It's About Us

Pain and Confrontation

The rest of Monday was long. Arnold spent the day in his room, thinking. Helga looked amazing and yet it just reminded him of how different they really were. If she looked like the old Helga, then he would just convince her that they were fine. Her new looked showed him of the woman she wanted to be and the more mature relationship she craved. No matter how hard he tried, he didn't understand the rush.

Yet, her going out with that jerk, Chad, pissed him off like no other. He grasped that he was worried for her, knowing what Chad had said to his friends at the swimsuit shop. Does he have the right to inform her of Chad's true intentions? Maybe that's what he needs to do tomorrow before her date.

Helga hung out with the group for a little while before excusing herself to get home. She was tired from traveling and she really needed some time to her thoughts in order. When she made it home, her father and mother were gone. They decided to visit Olga in New York the rest of the week and will be back on Sunday.

For the first time all summer, Helga was alone. The silence in her house was deafening. To be alone with her thoughts probably wasn't a good idea.

Helga went to her room to unpack. She had placed her bags there when she got back, before she got the text message from Phoebe about everyone going to the pizzeria. She needed to unload all of her new stuff and box up her old.

Helga pulled everything out of her drawers and replaced them with the new stuff in her bag. In her closet, she started pulling things off hangers. When the closet was empty, she saw the shelves that used to hold all of her journals. She had forgotten that she moved them to the attic.

She continued to hang things up. The shelves' original purpose was a shoe rack. With all her new shoes, the shelves filled up quickly. It was nice to look into her closet and not see barren space. It was like a whole new closet for a grown-up Helga, and she loved it.

She placed all of her make up on her desk and move her toiletries to the bathroom. She was nearing the end of all her bags when a pink roll of fabric caught her eye. It was her bow. She had thrown it in her bag at the beginning of her time with Olga and forgotten about it. She only had it around her wrist the first 2 days. Then it just didn't feel right to wear anymore.

Helga threw the ribbon in her top drawer of her desk and closed it away. Signaling the end of her childhood. She went to grab herself a cup of water then crawl under her covers, read, and go to bed.

The following morning, Arnold had a game plan. He would go over to Helga's house, get by her father, then convince her that Chad was a bad idea. That's it. He won't try and talk to her about anything else. He just needed to make sure she was safe.

Arnold changed and rushed down the stairs. He tried to bypass his parents, but his mother was too quick.

"Where are you going in such a rush this early?" Stella asked.

"Um..." Arnold didn't know how to answer.

"Don't you um me sir. Speak up." Stella tried all summer to get Arnold to be more assertive.

"Well...you see...I have to talk to someone.... about...something..." Arnold vaguely answered.

Stella glared at her son. "Is that someone Helga?"

"We..e...e..ll " Arnold stuttered.

"I know she got back yesterday. I was the one to pick her up from the airport. So don't lie to me, young man." Stella crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay. Yes, I need to see Helga. Talk to her about the date she's going on tonight." Arnold couldn't look at her.

"Helga has a date, huh? Why do you need to talk to her about it?" Stella pushed.