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The Creeps	By : SleepSomehow Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 6641 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. Just another dorky fan.

Chapter List
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2: Shields Raised, Swords Drawn
"Why are you following me, football head?" Helga hisses through clenched teeth as her insides twist in a hard knot. Her words are forced and lacking their usual sharp edge, "There's enough sidewalk for the both of us, twerp. Shove over!"
Arnold hustles to keep up with the girls' stubborn pace, "Look, I know you don't want to talk-"
"You got that right!"
"But... I also know something's actually wrong, Helga," Arnold continues nearly unphased, his prying eyes scanning the girl. At a glance, she looks the same as ever. Nothing like the mess he encountered yesterday.
"Get lost, loser. The only thing wrong is you!"
The usual insults, although none of the usual fire behind them. If there is one thing Helga Pataki doesn't lack it's passion, regardless how poorly it's expressed.
"Helga, please-" Arnold persists.
"Just... leave me alone! I-I don't want to talk about it!" Her voice cracks as the ground gives way beneath her anger, "Not to you! Not to anyone!!"
Feeling defeated yet not quite down-for-the-count, Arnold walks in studious silence beside the defiant girl, occasionally shooting an inquisitive glance over. Helga's eyes, although no longer red with tears, are puffy and dry from a sleepless night spent upset. The usual thin-lipped grimace is lagging, weak. Shoulders droop as if the air has deflated from her. The site of such a mighty, raging beast now looking so fragile bothers Arnold more than it should. Yet somehow, having a wounded Helga is far worse than having a snarky one.
She sniffles, sad eyes catching his briefly. Tears linger in the corners again. Nowhere near falling, yet still there. Quickly the young woman stares back down at the concrete sidewalk.
Seeing her so vulnerable, so unlike the strong-willed girl he knows moves Arnold to action.
"No," The boy steps in Helga's path, blocking her, "Stop walking and just... please, hear me out."
The girls' steps halt, her face raising only slightly, eyes still lowered. Surprisingly she doesn't lash out. Doesn't even try, instead speaking in a hushed whine.
"Why won't you just leave me be?"
The rudeness she greeted him with is long gone, revealing a pain so deep it shakes Arnold.
"Why?," Helga continues in this new, helpless tone, "Because you help everyone? Because you always help everyone? Leave me alone, Arnold. Just this once, I beg you. Please. Just... stop.
Stop being so... so...," Her voice trails off.
"I'm not going to leave you alone."
He reaches out and holds her arms gently, meant as a reassurance and hoping the girl doesn't come to her senses and shove him into traffic.
"You aren't alone, Helga. You've never been alone. You've got friends who care. I care! Whatever happened yesterday with your family or Brainy, if you need to talk to someone I'm here-"
"Wait, what?" Helga's blinks, locking eyes with him.
Although still nervous he may get walloped, Arnold perks up the girl responded, "I-I'm worried about you, Helga. About yesterday. You were so upset. You wanted to tell me something.
What was it? What's wrong?"
"I... I..." Helga blinks from a daze, shaking her head, "No! Let go of me you- nosey ignoramus!!" Her voice returns to the familiar taunting snarl as she pulls away from the boy,
"I'm fine! Yeesh!"
In a tizzy Helga storms passed and off toward the school, muttering to herself. Yet her shoulders are held higher. Her eyes squinted in a glare. Something in Arnold calms. Seeing her stomp off like that. Fists at her sides. A threat in her words. Helga's herself again, or at least close enough for now.
Back to normal.
Smirking triumphant, Arnold follows in Helga's wake. Girls can be incredibly moody and Helga is no exception. Who knows what set her off yesterday. Maybe it wasn't the big deal Arnold made it out to be?
Still, I better keep an eye on things. Just to be sure.
Strangely a feeling of wrongness still lingers. Helga may be acting normal, but she's a pro at hiding her true feelings. Even just now the girl really did want to tell him something before snapping back to her normal, rude behavior. She's still holding something back.
The knight keeps his sword and shield out, just in case.
Wishing to escape Arnold's prying eyes, Helga steals away around the corner from the highschool's front entrance to a nest of bushes. Here in seclusion she clutches her beloved golden locket in hand and addresses it like an old lover.
"My dear, sweet, beyond-irritating, ever-considerate Arnold!" Her voice shakes more than usual, emotions beyond raw still, "If only you knew just how much this carnal obsession is tearing my very soul apart! Just when I think things are fine and I might actually be sane... Alas! You charge back into my life and knock me for a whirl, more emotionally than physically, although definitely physically too. I mean, you literally knocked me on my you-know-what."
Helga pauses as a shadow quickly passes behind, the bushes rustling. She glares back over her shoulder. Seeing no one near, the girl continues, voice lowered just in case.
"Then and there, I-I almost told you those three words I dare not utter! I wanted to tell you! I yearned to finally speak the truth! And yet failed... again," Helga sighs, brushing a tear away, "I'm just not ready! After all this time, I'm still not ready! This realization hurt so deeply. The frustration of holding my tongue this long, a fear of the unknown, my world gave way harder than ever before. Now, after a night spent in absolute torment wallowing in my own pit of internal despair and emotional volatility, here I stand clutching my heart. Knowing you do care in some way, in any way, means so much! Oh, Arnold, I am so sorry for everything I've ever done to you. If only you knew how sorry I truly am. If-If only I could be brave enough to tell you what it is I'm holding inside...," Her words trail off with a lingering sigh.
The breathing.
The wheezing, nasal, guttural sounds.
Hot air fanning the back of her neck.
Just over Helga's shoulder, someone stands, waiting, watching.
So close.
Too close.
Before she can raise a still-bruised fist to backhand the irritant, Brainy is quickly yanked back from the bushes and away from the surprised girl.
"Oh no, you don't!" Arnold growls, dragging the shocked nerd by his collar back toward the sidewalk, "Not this time, creep!"
Blind-sided by the situation, Helga can only watch, mouth agape, as Arnold forces Brainy back to his feet.
"This is ending now!" The blond boy yells in his shocked adversaries face, "I'm not gonna stand by again while you just-just-, You're going to leave Helga alone even if I have to make you!!"
The rage on her crushes' face is a visual Helga has never witnessed before. No one has, not even Arnold. A terrifying sudden change to the permanently docile, kind-hearted young man she admires so much. And with no hesitation, only pure, valiant anger, Arnold pulls a white-knuckled fist back and swings hard.
The blow shatters Brainy's taped-together glasses for good and knocks him skidding across the grass. His already black-and-blue nose streaks blood across his sickly pale face. Brainy slides to a stop in a crumpled heap sprawled in the mud and tangled sod where he lays, unmoving.
Knocked out cold.
"Holy," Helga gasps, cursing under her breath, cheeks flushed with a rising blush, "Wow, Arnold... Even I never hit him that hard!"
Arnold stands, fists clenched at his sides, chest heaving. It takes a moment for the adrenaline to calm before he can blink back to reality.
The other teens outside the school's entrance are quick to swarm the scene.
"What happened!?"
"Oh crap! Arnold laid out Brainy!? Wow!"
"Is he dead!?"
"Hey, everybody! You gotta see this! Arnold knocked Brainy's lights out!"
Arnold, seemingly unphased by the state of things, brow still furrowed in distress, turns to Helga,
"Are-Are you ok?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Helga stares down Arnold with trepidation, "He always does that-"
"Does what? Stalk you day and night!?" Arnold's voice lowers, "For goodness sake, Helga! You have to hit the guy to get him to back off! I saw his bloody nose last night. You really punched him hard!"
Helga looks away, still embarrassed about her breakdown the in front of her true love, "He just... he came up behind me from an alley-"
"Just came up behind you? And did what? Did he try to touch you!?"
Helga pales, a sharp contrast to the flushed cheeks, completely confused by Arnold's sudden change of behavior, "Uh, n-no? The geek just follows me everywhere breathing all the time. Creeping up behind me just to, I dunno, creep?"
"Ok everyone, back up, please! What on earth happened here!?" the new Highschool theater teacher runs up to the scene.
Mr. Simmons, finally in his element teaching theater and happy to have some of his old students back in his classes, has not changed much over the years besides some well-earned smile lines and the little bit of gray in his hair. The man is still just as positive as ever. Although that positivity gets tossed aside by concern as he runs up to the scene out front the school and quickly kneels down beside the fallen student.
He is followed by Hillwood High's PE teacher, Coach Wittenberg. Tish Wittenberg, that is. Her husband Jack is back at PS 118 teaching football to the younger students.
"Arnold one-punched his lights out, Mr. Simmons! I never seen him hit anyone! That was crazy!! Is Brainy dead!?" Harold asks again.
"Is this kid serious?" Mrs. Wittenberg stares at Harold in disbelief.
"No, Harold, he isn't dead, he's just... dazed," Mr. Simmons looks up in dismay at Arnold, "Is this true, Arnold? Did you raise a hand to another student?"
"Yes!," Arnold's fists ball at his sides as if preparing for round two, "And I'd do it again-"
"Arnold!" Gerald comes up behind and grabs his shoulders, wheeling him around, "What the heck, man!? What did you do!?"
"What I had to!," Arnold spits into the grass, "He was after Helga again!"
Coach Wittenberg helps Mr. Simmons raise a barely coherent Brainy to his feet.
"He's not dead!" Harold exclaims, actually surprised.
Stinky laughs, "Boy howdy, he sure looked it!"
"Yes, Harold, like I said, the boy is just dazed-" Mr. Simmons pauses as he scrambles to reassemble Brainy's backpack on the ground. The zipper was open and most the contents spilled out, making a mess in the grass.
"Dang, I really thought Arnold killed 'em," Harold mumbles, "Guess people don't get one-punched to death... I saw it in a movie once..."
"Harold, really-," The sweet mannered teacher stutters and suddenly snaps at the people gathered, "Everyone to your classes! Now!!"
Startled, the students quickly scatter.
Mr. Simmons picks up the backpack, shoving everything back inside including what looked like a large, now broken camera. The teachers start off back into the school, Brainy in tow.
"Arnold! Helga!" Mr. Simmons barks, causing them both to twitch to attention, "Both of you to the principal's office!"
"Man, you're in for it, Arnold," Gerald tsk's before jogging off after his retreating classmates,
"Goodluck brother."
Both teens obey, lagging behind their teachers and the bleeding nerd.
"Yeesh," Helga muttered to Arnold beside her, "You managed to upset Mr. Simmons! Like the nicest guy on the planet! We haven't done that since 4th grade! This is bad. This is real bad."
Arnold stares down at his feet, sullen and confused, "What were you saying about me to Brainy?"
"I- What?" Helga's cheeks reddened, "I wasn't talking to that freak! Ugg, I'd never! He just snuck up on me while-while I was... admiring the brickwork! I mean, I thought I saw an interesting bug!
No, I-"
Arnold interrupts, eyes still on the ground, "What three words did you want to tell me, Helga?"
"What? Nothing! Why?!
"It seemed pretty important if you were up crying about it all night," The blond boy looks up as the other teacher helps Brainy into the nurse's office.
Mr. Simmons continues on ahead, not turning around, "Follow me." His voice devoid of its usual joy, disturbing both teens.
Arnold presses once they are far enough behind Simmons, "I'm serious, Helga,"
On the defense and scrambling to cover her tracks, Helga hisses back,"Three words? W-What are you talking about!? Hah! You have gone completely bonkers! Punching people like the world is your own personal boxing rink! When did you get so violent, Arnoldo? So unstable?
So bloodthirsty?"
Arnold shakes his head, "I heard the whole thing. How sorry you are for always being so mean. How you wanted to talk to me about something important but couldn't. I heard it all so just tell me-"
"I- it was nothing just tired babble,"Helga gulps, sheer terror taking hold of her brain, "Just-Just-"
Arnold interjects, "No, you meant what you were saying! That was from the heart. That was the real Helga talking! Not the act you put on every day. Not... this!" He looks over, locking eyes.
Helga's heart sinks fast. Before she can reply, Mr. Simmons stops at the principal's door looking more upset than ever.
"Stay right here. Do not move an inch," The man goes into the office, slamming the door.
"Wow," Helga's eyebrow raises, "Simmons finally blew his lid! You really did it, Football Head. Knocked him right over the edge! Congratulations on your year in detention!"
"Helga, you're purposely avoiding answering me. At least answer this," Arnold's tone draws her back in, even if she's mentally kicking and screaming to get away, "What did Brainy do yesterday?"
The question knocks Helga aback. She was expecting more pressing inquiries about her not being able to say what she really wants to say. Thankfully, this strange questioning about Brainy is not nearly as painful.
"He... just came up behind me like he always does when I'm-" Helga pauses pointedly, frozen again after talking herself into a corner.
"When you're... ?
Helga tosses her hands in the air, "When I'm existing! Criminy! The freak is always right behind me, hiding in corners, following me everywhere, just being a general creepazoid!"
"And?" Arnold's fists clench again.
Helga frowns.
What does he think he did to me? Why is Arnold suddenly so weird about Brainy!?
"And what? The dweeb had a ring with him and just held it out without saying a word. Like proposing to me or something! I was in no mood for him fogging up my neck like some lovestruck skeezwad so I socked him one in the nose so hard I bruised my fist!" Helga shows the mark on her hand to Arnold, "I swear, he's starting to like getting hit! Everywhere I go, the dork is two steps behind just breathing, just getting whacked in the face by yours truly! And now, heh, nearly launched across school property by you, Arnoldo," Helga grins, "Man you really walloped him! Didn't know you had it in ya, football head. Really, though, why'd you hit Brainy like that? What's the big deal? Personal vendetta?"
"This isn't about me," Arnold growls through clenched teeth, "You're changing the subject again.
I wish you'd just talk to me-"
The Principal's door opens.
"Come in and have a seat," The reassuringly stern voice of Mr.s Jenkins, Hillwood High's Principal, calls from within the office.
Arnold and Helga enter the small office and take a seat in the chairs before the desk. Mr. Simmons stands off to the side, a grim expression on his usually cheerful face as Principal Jenkins finishes up a phone call.
"Alright, we will remain in my office until your arrival, officer," The woman says her goodbyes and hangs up the phone.
"Officer?" Arnold pales.
"What?!" Helga looks around in a panic, "You called the cops!? It was only one punch! The kid is fine, you said it yourself! Why the heck would you call the cops for a schoolyard fight!!?"
"This is more serious than an altercation, Ms. Pataki," Mr. Simmons says very solemn, "Now children, the officers are going to ask you a series of questions. Just try and answer them as honestly as-"
"Me too?!" Helga frowns, "What did I do!?"
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Simmons!," Arnold blurts out, "I thought Brainy was hurting Helga and I just lost it! I-"
"Everyone calm down," Principal Jenkins interjects then quickly lowers her voice to her usual steady tone, "Both of you, you're not in any trouble-"
"We aren't!?" The children say in unison, looking dumbfounded.
"Helga is it true what Arnold said?" Mr. Simmons asks, voice thick with sympathy again, "Was
Brainy, er, I mean Edgar hurting you?"
The teens explain what happened from both points of views. Helga's story differs slightly from Arnolds and Arnold is unable to explain much of his reasoning.
"I-I just knew something wasn't right! Brainy keeps following her everywhere! In school and out! I started piecing things together and what, with her so upset yesterday and him following her again... I don't know, he's got some sick obsession with her!"
"Helga," Mr. Simmons frowns, "Is this true?"
Helga leans back in her chair, feigning some sort of relaxed demeanor, "Oh yeah, he's everywhere I go just trailing behind like a lost, gross puppy."
"So you're friends?"
"What, me and Brainy? Oh, no way in hell! He's a weirdo and a half! I tried talking to him, y'know, to get him to back off but he just stands there wheezing, staring like a dead fish! Eh, I normally sock him one in the face. That usually does the trick."
"Yes you were seeing Dr. Bliss about hitting Edgar earlier this week, isn't that so?"
"Yeah," Helga shifts uneasily.
"Did you tell Dr. Bliss about him?"
"Tell her what? I was forced to see her because she happened to watch me hit the guy! So, yeah, he came up once or twice but that's not what we talked about-" Helga blinks, pauses again, and looks over at Arnold.
"Mr. Simmons," Principal Jenkins says, "We should wait for the officers to arrive before asking any further questions."
The teacher looks away with a frown more like a sickened grimace.
"What's this all about, anyway?" Helga rises from her chair, "The kid's a freak! If Arnold didn't hit him, I would've! Maybe not as hard as he did but-"
"Helga, has Edgar ever taken photos of you?"
"Mr. Simmons, please!, " The principal raises her hands, indicating for the teacher to stop again.
"What? No! Why would he?" Helga spots the camera peeking out of Brainy's bag, "Does the nutjob have photos of me? Jeez, I wouldn't put it past him. Total psycho-"
Helga pauses and bows her head, trying not to think about the shrine in her closet complete with every photo of her beloved Arnold she could get her hands on. Not to mention his likeness an adolescent Helga constructed from the boy's discarded gum, something she finally decided to throw away after the stink attracted flies and Miriam's unwanted inquiries. Still, the photos remain. So many framed and tacked to the walls of her closet. Some taped inside her journals, her school books, placed lovingly under her pillow, enshrined in the locket she still carries, so many pictures.
Total Psycho alright...
"Yes, Helga, there are some photos and... I don't know how to say this..." Mr. Simmons pauses, looking around as if for help.
"These photos were not taken with your permission, Ms. Pataki?" Principal Jenkins asks, no longer holding her tongue on the situation.
Helga shakes her head, "Why would I let that freak take pictures of me? I loathe the kid! You think I'd go model for a photo session with him? Ugg, no thank you!"
"Arnold," Mr. Simmons turns to the pale-faced young man, "Did you hit Edgar because he showed you some photographs?"
"No? I- I just had a feeling something wasn't right," Arnold's head bows in shame, "I'm really sorry. I acted without thinking. I didn't want anything bad to happen... but I guess it did anyway, from me hitting him. I shouldn't have done that..."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Arnold", Mr. Simmons walks over and pats the boy's shoulder,
"Except maybe not contacting an adult first. This is a very serious situation."
Arnold looks up bewildered,"How did I not do anything wrong?!"
"What are these 'photographs' of?" Helga pushes, eyes darting around the room as she grows nervous. She can not recall any moment Brainy took a photo nor ever even seeing him with a camera.
"Helga, it appears Edgar was taking... candid pictures of you without your permission," Mr. Simmons nervously taps his fingers together, "They were... bad photos."
"Bad? Like bad angles? Dumb faces? What do you-" Helga freezes, "Oh... that kind of bad..."
"I'm afraid so, Helga. So you see why this is a serious situation?"
She holds her head in her hands, staring wide-eyed at the floor completely and utterly mortified.
That little freak! I was so busy swooning over Arnold in my most private moments, never realizing just what Brainy was up to! I never cared why he was even there!
"Wait a sec," Arnold turns to the teacher, eyes wide, "You mean... Brainy's a-a peeping Tom?"
"Yes, it's starting to look that way," Mr. Simmons frowns, "Helga, Arnold, did Brainy, ah, Edgar threaten you with a weapon?"
She shakes her head without raising it.
"No. Why?" Arnold asks.
"There appears to be a knife in Mr. Finch's backpack," Principal Jenkins states, "As you know, we have a very strict policy at our school against weapons. Under the circumstances, this is very concerning."
Helga glances up through her fingers.
The awkward, fast breathing all the time while Helga was alone. Brushing up behind her, sometimes barely touching. Why did he have a knife? He never fought back. Not once. It really seemed like he wanted to be punched. He wanted to be punished like some sick, perverted freak. He did start to like it. Just not how she thought, not for the attention. No, not nearly as harmless. But why the knife? And who knows what the pictures are of! Where he took them. How... bad they are! Helga doesn't want to see them. No one should see them. But Mr. Simmons and Mrs. Jenkins already have and there will be policemen here soon.
They can't show Arnold, can they? No, no they wouldn't! They couldn't!
"Helga, did you give Edgar any of your personal items? Clothing or...?"
She looks over at Mr. Simmons with a sick feeling in her gut, "Why?"
"There's, err-, well-"
Mrs. Jenkins interrupts the blushing theater teacher, "Ms. Pataki. If what you say is true we believe Mr. Finch has been following you around for quite some time now. There are many different items in plastic bags with different labels in his possession, all claiming to be your belongings."
"Like?" Helga croaks.
Mrs. Jenkins sighs, "This is something we should go over with the police. However, seeing as it is your stolen property; A toothbrush, some poems, a collection of gum and candy wrappers, a sock, a lock of hair, and, well, undergarments. If it wasn't for Mr. Shortman here, this could've escalated and who knows..."
The principal goes on yet her voice falls on deaf ears. Even though she is clearly the victim here, Helga sits in a petrified daze as though she's facing her own firing squad. The girl cycles through all the items she has collected from Arnold over the years. Everything right down to his-
"Undergarments," the girl mutters aloud.
The principal pauses, "Yes, Ms. Pataki-"
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Helga mutters.
"It's alright, Helga," Mr. Simmons places a hand gently on her shoulder now, "We've phoned your father at work and he is on his way here as we speak. We'll handle this situation quietly Everything will be just fine. Brainy... Edgar Finch won't be coming back around you anytime soon."
Arnold's eyes remain locked on the office floor, deep in thought as he rubs his already sore fist. If it wasn't for him hitting Brainy today would anyone of known what the kid was up to? Dirty pictures, stealing her things, he never thought Brainy was that bad. How could Arnold be so blind? At least he helped stop creep before things escalated. Before a deranged pervert actually hurt his friend. But-
She's still hiding something, Arnold realizes, Maybe it was worse! We all thought it's just some schoolboy crush. Harmless ol' Brainy just doing what he does. Harmless... he had a knife in his bag! Brainy's been perving on Helga for- for years now and we all just let it happen! I just let it happen! I should've stepped in sooner... I should've helped!
"So you see," Mr. Simmons states with a disappointed yet compassionate sigh, "This is a very worrying situation and we will do our best to help you through it-"
Arnold mutters something so low Helga seated beside him can't make it. Still, she can hear the angry tone from earlier returning and sheepishly raises her head from her hands looking over at the boy.
"I'm sorry, what did you say, Mr. Shortman?" Principal Jenkins asks sympathetically.
"I said fuck that guy! A fucking knife!?" Arnold looks up, face stone serious and cheeks flushed with rage, "What the fuck is wrong with him!? Sick freak!! I didn't hit him hard enough the first time! God damn pervert! He deserves his fucking face bashed in permanently
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The Creeps