Chapter Text
Arnold Shortman and Gerald Johanssen have recently graduated from P.S. 118’s high school and would now be attending the University of Hillwood together. Both were a little nervous about their first year at university with this being a major transition but also excited to see what their future holds.
They were adamant on getting a room together in Hickory Hall because they agreed it would make their first year in college easier to get through being able to lean on each other and have some familiarity in their new environment. After all, they had sleepovers as long as they have been friends so them living together in a dorm for a period of time should be no sweat. Besides, if either of them have a problem, they knew how to be mature about it because they hardly had conflict with each other and came to a resolve whenever it occurred. Moving in was a little bit stressful with unloading all of their belongings but that was due to not only the strenuous work of putting things together but also due to their families causing a bit of a ruckus during the process.
Gerald’s siblings were being annoying with Timberly bragging about being the only child left in the house since Jamie-O moved out so she’ll have more space, Jamie-O barely contributed to the heavy lifting of huge items telling Gerald he could handle it since he’s a big boy now and his parents giving unsolicited tips on how to be a responsible adult now that he’s in college. Meanwhile, Arnold’s parents kept going on about how much they’ll miss him while his grandparents and Ernie were arguing and kept saying embarrassing things per usual. Mr. Potts only came to talk shit about the layout of the dorm it seemed like which Arnold reminded him he could’ve stayed home with the other board mates but he wanted to come along for the ride for emotional support. After their families hugged them and left, Arnold and Gerald let out a sigh of relief and finished with setting up their sides of the room.
“Finally! I thought they’d never leave!” Gerald sighed sounding exhausted.
“Yea, I know.” Arnold agreed. “But, I’m sure you’ll miss your family soon enough.”
“Nah, I’ve been waiting for this for a while now. No more hearing Timberly’s girly pop songs next door from my room or hearing her scream “Mom! Dad!” every two seconds. Speaking of which, my mom and dad always take her side and constantly get on me for something, and don’t even get me started on Jamie-O!”
“I thought he moved out a while ago.”
“Yea, but that doesn’t mean he stays away. It’s like he visits just to torture me or something.” Seriously, once Jamie-O graduated, Gerald thought he was free from the big brother torture only for him to come home so frequently it doesn’t make a difference. Timberly of course, enjoyed every minute of it and seemed to be plotting against Gerald as well ratting to Jamie-O about him; why did he have to be a middle-child? Timberly and Jamie-O always seem to get their way being the baby and the oldest.
Arnold almost chuckled at Gerald’s comment but he knows that they were not the closest so he understood where he was coming from, especially with the behavior he witnessed today.
“I’m sure he just misses you guys, but is too afraid to say it.” Of course, Arnold had a positive outlook on his older menace of a brother like he hasn’t dealt with him firsthand.
“Mom, Dad, and Timberly maybe. Me? Fat chance, Arnold!” Gerald scoffed.
“I know he can be an ass, but it’s most likely a cover up otherwise I don’t think he’d even show up today to see you off to college.”
“Well, his ass definitely didn’t help much today.” He appreciated Arnold’s optimism and knew he was right to a degree but it didn’t change the fact that his brother’s demeanor didn’t change much from when he was 9 despite him being a grown man now. “Anyways, you gonna miss your folks?” Gerald asked almost contemplating if it was a good idea.
“Yea, I am.” Arnold answered with a sad smile. He wasn’t very good with change, especially being away from his family but he knew he could visit anytime. It was hard packing the night before thinking about leaving Abner, his grandparents, and especially his parents who reentered his life the last 6 years; he tried to hold it together but when Mr. Hyunh got emotional saying he would miss him and he’s like a son he’s never had, Arnold started to cry and gave him a big hug along with all the others in the board house including his blood relatives. His friend noticed that he looked sad with his smile fading and walked over to him.
“Even Oskar?” Gerald asked trying to sound deadpan but his smile creeped through as he noticed his friend’s smile come back more genuinely and earned a light playful shove in response.
“I don’t think even Susie misses him considering she’s been so happy ever since they divorced. The day after she kicked him out, she started singing joyfully in the shower.” Arnold chuckled making Gerald laugh with him.
“Oh man, I can’t imagine living with that guy!” The man with the pointed hair fade cracked up.
“I’m telling you man, he was a freeloader!” The blonde continued their laughter going on for at least another minute before it died down. “I’m really glad you’re rooming with me Gerald.” He said genuinely.
“Me too, dude.” He responded as they wiggled their thumbs together, their signature handshake they’ve been doing since they were kids. “I was scared I’d end up with a crazy person.”
“Yea, I felt more comfortable rooming with someone I actually know since I never shared a room before. I mean, we’re best friends after all.”
“Yea, and we had plenty of sleepovers together, what could go wrong?”
“We practically know each other too well not to be roommates. Do you think we should even fill this out?” Arnold asked holding up their roommate form which Gerald shook his head in response.
"Nah, I think it's more for people who don't know each other and are learning to share a space together. We've been buddies for so long, we know how to handle each other."
"Yeah, you're right." He agreed crumbling the paper and tossing it in the trash. "By the way, are you okay that I took the bed beside the window? I know us moving in was a little chaotic, so I didn't really get a chance to ask."
"You're good, Arnold. I wanted the bed by the door anyways." He reassured. "My TV and K-box fit perfectly in this little space." It really did work out the way things were set up in their room despite the process being tedious. Both of their sides were to their liking, and Gerald was actually pleased Arnold took the window side because he was not a fan of the sun being directly in his face when waking up in the morning. He was sure Arnold wanted to be by the window because it would remind him of home in a way and he had a small plant he just bought recently to tend to; plus, the dude could gaze out there as long as he wanted getting lost in his daydreams.
After they finished decorating their room, they went out to take a mini tour of the campus and grab a bite to eat at a nearby sandwich place. They discussed their majors with Gerald being in business while Arnold was in music but also thinking about minoring in psychology not only because he was interested in behavior but because it was something Helga mentioned majoring in. Although him and Helga became close as they got older, things were not going pretty smoothly as of recently. They had dated for some time in middle school but broke up due to being young and immature about the whole thing; Arnold thought now that they were older, they could handle a more mature relationship and take dating more seriously, but Helga seemed to be back on her bullshit pushing him away so they are currently not on speaking terms. Gerald sympathized with Arnold letting him know he did not deserve the treatment, but the short man shrugged admitting he might have been too clingy with her, and he was willing to give her space until they figured out what they really wanted; he was sure Helga would come back around. He applauded Gerald and Phoebe still going strong for such a long time and Gerald admitted having his eyes on her for a while and is even surprised himself that they have been dating since middle school though things seemed to become more serious in recent years with them being older.
Ironically when discussing the nature of their dating lives, it so happened that Helga and Phoebe were eating together at a faraway table. As soon as Arnold noticed Helga, she turned around and made eye contact with him looking perplexed that they were in the same location. He did a small wave at her just for her to roll her eyes and turn back around to continue conversing with Phoebe. Gerald winked at Phoebe ignoring Helga earning a shy smile in return which made the blonde girl wave a hand in front of her face to ignore them.
"As far as I'm concerned, that Helga G. Pataki is still the same." The tall man retorted.
"Behind the tough girl exterior, she's not so bad. She's just dealing with some things." Arnold pointed out.
"Uh-huh, that's why she just rolled her eyes at you and y'all aren't talking." He really did not understand what his friend saw in this girl, but he figured they matched each other's freak in some odd way. He started to notice the weird chemistry between them before they started dating. Even after their breakup, they couldn't seem to just forget about each other. Gerald didn't think Arnold would be the type to have an on and off relationship with one girl, but Helga did seem to drive him crazy in a way no one else could.
"She'll come around. Trust me, Gerald." Arnold said with a small smirk on his face. He knew how strongly Helga felt for him and he's certain that did not change much despite her actions; she just had a hard time expressing how she truly feels.
"Ok Arnold, I don't know how long y'all can keep playing this tug of war with each other." Seriously, he's been around to witness the shenanigans play out between the two. Helga was always starting something with Arnold and for a while, he just took it. When they got older though, the boy was less lenient and would start to bite back making remarks in response to her mainly about her attitude and how he couldn't stand it. They seemed to go back and forth between getting into petty arguments and flirting which Gerald knew led to kissing one way or another; they both seemed to get a kick out of riling each other up somehow.
"Come on, Gerald. It's not like that."
"Who knows what would've happened if you and Helga ended up being roommates." He said with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde asked feeling his face get hot.
"Oh, I think you know. You're starting to blush, Arnold." Gerald teased.
"I am not!" He denied blushing more.
"I can see it now. You two would probably try to rip each other's heads off within the first few days but then the next thing you know, clothes start coming off and "Oh ArNoLd!"" His friend broke into laughter after doing a high-pitched girly impression of Helga.
"Gerald! Cut it out, she'll hear you and come over here!" Arnold whisper-yelled still blushing as his friend continued snickering.
"You don't want her to? So, you can kiss and make up? Or should I say make-"
"Come on, let's go back to our rooms now. I'm getting tired." He interrupted getting ready to drag Gerald out with him to get away from Helga, so she doesn't change her mind on ignoring him and decides to cause a ruckus. They walked out quickly and made their way to Hickory Hall which was only about a five-minute walk.
"Seriously though, I hope y'all get this sorted out. I know you really like her but there are other girls, man. I mean, you'll have more options now being in college now." He had a feeling Arnold and Helga will work things out, but he also did not want Arnold holding onto her for dear life if it didn't work out because he knew he had a tendency to hold on to people he really liked.
"I have enough girl trouble as it is. Honestly, this break is probably good for us, I didn't realize I needed one too." Despite the teasing, he knew Gerald meant well and he was really rooting for him. He kind of pushed Helga in the back of his mind because moving away from home and adjusting to college was already enough to think about. He definitely didn't expect to see her in the sandwich place but after she rolled her eyes at him, he knew she wasn't worth his energy in the moment; he already thought about the possibility of running into her sometime this semester, but he wasn't fully ready to see her today.
"I get it. You have a lot on your mind." He said sympathetically as he put a hand on the shorter man's shoulder.
"You don't?"
"Just how am I gonna get up the first day and make it through this semester. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I wanna do cause I'm nervous about being a business major."
"No worries, I'm sure you'll figure it out."
As their conversation finished up, they made it to their dorm walking up the stairs to their floor. Gerald felt the inside of his hoodie and pockets just to realize he left his key in the room, but luckily Arnold had his and unlocked the door for both of them. They decided to settle in for the day since it was already evening, and they would be starting classes fairly soon. They went over their schedules for the semester and discussing their classes in detail which felt weird only sharing one class together because it was a core class (a foreign language at that); the other ones were different relating to their majors, and they also seemed to have different schedules regarding what times and what days they had classes. The first day they shared their morning class in French then had a few other classes of their own later in the day. The next day, Gerald had a class later in the day he thankfully did not have to wake up early for while Arnold had another morning class as well as flute lessons he enrolled in later that day. The classes the first day seemed to take place every other day Mondays and Wednesdays while they both had a free Thursday which was convenient so they could possibly hang out or study together then Friday they only had the one shared class in the morning and were free the rest of the day. They were stressed just laying out their schedules for the week; this was nothing like secondary school for sure.
"You're telling me we gotta get up at 6:30 in the morning?! For French?! Maaann!" Gerald complained.
"That is pretty early, even for me, but we can at least suffer together." Arnold stated.
"Yeaah, and then we gotta go our separate ways after that. I can't even get in a nap cause I got another class right after!" The tall man whined plopping face down on his bed with the paper of his schedule in his hand.
"Me neither, I have a class an hour afterwards. This schedule is going to take some getting used to. Anyways, I'm gonna go ahead and get my shower in if that's alright with you."
"Yeah, go for it." Gerald responded still face down in his mattress.
With that, Arnold took off his top layers, tossing them on his bed along with his hat before entering the bathroom to hop in the shower. Gerald figured he'd take his shower afterwards deciding to get his tank top, sweatpants, and shower cap ready. He realized that Arnold did not have a shower cap, so he assumed that he probably washes his hair in the shower at the same time. His hair has grown a little over time, but it was harder to tell considering it lays flatter than it did when he was a kid; it still sticks out on the sides and he figured if he grew it out more, it would look mostly flat but Arnold usually cut his hair before it got past neck length. Gerald had his haircut recently and shaped his signature silicone fro to a shorter pointed fro. He could not wash his hair as frequently as Arnold probably does due to their texture differences, so he wore a shower cap in order to protect it from getting wet and the style. Once he took his hoodie off, he heard the water stop and saw his friend come out of the bathroom door with a damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.
"I'm done if you need the shower."
The fact that he got done in a short amount of time was a good sign. His siblings would take forever in the bathroom, and it seemed like he barely had time to use it himself. Rooming with Arnold should be a breeze. At least that's what he thought until he entered the bathroom just to see strings of blonde hair in the shower area. Gerald crinkled his nose and just decided to run the shower water aiming the head towards the hairs to go down the drain; maybe Arnold didn't notice how much hair he left behind so he just let it slide. After all, it is their first night staying in the dorm and they had a long week ahead of them; he was sure that maybe this would not be a reoccurring problem.
While Gerald was taking his shower, Arnold threw on a t-shirt and basketball shorts then hopped on his bed checking his flip phone for any text messages. He did receive a text from his parents letting him know they missed him with a smiley face which made him smile a little. He was initially curious on if Helga sent him anything but saw nothing from her. He sighed closing his phone and looking out the window lost in thought. He wondered where Helga stayed on campus concluding that she had to be in a different hall considering she was not a part of Hickory Hall's freshman orientation. Maybe she was rooming with Phoebe and decided to make sure they were assigned together like him and Gerald did; he could see her doing that. Arnold wasn't even sure if Helga rooming with a new person would have been the best idea anyways since she was not a warm and welcoming person right off the bat. He knew it was because she has a guard up in order to protect herself since she did not grow up in a nurturing household but part of him wondered if she just took joy in being mean.
"Jimi, why can't I get Helga off my mind?" He asked talking to his plant. He decided to give it a name and thought why not name it after Jimi Hendrix a famous musician who died way too young; after all he is majoring in music, so it was fitting. "Right when I was starting to feel at ease, I run into her just for her to ignore me. It's not like she has a reason to be mad at me."
"Arnold, who're you talking to?" Gerald asked as he stepped out of the bathroom in a towel and shower cap on. Arnold nearly jumped out of his skin and fell off his bed at the sudden sound of his voice.
"I, um, was just...You know Jimi, right?" He staggered gesturing to his succulent plant sitting in the window.
"Oh, your little plant." Gerald responded unphased by his eccentric behavior. "Did Jimi offer advice on how to take that chick off your mind?" He asked light-heartedly.
"No, but I'm sure I'll be ok, hopefully." Arnold sighed looking up at the ceiling.
"You will. I'm sure things will work out." He reassured as he put on his clothes behind his bed.
"What would I do without you, Gerald?" He asked rhetorically already feeling better.
"Who knows? You'd probably have to rely on Jimi for advice on girls and how to adjust on being a freshman in college along with being stuck with some crazy person who'd be watching you in your sleep." Gerald jokes.
"That was a rhetorical question, dude." Arnold said in mock annoyance. "Seriously though, I am glad we are roommates. It's nice having someone you know in a new environment, plus I don’t think I could open up to a stranger like this."
"Yea, I agree." Before he could speak again, Gerald noticed his flip phone ringing. Seeing that it was his girlfriend, Phoebe, he decided to answer her.
Arnold could tell who it was based on the suave tone his friend spoke in. Gerald was a true romantic when it came to Phoebe. He was happy for him and thought it was sweet the way they talked to each other; he even noticed them sharing a smile at the sandwich place they ate at today before Helga commanded Phoebe's attention back to her. It reminded him when Helga did the same to him a few times on their dates. "HEY! I'm right here Arnoldo! In case you were paying attention!" She would say as she snapped in front of his face if his attention seemed to waver. It took him awhile to realize that Helga seemed to get jealous if he was getting attention from someone else, particularly girls. He could not punish her for that considering he's had his moments of jealousy and right now, he was a little jealous with how Gerald and Phoebe's chemistry was unmatched and how they just clicked with barely any chaos. Those two were attached at the hip. Why couldn't he have that with Helga, was it asking too much? He got lost in his thoughts not realizing that Gerald just got off the phone and had a look on his face like he knew something.
"What?" Arnold asked. His friend hesitated to say anything wearing a now guilty expression. "Tell me. Why do you look like you're hiding something?" He asked urgently now.
"You're not gonna believe this."
"What is it? Tell me."
"I could just tell you in the morning-"
"Gerald!"
"Fine, just keep your shorts on." He sighed before speaking again. "Phoebe and Helga are taking the same French class we are."
"What?! At the same time?!"
"Yea man, 7:00 am sharp!"
"Shit..." Arnold breathed out burying his face in his hands.
"What a weird coincidence I tell you!"
"Shit." He whispered in his hands.
"It'll be ok, you can just ignore her and act like she isn't there until you're ready to talk."
"....I need to pee." Arnold said getting up to go to the bathroom.
Gerald knew that Arnold was not going to react well to the fact that his ex was joining them in French class. He wasn't particularly thrilled himself because he felt for Arnold, but he also knew that if they did interact some chaos could potentially ensue between them. He just hoped that things remained peaceful and cordial for now and him and Phoebe would not be put in the middle of their mess like they have been before. For a second he was worried his friend was going to be sick, but it turned out he really did need to pee; dude needs to slow down on those sodas, so he doesn't do a number on his bladder. After hearing the toilet flush, the short man came out of the restroom to wash his hands at their sink frantically.
"You good, Arnold?" Gerald asked concerned.
"Yea, everything's just happening so fast." He answered drying his hands.
They put their fists together and wiggled their thumbs in a comforting gesture agreeing they would get through this week somehow. They both checked the time to see it was getting late deciding to turn the lights off, but conversed a little longer sharing some of their anxieties on what classes are going to be like and how much work they have to do to try to ease their minds to shut off so they would not struggle waking up early in the morning. They also talked about extracurricular activities such as playing sports or potentially joining clubs thinking about what the university has to offer before exchanging yawns and eventually drifting to sleep.