Ninth Grade Chapter 1: Tiffany and Sandra By Summer
And Life Seems to Have Went On
“Good night, Sweetie,” said Helga’s mom as she kissed her on the forehead.
Miriam Pataki had grown to be much happier over the years since Helga’s fourth grade year. Helga was glad. The word home seemed to have more meaning now that someone there loved her. They had gotten so close they were like best friends.
Tomorrow, Helga thought, as her mom left the room, is the first day of ninth grade.
Helga hadn’t seen hide nor hair of any of ‘the ol’ gang’ since the end of eighth grade when her father decided she should go and visit her cousins Taysia and Jennifer. They lived in New Orleans and Helga had saw a lot of sights, done some shopping, and become more of a nice person with the help of her dear cousins.
She really wanted to see Arnold, but she knew that with Helga out of the way, he probably finally got Lila to start dating him. Helga still loved him, really loved him and knew seeing them, as a “couple” would hurt her heart and soul deeply. Much like that song Sandia sang last year in eighth grade.
I loved you like
I never could,
Never will love
Anyone else.
You crushed
My heart and soul
When you went to Lily instead.
Why?
How could you do this to me?
Where did I
Go wrong?
I loved you!
I love you!
She doesn’t really
Care for you!
Haven’t I
Always been
There for you?
Your closest friend
When you really
Needed one?
I loved you!
You loved me!
I love you!
You love her!
The first day of ninth grade dawned bright and clear…which is amazing for any part of Seattle. Helga got up pulled on some flared jeans, and a lavender strap shirt. Then put her hair up in a bun with two thin pieces on either side framing her face. She had grown out her bangs so it looked really cute. She skipped breakfast and walked to the bus stop.
When the bus arrived and she was comfortably seated inside she looked out the window to give her something to do. About the fifth stop she saw an all too familiar boy. Arnold walked onto the bus.
The bus was crowded and the only empty seat she could see was the one next to her. Helga childishly crossed her fingers and closed her eyes until she heard a masculine voice ask, “can I sit here?” Surprise by the deepness of his voice, her eyes popped open and she nodded.
“So where have you been all summer?” he asked her to her surprised delight.
“My dad decided that I should go visit my cousins, Taysia and Jennifer in new Orleans-“
“New Orleans? Wow! How was it?”
“Oh, great! I had a real blast! What about you?”
“Well, I stayed around here all summer long…pretty boring, huh?”
“Well, I suppose so…although being gone all summer wasn’t the greatest.”
“Give us each a little of the other persons summer and we got it made,” he laughed. Helga laughed too. “So what classes and teachers do you have?” he asked.
“Um…hold on a sec,” she said as she dug through her backpack. “Okay, in my homeroom I have Mrs. Adams. Then in P.E. I Ms. Johnson, in math Miss. Kelly, after that I have Spanish with Miss. Garcia. After lunch I have Mrs. Larson for Physics, and in English Mrs. Loving. Finally Ms. Main for History. Crimany! They’re all girls! Anyhow, do we have any classes together?”
“As a matter of fact four. Mrs. Adams, Ms. Main, Mrs. Loving, Ms. Johnson.”
Soon the bus pulled up in front of the school. Arnold and Helga got off and naturally looked around for someone they knew. Sure enough they saw Amanda falling asleep on the front steps.
“Amanda, dear! Wake up!” said Helga.
Amanda looked up with half closed, tired eyes.
“Oh, hi! I was just resting…good night,” she said falling back to sleep.
Arnold and Helga both sighed. Lila came running up giving Helga a big hug.
“Wherever have you been?” she asked Helga.
She had changed. Her hair was more cinnamon, cut about an inch above her shoulders. Her eyes were greener. In other words…she was as pretty as ever.
“I was in New Orleans with my cousins Taysia and Jennifer.”
“Wow! Oh, look there’s Stinky! Bye!” she cried running off.
Helga looked up hoping to see jealousy in Arnold’s eyes, all she saw was him smiling down at her. He was about to say something when too obnoxious girls came racing towards them knocking them over into a pile.
“Oops! Sorry!” said a cute brunette.
“Dido!” said a blond, “I’m Tiffany Squires and this is Sandra Andrews. We are, like, so sorry we ran into you! Can you, like, find it in your heart to forgive us?” asked Tiffany dramatically
