Sixth Grade Beginnings

Chapter 32

The day had managed to go pretty smoothly for Helga, much smoother than she had imagined it going. With one of her backpack straps in hand and her face planted at the sidewalk, Helga continued to think about what she could possibly get Arnold for his birthday. Ideas flashed in her mind, but everything seemed so trivial. Just where exactly was she headed? Helga looked up and noticed that her feet were bringing her to the business district of Hillwood, and she was nearing its center.

In front of her stood many shops and just as much foot traffic going in and out. With a whimsical shrug, she headed on in to the nearest one. It was a decent clothing shop that sold latest name brand fashion as well as some tech accessories.

"There's gotta be something in here he'd like..." She wondered out loud as she outstretched one of her hands to graze a rack of shirts. Helga eyed the clothes around her until she headed on towards some plaid dress shirts. All seemed to be his type but the moment she looked at the price tag, Helga's stomach churned. "Criminy! Who could afford something this expensive?!" She asked no one in particular before walking away.

Wrack after wrack, shelf after shelf and from one display to the next, the blonde girl noticed that there was no way she was going to be able to afford anything in this shop. With a scowl on her face, she left that store to the next.

It was frustrating to think that at one point in her life, money had been no object to her. Her family was well off and on occasion her father would give her a rather large allowance so long as she stayed out of his hair and let him be, but now?

"This is hopeless..." Helga grumbled to herself as she flung open another door and stepped outside. The toy store was too juvenile, the bookstore was too bland, all of the nice clothing stores were out of budget, all the trinket stores seemed stupid and lastly the candy shop she was leaving just seemed too lame. Who buys candy for someone's birthday anyway?

Helga looked over at a tall poll with a digital clock displaying the time. A little over an hour had passed since she had arrived, and the sky was already starting to get dark. With a heavy heart, Helga sighed and crossed her arms.

"Stupid seasons changing..." She griped before kicking a crumpled-up paper bag at her feet. "I need more time!"

She looked around again to see what other shops she hadn't gone into yet. An arts and craft store, a few more clothing stores, a jewelry shop and a shoe store were pretty much all that was left for her to explore in this plaza. Knowing that it was only a waste of time for her to bother, Helga growled and headed back in the direction towards the boarding house.

"Coupons!" Shouted a voice as Helga turned a corner onto the next street. "Get your free coupon!"

Helga noticed the voice was coming from a teenaged boy in some sort of pharaoh outfit. "Poor sap." She said with a shake of her head. She watched as he walked up to every person nearby and held out a piece of paper that most paid no mind to. It made her think back to their trip to hand out beeper flyers. Normally she would have purposely avoided the boy but this time, his plight gave her both sympathy and intrigue as she approached him.

"Coupons, huh?" She asked the pathetic excuse of a worker.

The boy immediately looked her way and shoved the piece of paper in her hands without a second to lose. "Yes! There is a new Egypt exhibit that just opened up at the museum!" He exclaimed before reaching down into a bag and pulling out a pamphlet. "Here! You should check it out! That coupon gives you one free admission, and these are all the other exhibits that are included!"

"Thanks..." Helga replied skeptically before walking away.

"Be sure to check it out!" The boy called out from behind her loudly.