"Oh my God Helga, congratulations!" Helga looked up as her friend and roommate Rhoda practically knocked other students out of her way as she hurried across the college green. She was lounging against a large Maple, her backpack spilled out around her and her mp3 player blasting away. Yet somehow, she still managed to hear her over exuberant friend as she bounced over. Rhoda squealed and practically threw herself down next to the blonde. "I suspected, I mean, I was pretty sure I knew that you guys were gonna be a thing but—"
Helga yanked her earphones out and scowled up at Rhoda. "This had better be good, Spars. Didn't you get my text?"
Rhoda stopped short and cocked her head to the side questioningly. "Text?"
Helga snorted and rolled her eyes. Typical Rhoda. "Yeah, you know, the one that read: 'huge paper. No interruptions. –H.' That one."
Rhoda smirked at her best friend. "Helga I haven't seen my phone since Wednesday. And anyway who can be bothered with studying when you've got such great news?" the African-American squealed and shook Helga by her shoulders, rattling the blonde.
Helga swatted her hands away. "Rhoda, this actually happens to be a very big paper. It's worth 80% of my grade! And anyway, I'd love to know how you've got such great news about me when I haven't even seen you since this morning." Helga stood up, brushing down her jeans as she looked over at her best friend. Rhoda's face was all flushed and her mouth was opening and closing as if she couldn't catch enough breath to force words out of her mouth.
"You'd think you'd be in a better mood given your recent fortune, Pataki," Rhoda smirked. "And don't even try to pretend like you aren't happy. I'm your best friend, give me some credit to know what you're really feeling!" Rhoda slung her arm around Helga's shoulder and jostled the blonde slightly.
"I'm not in the mood for you cryptic nonsense, Rhoda." Helga glanced down at her watch and her eyes nearly doubled in size. "Criminey! I've only got three hours until the paper is due! Rhoda I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on this little powwow." Helga bent and gathered her papers hurriedly, stuffing them into her backpack. Rhoda grinned and waved after the bustling girl as she beelined for the library.
"Stupid Rhoda," Helga muttered to herself as she walked hurriedly across the green towards the large stately library. "What was she going on about anyway?" she continued muttering to herself, not noticing that she had bumped right into Eugene. "Oh goodness, Eugene!" she moved around him but his beefy hand on her arms stopped her from proceeding any further. She looked up at the red head with a raised brow. "Something you need Horowitz?"
Eugene smiled sunnily. "Helga, I just wanted to congratulate you! I saw it on Facebook earlier today and I have to say, I wasn't even surprised,"
Helga cocked a brow at him and righted herself. "Eugene, I don't know what you're yammerin' about but I'll have to get back to you about whatever it is. I really gotta get to the library."
Eugene let her arm go and smiled. "Of course, Helga. I'll catch ya later!" he stumbled slightly as he continued down the walkway. Helga chuckled to herself; star running back or not he still couldn't escape that clumsy little fourth grader from PS 118.
Helga slowed down her gait this time, knowing another distraction could tap even more into her precious time. She was halfway to the library when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Helga hurriedly looked at it and decided that Olga would simply have to wait. Her sister was not known for being succinct in any situation. However, when her phone stopped and shortly started vibrating again Helga just knew she'd have to take the call or Olga would just keep hitting redial until she picked up. "What?" she tried to growl, but she ended up sounding breathy and flustered.
"Oh Helga, baby sister!" Olga gushed loudly.
Helga cringed in response. "Yes, Olga?"
"I just saw online and I just had to call you right away! Aren't you just oh so excited?" Olga screeched and Helga had to hold the phone away from her ear slightly.
"Olga, what are you talking about?" Helga was starting to get really tired of being congratulated for something that she had no idea about. Was she on some sort of hidden camera show?
"Oh, little Lola wants to tell her Auntie Helga how excited she is too, don't you baby?" suddenly the phone was filled with nonsensical baby babbling and Helga rolled her eyes, despite the adorableness.
"Auntie Helga has to go work in the library now. Tell your bat-crazy mother that I'll talk to her later!" Helga hung up her phone and promptly turned it off, trying to avoid anymore pointless conversations with her sister and niece in the foreseeable future.
Much to her relief, Helga managed to finish her paper with twenty minutes left to hand it in. Nobody had interrupted her, though when she saw Gerald practically snoozing at his position at one of the reference desks. How he had managed to get a job like that Helga couldn't ever fathom, but she didn't wait around as he spotted her and waved her over frantically.
"Everyone's been acting batty today, Pheebs." Helga complained as she and the shorter girl walked over to the sociology building to hand in their papers. They'd both been at the printing station at the same time and Phoebe had suggested they walked over together—even Phoebe couldn't avoid handing in this paper until the last minute.
"Oh really?" Phoebe asked with interest.
"Yeah!" Helga gesticulated wildly. "I mean, first Rhoda comes storming over going on a mile a minute about something or other, then I practically bowl over Eugene who starts congratulating me for something. Then Olga calls and practically screeches my ear off, between her and Lola, I can't tell who was more excited. Even your boyfriend tried to catch my attention in the library earlier, like he had something super important he wanted to discuss."
Phoebe pursed her lips. "Entered any contests lately?"
"No! Of course not! When have you ever known me to do something like that?" Helga retorted as they climbed the stairs of the small building.
Phoebe smiled knowingly. "Well, Helga, there was that one time in fourth grade…."
Helga paused momentarily. "Yeah, yeah okay. But anyway, Olga mentioned something about online, though I can't say I've been on the internet since yesterday. Do you know what she could be talking about?"
"Helga, I'm sorry but I need more information to deduce what's going on. Do you know anybody else who might be able to tell you anything?" Phoebe struggled to hide her smile as she and Helga handed in their papers and reemerged into the dim light of the early evening. "I really must leave you, though. I've got a late study session with Gerald and Rhoda." Phoebe reached up and hugged the blonde tightly, very out-of-character for them both. "I am very happy for you, Helga. Tell Arnold I say 'hello'."
Helga was now extremely confused. First Phoebe says she doesn't know what everyone is talking about and then she…Helga's fist clenched. Arnold.
"What did you do football-head?" Arnold looked up, startled as his door banged open and an irritated Helga G. Pataki banged into his room noisily. He sat up quickly, setting aside the magazine he'd been flipping through.
"Well hello to you too, Helga," he grinned at her flustered form.
Helga rolled her eyes. "Don't take that tone with me! You did something and everyone's been congratulating me all day and I wanna know what it is everyone is so flippin' excited about!"
"How do you know I had anything to do with it?" Arnold smirked down at her.
"One, you've got that freaking smirk on your face. Two, you've just admitted there's an 'it'. And three, its got your do-gooder stench ALL over it!" Helga tapped her foot impatiently, her hands on her hips. She was standing toe to toe with the male, her blue eyes clashing with his green ones as she looked up at him defiantly.
Arnold just stared down at her with amusement for a while before he looked over at his open laptop on his desk. "Have you checked your facebook lately?"
Helga rolled her eyes. "Doi! Of course not, Arnoldo. I've been too busy writing a paper the last few days to care about who's been posting pictures of keg stands."
Arnold chuckled again. "You could miss something important, Helga," he said in a teasing tone. They had a staring match for another minute before Arnold heaved a sigh. "Helga, check your facebook profile. Please? For me?"
Helga rolled her eyes and sauntered over to his desk exasperatedly. "God, I came over here for you to enlighten me and yet the only thing you can tell me to do is check my facebook? Instead of telling me what is SO important that everyone feels the need to friggin' congratulate m…e?" Helga's tirade faded off as she stared at the computer screen, speechless.
Arnold knelt behind her silently, waiting for her to react to what she was reading. After three minutes of complete silence, Arnold started to get worried. "Helga? Say something…"
Helga slowly swiveled in the seat to face him, her blue eyes boring holes into his skull. "How did you…?"
Arnold could see her lips twitching upwards into a smile and he grinned unabashedly. "Phoebe." He replied shortly.
Helga snorted distractedly. "I'm gonna have to change my password," she muttered, just before their lips met in a slow, sweet kiss.
Arnold pulled away to grin against her lips. "Are you happy?"
Helga tried to scowl but couldn't suppress the joy flowing through her body. "If you can't tell football head, you're even denser than I thought."
Arnold opened his mouth to reply but was distracted as his laptop 'dinged' a notification. He looked over at the screen and chuckled. "'Helga G. Pataki just liked 'Arnold P. Shortman is in a relationship with Helga G. Pataki.'" He recited.
Helga smirked and pulled in for another kiss. "Damn straight."
Wow. Never written for this fandom. What do you guys think?