was it.
–"It hurt to hear that from her. Even if I already knew it. …and it hurt to see her cry like that."
"A simple no, I would…never like a mean, …selfish, bitch like you …would of…done me so much better…but no! You just had…to get up and…leave!" Helga shouted as best as she could. It hurt to talk, and she couldn't even talk in complete sentences without her throat hurting badly.
"No Helga. You're not any of that. But what did you want me to say after that awkward moment?"
Helga remained silent as her gaze traveled downwards. The only thing Arnold said about the whole "incident" between them was that it was all "in the heat of the moment". Then he pushed it aside like nothing ever happened. Noticing this, Helga was yet again devastated by Arnold's reaction. "Awkward moment?" she said under her breath, anger rising. Arnold heard her, but she didn't care. "Is that…what you think of my confession to you? …Nothing more than…an awkward moment?" Helga started on, getting louder and angrier by the second, that and getting closer to Arnold as if wanting to shout in his face. "Let me tell you, …you stupid…Son Of A Bitch! …I've tried to tell you…that I Loved you for…over 6 Years! …I tried, and I tried, …but could never bring myself …to do so. …Then, …when I finally got the chance…to tell you how I felt about you…you go and blow it off…as nothing more than… "the heat of the moment" …or even…a mere…Awkward Moment!" Helga said trying to hold back tears and trying to yell. She wouldn't care if her voice was permanently damaged or even gone after this… she was going to say her peace and that's that…
"Helga, I'm…"
-"I knew it would do no good to apologize…but I just wish there was some way to consul her."
"No! Save it! I don't want to…hear your pathetic excuse. And since…I'm not worth anything to you, …then neither is what you…have to say to me! …But I will warn you now, …I put up with no one! …So unless you…want to get your face beat in, …your legs and arms broken, …and your organs rearranged, …I'd suggest you leave me…the hell alone! Never again do I ever want you…to speak to me… You Stupid…Football Headed, Jerk!"
-"Reaching back, she gave me a mighty slap across my face."
Arnold took the impact full force and his head moved to the side and down with the blow. His hand immediately went up and held the now soar area as a few tears trickled down his face as he fell to his knees in shock and disbelief. Suddenly it dawned on Helga on what she just did. Never before has she laid a finger on him, not intentionally. She never hit him out of pure anger; in fact she never hit him period.
-"…you're right Arnold. She never did do that."
Sure, she might of given a shove or two, but those were out of love (and defense), not hate. (And of course that was many years ago too) Breathing heavily, Helga stared at her trembling hands. She never really wanted to hit him, even if she did hate him. Finally she just bolted out of the park and out of sight, leaving Arnold there in shock.
-End of Flashback-
"I really screwed up." Arnold bowed his head, sighing miserably.
"No Arnold. Helga is just too insecure about how she feels." Arnette comforted.
"She's too passionate with her feelings. Helga is the sensitive type believe it or not. Any little thing can change her mood."
"Yeah, I kinda found that out the hard way." Arnold said rubbing his cheek. That shot she gave him still hurt a little.
"You're still lucky though. Normally she'll beat someone to no end."
Arnold sighed. "I still can't help but blame myself though. If only…if only…"
"What's past it past Arnold. You can't change it." Phoebe confirmed. "All you can do is make the best of what you got."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Arnold, look at all you've done while we were in San Lorenzo. Look at how well you handled that."
"But this was something I caused. It's my fault she's like this!"
"Maybe so, but Arnold, you can't go around blaming yourself. You made a mistake…the Arnold I know will stop at nothing to fix it."
"Phoebe."
"Yes?"
"You've turned into one heck of an optimistic woman."
"Thanks." She said blushing.
"You're right though. I have to fix it. I have to get the old Helga back…or at least part of it."
"Right on!" Arnette cheered.
"Thanks girls." He said holding out his arms. The two teen-girls enveloped into a group hug.
Letting them go, Arnold sighed and sunk back down into his seat. Despite the optimistic boost, it would still be difficult to get Helga to listen to him. Reflecting back on things, perhaps he deserved that slap more than he initially first thought.
"So Arnold, what have you been up to after all these years?"
Arnold didn't respond to Phoebe's question. Arnette bit her lip and decided to break in on where the conversation was heading. For some reason she felt an odd vibe radiating from Arnold. It told her he clearly wasn't in the mood to talk about it. Laughing nervously, she moved between Phoebe and Arnold waving her hands.
"Don't worry about that Pheebs. I'll tell you about it. Let Arnold focus on helping Helga."
Phoebe sighed, "I suppose you're right."
Sighing in relief, Arnette hesitantly looked towards Arnold. If only there were some way to ease his tension. Put his nerves, his mind, his spirit at ease. The same went for Helga. The poor girl…
Phoebe sat back and ran through Arnold's story. Trying to see if any piece of it could give her an idea. An idea on how to help either one of her friends. Her eyes grew wide as a question came to mind. Something Arnold left unanswered thus far. It was a long shot, but she had to ask…
"Arnold?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Do…Do you… Do you…love Helga?"
His face flushed red. "I…"
"Arnold, don't you dare lie to me." Phoebe warned.
"You know I can't lie."
"Do you?"
Arnold sighed and nodded. The girls gasp and went wide-eyed as they stared at him. Did they just hear that right?
"You…you do?"
Arnold nodded again.
"Then why don't you just tell her!" Arnette shouted at him.
"Arnette, it's not that easy." Phoebe began. "Arnold can't just go up to her and tell her what she wants to hear. He has to do it some other way."
"That's why I've been trying to talk with her. To get her to trust me."
"She needs to trust him before he can admit anything." Phoebe finished for him.
"But how can he do that? Especially after what happened?"
"If I know Helga, he just has to keep trying. Take whatever she dishes out."
"Arnold will wind up dead if he does that."
"No. Somehow I think that little girl is still inside her. That little girl who still loves Arnold."
Arnold's cheeks flushed red again.
"I still think you're crazy." Arnette muttered to Phoebe.
Well, after so long… an update! May not be much of one, but hey… it's something right?
Happy 10th Anniversary Hey Arnold! …what a way to celebrate eh?
-King RTS-I'm the King of My World!